Skip to agency navigation
Skip to main content

Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Arts and Humanities encompasses the disciplines of visual art, music, theatre, and dance. These disciplines are unified in the Pennsylvania Academic Standards through themes of production, history, criticism, and aesthetics. National Co​re Arts Standards unify these disciplines, along with media arts, through themes of creating, performing/presenting/producing, responding, and connecting.

    In the arts and humanities, the human need to create can be expressed kinesthetically, aurally, spatially, or throug​h interdisciplinary interpretation. The rich experiences and learning provided to students in Pennsylvania by quality teachers in the arts and humanities has produced a rich landscape of opportunity for all commonwealth citizens to enjoy lifelong involvement in the arts.

    Pennsylvania Arts Education Data Project Interactive Dashboard

    Pennsylvania Arts Education Data Project Interactive Dashboard

    The following are presentations on how to use the interactive dashboard:

    Arts and Humanities Academic Standards

    All students in grades K-12 must be provided with instruction in all four arts disciplines: dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts.

    • Dance Education is a kinesthetic art form that satisfies the human need to respond to life experiences through movement of the physical being.
    • Music Education is an aural art form that satisfies the human need to respond to life experiences through singing, listening and/or playing an instrument.
    • Theatre Education is an interdisciplinary art form that satisfies the human need to express thoughts and feelings through written text, dramatic interpretation, and multimedia production.
    • Visual Arts Education is a spatial art form that satisfies the human need to respond to life experiences through images, structures, and tactile works.

    Local school districts are responsible for creating written curricula in all content areas. The state Academic Standards outline the minimum skills and knowledge that students must have at the end of grades 3, 5, 8 and 12. School districts are responsible for assessing students in the arts and ensuring that they are proficient in the standards prior to graduation.

    The Standards Aligned System (SAS) is the Pennsylvania Department of Education's digital curriculum and instruction resource site. SAS is comprised of six distinct elements which provide a common framework for continuous student, teacher, school, and district growth. The elements are Standards, Assessment, Curriculum Framework, Instruction, Materials and Resources, and Safe and Supportive Schools.

    The academic standards for arts and humanities, as well as resources for teaching and developing high quality visual art, music, theatre and dance education programs, are available on SAS.

    Certification

    Art and music are taught by certified art and music educators. Dance is taught by educators certified in health and physical education, and theatre is taught by educators certified in either communications or English.

    Certification and Staffing Policy Guidelines that pertain to arts and humanities education certification, standards, and course assignment are:

    • Dance
      • CSPG 72 Dance K-12
      • CSPG 47 Health and Physical Education K-12
      • CSPG 36 Communications 7-12
    • Music
      • CSPG 55 Music Education K-12
      • CSPG 69 Grades PK-4
      • CSPG 70 Grades 4-8
    • Theatre
      • CSPG 42 English 7-12
      • CSPG 36 Communications 7-12
      • CSPG 69 Grades PK-4
    • Visual Art
      • CSPG 31 Art
      • CSPG 69 Grades PK-4
      • CSPG 70 Grades 4-8

    Questions regarding certification requirements should be directed to the Pennsylvania Department of Education Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality.