The draft K-12 Arts Education Curriculum Framework proposes a unified vision for arts education in Alberta across the four arts disciplines — drama, dance, visual arts, and music — from elementary through senior high school. It outlines opportunities for learning in, about and through the arts. This means retaining the traditions and rigour of each discipline, while exploring opportunities to infuse the arts across subject areas.

I have heard concerns that the draft framework proposes doing away with current courses that provide focused instruction in a specific arts discipline. This is not at all the case. In any future arts program of study, students will still have the option of enrolling in courses like full-year or half-year band or drama at the 7-9 and 10-30 levels. The current draft proposal calls for maintaining the 7-9 and 10-30 arts course streams for students seeking mastery in a particular field of the fine arts, but also expanding the curriculum to enable students interested in receiving instruction in greater breadth (and perhaps less depth) in a variety of arts courses to do so as well.

This is the initial stage in our regular curriculum development process and, as such, is the first time the proposed draft framework has been available for stakeholder response and feedback. It was posted on September 18, 2009 to coincide with Arts Days in Alberta, and this is your opportunity to participate in shaping the revised framework that will provide guidance to the development of more specific programs of study. In the next phase of development, individual programs of study for elementary, junior high and senior high programs will give specific learning outcomes in greater detail.

I have heard from you and others that more time is needed to respond to the draft framework; therefore, the timeline for response has been extended to January 31, 2010. The framework and the online discussion questions are available in English at www.education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/finearts/program-updates.aspx and in French at www.education.alberta.ca/francais/teachers/progres/core/beaux-arts/proget/revision.aspx. In addition to extending the timeline, an online fact sheet has been created and two questions have been added to the online discussion questions to encourage Albertans to add suggestions and comments.

Education has already received several hundred responses to the online questions, in addition to receiving numerous e-mails, letters and face-to-face responses. I assure you that all feedback will be carefully considered during future revisions to the draft framework and the subsequent development of programs of study. Education is also exploring additional ways of encouraging discussion about the framework for arts education in Alberta. These may include posting frequently asked questions and, in the longer term, initiating a discussion board.

While I certainly appreciate that you have taken the time to communicate with me on a matter that you are obviously passionate about, I would suggest that the best way to have your voice heard and to have a meaningful impact on designing the best possible arts curriculum is to participate in the curriculum development consultation process, as they are the front-line policy and curriculum experts leading the redesign.