| Teacher quality is a decisive factor in a student's educational experience. In turn, a teacher's continued professional development is crucial to his/her capacity for high quality instructional practice. Recent research indicates that school districts' heightened focus on standardized tests as a measure of student and teacher achievement has resulted in art teachers having fewer subject-relevant opportunities for high quality professional development within their schools and districts when compared with peers teaching "tested" subjects. Counter movements seeking to challenge the rise of "testing culture" in K-12 schools centralize the processes of student creativity, critical thinking, and other 21st century skills---along with the disciplines, subjects, and professional development experiences that are intrinsically predisposed to model and support them. A compelling example of such efforts is found in the work of the Columbus Museum of Art's education department staff, who successfully effected change first within the museum's institutional vision and framework, and next in issues of art education and schooling within their community. This case study of the museum's 2015 Teaching for Creativity Institute indicates that museums are uniquely situated to provide high quality professional development opportunities and create communities of support for art teachers and their non-art teaching colleagues. These professional development experiences also have the potential to serve as powerful advocacy tools for arts education and art museums. |
