The Arts

Every student, every day, is engaged in meaningful, affirming, grade-level instruction.

In accordance with ORS 329.045, in 2015, the Oregon State Board of Education formally adopted Content Standards for The Arts.

The Oregon Arts Standards provide a coherent set of expectations for the knowledge, skills, and practices that students will develop throughout their education. Grounded in research and informed by community input, the standards emphasize the key artistic processes of creating, performance and presentation, responding, and connecting - academic processes that encourage the development of problem-solving, inquiry, creativity, communication, and critical thinking skills.

These standards reflect Oregon’s commitment to equity, excellence, and access for every student and serve as the foundation for instruction, assessment, and high-quality instructional materials selection and implementation.

Grounded in this foundation, Oregon's required Transformative SEL Standards are to be integrated alongside The Arts standards to create the conditions for learning and thriving.

Oregon is monitoring updates to the National Arts Standards. The National Coalition for Arts Standards (NCAS) has launched a comprehensive review and data-collection process to revise the standards, with a focus on equity, inclusion, and modern educational needs. Learn more about the revision process here: National Coalition for Arts Standards (NCAS) updates. Check back for updates on Oregon's standards.

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has updated its standards using a new, consistent template designed to improve clarity, usability, and coherence across content areas.

Free Arts Integration Learning Opportunities!

Oregon is leading the way in arts-integrated education with the launch of the Arts, Care & Connection (ACC) initiative, a free resource providing K-5 educators with high-quality, artist-led learning modules.

Developed by Arts for Learning Northwest in collaboration with ODE, arts partners, and teaching artists across Oregon, the ACC project will culminate in 96 stand-alone, one-hour learning modules, each including a detailed lesson plan, instructional videos, and a slide deck. Modules are currently available online as well as a free, asynchronous online training module for the resources.

Standards

Dance

Music

Visual Arts

Media Arts

Theatre

CTE Skill Sets

K–5 stand ards organized by individual grade level.

Guidance & Resources

Standards Framework

Additional S tandards Resources

Key Resources

High-Quality Instructional Materials

Transformative Social & Emotional Learning

Tribal History/
Shared History

Arts Access Toolkit

STEAM Toolkit

Coming soon.

Well Rounded Access Program Resources

Oregon's commitment to a well-rounded education was further advanced through the Expanding Access to Well-Rounded Courses (Course Access) initiative, a five-year federal investment implemented by ODE from 2020 to 2025. While the grant period has ended, many of the tools, resources, partnerships, and courses designed continue to support statewide efforts to expand access to high-quality learning opportunities for all students.

Arts Education Resources : The Arts : State of Oregon

Arts, Care & Connection Program

The Oregon Department of Education partnered with Arts for Learning Northwest to design the Arts, Care & Connection program, offering free K-5 arts integration lessons and professional learning for teachers. These lessons, designed by teaching artists from across Oregon, create high quality arts and social emotional learning opportunities for elementary students to be integrated during the school day or in any learning setting. This work was done in partnership with ODE's Care and Connection campaign and aligns to Oregon's Transformative SEL Framework & Standards.

Learn more about the Arts Care & Connection Program

Native Arts Program

The Well-Rounded Access Program partnered with Southern Oregon ESD, the Jim Pepper Native Arts Council, and Oregon's federally recognized Tribes to expand access to arts learning through culturally responsive lessons about contemporary and regional Native artists. This project supports both Native and non-Native students by providing accurate, Tribal-specific arts content aligned with the Oregon Arts Standards and the Nine Essential Understandings from the Tribal History/Shared History (TH/SH) project. Lessons on contemporary native artists and professional development sessions are available on the Speak Sing Native website. Tribal Specific arts lessons from the Burns Paiute Tribe, Coquille Tribe, and Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw can be found in the Oregon Arts Group.

Professional learning opportunities will be added as they become available. Check back regularly for updates on new opportunities to learn more about supports and resources for implementing Oregon's standards and instructional priorities.