Arts education in Georgia includes the study of dance, media arts, music, theatre/film, and visual arts. High school students have the opportunity to achieve a Fine Arts Diploma Seal while completing a Career Pathway in dance, music, theatre/film, and visual art.
New Updates
Online Professional Development Webinars - Art, music, and theatre professional development is available to all teachers for free! See below for registration to get instant access to all courses.
We also have teacher designed webinars for dance, music, theatre, and visual art in our Community platform. See below for instructions on how to sign up for Community to get additional free resources and subject specific conversations in our statewide Arts PLC's.
Join the Online Statewide PLC for Fine Arts Teachers
We have created Professional Learning Communities for all Fine Arts teachers led by exemplary teachers from across Georgia. In our Community PLCs, you will find webinars, discussions, and one on one help. Learn how to sign up for this free opportunity at the 
Fine Arts Community Link.
Professional Development for Arts Teachers
All training is virtual and will be recorded. Individual course descriptions and instructors are listed in the 2020/2021 GaDOE Professional Development Catalog.
MUSIC
- *NEW*Behavior Basics: De-Escalation Strategies for the Music Educator
- *NEW* The Balancing Act: Rebalancing Technology vs. Traditional Music Teaching Methods
- Making Music Magic on a Shoestring Budget
- Assessment in the Music Classroom
- TKES in the Music Classroom
- Ukulele 101 for the K-5 General Music Teacher
- Instructional Planning for the Music Educator
- Exceptional Children in the Music Classroom
- Bravo Behavior!
- The Big Picture: Comparing Cultural Pedagogies in Music
- It's A Mystery! Making Mysterious Lessons for the Elementary Music Classroom!
- Life Skills in the ES Music Classroom
- Music for the Early Childhood Educator (Self-Paced course available now in the PLO)
Digital Teaching & the Arts (Self-Paced Video Training - Click the words Digital Teaching & the Arts in green to download)
THEATRE & FILM
Link to Webinar Registration
- Booking the Gig: An Introduction to Teaching Students Audition Slating, Resumes, What to Wear, Self-Taping
- Critiquing with Kindness (Theatre): Teaching Students to Engage in Meaningful Critiques
- Theatre in a Societal, Cultural, and Historical Context
- Telling our Stories: Strategies for Introducing Students to Playwriting and Writing a Ten-Minute Play
- Strategies for Technical Theatre: Face to Face, Online, or Anywhere
- Intro to Digital Improv
- Reading Shakespeare with your Whole Body
- Text into Action
- Digital Teaching and Learning in Theatre
- Digital Teaching & the Arts (Self-Paced Video Training - Click the words Digital Teaching & the Arts in green to download)
VISUAL & MEDIA ARTS
Link to Webinar Registration - Adaptive Art for Exceptional Children in the Visual Art Classroom - Modifying Materials
- Adaptive Art for Exceptional Children in the Visual Art Classroom - Working with Students with Autism
- Adaptive Art for Exceptional Children in the Visual Art Classroom - Working with Students with Limited Sight
- Adaptive Art for Exceptional Children in the Visual Art Classroom - Tips and Tricks for Adapting Art for Students with Disabilities
- Critiquing with Kindness (Visual Art): Teaching Students to Engage in Meaningful Critiques
- Let's Get Visual Part 1- Inquiry-Based Instructional Activities that SWIRL with Social Studies
- Let's Get Visual Part 2 - Arts Integration with Social Studies Classes
- Journal As Reflective Practice
- Using Social Media for Arts Advocacy 101
- Educating the Whole Child: Utilizing Title Funding to Support the Arts
- Visual Art for the Early Childhood Educator (Self-Paced Course available now in the PLO)
- Digital Teaching & the Arts (Self-Paced Video Training - Click the words Digital Teaching & the Arts in green to download)
Instructional Resources for Fine Arts Teachers
Georgia Fine Arts teachers have more than three thousand instructional resources available inside the GA Teacher Resource Link (TRL). Instructional frameworks resources include year-long curriculum maps, unit plans, lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, instructional videos, and assessments. These resources may also be found by downloading the Word document links highlighted in green below.
- These example digital lesson plans are for teachers and parents and are easy-to-use and include both “plugged and unplugged” activities for use in a virtual teaching environment.
- K- 5 General Music, General Music 6, HS Band I, HS Chorus I, HS Orchestra I, HS Music Technology I, SEL in ES Music Supplemental Resources
Theatre & Film Instructional Frameworks - Theatre & Film 6-8, HS Acting I, HS Advanced Drama I, HS Acting and Production in Film I, HS Dramatic Writing I, HS Fundamentals of Theatre I, HS Musical Theatre I, HS Tech Theatre I
Visual Art Instructional Frameworks - Visual Art K-8, HS Art History I, HS Ceramics I, HS Drawing and Painting I, HS Graphics I, HS Jewelry I, HS Photography I, HS Printmaking I, HS Sculpture I, HS Visual Art Comprehensive I
Georgia Standards of Excellence in the Arts
Fine Arts High School Pathways and Diploma Seal
Georgia public high school students may complete a Fine Arts Pathway in Dance, Music, Theatre, or Visual Art by taking a series of 3 full credits in one fine art subject area. There is no end of Pathway tests for the Fine Arts Pathways.
Students who complete an additional fourth credit in the arts, complete 20 hours of arts-related community service and a capstone project are eligible for the Fine Arts Diploma Seal in school districts that have applied to award the seal.
The application deadline is rolling until February 15th. Each month submitted applications will be reviewed for approval. Districts who had their applications accepted previously do not need to resubmit.
Districts are responsible for submitting qualifying seniors to the Fine Arts Program Manager by April 15th annually.
*** Note*** The Community service hours are waived for the 2021-22 school year due to COVID 19 restrictions.
Course Numbers and Descriptions
Arts course names, state numbers, and course descriptions for all five subject areas are listed below. Teachers should use these course descriptions to guide instruction in addition to the standards for their area.
Arts Integration School of Excellence Award
The Georgia Department of Education recognizes schools with the Creative School, Arts Integration School of Excellence Award.
The winners are schools where all students have access to arts integration in every subject, and there is both rigor and relevance in the arts integration programming. Arts integration professional development is ongoing, the program is well-organized, and the school involves the community in the arts.
Application materials are due to Jessica Booth on April 15th annually.
Download the Creative School Award package at the link below:
Arts Opportunities for Students
State and National Arts Education Organizations
stART Grant
Rural Georgia schools are eligible to apply to receive the stART grant to increase arts education classes during the school day. The grant application process is from September to October annually.
Gadoe.org/IVA Competitive Grants
