Produced by the Kennedy Center, ArtsEdge is an online tool for teachers to bring the arts into the classroom. Teachers can find lesson plans, audio and video files of performances and news related to art education.
Arts for Learning
On this site you will find examples of arts programs, resources, and discussions that can support and animate teaching and learning.
Creating Capacity: A Framework for Providing Professional Development Opportunities for Teaching Artists
This is a set of assessment and planning tools for a group of administrators and teaching artists engaged in designing a professional development program for their organization. The purpose of Creating Capacity is to focus artists and arts organizations on philosophy, rationale and guiding questions that can inform the design of professional development to enhance artists' knowledge, skills, and understandings of working in educational settings. View the full text online at:
J. Paul Getty Museum's Online Teaching Resources
The Getty Museum's free lesson plans, lesson guides, multimedia, and activities for students offer a wealth of information and inspiration. Connect works of art in the Getty's collection to California state content standards in visual art, history, language arts, and science.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
NBPTS offers certificates for music and visual arts teachers. The Early and Middle Childhood/Art (EMC/ART) certificate is appropriate for teachers who teach students ages 3 - 12 and the Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/ Art (EAYA/ART) certificate is appropriate for teachers who teach students ages 11 – 18+. Both certificates are appropriate for teachers who know the making and content of music or the visual arts. It can take up to three years to earn national certification at a cost of $2,300. CA Dept. of Education fee subsidies and other funding sources are available.
Start with the Arts
An instructional program for four-, five- and six-year-olds that uses the arts to assist young children, including those with disabilities, in exploring themes commonly taught in early childhood classrooms.
State Directories to Assist With Accessibility
The National Arts and Disability Center (NADC) released the State Resource Directories on ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Compliance and Technical Assistance. Each state has its own directory that contains listings of organizations and agencies that provide technical assistance regarding the ADA and the Arts. Included in these listings re disability agencies and organizations for creating an access advisory committee for conducting outreach to the disability community. Find the California directory at
Teaching Artist Journal
The new Teaching Artist Journal (TAJ) provides an ongoing professional development resource to clarify, enrich, and advance teaching artist research and practice. The publication is available as an online and print subscription. TAJ is published quarterly and takes submissions from contributors on an on-going basis.
VSA Arts is an international organization that creates learning opportunities through the arts for people with disabilities. The organization offers arts-based programs in creative writing, dance, drama, music and the visual arts implemented primarily through their affiliate network in 39 states and the District of Columbia, collaborators in 10 states, and 70 international affiliates in 67 countries.