NCAS-Resources

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National Core Arts Standards (NCAS)
A Review of Connections between the CCSS and the Core Arts Standards
s a College Board study of the CCSS as
they relate to arts-based learning. This study was divided into two sections: In the first portion, researchers
identified arts references already present in the CCSS. This analysis noted only the instances where the arts are
explicitly mentioned—to commending that students read a play, for example, or respond to a performance—
as opposed to recording standards that advocated for lines of inquiry that may or may not be met through arts
-based study. The next phase of research involved identifying elements of the CCSS that reference the same
broad goals, philosophies, thinking skills, and creative practices that are emphasized in the framework and
planning documents for the Core Arts Standards. That is to say, the NCAS outline the educational foundations
for student success.
The College Board performed a research review of “Current Research and Best Practices,’ during which they
analyzed research linking arts-based learning and human development, including physical and cognitive
growth and academic skills such as long-term memory, reading, creative thinking, and writing fluency. It also
examined the social and emotional impact of arts participation. The report is divided into four literature re-
views that address the disciplines of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. The reviews are further divided by
grade band (early childhood, elementary, middle, high school, and college) each of which includes information
on both general and discipline-specific developmental characteristics of students and related pedagogical prac-
tices. The research indicates that arts experiences are consistently found to give students tools to make sense
of their world and make connections between disparate ideas, while also making connections between them-
selves and others. These connections are extremely important for our unique population of military-connected
students.
Video: Encourage Creativity: Teach the Arts (documentary)
Video URL: