Visual & Performing Arts Framework

The General McLane School District is committed to high levels of proficiency for all students, K-12. In that quest for excellence, we continue to examine district policies, our building level initiatives, and our classroom practices in an effort to bring the very best of teaching and learning to the entire General McLane School District community.

We are dedicated to a unified approach to the teaching of Visual and Performing Arts to create life-long learners and citizens who are able to truly understand the Arts content, with the ability to question and think critically about their learning experiences. Our practice and approach is driven by our own experiences and collective wisdom coupled with the works of such experts in the field as the National Art Education Association (NAEA), the National Research Council (NRC), the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

General McLane’s approach to curriculum design incorporates the research and best practices of Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design. Understanding by Design is “not a prescriptive program, nor is it a philosophy of education. It is a way of thinking more purposefully and carefully about the nature of any design that has understanding as the goal” (2005, p. 7). In today’s world, students need to be able to do more than memorize facts and processes; they need to understand what they are learning.

General McLane School District has established the following understandings as essential to guiding its Visual and Performing Arts curriculum. These Enduring Understandings will be embedded in all Visual and Performing Arts Course Descriptions and Units of Study.

Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum
Enduring Understandings