Autonomy Rubric for Teachers

Since 2002, Arts Impact has used an analytic rubric to measure levels of teacher performance in planning, teaching, and assessing arts and arts infused instruction. This evaluation protocol, known as the Autonomy Rubric for Teachers (A.R.T.), is designed as a tool for facilitating continuous growth in teacher practice. Arts Impact’s A.R.T. aligns closely with other frameworks for best teaching practice, including the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching, the Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model, and the 5 Dimensions of Teaching and Learning from the Center for Educational Leadership at the University of Washington.

In Year One of training, the Artist Mentor uses the tool as a way to track and give objective feedback to classroom teachers about their mentorship.

For the SAIL project, both the teacher and their Artist Mentor use the A.R.T. independently to reflect on the mentorship. They then take the opportunity to share their reflections on their individual scores and consider
the overall growth by the teacher in teaching the arts. The tool is used by classroom teachers for goal-setting and continued planning for further professional development in arts and arts infused teaching.

The A.R.T. is below.

Indicate the level of performance you feel most closely reflects your work. Many teaching dynamics are a lifelong learning curve, but by making an appraisal of where you stand thus far, you and your mentors have a better understanding of where Arts Impact can best support you in your arts teaching and learning.

In the assessment meeting at the end of the mentorship, talk about the levels of autonomy you have achieved as you reflect together—discuss the areas where your scoring is different than the Artist Mentor’s scoring. Take time to celebrate your strengths, and talk about strategies you could pursue to realize continuous growth in arts teaching.

Our THANKS for using this tool! And congratulations for your reflective teaching practice!