Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA)

Congratulations to Elicia Masztal and Natalie Eck! These teachers were honored by the Friends of Sacramento Arts organization as Heroes in Art Education during the month of March.

 For any questions regarding Proposition 28 (Arts and Music in our Schools), please contact: vapa@fcusd.org

VAPA Partners & Resources:

• Create Ca here.
• Crocker Art Museum here.
• Friends of Sacramento Arts here.
• Harris Center here.
• MACC (Mills Station Arts & Community Center) here.
• Meet the Masters here.
• Sacramento County Office of Education SCOE here.
• The California Arts Project (TCAP) here.

Announcements:

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces Implementation of Prop 28

• Information about Art & Music in Schools Funding (Proposition 28) can be found here.
• Information from Create Ca. Art & Music in Schools Funding (Proposition 28) Tool kit can be found here.
• The FCUSD Visual and Performing Arts Plan can be found here. This document is being updated and revised for the 2023-2024 school year.
• The FCUSD SCOE Community of Practice VAPA Updates 10-15-20 can be found here. 
• The Visual and Performing Arts Steering Committee will meet on 4/10/24 at 4:00 pm via Teams. Please contact vapa@fcusd.org for the meeting link.

A Message from the former State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction

The arts are a dynamic presence in our daily lives, enabling us to express our creativity while challenging our intellect. Through the arts, children have a unique means of expression that captures their passions and emotions and allows them to explore ideas, subject matter, and culture in delightfully different ways. Achievement in the arts cultivates essential skills, such as problem solving, creative thinking, effective planning, time management, teamwork, effective communication, and an understanding of technology.

The visual and performing arts standards presented here are comprehensive and provide important guidance for schools to prepare curricula for students in prekindergarten through grade twelve. For the four disciplines of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts— each with its own body of knowledge and skills—the standards are organized into five strands that are woven throughout all artistic experiences. The standards incorporate both traditional means of artistic expression and newer media, such as cinematography, video, and computer-generated art.

Educators are encouraged to take the standards and design curricular and instructional strategies that address the needs of their students, teachers, and families. Local educational agencies will want to consider ways to include standards-based visual and performing arts instruction both in regular arts instruction and into other subject areas for interdisciplinary instruction.

The visual and performing arts standards reflect our belief that all children should have access to challenging curriculum content, exhibit a high level of performance proficiency, and be prepared for the world of tomorrow.

RUTH E. GREEN President, California State Board of Education

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction

The California Department of Education, Visual and Performing Arts webpage is located at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/vp/

Please check back regularly for updates!