The review and revision of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) for Visual and Performing Arts took place in several stages. In the first phase, a series of focus groups were conducted along with an independent review of the 2014 NJSLS as compared to the National Core Arts Standards, which were first published in 2014. The focus groups were followed up by a writing team that created the first draft of the revised NJSLS for Visual and Performing Arts. A second writing team was convened in 2019, in anticipation of the need for periodic review of the standards, as dictated by administrative code. The approved standards reflect the combined efforts of both review and revision / standards writing teams. In each case, concerted efforts were made to broadly represent New Jersey, in all its diversity. The efforts of all the contributing authors of the standards are greatly appreciated.
Standards Revision & Writing Teams
Project Lead
- Dr. Dale Schmid, NJDOE Visual & Performing Arts Coordinator
Dance
- Cynthia Domino, Cygnus, Subgroup Team Leader
- Cleo Mack, Mercer County Vocational School, Subgroup Team Leader
- Arvin Arjona, Millburn HS
- Dr. Barbara Bashaw, Rutgers University & NCCAS Writing Team
- Cynthia Domino*, Atlantic City HS
- Loretta Fois, Raritan Valley CC
- Lisa Grimes, Dance New Jersey
- Christina Marte, Rutgers University & Dance NJ
- Kelli McGovern, Bayonne Board of Education
- Amanda Nagy, Roselle Public Schools
- Megan (Herbert) Reagan
- Meagan Ruland, Long Branch
Music
- Jeff Santoro*, NJMEA Executive Board, West Windsor-Plainsboro Reg. School Dist., Subgroup Team Leader
- Dr. Laura Bell, Montgomery Township School District
- Ken Bond, NJDOE
- John Boronow, West Milford Public Schools
- Dr. Laura Craig, Bridgewater-Raritan Reg. School District
- Ron Heller, Hopewell Valley School District
- Kenneth Hess, New Providence School District
- Keith Hodgson, Mainland Regional High School
- Jason Leshowitz, Clifton Board of Education
- Lucia Marone, Vineland Public Schools
- Pamela Massimini, Hazlet Township Public Schools
- Bob Morrison, ArtsEdNJ
- Patrick O'Keefe
- Lisa Vartanian, Paramus Public Schools
- Adam Warshafsky, Montgomery Township School District
Media Arts
- Deborah Cella*, Glen Rock Public Schools, Subgroup Team Leader
- Latasha Casterlow-Lalla, Passaic Public Schools
- Jason Drain, Bridgewater Public Schools
- Jennifer Khoury*, Bloomfield Public Schools
- Mara Rubin, Somerset Public Schools
- Andrew Teheran, Newark Public Schools
Theatre
- Kerri Sullivan*, Bridgeton Public Schools, Appel Farm, Subgroup Team Leader & Team Lead Coordinator
- Danny Paolucci*, Jersey City Public Schools, STANJ Vice-President, Subgroup Team Leader
- Maureen Heffernan, Young Audiences of New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania
- Robyn Horn, Union County Vocational
- Dr. Elizabeth Hostetter, Rowan University
- Julianna Krawiecki, Princeton Public Schools
- Danielle Miller*, Hoboken Public Schools, STANJ President
- Michelle Sayah, Pinelands Regional HS
Visual Art
- Ellen Hargrove*, Haddon Township School District, AENJ Past President, Subgroup Team Lead
- Mary Colleen Foley, Brick Township
- Lisa Conklin*, AENJ President & Somerville School District, Somerville Schools
- Karen Kiick, Haddon Township HS
- Kacie King, Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf
- Lisa McPherson, South Orange Middle School
- JoAnn Onnembo, AENJ President
- Elizabeth Vaughan, NJDOE Early Childhood
Special Thanks
- Bob Morrison, Project Director, ArtsEdNJ
- David A. Dik, Executive Director, Young Audiences Arts for Learning
- Emily House, Director of Marketing & Communications, Young Audiences Arts for Learning
- Kerri Sullivan, Team Lead Coordinator for NJSLS-VPA Revision
*Contributors who participated on multiple teams noted with asterisk.