North Carolina Essential Standards for Arts Education
Curriculum in the arts is developed around the North Carolina Essential Standards for Arts Education. K-12 standards are provided for dance, music, theatre arts, and visual arts. The standards are the learning goals of the curriculum, and the standards are the same for each grade level, serving as an anchor to the learning from kindergarten through the advanced levels. The corresponding objectives change with each grade or proficiency level. At the K-8 levels, standards are organized by grade level. At the high school level, standards are organized by proficiency level.
The State Board of Education approved the new 2024 Arts Standard Course of Study on July 11, 2024. All Arts specific resources will be updated on this page as they are available:
View the complete NC Essential Standards for Arts Education for grade-specific clarifying objectives.
Below is an overview of the standards for each discipline.
K-12 Dance Standards
Connect
CN.1 Relate dance ideas and works with personal, societal, cultural, and historical, and daily life contexts, including diverse and
marginalized groups.
CN.2 Explore advancements in the field of dance.
Create
CR.1 Create original dance movements and works that communicate ideas, experiences, feelings, or images, independently
and collaboratively.
CR.2 Adapt original dance ideas and works, and those of peers and other artists, independently and collaboratively.
Present
PR.1Perform dance works from a variety of styles, cultures, and genres.
PR.2 Develop dance presentations.
Respond
RE.1 Analyze dance from a variety of styles, cultures, and genres using content-specific vocabulary.
RE.2 Evaluate dance works using content-specific vocabulary.
K-12 Music Standards
Connect
CN.1 Relate musical ideas and works with personal, societal, cultural, historical, and daily life contexts, including diverse and marginalized groups.
CN.2Explore advancements in the field of music.
Create
CR.1 Create original musical ideas and works, independently and collaboratively.
CR.2 Adapt original musical ideas and works, and those of peers and other artists, independently and collaboratively.
Present
PR.1 Perform music from a variety of styles, cultures, and genres.
PR.2 Develop musical presentations.
Respond
RE.1 Analyze musical works from a variety of styles, cultures, and genres including response through moving, singing, playing instruments, or content- specific vocabulary.
K-12 Theatre Arts Standards
Connect
CN.1 Relate theatrical ideas and works with personal, societal, cultural, historical, and daily life context, including diverse and marginalized groups..
CN.2 Explore advancements in the field of theatre arts.
Create
CR.1 Create original theatrical ideas and works, independently and collaboratively.
CR.2 Adapt original theatrical ideas and works, and those of peers and other artists, independently and collaboratively.
Present
PR.1 Perform theatrical works from a variety of styles, cultures, and genres.
PR.2 Develop theatrical presentations
Respond
RE.1 Analyze theatrical works from a variety of styles, cultures, and genres using content specific vocabulary.
RE.2 Evaluate theatrical works using content-specific vocabulary.
K-12 Visual Art Standards
Connect
CN.1 Relate visual arts ideas and works with personal, societal, cultural, historical, and daily life contexts, including diverse and
marginalized groups.
CN.2 Explore advancements in the field of visual arts.
Create
CR.1 Create original visual arts ideas and 2-D and 3-D artworks, including drawing, painting, printmaking, fibers, sculpture,
ceramics, and digital media, using tools safely and appropriately, independently or collaboratively.
CR. 2 Adapt original visual arts ideas and works, and those of peers and other artists, independently and collaboratively.
Present
PR.1 Present visual artworks.
PR.2 Develop visual arts presentations.
Respond
RE.1 Analyze visual artworks from a variety of styles, cultures, and genres using content-specificvocabulary.
RE.2 Evaluate visual artworks using content-specific vocabulary.