On October 26, 2007, the Rhode Island Arts Learning Network held Inviting Change, a strategic planning kick-off event at the Rhode Island Foundation. From the day's panels, presentations, discussions, and evaluation forms we have culled four major themes for our next strategic plan. These have undergone review by Network team members, and now it's your time to comment.

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(Please be sure to read the strategic plan themes first)

• Build on networking values such as co-creating proficiency with students, child as entrepreneur and creator
• "Re-imagine education"
• "Show me where it's working, what it looks like"
• "Show me what the new education system looks like."
• "Draw the picture where it's happening—show us the leaders who can help and guide us"
• Need to keep "penetrating the big system to remind them that they can't get there alone."
• This is the "Partnership that hasn't lost its soul! You are part of my hope."
• Demonstrate how the key is re-design: what does a statewide education system look like, not just individual districts; the smarter education system (Annenberg)
• Describe diverse pathways to proficiency from multiple points of view (student, parent, community arts organization, teacher, higher ed, etc.)
• Assist people along the pathway with specific guidance, examples
• Develop peer mentoring: community organizations: how to be part of arts graduation diploma system; school systems: highlight successes in RI schools and school/community partnerships; students (connect youth to each other, and to people and places who can guide them); always ask "how are we making it work for young people?"
• Provide professional development and conferences and gatherings (in-person and electronic) featuring models and real-life exemplars
• Provide case studies of models that have grown out of collaboration
• Look to work being done in higher education Student Services (co-curricular models of meshing experiences, engaging students)

• Co-create proficiency with children and youth
• Promote positive images of proficiency in language targeted to specific audiences (It's the art of teaching, not an add-on; it's civic engagement with the community; what is kids' language about proficiency?; proficiency beyond technique)
• Develop systemic peer mentoring (connect youth to people and places who can guide them); ask "how are we making it work for young people?"
• Continue to monitor the progress of arts proficiency through RIDE and the Board of Regents
• Develop materials that are in line with other core subject areas (i.e.--"GSE" documents, etc..)
• Continue to ensure that opportunities created for other core areas are ensured for the arts (BEP inclusion)
• Explore role of technology to build our capacity
• Continue to develop and incorporate rich cultural backgrounds of students into proficiency work (remember to incorporate quality standards from those cultures, adapt with cultural forms that don't have creating but value tradition and imitation through apprenticeship, use generic rubrics that apply across forms (i.e. in dance, across Syrian dance and Latin forms)
• Remember to view all that we do through lenses of teachers and students; define proficiency in ways that are not stressful (it's about the apprentice and the "capacity to participate", not about being a master)
• Develop efficiency around proficiency—tie to integrated teaching and learning across all sectors, builds relationships with all curriculum areas
• Further develop community as true partner, provide details about how that works (i.e.—how do we evaluate and "count" a student studying at Carriage House?—proficiency pathways concept); Develop assessment procedure for arts learning outside the classroom; continue to develop cadre of "evaluators" to assess proficiencies

• Student leader advocates (student touring statewide)
• Parent leader advocates
• Legislator leader advocates
• Teacher, school administrator, guidance counselor leader advocates
• Community leader advocates (social service, arts organization, faith communities, etc.)
• Higher education leader advocates
• Build accountability and investment in a shared set of values

• Expand the Network with guidance from Barr Foundation and Cremonini map analysis
• Build accountability and investment in a shared set of values
• Help participating organizations to grow internally and externally, and with each other
• Address the gap between community engagement and equal access
• Clarify the scope of the Network and each participant's role in it—address confusion; Keep de-centralized concept of Network, but help people deal with it "I find it difficult to build trust with new people because no one is in charge of me"
• Develop Network structure of leaders -- parent, student, teacher, legislator, etc.
• Continue to "piggyback" (add PTA, social service, etc.)

• Serve as external perspective for teacher education
• Link the Arts Passport program to teacher training
• Educate parents about creative economy jobs—not everybody goes to college
• Support co-curriculum in higher education, taking trips outside the classroom, link the community to academia,
• Develop teaching practicums outside schools as well as inside
• Support "departments without walls"; re-imagine teaching with higher ed and K-12 work happening in the same space (grad students learning at the same time as the K-12 students - Hope HS model, RISD Project Open Door, Writing Studio at RISD taught by Language arts teacher from Hope HS; another example, get professional design associations involved)
• Look to work being done in Student Services (co-curricular models of meshing experiences, engaging students)