4. The Commissioner of Education shall forward a request for proposals for the development of ACES schools to local school districts. Each school district shall disseminate the request for proposals to all schools within the district. A school which wants to participate in the pilot program shall, upon securing the approval of the board of education, submit a proposal to the commissioner. The proposal shall outline the school’s plan to infuse the arts into all aspects of the curriculum to enhance academic excellence, student motivation and self-esteem. The proposal shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:

a. the specific mechanisms which will be used to integrate the arts within all academic disciplines offered in the school’s curriculum;

b. the utilization of technology within the school to advance student levels of organizational ability, critical thinking, problem solving and creative skills; and

c. the manner in which professional development experiences in the arts will be factored into the school design to assist the teaching and administrative staff to define and implement the teaching strategies necessary to achieve the educational goals of an arts-infused curriculum.

L.1996,c.117,s.4.