Arts Education
Advocacy Tools and Resources
Most education policy is made at the local level, in your community, by your state legislators and school boards. Therefore, the best advocate for arts education is a person from the community - you!
Below are some tools to help you build successful relationships with the policy makers in your local community.
Benefits of Arts Education
Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning
In this report, seven researchers examined a variety of arts education programs (including in-school and out-of-school) and found common conclusions. The executive report provides a snapshot, including the following findings:
- The arts reach students who are not otherwise being reached.
- The arts transform the environment for learning.
- The arts provide learning opportunities for the adults in the lives of young people.
- The arts connect learning experiences to the world of real work.
Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development
Critical Links is a review of studies that address the impact of arts education on student academic performance and social development, including helpful research regarding the impact of arts education for at-risk students. This research compendium finds that, "for certain populations--including young children, students from economically disadvantaged circumstances, and students needing remedial instruction--learning in the arts may be uniquely able to advance learning success in other areas."
Gaining the Arts Advantage: Lessons from School Districts that Value Arts Education
This report identifies success factors common among school districts that support the arts. The central finding: "The single most critical factor in sustaining arts education in their schools is the active involvement of influential segments of the community in shaping and implementing the policies and programs of the district." (Including the involvement of arts organizations!)
The Impact of Arts Education on Workforce Preparation
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) and the National Governors' Association (NGA) produced this report to showcase the positive outcomes of integrating the arts into schooling and youth intervention programs. This report is designed to help governors and their top policy advisors learn about how the arts contribute to economic development and community vitality.
Third Space: When Learning Matters
Schools with large populations of students in economic poverty - often places of frustration and failure for students and teachers alike - can be transformed into vibrant and successful centers of learning and community life when the arts are infused into their culture and curriculum. Third Space: When Learning Matters, the newest publication from the Arts Education Partnership, draws on current research in cognitive science, student engagement, and youth development to explore how and why the arts have enabled the schools to succeed where others often fail. All of the featured schools involve artists and arts organizations from the community who become an integral part of school life, partnering with teachers and students in programs during and beyond the school day.
Status of Arts Education
From Anecdote to Evidence: Assessing the Status and Condition of Arts Education at the State Level
Without solid evidence about the status and condition of arts education in the nation's public schools, it is difficult to make a convincing case for the arts. This research and policy brief draws on the experiences of five states—Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington—as the basis for a discussion of various approaches and methodologies for conducting statewide arts education research.
ECS Artscan
The Education Commission of the States (ECS) has released an important new resource. Artscan, a searchable database of existing state-level policies regarding the arts, is a helpful tool for arts advocates seeking to improve their state-level education policies.
The Nation’s Arts Report Card
The 1997 National Assessment of Educational Progress in the Arts (NAEP) measured the ability of eighth-grade students to create, perform, and respond to works of art in music, theater, and the visual arts. The NAEP report is often referred to as the "Nation's Arts Report Card." Arts advocates are urging the U.S. Department of Education to stay on track with plans to administer the NAEP in the arts again in 2008, which will provide a comparative overview of the status of arts learning in the United States.
From the Capital to the Classroom: Four Years of the No Child Left Behind Act
A recent report from the Center on Education Policy (CEP) has captured the attention of the press, public, and policymakers. From the Capital to the Classroom: Four Years of the No Child Left Behind Act, identifies the opportunities and challenges of NCLB implementation. The survey reports that 71% of districts are making more time for math and reading by reducing other subjects. In 2005-06, nearly one-quarter of the districts surveyed report that instructional time in art and music had been reduced somewhat or to a great extent to make more time for math and reading.
Policy Leaders Speak Up
Arts and Minds: Conversations about the Arts in Education
The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is producing a series of commentaries by noted leaders in national education policy titled Arts and Minds: Conversations about the Arts in Education. The ongoing series includes interviews with Arkansas Governor and ECS Chairman Mike Huckabee, Getty Foundation Senior Advisor Sir Ken Robinson, and former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education Susan Sclafani.
Visions of the Future: Education in the Arts
A new video from the Arts Education Partnership offers reflections on the past and perspectives on the future of arts education from key leaders of education, arts, and philanthropic organizations. The complete video, Visions of the Future: Education in the Arts is available for purchase from the AEP. The transcription of the video can be downloaded from the AEP site free-of-charge. Key quotes may prove helpful in state and local-level advocacy efforts.
Public Opinion
Keeping the Arts in Schools
Where does the public stand on integrating the arts into the school curriculum? A new project by the Douglas Gould & Co., funded by the Ford Foundation, suggests that understanding the public's perspective on arts integration is key to developing strategies that will result in lasting arts education opportunities for students. Interviews with business leaders, community brainstorming sessions, a national poll, and focus groups of parents and teachers are summarized on the Keep Arts in Schools website.
Media Analysis
"Media Paints Arts Education in a Fading Light" is a report on how the national media portrays the status of arts education in America's schools.
Arts Education Partnership
The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is a rich source of research about the importance of arts education. The total Partnership includes more than 140 national arts, education, business, philanthropic, and government organizations.
Tips for Contacting Your Legislators
Department of Education Arts in Education Programs
Performing arts organizations should be aware of the direct and indirect funding opportunities available from the U.S. Department of Education (USED). Through its Arts in Education fund, the USED awards direct competitive grants to arts organizations under two categories – 1) Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program and 2) Professional Development for Arts Educators Program.
The Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program is designed to enable schools and organizations to develop and disseminate comprehensive approaches for integrating the arts into elementary and middle school curricula, strengthening arts instruction in these grade levels, and improving students’ academic performance. Approximately $4 million in funding is available, and the average grant will range between $225,000 and $275,000. This program must be administered in partnership with a local education agency.
The Professional Development for Arts Educators program supports the implementation of high-quality professional development model programs in K-12 education for music, dance, drama and visual arts educators. Applications must be initiated by a local education agency, but projects may include partnerships with arts organizations. Programs must focus on the development, enhancement, or expansion of standards-based arts education programs; or the integration of arts instruction into other subject area content. The program requires that participating schools must have student populations in which at least 50% are from low-income families (Title I). If your organization partners with schools to provide professional development for teachers, consider bringing this grant program to the attention of your school system. | 
