High School Art Curriculum for Charter School Teachers
Charter high school art teachers who have to turn a single studio elective into a four-year program can work from Art Complete – High School. It offers 100+ resources for grades 9–12, from analysis and interpretation of fine art, design and media art to drawing, painting, mixed media and conceptual work, all available to download right after purchase.
Open the art course →Art Complete – High School is a fully structured art curriculum for grades 9–12 with 100+ resources, starting at $149.90. Students analyze style, symbolism, composition and intention across cultures, periods and contemporary contexts, then work from concept to final artwork in traditional and digital media with growing independence. It suits charter teachers building a program from scratch. Supplies are not included, and teachers should compare the units with their state's requirements before relying on them.
The curriculum
Art Complete – High School, Grades 9–12
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
The real problem
The real work of building charter high school art
High school art at a charter often begins as one section of Art I, taught by someone who was hired to make it grow. Within a year or two the school wants Art II, maybe an advanced studio course, and students who are thinking about portfolios. That growth is the hard part. Ninth graders need structure and technique; seniors need room for experimental and conceptual work and an explanation of their own intentions. Without a plan, each new level becomes a reshuffle of the same projects, and older students notice. Critique is another gap. Teenagers can make striking work but struggle to explain style, symbolism or why a composition works, and that kind of writing is what administrators look for when they ask whether art is rigorous. In a lean charter there is no art department to share a scope and sequence with, the budget for materials is tight, and you may be teaching media art with whatever devices the school has. You need a course that keeps raising the bar for analysis and independence from grade 9 to grade 12, and you need it before the next course request form goes out.
Why it fits
Where the curriculum helps a growing program
The material rises in difficulty across four years, which is what a charter adding art levels needs most.
- Analysis covers style, symbolism, composition and intention, giving critiques and written reflections real substance.
- Fine art, design, media art and visual culture broaden the course beyond drawing and painting alone.
- Studio units move from concept to final artwork, a habit students need for portfolio work.
- Experimental and conceptual approaches give older students room to make independent choices.
- Traditional and digital media both appear, so projects can adapt to the devices your school owns.
- Differentiated worksheets let Art I and Art II students share a room if the schedule forces it.
Getting started
A two-week start for Art I and beyond
One possible launch while you work out how many levels the school will run. Adjust it to your schedule and materials.
- Split the units into levelsRead through the units and mark which suit first-year students and which ask for more independence. That rough split becomes your Art I and Art II plan and shows what an advanced course could cover later.
- Open with a critique protocolIn week one, use an analysis lesson on composition and intention with a contemporary work. Students practice the language of critique before they have to apply it to each other's art.
- Set a technique baselineRun an early drawing or painting task to see each student's skill level. Use the results to decide who can work more independently and who needs closer structure for the first projects.
- Bring in media and designIn week two, add a design or media art lesson using the school's devices or printed examples. It shows students that art at this level includes visual culture, not just traditional studio work.
- Start a concept-to-final projectAssign a project where students write a short concept statement, sketch, revise and finish. The written intention becomes a model for every later critique and for any future portfolio.
Which version
Which version suits a charter art program
The core version, 100+ resources for $149.90, covers the full grades 9–12 teaching material. The $189.90 option adds Teach-Life-Balance, a digital course on teacher time management with a planner, guides and templates. It pays off when you are building new course levels, curating shows and handling supply orders at once. If your school is a 6–12 campus and you also teach middle school art, Art Complete – Middle School pairs well, and code TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off when you buy both curricula together.
Honest limits
What you will still need to provide
The curriculum does not include materials, tools, cameras or software. Studio and media projects run on what your school supplies, and some may need adapting to a tight budget. It is written for U.S. high school art classrooms but does not promise to meet your state's fine arts graduation or credit rules, so confirm that with your school. A colleague who wants to teach from it should wait until you have messaged Teach Lessons. If the curriculum is not a good fit, you have 7 days to exchange it for store credit of the same value. It is not refunded in cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Has a state or charter authorizer approved this for art credit?
No. No state, charter authorizer or arts standards body has approved, adopted or endorsed it, and it does not guarantee alignment. It is written for U.S. high school art classrooms. Your school and registrar decide how the course is credited, so compare the unit topics with your state's visual arts requirements and fill any gaps you find.
Can I use it for both Art I and an advanced course?
The material spans grades 9–12 and builds toward greater independence, from structured technique work to experimental and conceptual approaches. Many teachers will draw the earlier units into an introductory course and save the more open-ended work for later levels. You decide the split, since the curriculum can be used as a full sequence or by individual units.
Does it help students prepare a portfolio?
It teaches the habits a portfolio relies on: working from concept to final artwork, explaining intention, and analyzing style and composition. It is not a portfolio course and does not cover any specific program's submission rules. If students are preparing for a particular review, check those requirements separately.
Our school has few computers. Is digital media required?
No. Traditional and digital media both appear, and you choose which projects to run. If devices are limited, rely on drawing, painting, mixed media and design projects, and use printed or projected examples for media art analysis. No devices or software are included with the curriculum.
Is there a lower-cost add-on for more high school art material?
The Complete Art Education Bundle for High School costs $59.90 and is sold separately. It is optional. The main curriculum already includes 100+ resources for grades 9–12, which is enough to run a full course for most programs that are just starting. A bundle can make sense later, once you know which studio areas your students want more of.
If we hire a second art teacher next year, can they use it?
A new colleague teaching Art I while you take the advanced levels is a common charter setup. Use within your own teaching team or school is possible, but send Teach Lessons a short message before your colleague starts using the files. Ask about school purchasing the same way. Posting the materials publicly or reselling them is not allowed.
Build the program one level at a time
See what is included in the grades 9–12 art curriculum on the product page, then pick your version.
Open the art course →