NAEA Position Statement on Scheduling, Time, Enrollment, Facilities, Funding and/or Resources for Visual Arts Education

NAEA recognizes the need for sufficient funding, equitable scheduling, and dedicated facilities for visual arts, media arts, and design programming in preK-12 educational settings. Time and funding allocated for visual arts instruction must support students in achieving national, state, and local standards. Regularly scheduled class periods allow for quality student learning by providing sufficient time for instructing, creating, responding, presenting, connecting and assessing, as well as, the routines necessary for a well organized art class. Facilities of appropriate size are necessary to allow access and safe use of equipment permitting the full implementation of the visual arts, design, and media arts curriculum.

Scheduling and Time

• Instructional contact time of visual art educators is equal to but does not exceed the maximum contact time required of all instructional staff.
• Planning and preparation time and additional duties are commensurate with other instructional staff.
• A minimum of five minutes should be scheduled between classes to allow for clean-up and preparation for succeeding classes.

Enrollment

• NAEA recognizes ratios of educators to students differ from state to state and district to district. The quantity of visual arts educators is sufficient to meet quality standards for curriculum, time and scheduling for each grade level.
• The teaching load for visual art educators is commensurate with that of educators in other disciplines and student class sizes should align with age appropriate classes in other subject/grade levels
• Art class enrollment should be limited to sizes that reflect the capacity of the facility and assure a safe working environment for students and educators.
• Consistent art class enrollment and attendance should be maintained to support sequenced instruction.
• Students must not be removed from art class as punishment or intervention. Students should not be scheduled for remediation, testing, special instruction, or any other service during art class.
• Due to academic skills required within art education, students who have an aide to assist in other classes should be accompanied by their aide to assist in art classes.

Facilities, Funding and Resources

• Art facilities provide adequate, safe and secure storage for equipment, supplies, instructional resources, and student work.
• Supplies, equipment, and technology purchased for the art program are sufficient to meet National and State Standards, achieve local curriculum goals and meet all required safety regulations.
• The budget is sufficient for the art program established in the curriculum plan and is equitable across the school district. The budget should include consumable supplies, instructional resources, new or replacement equipment, repair and maintenance of equipment,
• Dedicated classroom space to safely allow for student movement and provide access to and use of equipment.

This Position Statement was formerly titled: Position Statement on Scheduling,Time, Funding and/or Resources for Visual Arts Education (Adopted March 2011; Reviewed and Revised April 2014; Reviewed and Revised March 2019 when it was also retitled as part of the rewriting.]

Resources:

Policies Adopted by the NAEA Board March 2011 - https://arteducators-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/932/4e7b5ccd-7958-4180-9eab-471794c660f9.pdf?1490049349

NAEA Purposes, Principles, and Standards for School Art Programs (Opportunities to Learn Standards) - https://my.arteducators.org/naea-merchandise-details?id=5315f24e-7ed7-ea11-bf21-0003ff681f5a&index=0

NAEA Design Standards for School Art Facilities - https://my.arteducators.org/naea-merchandise-details?id=372921c9-57d6-ea11-bf21-0003ff681f5a&index=0