Dance Education

Colorado Academic Standards Dance Graphic (small)

Dance - State Standards

“The truest expression of a people is in its dances…Bodies never lie.” ~Agnes De Mille
“Dance is the only art in which we ourselves are the stuff of which it is made.” ~Ted Shawn

Dance as art represents creative self-expression through the medium of human movement. The essence of dance is to feel, create, compose, interpret, perform, and respond. Dance is the physical expression of an idea developed through a process of research, inquiry, and movement discovery. (Read more about the Colorado Dance Standards.)

Educator Effectiveness Practical Ideas Guide for Dance

Throughout the development, pilot testing and validation study of the Colorado State Model Evaluation System, groups of teachers and their evaluators with unique roles and responsibilities expressed concerns that the teacher materials didn't provide adequate guidance. They requested additional guidance regarding evidence/artifacts that may be used by such specialized teachers. In addition, they asked about specific practices to “look-for” to guide their classroom observations and help ensure that all licensed teachers receive fair, valid and reliable evaluations.

In response, CDE initiated the development of a set of guides written by practitioners for practitioners. They are intended to provide informal advice to teachers and their evaluators to help them understand the evaluation process within their specific context.

PLEASE NOTE: The purpose of these documents is to highlight possible approaches for districts and BOCES to consider when constructing their approach to evaluating educators. CDE will be collecting on-going feedback to improve this guidance. To submit your feedback, email Educator_Effectiveness@cde.state.co.us.