Arts Education Seen as Common-Core Partner

Michelle Grohe, the director of school and teacher programs at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, leads students from the Edward M. Kennedy Academy in discussions about the works of art. In partnership with four Boston schools, the museum uses its extensive collection to help teach some of the common standards in English/language arts.

—Dominick Reuter for Education Week

By Erik W. Robelen

At the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston , the painting "El Jaleo" —a canvas spanning 11 feet that features a flamenco dancer—is a popular starting point for getting students to spend time with a work of art.

But viewing and discussing the 1882 piece by the American artist John Singer Sargent isn't just a cultural experience. It also presents a powerful opportunity to tap into some of the same skills asked of students under the Common Core State Standards, said Michelle A. Grohe, the director of school and teacher programs at the museum, which has a close partnership with four Boston public schools.

"When one of our schools is focusing on 'close' readings, to read an excerpt of text and describe the main idea and provide supporting evidence or details, that is very similar to what we do with the...