Arts Education Strategic Plan

Designed to Serve as a Guide for Quality Arts Education

A strategic arts education plan is designed to serve as a guide toward the development and implementation of a quality arts education program. It should meet the needs of all students at all levels of the instructional process. The plan should be grounded in the overall educational philosophy and should be consistent with the primary mission of the district and school. Before strategic planning begins complete the Opportunity-to-Learn survey that address the conditions needed for (1) curriculum and scheduling, (2) staffing, (3) materials and equipment, and (4) facilities. The survey helps schools determine materials and programs needed to have a quality arts education program.

ABC Planning Manual

Based on the needs of the original ABC Advancement Sites, the ABC Institute developed the ABC Arts Education Strategic Planning Manual. The manual is designed to support the strategic planning process model.

A series of worksheets will guide participants through the planning process. The manual is structured to serve as the basis of planning team deliberations and to facilitate attainment of consensus on major plan components. Specifically, agreement must be reached with regard to the following:

  1. The significant challenges facing arts education in the district or school.
  2. The arts education philosophy of the district or school.
  3. The district’s or the school’s mission with regard to arts education.
  4. The district’s or school’s long-term arts education goals.
  5. The specific strategies by which the district or school will work toward the designated goals. These five features form the basic structure of the plan. Comprehensive action plans address key issues related to priority activities, schedules/timelines, associated costs and leadership responsibilities.

Strategic Plan Steering Committee

Crucial to a successful planning effort is the strategic plan steering committee. The team should include broad-based representation, not only from the educational community, but from the larger, external community as well. This steering committee must continue to function as the guiding committee and meet on a regular basis to review and revise the school’s arts education strategic plan. The steering committee serves as the advisory board at an ABC School.

The steering committee is charged with ensuring the Strategic Arts Plan meets the ongoing needs of students in arts education, arts integration, and provides advocacy for the arts within the educational institution and larger community. The steering committee is made up of at least 15 members.

  • The steering committee should represent all aspects of the school’s make up including but not limited to teachers, teaching assistants, school and district administrators, parents, students, community members, artists and arts organizations.
  • The steering committee is required to meet at least three times a year, maintain an attendance roster, and record minutes from each of the meetings to be included as part of the ABC final report.
  • Steering committee responsibilities include subcommittees designed for specific duties such as arts education advocacy, press releases, special programs, parent involvement, and areas of interest pertinent to the school/district.
  • Each meeting should include reading, updating, or sharing some portion of the school’s strategic plan to move the goals of the school arts education strategic plan forward. The ABC Institute will provide strategic planning workshops at no charge.
  • Possible ABC Arts Education Steering Committee Members include district and school administrators, district and school arts educators, school board members, school or district grant writing committee, parents, grandparents, PTA/PTO representative, school improvement representatives, classroom teachers, students, community leaders, or community arts representatives, business/industry leaders, city and county council members, and special friends of the school.

How to Become an ABC School School & Grant Management

Every School Designates a Certification Team

The ABC Certification Team is a core group of leaders from within the school’s governing stakeholders (i.e., Steering Committee) that sustains and grows their unique vision as an ABC School.  The ABC School’s Certification Team are responsible for the following:

  • Facilitates the on-going development and implementation of the school’s arts education strategic plan
  • Secure the resources, training, and commitments required to achieve the goals and objectives outlined in the arts education strategic plan
  • Inform and intentionally engage the entire school community of the arts education strategic plan and the philosophical commitments of being an ABC School

Every School Appoints a Grant Manager

The grant manager coordinates residencies, field trips, purchases and works with the school/district grant coordinator to assure all funds are spent responsibly and submits final report in May yearly

ABC Institute is an Arts Grow SC collective network partner. ABC Institute is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.


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