October 2020
Advancing the heART of Education
A monthly newsletter about Fine Arts in Iowa
Share Your Story with IAAE
In spite of COVID-19, there are many success stories in arts education throughout our state. We would like to help you share your stories! Take two minutes to share what’s going well in your area - click here to get started.

Email us directly at iaae.communications@gmail.com or share your good news by clicking the button below. If you'd like, include a picture or video of what you're up to. It means a lot for people to see arts education happening in our state during this time, and anything you can share would go far in advancing the heART of education.
Arts Advocacy Day - "Arts Education is Essential"
The IAAE's virtual Arts Advocacy Day is Wednesday, January 20, 2021.

The theme of our event is "Arts Education is Essential". We need advocates who are willing to contact legislators to discuss the importance of arts education in our state as well as request their support of our "ask" for the 2021 legislative session. 

IAAE will provide you with an email template, supporting documents/video attachments, and the contact information (email/phone number) of your assigned legislators. 

Our goal is to have all 150 Iowa legislators contacted by at least one constituent. 

You may register as a virtual advocate by clicking the following link to the IAAE website: https://iowaalliance4artsed.org
 
IAAE will send out final information to all registered advocates the second week of January, 2021. Please spread the word!
Iowa Arts Education Data Project
The Iowa Arts Education Data Project showcases Iowa’s arts education data through a user-friendly, interactive dashboard. The dashboard is intended to promote meaningful dialogue around arts education across the state and to encourage equitable and data-driven decisions by schools, districts, educators, community members, and policymakers that support a well-rounded education for all Iowa students.

The Iowa Arts Education Data Project displays high school course and enrollment data by fine arts discipline – dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and media arts/other – as well as by grade level, gender, and building-majority race/ethnicity and FRL status. Stakeholders can use the data to determine areas of strength as well as areas of need. By providing a variety of demographic lenses as well as various grain sizes by which to view the data – state, AEA region, district, and school – the dashboard provides compelling snapshots of fine arts education access and opportunities across Iowa.

The dashboard was originally scheduled to go live on April 1st, but its release was postponed due to the pandemic. Districts and schools had an extended early viewing window from March until May.
To learn more about the Iowa Arts Education Data Project and view the dashboard and accompanying resources, visit https://educateiowa.gov/artseddata or contact Angela Matsuoka at angela.matsuoka@iowa.gov.

Iowa Department of Education Releases SEL Competencies
Iowa's newly revised Social-Emotional Learning Competencies were released on September 29th. As stated in the introduction of the document, “Social-Emotional competencies are important for whole-student development and well-being.” 

Explore the purpose and valuable use of the SEL Competencies, especially as a natural extension of the work already being done in arts education classrooms across the state. The SEL Competencies include many arts connections and opportunities under “Adult Examples for Instruction” and “Learner Examples.”



Wishing you all a very Happy NEW Year!
The Alliance is supported by the contributions of members like you.
Please join us in our mission to support arts education.
Need more information about the Alliance and our programs?

Contact our Executive Director: Leon Kuehner 641-425-0959 leongkuehner@gmail.com

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