Opinion: Pressing State Issue

It is Time to Restore CA Dance and Theater Credentials

by Malissa Feruzzi-Shriver and Amy Shimshon-Santo, Ph.D.

California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) is considering a landmark reform in Arts Education policy on June 13. At stake is the reinstatement of credentials in dance and theater that have been dormant in California since 1970. This simple and affordable step, supported by education leaders throughout the state, would be catalytic for teaching core subject matter and improving learning outcomes for California students, especially for the underprivileged.

Research confirms the positive impact of the arts on teaching and learning. A recent study by Dr. Liane Brouilette found that arts education increases literacy and numeracy scores on standardized tests – especially for children struggling to master basic skills. Dr. James Catteral’s research shows that students in the lowest socio-economic strata who participate in arts education gain the greatest benefits in terms of academic achievement and civic engagement.

According to California Basic Education System Data (CBEDS), over half of California’s children in public school qualify for Free and Reduced Lunches (FRL), an indicator of low-income. However, over two thirds of Latino children (78%), and 68% of African American children, are eligible for FRL. A mere 16% of students enrolled in visual and performing arts courses at school are low-income (Blueprint for Creative Schools, CA Dept. of Education, 2013).

The lack of access to arts education for public school students is exacerbated by the lack of clear pathways in higher education for teacher preparation and certification in all the arts.

Dance and Theatre are the only two core academic subjects with approved No Child Left Behind Standards that don’t have corresponding California Single Subject Credentials. California is one of only three states in the nation without them.

Recent comparative research by Senator Gloria Romero’s office found that states with dance and theater credentials reported increases in the following areas: demand for the credentials, quality instruction for students, students pursuing the arts in college and career, demand for dance and theater classes in schools, professional status for dance and theater teachers, and teachers who remain in the profession.

Why doesn’t California provide credentials in all core subject areas of instruction? Clues are found in legislative history. In the 1960’s, many teachers in California were certified to teach Dance and Theatre under the Fisher Act of 1961. In 1970, the state’s credentialing regulations were reformed through the Ryan Act. From that time forward, the CTC only offered credentials in Music and Art but revoked Single Subject Credentials in Dance or Theatre.

According to the California Dance Education Association, without such credentials and adequate teacher prep programs in Dance and Theatre, California school districts “are hard-pressed to recruit, contract and retain” highly-qualified dance and theater teacher, and thus, “sustain robust Dance and Theatre programs and fully implement the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Framework and Standards for all students in all arts disciplines.”

California universities are waiting for the CTC to support the credentials so that they can be approved to offer programs for which there is already a demand. If the CTC approves reinstatement of the Dance and Theater credentials, California can move forward to introduce a bill that adapts legislation to include the missing disciplines. Then teachers will be able get the dance and theater jobs that currently go to teachers who earned their credentials outside the state.

As legacy members of CREATE CA (Core Reforms Engaging Arts to Educate), a statewide consortium that aims to eliminate opportunity gaps for access to a quality education for all students, we applaud the CTC for considering reinstatement of the missing credentials. This important step would restore opportunities for teachers and children in accordance with the recommendations outlined in the Blueprint for Creative Schools.

The CTC should support reinstatement of credentials in Dance and Theater. Restoring the missing credentials in these core academic subject areas will increase access to a quality, creative education for all children, and enhanced leadership, excellence, and longevity among California’s teachers.

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