The program is organized around four essential components. Assessment strategies for understanding children's development and achievement are included in each.
This component enables classroom teachers and art specialists to form collaborative teaching teams which demonstrate a new working relationship. It expands views of proximal resources - art educators, classroom teachers, parents, children, administrators, and the community - and includes plans for connecting to community resources, such as artists-in-residence and museum staff.
This component explains the importance of an aesthetically rich classroom along with strategies for providing children independent access to a wide variety of art materials and tools for individual expression. It also includes guides for observing and evaluating the impact of the classroom environment on motivation and learning.
Art and Visual Literacy
This component develops the classroom teachers' essential art knowledge. Teachers' abilities to use the language of art in responding to children and for assessing the development of children's artistic literacy is strengthened.
This component provides the collaborative teaching teams with methods for integrating visual art and academic content - connecting the visual arts to all curricular areas. Teachers learn interactions with children that encourage independent planning, critical thinking, problem solving and reflection. Thematic and outcome-based planning linked to authentic assessment is included.