Pam Paulson, senior policy director for the Perpich Center for Arts Education; Mary Harding, head of the Perpich Arts High School dance program; and Jeremy Holien, visual and media arts coordinator for the Perpich outreach and professional development program, are all involved in the creation of new national art education standards through the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards.

Paulson serves on the leadership team as co-chair for media arts. Harding is on the dance writing team and Holien is on the media arts writing team.

The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards is a partnership of organizations and states that are leading the revision of the 1994 National Standards for Arts Education. The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) plans to release initial drafts of national voluntary arts education standards in spring 2013 for review.

The standards will describe what students should know and be able to do as a result of a quality curricular arts education program. NCCAS is committed to developing a next generation of voluntary arts education standards that will build on the foundation created by the 1994 document, support the 21st-century needs of students and teachers, help ensure that all students are college and career ready and affirm the place of arts education in a balanced core curriculum. More information available at http://www.arteducators.org/news/national-coalition-for-core-arts-standards-nccas

Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley is a state agency serving all Minnesota school districts. The center includes the public, residential Perpich Arts High School for 11th and 12th graders, an outreach and professional development program for K12 teachers and teaching artists, and a statewide arts education library. The agency seeks to advance K-12 education throughout Minnesota by teaching in and through the arts.