The Minnesota Comprehensive Arts Planning Program (CAPP) is a program of Perpich Center for Arts Education. The purpose of this legislatively-funded program is to support and assist a local school district’s arts planning team in creating a district-wide, three-year strategic plan. This plan addresses arts education policies, programs and partnerships for students in the district and community. Since its inception in 1983, close to 230 school districts have participated in the CAPP program. CAPP success demonstrates that the effort of a broad-based district arts team can be essential to the development of a sound and sustainable plan for arts education.

Initially, the CAPP process involves selecting co-chairs (K-12 district leaders) who then receive professional development to lead a local CAPP committee. Co-chairs and district administration identify district and community members with an active and wide-ranging interest in the arts and arts education within their school district for their committee. This local CAPP committee has the responsibility to create a comprehensive arts education strategic plan acceptable to the district and community.

In year one, CAPP teams conduct a needs assessment and engage in a strategic planning process to design a district-wide, three-year arts education plan, which is presented to and approved by the school board. In year two, CAPP sites implement the first year of their three-year plan and evaluate their progress. CAPP co-chairs from each site gather three times each year to participate in professional development to build leadership capacity. In year three and four, the CAPP committee continues to meet and monitor progress of their strategic plan.

The following are the desired outcomes for CAPP sites. The local CAPP committee in each district determines strategies that help their schools and communities achieve these outcomes.

1. All K-12 students participate in a comprehensive, standards-based, student-centered curriculum that produces measurable results.
2. A comprehensive assessment is undertaken to determine the needs and opportunities which will inform the three-year strategic plan.
3. A workable, sustainable CAPP strategic plan is developed, specific to the district and community.
4. Collaborations and communications between district arts programming and the community are established and maintained.
5. Sustainable arts education leadership within the school district and community is established and maintained.
6. The impact and involvement of the CAPP committee itself is evaluated.

• Developing an arts career pathway/exploration (career-focused experiences) for middle school and high school students
• Elevating and empowering student leadership in arts programs (such as a student committee of arts supporters and student-designed performances and showcases)
• Connecting and building empowering arts partnerships
• Building a community-sponsored fund for the purchase of instruments
• Improving alignment of class registration and class scheduling processes in regards to arts requirements
• Increasing arts staff to be able to deliver three arts areas in middle school

• From the eight selected districts, a cohort of CAPP co-chairs is formed to serve as peer-to-peer mentors throughout the two- year program.
• Within each district, CAPP co-chairs and administration gather three times a year for professional development with the CAPP Specialist and other Perpich staff, as needed.
• Within each district, the CAPP Specialist leads one on-site workshop for the local CAPP Committee each year of the program.
• Throughout the program, virtual and in-person check-in meetings are held with local district Co-Chairs.
• Financial contract support: $2,500 for school year 2023- 2024 and $2,500 for school year 2024- 2025. This program is not a grant; rather it is a contract with four deliverables throughout the two years of the cohort. As such, money is not provided at the beginning of the program but is delivered after the receipt of each program deliverable.