Dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts are core academic subject areas essential to proper student develoment and required by law in both state and federal legislation. Following are a number of references to arts legislations with links to specific articles.
Click here to view the OSPI memorandum regarding CBPA implementation.
Click here to view the ESD 105 CBPA page.

RCW 28A.150.210 – State Learning Goals - Arts is Basic Education and included as an Essential Academic Learing Requirement (EALR) (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts).

NCLB/ESEA, 2002 – No Child Left Behind/Elementary and Secondary Education Act - Arts Education is Federal Law and a "core" academic subject area - Title V, Part D, subpart 15 (section 5551). Arts instruction will be taught by highly qualified and certified instructors, aligned to rigorous state standards (EALRs), and accessible to all students. States will define the arts. The state of Washington has defined the arts as dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

WAC 180-51-061 – One arts credit that at minimum is aligned with current essential academic learning requirements at grade 10 and/or above (Benchmark 3) plus content that is determined by the local school district. The assessment of achieved competence in this subject area is to be determined by the local district although state law requires districts to have "assessments or other strategies" in arts at the high school level by 2008-09. The state superintendent's office has developed classroom-based assessment models for districts to use (RCW 28A.230.095). The essential content in this subject area may be satisfied in the visual or performing arts. By the end of the 2008-09 school year, school districts shall have in place in elementary, middle, and high schools assessments of other strategies to assure that students have opportunity to learn the EALRs in the arts. Beginning with the 2008-09 school year, school districts shall annually submit an impleementation verification report to the OSPI.

RCW 28A.230.130 – Amended by ESHB, sec. 407 (2006) - Program to help students meet minimum entrance requirements at baccalaureate-granting institutions or to pursue career or fundamental academic content areas (which includes the arts).