Assistance for Arts Education Programs: Professional Development for Arts Educators Grants

Overview

<p>The program is intended to enrich the academic experiences by promoting arts education for students, including disadvantaged students and students who are children with disabilities. The Professional Development for Arts Educators grant (PDAE) specifically supports the implementation of highquality model professional development programs for arts educators and other instructional staff in the areas of music, dance, drama, media arts, and visual arts, including folk arts, for students in kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12) in which 50 percent or more of the students are from low-income families. The FOA explains the identified need for professional development and that arts educators and other instructional staff need opportunities to benefit from technology-enhanced professional development strategies and to learn how to integrate digital instructional and assessment tools into arts and arts-integrated classrooms. Accordingly, continuation of the requirement that schools participating in PDAE projects have a minimum 50 percent of students from low-income families supports the program’s statutory purpose to promote arts education for disadvantaged students.    Competitive Preference Priority: Leveraging Technology to Support Instructional Practice and Professional Development Projects (up to 5 points). (a) Using high-speed Internet access and devices to increase students’ and educators’ access to high-quality accessible digital tools, assessments, and materials, particularly open educational resources. (b) Implementing high-quality, accessible online courses, online learning communities, or online simulations, such as those for which educators could earn professional development credit or  continuing education units through digital credentials based on demonstrated mastery of competencies and performance-based outcomes, instead of traditional time-based metrics.</p>