Fine Arts Instruction

The information on this page is intended for use by educators, administrators, area education agencies, students, parents, and other individuals interested in fine arts education in Iowa. Fine arts education includes the disciplines of Dance, General Music, Instrumental Music, Media Arts, Theatre, Visual Art, and Vocal Music.

Iowa Fine Arts Standards

Iowa's Fine Arts Standards were approved and adopted by the Iowa State Board of Education on November 15, 2017, based on the recommendation of the Iowa Fine Arts Standards Adoption Team. Read the team's Fine Arts Standards Final Report (2017) (306.8 KB) .pdf .

Implementation

• Implementation of the Iowa Fine Arts Standards (175.62 KB) .pdf  - Provides guidance on how to use Iowa's Fine Arts Standards.

Dance Standards

• Dance Standards, K-12
• Glossary for Dance Standards (293.04 KB) .pdf

Media Standards

• Media Arts Standards, K-12
• Glossary for Media Arts Standards (207.36 KB) .pdf

Music Standards

• General Music Standards, K-8 (revised from National Coalition for Core Arts Standards) (194.24 KB) .pdf
  Note: A small number of changes were made to the National Core Arts Standards to eliminate redundancies, provide clarification, and create developmentally appropriate expectations and continuity across grade levels. All changes are listed in blue. Blue font indicates minor changes to language, while blue-highlighted areas indicate larger-scale changes to whole performance standards.
• Harmonizing Instruments Standards
• Music Composition and Theory Standards, 9-12
• Music Technology Standards, 9-12
• Traditional and Emerging Ensembles Standards
• Glossary for Music Standards (259.89 KB) .pdf

Theatre Standards

• Theatre Standards, K-12 (revised from National Coalition for Core Arts Standards) (411.6 KB) .pdf
  Note: Minor changes were made to the National Core Arts Standards to provide clarification and create developmentally appropriate expectations and continuity across grade levels. All changes are listed in blue font.
• Glossary for Theatre Standards (196.29 KB) .pdf

Visual Arts Standards

• Visual Arts Standards, K-12
• Glossary for Visual Arts Standards (223.07 KB) .pdf

Early Childhood

Fine arts standards for early childhood are included in the  Iowa Early Learning Standards - 3rd Edition (5.75 MB) .pdf  - Area 5, Creative Arts, pages 166-181.

Resources

Looking for more resources to support the implementation of Iowa's Fine Arts Standards? Check out our repository of templates, tools, lesson plans, and assessments available on AEA Learning Online. Log in, then access AEA Learning Online | Fine Arts Standards Course.

Fine Arts Exchange

The Fine Arts Exchange newsletter is sent out monthly, providing timely updates, resources and professional learning opportunities to fine arts educators and those who support them.

Sign up to receive the Fine Arts Exchange newsletter.

Iowa Arts Education Data Project

The Iowa Arts Education Data Project showcases Iowa’s arts education data through a user-friendly, interactive dashboard. The dashboard is intended to promote meaningful dialogue on arts education across the state and to encourage equitable, data-driven decisions by schools, districts, educators, community members, and policymakers that support a well-rounded education for all Iowa students.

The Iowa Arts Education Data Project displays high school course and enrollment data by fine arts discipline—dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and media arts/other—as well as by grade level, gender, and school demographics. Stakeholders can use the data to identify areas of strength and areas of need. By providing a variety of demographic lenses and grain sizes for viewing the data—state, AEA region, district, and school—the dashboard offers compelling snapshots of access to and opportunities in fine arts education across Iowa.

Iowa Arts Education Data Project Dashboard

Online Professional Development Modules

The Iowa Department of Education has partnered with AEA Learning Online to offer five free online professional learning modules around Iowa's Fine Arts Standards. Designed to be flexible to district and educator needs, they can be taken individually or bundled together for one license renewal credit.

The modules are:

1. Introducing Iowa's Fine Arts Standards
2. Understanding Iowa's Fine Arts Standards
3. Applying and Connecting Iowa's Fine Arts Standards
4. Assessing Iowa's Fine Arts Standards
5. Resources for Implementing Iowa's Fine Arts Standards

To enroll in the course, visit AEA Learning Online | Fine Arts Standards Course.

Law

The following laws reference arts education:

• Iowa Code section 256.11
• Iowa Administrative Code 281-12.5(5)"i"
• Chapter 12 Matrix: Technical Assistance for Meeting Accreditation Standards (875.63 KB) .pdf (Tip: Use your document reader's Find feature to search for terms, such as "music" or "art".)
• Good Conduct-GPA Policies and Curricular and Co-Curricular Activities (294.84 KB) .pdf  - Explains the restrictions on imposing grade penalties for imposing academic penalties in curricular activities (such as vocal music and instrumental music competitions) based on application of a school's Good Conduct rule or minimum GPA standards for participation in activities.

Festivals, Contests, Exhibits, & Competitions

Music

For information about Iowa high school music festivals/contests, visit the Iowa High School Music Association website.

Visual Arts

For information about Iowa visual arts student exhibits and competition opportunities, visit the Art Educators of Iowa website.

Theatre

For information about Iowa theatre and drama competition opportunities, visit the Iowa High School Speech Association and Iowa Thespians websites.

Professional Organizations

The following arts education organizations are actively serving Iowa educators in areas of professional development, advocacy, and leadership opportunities:

• Art Educators of Iowa
• First Iowa Orff Chapter 28 - Cedar Falls
• Iowa Alliance for Arts Education
• Iowa Arts Council
• Iowa Bandmasters Association
• Iowa Communication Association
• Iowa Choral Directors Association
• Iowa High School Speech Association
• Iowa Music Educators Association
• Iowa Music Teachers Association
• Iowa String Teachers Association
• Iowa Thespians
• Jazz Educators of Iowa
• KEI - Kodaly Educators of Iowa
• Sioux Valley Orff - Sioux City