NAEAnews. “SPECIAL NEEDS,” December, 2003, Vol. 45 (6) p.16.It is a pleasure to welcome Jim Modrick back to NAEA to guest author this issue's column about VSA arts' (formerly Very Special Arts) new directions and the 2004 International VSA arts Festival in June. It is a great privilege for me to keep the Special Needs Interest Group of NAEA up to date on the progress of VSA arts. Prior to coming to VSA arts in 1999, I was the director of membership in the Reston office of NAEA, and was there when this interest group was just a seed of an idea. While there has been significant achievement in bringing the learning power of the arts to young people with disabilities, recent investigations by VSA arts and the United States Department of Education indicate that much more needs to be done. Through a study entitled “A Broad Brush; Access and Arts Education Insights from School Districts,” VSA arts commissioned Dawn M. Ellis and Associates to return to the landmark publication “Gaining the Arts Advantage” published by the Arts Education Partnership in 1999. Our investigation asked a simple question of these school districts that were featured for their high quality arts program: Where are the students with disabilities and special needs? While the study did uncover individual stories of innovation and commitment, these anecdotes were overshadowed by an apparent systemic barrier that maintains a separation between arts education and special or exceptional education. Along with these findings are the results of the Fast Response Survey of arts education in public elementary and secondary schools, published by the National Center for Education Statistics. This survey indicates that a scant nine percent of art teachers regularly participate in the IEP process in their school, while 60 percent of arts specialists – nearly two out of three – have never participated in the development of a student's IEP. While the art educators fare better than the music educators, of whom only five percent report regular participation, this evidence points out that there is a great deal more for us to do collectively. Accomplishing the goal of removing this systemic barrier will not be done by any single organization or interest. It is the need for collective effort that is the essence of VSA arts' renewed efforts. VSA arts is uniquely positioned to bring together individuals and organizations that share this mission to include people with disabilities in our communities through the arts and education. Dare to imagine what can be accomplished as more people become more aware of the issues, opportunities, and achievements in this field. The summer of 2004 presents the next great opportunity for such a convening and celebration of this work. June 9-12, 2004 Washington DC will host the 2004 International VSA arts Festival – a four-day celebration of the arts, education, and the accomplishments of artists with disabilities in the community where they desire to be valued and respected participants. An entire city and its culture, from the Kennedy Center to Union Station, the Millennium Art Center to public squares throughout the town, will resonate with this unique celebration of the arts in our community and the real meaning of the arts in education. Central to the Festival will be a two-day VSA arts in Education Conference featuring hands on workshops, demonstrations, panels, and roundtable discussions by individuals and organizations from around the world. Each session in the education conference will explore the fundamental core principles of VSA arts' work: inclusive practice, multiple intelligences and learning styles, developmentally appropriate practice, linking to standards, and ongoing assessment and evaluation. But VSA arts does not rest on a two or four-day experience. Model practice continues to be implemented and evaluated in a variety of settings through a network of affiliated organizations from across the United States and in more than sixty nations worldwide. Evaluation efforts are linked in an ongoing effort to current research to improve our practice and inform the entire field. Finally, a renewed commitment to professional development for the arts community, teaching artists, classroom teachers, and arts specialists will come together as the VSA arts Institute. The VSA arts Institute represents the opportunity for this community to meet, share knowledge and experience, and reflect on practice within the five core areas of inclusive practice, multiple intelligences and learning styles, developmentally appropriate practice, linking to standards, and ongoing assessment and evaluation. This effort will launch in Chicago in March of 2004, with plans in development for gatherings of the VSA arts Institute in New York City in the Fall of 2004 and San Francisco in the Spring of 2005. Much more information will be available at the VSA arts web site (www.vsarts.org). We look forward to the opportunity to continue this good work together. James E. Modrick
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SED/Arts Organization | SED/Arts References | NAEA Special Needs Issues Group | CEC Special Interest Group for Teachers of the Arts |