Arts and Music in Schools- Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act
The Arts and Music in Schools- Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act was recently established by Proposition 28 with the purpose of providing annual funding to K-12 public schools to supplement arts education programs. Pursuant to EC §8821, "'Arts education program' includes, but is not limited to, instruction and training, supplies, materials, and arts educational partnership programs, for instruction in: dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts, including folk art, painting, sculpture, photography, and craft arts, creative expressions, including graphic arts and design, computer coding, animation, music composition and ensembles, and script writing, costume design, film, and video.”
A local education agency (LEA) with 500 or more students is required to use 80% of the funds toward employing educators to provide the arts education instruction. The guidance below is intended to support LEAs in filling such positions with appropriately authorized educators in accordance with the law.
Who needs a credential?
Educators providing instruction and/or services authorized by a Commission issued document, are required to hold the credential authorization for the position. If students receive a grade or credit for the course and/or the course counts towards the required daily instructional minutes, and the Commission issues a credential which covers the assignment’s subject or setting, then pursuant to Education Code §44001 a credentialed educator is required.
Volunteers, docents, and classified staff are welcome in classrooms, however they cannot be the Teacher of Record responsible for the class and must be under the direct supervision of certificated personnel.
An educator providing instruction in a self-contained classroom, often found in elementary schools, must hold a Multiple Subject teaching credential (or comparable previously-issued document) authorizing teaching all subjects in a self-contained setting. Classified staff can provide art/music enrichment to enhance student learning, but must be subject to the immediate supervision and direction by the credentialed Teacher of Record. The Teacher of Record must remain in the classroom at all times. If, however, the enrichment teacher takes over responsibility of the class, and/or if the students earn a grade/credit for the content being taught, then the individual providing the instruction must hold an appropriate credential for the content area.
What credentials authorize teaching arts education in a General Education setting?
Course content taught in a general education departmentalized classroom setting requires a credential authorization in the subject being taught. Title 5 §80005(a) provides the single subject areas for which the Commission issues authorizations and clarifies the subsumed subjects that fall within the broad single subject areas. Broad subject areas that may align with course content in arts education are provided below. To view all subsumed subjects, refer to the Single Subject Areas webpage.
Single Subject | Subjects that Fall Within Single Subject Area |
---|---|
Art | Art appreciation, art history, arts and crafts, art theory, calligraphy, cartooning, ceramics, commercial art, costume design, crafts, design, drawing, humanities, illustration, interior decoration, jewelry, leathermaking, painting, photography, sculpture, stagecraft, and yearbook |
Dance | Composition and production, folk/traditional, hip hop, ballet, modern, jazz, world |
Music | Instrumental music, music appreciation, music theory, musical theater, and vocal music |
Theater | Acting, directing, performance and production, improvisation, musical theater, playwriting, stagecraft, make-up and costume design |
Note:
- Courses in arts and music education programs may be authorized by other credential authorizations not listed above. Refer to the Appropriate CALPADS Course Code sort table to determine the currently issued document that aligns with the specific course being offered.
- Questions related to how to report an assignment must be directed to the California Department of Education (CDE) CALPADS Operations Office.
- Instruction dedicated to arts education may also be incorporated into a self-contained classroom setting, in which all or most subjects are taught to the same group of students throughout the day. This type of assignment is authorized by the Multiple Subject teaching credential.
- Courses identified as Career Technical Education (CTE) require the appropriate CTE credential.
- Courses in Dance: Physical Education authorizations issued prior to 2022 (e.g. PE or PEX subject code) are authorized to teach Dance content. See Coded 21-01 for more details.
- Courses in Theater: English authorizations issued prior to 2022 (e.g. ENGL or ENGX subject codes) are authorized to teach theater content. See Coded 21-01 for more details.
What credentials authorize teaching arts education in a Career Technical Education setting?
A Career Technical Education (CTE) classroom setting is one in which the curriculum has been designated as technical, trade, or vocational. The content of courses designated as CTE are based on CTE standards, and are authorized by Designated Subjects Career Technical Education credential. Such courses are generally found in grades 7-12, and require the appropriate CTE credential based on the content of the course.
- CTE courses in arts education fall within the Arts, Media, and Entertainment industry sector, and are authorized by the Designated Subjects Career Technical Education credential with an authorization of Arts, Media, and Entertainment.
Preparation and requirements to earn credential authorizations issued by the Commission are designed around specific classroom settings. Single Subject teaching credentials authorize teaching in a general education classroom, while Designated Subjects Career Technical Education teaching credentials authorize teaching in a CTE classroom. However, Title 5 §80004(c) provides local employing agencies flexibility to allow holders of some Single Subject credential authorizations to teach the subject on their document in a CTE setting. As such, the holder of a Single Subject teaching credential in Industrial and Technology Education may be appropriately authorized to teach an arts education course in a CTE setting. Use of this flexibility is ultimately a local level decision.
Note:
- Refer to the Appropriate CALPADS Course Code sort table to determine the currently issued document that aligns with the specific course being offered.
- Questions related to CTE funding or how to report an assignment in CALPADS must be directed to the California Department of Education (CDE).
How can I earn a credential authorization to teach in an arts education program?
Uncredentialed educators can also obtain emergency permits that authorize assignments in General Education settings:
- Short-Term Staff Permit (STSP)
- Provisional Internship Permit (PIP)
- Intern Credential
- Variable Term Waiver
For details related to how to earn the authorizations listed above, refer to the General Education Teacher Assignment Options web resource.
Requirements to earn a full Single Subject Teaching Credential are provided in CL-560C.
I already have a credential in another subject. How do I earn an authorization to teach in a arts education program?
If a credentialed educator already holds a Single or Multiple Subject Teaching Credential issued by the Commission, there are several options available to obtain a new subject authorization:
- General Education Limited Assignment Permit (GELAP)
- Introductory Subject Matter and Supplementary Authorizations
- Adding a Full Subject Authorization
- Local Assignment Option
- Short-Term Waiver
For details related to how to earn the authorizations listed above, refer to the General Education Teacher Assignment Options web resource.