The Maine Department of Education is committed to supporting schools in the delivery of quality and effective PreK-12 visual and performing arts instruction. Research shows that students involved in the visual and performing arts are more successful in school, more involved in their communities and perform better on standardized tests. Engagement in the visual and performing arts deepens students’ overall knowledge as well as their social and emotional development. All Maine publicly-supported schools have implemented the Visual and Performing Arts Standards included in the Maine Learning Results. The standards document outlines a comprehensive pathway to enable every high school graduate to exhibit proficiency in one or more of the visual and performing arts disciplines – dance, music, theatre and visual arts. Connecting the visual and performing arts with other content areas of the curriculum may improve a student’s engagement and learning.
This site provides students, educators and community members with visual and performing arts information and resources reflective of Maine's learning standards.
The Maine Learning Results include the Visual and Performing Arts Standards, which outline a comprehensive pathway to enable every high school graduate to exhibit proficiency in one or more of the visual and performing arts disciplines. The Maine Department of Education recognizes that the key to success is local commitment to the visual and performing arts. Staffing, scheduling and resources vary per school. Research supports the implementation of a comprehensive visual and performing arts education curriculum to meet the learning needs of all students. The standards document guides local schools in developing comprehensive and sequential standards-based visual and performing arts curricula for student learning.