Collaboration between Special Education and Arts Education

Abstract

This chapter examines the set of K-12 student proficiency standards that provide a teaching framework for arts educators and the professional standards of practice particular to special education. These two types of standards reveal the depth of knowledge and professional approaches expected of teachers and provide a framework for collaborative efforts. Standards for teaching professions in various disciplines can include professional education standards and student proficiency standards. Additional objectives for developing new professional education standards or new student proficiency standards include guiding professional responsibility and practice, identifying what teachers or students should know and be able to do in particular subject areas, setting a framework for curricular content, and providing guidelines for student assessment. The implications of the guiding principles set forth in the National Core Arts Standards are that administrators will create a positive school climate of high expectations, facilitating collaboration across disciplines.