| Arts integration training for teachers on the Eastern Shore of Maryland is limited. Teachers may have to travel up to 150 miles to receive this type of training. The purpose of this Executive Position Paper (EPP) is to improve classroom instruction by investigating the need for arts integration training in Worcester and Wicomico counties in the state of Maryland and then develop a plan for professional development for area teachers. To inform this plan, I needed to find out what teachers needed to know about arts integration and what would be the best way to train them.;Surveys, interviews, and focus groups were used in this study to investigate what types of arts integration training educators want and what they needed to learn within the training. Likert-type surveys were used to investigate teachers' attitudes and beliefs about arts integration. Semi-standardized interviews and focus groups assessed the types of training desired as well as what educators wanted to learn about arts integration. The interviews and focus groups included supervisors, administrators, and teachers.;Findings revealed that although teachers were largely positive about the idea of using the arts in their classrooms, they were unsure of how to integrate the arts. Results indicated educators in these two counties want local hands-on training that directly relates to the lessons they teach. From the data collected, a framework for a summer institute was developed. The summer institute will be called Arts In Motion (AIM) and will be held at Salisbury University, a central location for both counties. This EPP includes the outline for a three-day training institute as well as a plan for sustainability. It also has a six-month timeline for evaluating schools' progress in implementing arts integration. This EPP includes an evaluation plan for both the AIM institute and effectiveness of arts integration within the schools trained. Goals for the AIM institute include improving the overall school environment, improving teacher instruction, and increasing student achievement. |
