Increase the ISBE appropriation for the Arts and Foreign Languages from $4 million to $7 million in FY08. Illinois Creates recommends the increase be used in the following ways:

1. Provide additional support to school districts by increasing funding levels for the Arts and Foreign Language Planning and Implementation grants.
   
   
2. Hire an outside evaluator to conduct an evaluation of the existing Arts and Foreign Language grant program to determine the impact the funding is having on districts' arts education/foreign language programs.
   
   
3. As a follow-up to the research Illinois Creates released in October 2005, in FY09 ISBE should initiate new research on the status of arts education in Illinois public schools to track and measure progress in the State.

Enforce school districts' compliance with existing State law. To that end, we recommend that the Illinois State Board of Education take the following actions:

1. Collect and report arts specific information on the State and District Report Card, such as minutes per week of instruction being provided in the Fine Arts.
   
   
2. Form a statewide committee of arts education experts appointed by the Governor and/or State Superintendent to: 1) assess the Illinois Learning Standards and the Fine Arts Descriptors and Assessment, 2) develop appropriate support materials to assist school districts with implementing a sequential curriculum aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards, and 3) recommend ways the State can support and enforce school districts' compliance with existing Illinois School Code.

Immediately hire a full-time arts education expert at ISBE to provide much-needed guidance to arts educators and classroom teachers in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards and developing arts education curriculum that is sequential and standards-based. The new staff member will also be able to manage and oversee the Arts and Foreign Language Planning and Implementation grant program.