ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• The TCQAE coordinated Texas’ first Arts Education Day at the Capitol March 10, 1997. March 1999 was celebrated as Texas Education in the Arts Month (TEAM), and March 15, 1999 was our second Arts Education Day at the Capitol. March 5, 2007 was our sixth Arts Education Day at the Capitol. In 2009 Arts Education Days at the Capitol were held March 9-10. This year's events will be March 7-8, 2011. Go to www.artseducationday.org to view the events and performances. • The TCQAE along with the Texas Music Educators Association has created GoArts.org, a grassroots effort to gain support for arts education. • The TCQAE along with TMEA published a study of every middle and high school in Texas that concluded that schools with a higher number of students enrolled in the fine arts had higher attendance, fewer dropouts, and higher SAT scores. • The TCQAE monitored and gave testimony on state-adopted textbooks, accountability, the GPA, Senate Bill 815, which requires all school districts in Texas to teach music, art, and theatre in grades K-5 using the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and Senate Bill 3, which will maintain a fine arts graduation requirement and create a middle school fine arts requirement, grades 6-8. • The TCQAE developed the Texas Fine Arts Education ACCORD, which states our beliefs in what quality fine arts education should be. This document includes: defining the fines arts; curriculum issues; scheduling; professional development; college education and teacher preparation; students with disabilities; Gifted and Talented/magnet schools; and financial support. • The TCQAE produced the Teach Us! song. • The TCQAE created the arts advocacy PowerPoint presentation Teaching All Children to be SmARTer Through the ARTS! • The TCQAE continued our support of the Texas Music Project (TMP) and Don’t Mess with Texas Music CD series (www.texasmusicproject.com). • The TCQAE conducted workshops and presentations for the Texas PTA, Texas Art Education Association, Texas Dance Educators Association, Texas Music Teachers Association, Texas Educational Theatre Association, several Regional Service Center, and school districts throughout Texas.