Michigan: Arts Education Instruction and Assessment Project

A teacher is helping a young student dressed in a yellow costume with painting in a classroom. On the table in front of them are colorful art supplies. The Michigan Arts Education Instruction and Assessment (MAEIA) project is a comprehensive effort to improve arts education in Michigan. The goal of MAEIA is to provide educators with a set of high-quality arts education resources that can be used to develop effective instruction and assessments for K-12 students in Michigan. The initiative is a collaboration between the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Assessment Consortium, Data Recognition Corporation and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC). MACC served as a founding partner and continues to support the project as a funder.

The MAEIA project was launched in 2012, in response to a growing recognition of the importance of arts education in the overall development of students. The project provides a framework for assessing student learning in the arts, with a focus on both artistic skills and knowledge as well as broader skills such as creativity, collaboration and communication. With the support of nearly 1,000 Michigan arts educators, the project developed a catalogue of performance assessments in dance, music, theatre and visual arts. These assessment tools are aligned with state and national standards. The 2021 MAEIA Annual Report showcased important activities and accomplishments of the project.

In addition to the assessment items, the MAEIA project also offers professional development opportunities for educators. These opportunities include workshops, webinars and other training sessions that are designed to help educators learn how to use the assessment items and other resources effectively. The project also provides curriculum planning tools that can help educators design effective arts education lesson plans aligned with state and national standards. To learn more about the initiative, contact MAEIA Professional Learning Director Heather Vaughan-Southard.