Statewide arts initiative expands partnerships to bring residencies and professional development to turnaround schools

AMPA Arts leaders told the Alabama State Board of Education at a June work session that the statewide initiative is partnering with local arts organizations, the Alabama State Council on the Arts and state agencies to place teaching-artist residencies and professional development in schools identified for turnaround support.

The presentation, led by Dr. Lehi Shields and Ashley Lucier, said AMPA Arts is a collective-impact initiative whose mission is “arts education for all Alabama students,” with a focus on equitable access to dance, literary arts, media design, music, theater and visual arts. "Our mission is really simple. It's just arts education for all Alabama students," Lucier said.

Why it matters: AMPA leaders said arts residencies and integrated arts instruction support academic and social outcomes while also connecting students to creative-career pathways. Presenters cited 2020 figures showing arts and culture contributed about $4.8 billion to Alabama’s economy and argued that arts instruction builds “21st century” skills—critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration—that employers value.

What presenters described - Collaborative sites: AMPA currently operates four collaborative sites and intends to open at least four new sites each year through 2026, reaching a projected total of 16 sites. Sites are typically housed in local arts councils or organizations and employ a full-time local site director responsible for coordinating schools, artists and community resources. - Turnaround schools: AMPA described an active partnership with the state Department of Education and the office managing turnaround schools to deliver arts residencies, field trips and teaching-artist programs tailored to school needs. The initiative coordinates with the Department of Early Childhood, Department of Human Resources and Department of Mental Health to align services. - Programming and professional development: AMPA said it provides teacher and teaching-artist professional development (standards-based instruction, assessment and cross-curricular lesson planning) through partnerships with organizations such as the Alabama State Council on the Arts and local arts alliances. Presenters noted an example residency in which a local artist is collaborating with fifth graders at Chisholm Elementary on a collaborative mural tied to the school’s leadership curriculum. - Cost and funding: Presenters said programs are offered to schools “at little to no cost” when possible, and cited examples funded by council grants (for example, a residency funded through a Live Arts Learning grant). They also reported that during fiscal year 2022 the Alabama State Council on the Arts awarded roughly $821,000 in arts-education grants to 38 schools and 81 arts organizations and artists; the State Department of Education provided just over $1 million in grants to 57 schools and five organizations to support arts education this year.

Board discussion and follow-up: Board members thanked the presenters and asked about site locations and how collaborative sites would serve neighboring counties. Presenters said some sites will serve several surrounding counties in addition to the city where the site is based, and that by 2026 the goal is to have at least three collaborative sites serving each board district. The presenters shared printed materials listing current and planned sites and said video and supporting data were available for board members to review.

Context: Presenters linked arts instruction to federal policy by noting that the Every Student Succeeds Act lists the arts as part of a “well‑rounded education.” They emphasized workforce connections and said arts residencies can introduce students to careers across the creative economy.

What they did not decide: The board received the presentation; no formal action or vote on funding or policy changes was taken at the work session.

Looking ahead: AMPA leaders said they will continue monthly coordination with state agencies and local partners and invited board members to review the documentation and site listings provided. The presenters encouraged board members to maintain attention to arts access beyond Arts Education Month.