Integrate the Arts, Deepen the Learning

Overview

Getting Started With Arts Integration

Educators at Wiley H. Bates Middle School credit integrating art throughout the curriculum for successfully turning their school around.

A transformation took place when the school adopted arts integration as the turnaround tool for the school. The school made changes in schedules, funding, and even the approach to community and parent involvement.

Most important, the teachers had to change. Through intensive and continual professional development, teachers now are able to engage students in content they previously found uninteresting. The transformation was successful because every teacher integrated arts into their teaching. 

How It's Done

Weaving Arts Education With Standard Curricula

Arts integration (AI) is an approach to teaching that creates a richer context for learning and to deepen student engagement. Educators at Wiley H. Bates Middle School in Annapolis, Maryland, where all teachers have been trained in and are committed to using AI, credit the strategy for successfully turning around the school.

Tips for Administrators

Below are some steps administrators can take to successfully integrate the arts:

Tips for Teachers

Here are ways that teachers can maximize AI’s potential: