Recorder: Judith Madden Bryant, Art Specialist, Portland Public Schools, Portland, OR

The secondary education group's first of three discussions focused on curriculum development. The key issues, they decided were how to make curriculum responsive to multicultural education, diverse populations, and learning styles and how to help teachers recognize the biases and preferences that are communicated by their practices, language, and approaches. In discussing these issues, the group discussed the problem of implementing multicultural curricula without trivializing specific cultures. The importance of translating theory into everyday practice, or "trenchology" as one participant put it, was also stressed.

Consensus was reached on a number of points, notably that it is better to teach a few things well, and emphasize the process as much as the product. Participants also agreed on the need for more "models of excellence" and networks for secondary school teachers to share information and ideas. They concluded that interdisciplinary, thematic, and cross-cultural inquiry would expand DBAE and make it more relevant to students and that local resources should be utilized to the extent possible.

During the second meeting, which focused on DBAE's relationship to other disciplines, the secondary school group discussed the teaching of art from a historical and contextual perspective, including the possibility of drawing on concepts from anthropology and psychology. There was some disagreement about the definition of cultural diversity, however, and whether the idea of a totally inclusive curriculum is a reasonable goal. The group concluded that, although an interdisciplinary approach seemed appropriate for DBAE, care should be taken when borrowing from other disciplines so that the focus remains on the unique and valuable role of art.

The group's third meeting was devoted to a discussion of the extent to which art education can or should be an agent for social change. Several participants noted that art education often takes place in an environment that is not supportive of the values and assumptions of DBAE. They concluded that teachers need to think of themselves more as scholars and researchers in the educational process (lifelong learning). They should seek a forum for discussing strategies for implementing DBAE theory in everyday practice. On a final note, they expressed the hope that the Getty Center would continue to sponsor much-needed curriculum development that supports cultural diversity.

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