Programs

The APS Fine Arts Program plays a crucial role in fostering creativity, self-expression, and critical thinking in K-12 education. It provides opportunities for students to engage in visual arts, music, choir, drama and dance, helping them develop artistic skills, cultural awareness, and an appreciation for creative expression. The Fine Arts Department also supports interdisciplinary learning by integrating arts into other subjects, enhancing engagement, problem-solving, and overall cognitive and emotional development.

Elementary 

In our 90 elementary schools, we:

• Provide direct instruction in music and visual arts to all students.

• Hire, supervise, and provide professional development for certified art and music teachers.

• Provide consumable supplies and equipment for arts instruction at no cost to schools.

• Provide professional development for classroom teachers.

• Work with community groups to coordinate annual district-wide arts events.

• Oversee the planning and execution of “Art is Elementary,” the annual district exhibit of elementary art; the annual Elementary Choir concerts for fourth and fifth grade students; and the APS art exhibit at the New Mexico State Fair.

• Provide advocacy at the local and state levels for the advancement of arts education.

Our elementary program focuses on K-5 students with the following goals:

• All elementary students will be provided with an annual arts experience delivered by teachers who meet “highly qualified” criteria.

• All students will meet expectations for grade-appropriate basic skills and competencies in general music and visual arts.

• All students will be provided with opportunities to develop and express their creativity and enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving skills through the arts.

• All classroom teachers will be provided with a variety of professional development opportunities to expand their knowledge of best practices in arts education and the instructional benefits of arts integration across the curriculum.

Elementary Instructional Staff:

• Ensure that each school is staffed with art and music teachers on an annual basis.

• Engage department resource teachers to provide district-wide support for elementary art and music programs.

Services Provided To All Elementary Schools:

• Direct instruction for all students, K-5 (and pre-school as time allows) in visual art and general music

• Hiring, supervision, and professional development for certified art and music teachers.

• Scheduling the art and music teachers at each elementary school to insure equitable distribution of arts instruction across the district.

• Schools are served with art and music instruction on a yearly basis.

• All consumable supplies and equipment for arts instruction at no cost to schools; this includes all art supplies and visuals, instruments, recorders for students to keep, CDs, and children’s literature used in art and music instruction.

• Standards documents for visual art, general music, drama, and dance are developed in alignment with the National Core Arts Standards and the Common Core State Standards.

• Grades on the SBPR for art and music.

• Professional development for classroom teachers, including:

1. Site-based in-services (as school schedules allow) provided by the elementary art/music teacher on topics requested by school staff.
2. Collaboration between the art/music teacher and classroom teachers to share or develop specific arts activities that meet the instructional needs of the classroom teacher.
3. Arts-related resources available for checkout from the Unified ARTS Resource Library.

• Collaboration time for elementary art and music teachers is provided regarding:

1. District instructional initiatives that have a direct effect on site-based instruction.
2. Best practices in art and music instructional strategies, materials, and equipment.

This professional development time also provides the elementary art and music teachers the same opportunities for collaboration as that offered for site-based classroom teachers, specific to content-area that aligns with district goals and guardrails.

• Arts-related community organizations that offer field trips as well as site-based activities & programs.

• Annual district-wide music events: NM Philharmonic Symphony Concert field trips, partnership with Sing Together, and Elementary Choir Festival.

• Annual district-wide art exhibits: “Art is Elementary”, and the APS art exhibit at the NM State Fair.

• Advocacy at the local and state levels for the advancement of arts education.

Secondary 

Middle Schools and High Schools

In our 27 middle schools and 13 high schools, we:

• Work with Human Resources to staff band, chorus and orchestra positions.

• Fund bus transportation for high school bands to perform at home football games.

• Review bids for replacement of worn and non-repairable school instruments.

• Organize and support district-wide festivals in music, art, photography, and drama.

Services Provided to Secondary Schools

• Utilize fine arts resource teachers across the district to support choir, drama, performing arts, and visual arts programs.

• Staffing allocations for band, chorus and orchestra positions, in collaboration with APS Human Resources.

• Funding for bus transportation for high school bands to perform at home football games.

• Review and/or replace worn and non-repairable fine arts equipment from Mill Levy funds.

• Support for district music festivals, art shows, photography exhibit, film, and drama festivals.

• Informal mentor program with retired visual/performing arts teachers provided for first year music teachers and/or those new to their content area.

• Assistance with development and revision of standards, course descriptions, and district electives policies.

 

This page was last updated on: December 6, 2010.