Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) is seeking to support artist residencies, curriculum consultation, art events and professional development to promote inclusion of children with disabilities with their peers using the arts as a vehicle for inclusion. Contract with artists, including artists with disabilities to design a framework for both: Classroom residencies in inclusive or special education settings in fifteen (15) to seventeen (17) schools each year, and Four (4) classroom residencies across programs for the Department's Educational Services in Institutional Settings (ESIS). 2 Develop and conduct an accessible professional development (PD) series based on classroom residencies of contracted artists in inclusive or special education settings and ESIS. The PD series should address, but is not limited to: o Collaborating with artists to design and implement standards-based art activities with targeted skill-based outcomes and o Designing accessible, participatory, and inclusive arts activities (aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks that: - elicit student work samples which provide direct evidence of student performance of a targeted skill or outcome, - result in work samples that can be integrated into MCAS-Alt portfolios, - promote 21st Century skill building, and - adhere to the principles of universal design for learning (UDL). The PD series must increase: o Teacher competency to design and implement arts activities that are universally designed and o The amount of time students with disabilities spend in inclusive educational activities related to art that are directly aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. 3. Employ a clear and coordinated parent engagement strategy. Services should include, but not limited to, the following: Helping schools to increase positive engagement with parents through the arts, and Conducting arts-based workshops for parents of young children, particularly children with disabilities, throughout the Commonwealth each year. 4. Organize, promote, and conduct at least two (2) accessible statewide arts festivals for participating school districts annually. Services should include, but not limited to, the following: The design, printing, and statewide dissemination of a circular announcing the events and registration process Conducting registration and communicating with all interested parties Designing accessible, participatory, and inclusive arts activities Contracting with artists and Coordination and training of volunteers. 5. Assess the implementation and impact of services 1-4 above.
