Spring Bulletin No. 234 - January 2009 - Iowa High School Music ...
Spring Bulletin No. 234 - January 2009 - Iowa High School Music ...
Spring Bulletin No. 234 - January 2009 - Iowa High School Music ...
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“<strong>Iowa</strong> Core Curriculum & 21st Century Skills”<br />
This article is collectively written by Matt Huth, ICDA President, Roger Henderson, ICDA<br />
President-Elect/<strong>Iowa</strong> Core Curriculum 9-12 Writing Team, and Elizabeth Fritz, IBA President-<br />
Elect/IAAE. We hope to provide information that will help shed some light on this new state<br />
initiative.<br />
Background<br />
In 2005, the state of <strong>Iowa</strong> began a journey of developing a statewide initiative that will impact<br />
the education of children in <strong>Iowa</strong> like no other initiative in <strong>Iowa</strong> history. <strong>Iowa</strong> has been working<br />
on developing a core curriculum in literacy, math and science for students in grades 9-12. In<br />
2007, the legislature added the content areas of social studies and 21st century skills to the<br />
<strong>Iowa</strong> Core Curriculum and expanded all content areas to include students in grades K-12. The<br />
<strong>Iowa</strong> Core Curriculum is structured to support the state standards and benchmarks in reading,<br />
mathematics, and science; and provide the concepts and skills needed by students to attain<br />
these standards. (21st Century States, 2007)<br />
On April 25, 2008, the <strong>Iowa</strong> legislature approved mandating the <strong>Iowa</strong> Core Curriculum for all<br />
students in grades 9-12 by 2012 and grades K-8 by 2014. Governor Culver signed this into law<br />
on May 1, 2008. (<strong>Iowa</strong> Core Curriculum, 2008).<br />
This is the closest that the state has come to “Standards” in our educational history. These<br />
“Standards” are not focused on content areas, but are focused on learning skills that are used<br />
across all content areas.<br />
Work-teams have been working to develop the process that will be used by districts to support<br />
the implementation of the <strong>Iowa</strong> Core Curriculum. These teams have made a commitment to<br />
provide some common tools to assist districts in their implementation needs and to develop<br />
model units of instruction that will assist teachers with strategies to develop higher level<br />
thinking and produce authentic intellectual student work. Twenty-first century skills will be<br />
integrated into all the content areas to the degree possible and some areas will be stand alone<br />
as separate units of instruction. (21st Century States, 2007)<br />
What are the implications for arts educators under the new state initiative called the<br />
<strong>Iowa</strong> Core Curriculum and 21st century skills<br />
<strong>Iowa</strong> Core Curriculum<br />
The <strong>Iowa</strong> Core Curriculum (also known as Model Core Curriculum) provides local<br />
school districts a guide to delivering instructional content that is consistent, challenging and<br />
meaningful to students. The curriculum identifies the essential concepts and skill sets for<br />
literacy, mathematics, science and social studies, as well as 21st century learning skills (civic<br />
literacy, financial literacy, technology literacy, health literacy, and employability).<br />
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