The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) has named 24 individuals to form its Model Curriculum Framework Project, which aims to expand instructional practices for both teachers and teaching artists around the country.
The project, supported by a National Endowment for the Arts grant, pairs 12 teachers with 12 teaching artists, each selected from a pool of over 100 candidates. The pairs will receive online training in standards-based teaching and assessment strategies before convening in Cincinnati July 12–15.
The teachers will implement their pilot units during the first few months of the 2018–2019 school year, gathering videos and written statements from the students’ participation. Select plans and portfolios that are determined to match or surpass the standard of the collected examples, will be posted on the EdTA website in 2020.
“Nearly 30 states have adopted new theatre standards in the past two years,” EdTA Director of Educational Policy James Palmarini said in a statement. “To meet those standards, our teachers need a framework that articulates what is important to teach and learn in theatre. Along with creating and sharing quality examples of standards-based learning and teaching, the secondary goal of this project is to demonstrate how theatre educators — classroom teachers and teaching artists alike — can measure the effectiveness of their teaching and the learning of students.”
See below for the full list of teachers and artists taking part in the project.
San Diego, CA: Teacher Matt Moody (University City High School), Artist Julia Cuppy (La Jolla Playhouse)
Ross, CA and Ashland, OR: Teacher Maura Vaughn (The Branson School), Artist Kristin Giroux (Oregon Shakespeare Festival)
Omaha, NE and Denver, CO: Teacher Aileen Zeigler (Brownell Talbot School PK-12 Independent School), Artist Andre Rodriguez (Denver Center for the Performing Arts)
Atlanta, GA and Milledgeville, GA: Teacher Anna Brock (Baldwin High School), Artist Nikki Tombs (Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company)
Lexington, KY: Teacher Amie Kisling (School for the Creative and Performing Arts @ Lafayette High School), Artist Michael Bigelow Dixon (Freelance, theatres and universities in Kentucky, Ohio, and Minnesota)
Montgomery County and Baltimore, MD: Teacher Joanna Fellows (Seneca Valley High School), Artist Cheryll Williams (Morgan State University Theatre Arts Program)
Hartford, CT and New York, NY: Teacher Brian Jennings (Capital Region Education Council), Artist Arbender Robinson
West Orange, NJ and New York, NY: Teacher Jordan Herskowitz (Golda Och Academy), Artist Brian Curl
Jefferson County and New York, NY: Teacher Kristie Fuller (Indian River High School), Teacher Kate Lee (Community Word Project)
Fairfax County, VA and New York, NY: Teacher Jessica Shaw (Mount Vernon High School), Artist Shirlee Idzakovich
Las Vegas, NV: Teacher Quincy Young (Equipo Academy East Las Vegas College Prep), Artist Warren Holz
Cincinnati, OH: Teacher Mike Sherman (Walnut Hills High School), Artist Erin Carr (Cincinnati Actor’s Studio & Academy, Playhouse in the Park, ReVamp Collective, Pones, Inc.)
