Art Education in the 21st Century

Art Education in the 21st Century

• Art Instruction: Integral to Student Achievement

• Art, Globalization, and the Emergent American Workforce

• The Role of Arts Integration & The Need For Adequate Funding

• Art Instruction: Integral to Student Achievement

• Art, Globalization, and the Emergent American Workforce

• The Role of Arts Integration & The Need For Adequate Funding

By Sonja Dolnick, Suzi Melly, Janet

Woelfle

“The best schools have the best arts programs.

Excellence in education and excellence

in the arts seem to go hand in hand.”

Charles Fowler, Strong Arts; Strong Schools

“The best schools have the best arts programs.

Excellence in education and excellence

in the arts seem to go hand in hand.”

Charles Fowler, Strong Arts; Strong Schools

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and

former Secretary of

Education, Rod Paige, argue that the arts

are an integral part of a

complete, successful and

high-quality education for all students.

Education Week, January 26, 2005

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and

former Secretary of

Education, Rod Paige, argue that the arts

are an integral part of a

complete, successful and

high-quality education for all students.

Education Week, January 26, 2005

Visual Art instruction is not

“special” or extra-curricular!

The ABC’s of Arts Learning:The ABC’s of Arts Learning:The benefits of student learning

experiences in the arts are…The benefits of student learning

experiences in the arts are…

So just what does education in the arts provide for our

students?

I. AcademicReading & Language

SkillsMathematic Skills

II. BasicThinking Skills

Social SkillsMotivation to Learn

III. ComprehensivePromotion of a

Positive School Environment

National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (2006), Critical Evidence: How the ARTS Benefit Student Achievement, Sandra S. Ruppert

ITS THE LAW: ARTS ARE CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECTS

ITS THE LAW: ARTS ARE CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECTSThe arts were affirmed as core

academic subjects by both the U.S. Department of Education’s

Elementary and Secondary Education Act signed by President George W. Bush in 2002, and the No Child Left Behind act (NCLB).

The arts were affirmed as core academic subjects by both the U.S. Department of Education’s

Elementary and Secondary Education Act signed by President George W. Bush in 2002, and the No Child Left Behind act (NCLB). U.S. Department of Education, No Child Left Behind Web site, http://www.nochildleft behind.gov

This deserves attention by school policymakers and administrators, who should ensure that the

arts programs are rigorous and

consequential with their required content knowledge and skills

based on state or national standards.

This deserves attention by school policymakers and administrators, who should ensure that the

arts programs are rigorous and

consequential with their required content knowledge and skills

based on state or national standards.

SAT Scores: Based on Years in the Arts

SAT Scores: Based on Years in the ArtsYears of Study

Verbal Mean Scores Math Mean Scores

2001 2002 2004 2005 2001 2002 2004 2005

More than 4 years

544 538 533 534 545 541 536 540

4 or more Years

535 536 539 543 530 534 535 541

3 Years 518 513 512 514 518 516 512 516

2 Years 506 504 505 508 513 514 512 517

1 Year 497 495 497 501 510 510 510 515

.5 Year or Less

485 484 483 485 500 502 498 502

Source: 2005 College-Bound Seniors: Total Group Profile Report, The College Board, 2005, Table 3-3

SAT & ACT Scores Comparison Chart:

A student scoring 478 Verbal and 498 Math (no formal instruction in the arts) would have a combined SAT score of

976. The ACT equivalent would be an ACT composite between 20-21

(Colorado's state average). 

A student scoring 543 Verbal and 541 Math (4 or more years of arts

instruction) would have a combined SAT score of 1084.

The ACT equivalent would be an ACT

composite between 23-24.

Data comparison compiled by Cindy Blue - Horizon High School

Professional School Counselor & GT Coordinator

Art Education in America has strong

public support…

Art Education in America has strong

public support…

93% of those polled agree that the arts are vital to providing a well-rounded education for children.

79% agree that incorporating the arts into education is the first step in adding back what’s missing in

public education today.

93% of those polled agree that the arts are vital to providing a well-rounded education for children.

79% agree that incorporating the arts into education is the first step in adding back what’s missing in

public education today.Source: “New Harris Poll Reveals That 93% of Americans Believe That

the Arts Are Vital to Providing a Well-Rounded Education,” www.artsusa.org.

And Why Not…

A well documented national study found that high arts-involved students

watched fewer hours of TV, participated in more community

service, and reported less boredom in school.

Catterall, James S. (2002) “Involvement in the Arts and Success in Secondary School.” In R.Deasy (Ed.), Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC:AEP.

“Tomorrow’s scientists and engineers need grounding in the arts to stimulate

their creativity, to help them perceive the world in new and different ways. If nothing else, a blending of arts and

sciences can cement a foundation for learning how to learn, a trait that is

proving all the more crucial at a time when knowledge simply won’t stay put.”

Morris Tannenbaum, Retired CFO, AT & T

“Tomorrow’s scientists and engineers need grounding in the arts to stimulate

their creativity, to help them perceive the world in new and different ways. If nothing else, a blending of arts and

sciences can cement a foundation for learning how to learn, a trait that is

proving all the more crucial at a time when knowledge simply won’t stay put.”

Morris Tannenbaum, Retired CFO, AT & T

So…is our current education system

preparing students for the extremely competitive global economy of the

future? Yes?No?

Maybe? What skills will our students need to

compete and succeed?

December 14, 2006…

December 14, 2006…

The New Commission on the Skills of the

American Workforce, commissioned by the

National Center on Education and the

Economy, unveiled a report titled “Tough

Choices or Tough Times” outlining

recommendations that call for the biggest

changes in the American education system

in a century.

www.skillscommission.org

The New Commission on the Skills of the

American Workforce, commissioned by the

National Center on Education and the

Economy, unveiled a report titled “Tough

Choices or Tough Times” outlining

recommendations that call for the biggest

changes in the American education system

in a century.

www.skillscommission.org

The Commission contends that to maintain any level of global economic leadership, the emergent workforce in the United States will depend on, “a deep vein of creativity that is constantly renewing itself, and on a myriad of people who can imagine how [we] can use things that have never been available before, create ingenious marketing and sales campaigns, write books, build furniture, make movies and [develop] new kinds of software that will capture people’s imagination and become indispensable to millions.”

Yet, far from leading the world, the United States doesn't even

rank in the Top 10 in the percentage of its workforce

engaged in creative occupations.

America’s Looming Creativity Crisis, The Harvard Business Review, Oct. 1, 2004

Yet, far from leading the world, the United States doesn't even

rank in the Top 10 in the percentage of its workforce

engaged in creative occupations.

America’s Looming Creativity Crisis, The Harvard Business Review, Oct. 1, 2004

The MFA is the new MBA…

The MFA is the new MBA…

In his recent book, A Whole New Mind,

author & researcher Daniel H. Pink, former speechwriter for VP Al

Gore, explains why creativity will be

crucial to success in the emergent workforce and

economy.

In his recent book, A Whole New Mind,

author & researcher Daniel H. Pink, former speechwriter for VP Al

Gore, explains why creativity will be

crucial to success in the emergent workforce and

economy.

"Right on the money. . . If Daniel Pink is correct about the 21st-century workforce, then all those

college majors that cause parents to grimace (art history? philosophy?) will gain newfound

acceptance."US News and World Report

"Right on the money. . . If Daniel Pink is correct about the 21st-century workforce, then all those

college majors that cause parents to grimace (art history? philosophy?) will gain newfound

acceptance."US News and World Report

“Thanks to an array of forces —globalization that is shipping white-collar work overseas, and powerful technologies that are eliminating certain kinds of work altogether—we are entering a new [creative era].”

Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind

“Thanks to an array of forces —globalization that is shipping white-collar work overseas, and powerful technologies that are eliminating certain kinds of work altogether—we are entering a new [creative era].”

Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind

The power behind the U.S. economy is

its “creative class”-- scientists, artists, engineers, technologists, and designers, to name a few. The creative sector accounts for

nearly half of American wage income, but the

U.S. is suddenly in danger of losing its

edge.

Richard Florida, Harvard Business Review, Feb. 2004.

The power behind the U.S. economy is

its “creative class”-- scientists, artists, engineers, technologists, and designers, to name a few. The creative sector accounts for

nearly half of American wage income, but the

U.S. is suddenly in danger of losing its

edge.

Richard Florida, Harvard Business Review, Feb. 2004.

In Education Week’s Quality Counts 2008, Colorado received a grade of D

for its educational transitions and alignment – that

is the way the states school districts put together academic and other

programs to ensure a smooth transition from K-12 education into

the workforce.

www.edweek.org/media/ew/qc/2008/18shr.co.h27.pdf

How do we ensure that arts remain a significant and vital part of education so that we

are adequately preparing students for the future?

How do we ensure that arts remain a significant and vital part of education so that we

are adequately preparing students for the future?

An Integrated

Approach to Arts

Education…

“The arts are a major repository of human values, beliefs, aspirations, occupations, and achievement. As such, arts learning

has an inherent bond with enduring ideas. This natural connection can be fostered by an integrated curriculum approach.”

-Marilyn G. Stewart and Sydney R. Walker, Rethinking the Curriculum in Art.

“We cannot fulfill our current economic objective by just doing better what we used to do; we

have to educate differently.”

-Ken Robinson, Art Education’s place in a Knowledge-Based, Global Economy

BEYOND THE BASICSBEYOND THE BASICS

"The research shows arts integrated learning goes well beyond the basics and test scores. Students become better thinkers, develop higher order skills, and deepen their inclination to learn,"

Robin C. Redmond, associate director of the Center for Arts Policy, Columbia College, Chicago

"The research shows arts integrated learning goes well beyond the basics and test scores. Students become better thinkers, develop higher order skills, and deepen their inclination to learn,"

Robin C. Redmond, associate director of the Center for Arts Policy, Columbia College, Chicago

Offering a fully arts integrated curriculum, the Denver

School of the Arts earned the JF Kennedy Center

“School of Excellence” award, one of 5 in the nation, in 2004

Teachers at the Denver School do not “teach to the test” yet…

Overall Academic Performance on State Assessments for grades 6-12 is EXCELLENT!

www.dsa.dpsk12.org

Offering a fully arts integrated curriculum, the Denver

School of the Arts earned the JF Kennedy Center

“School of Excellence” award, one of 5 in the nation, in 2004

Teachers at the Denver School do not “teach to the test” yet…

Overall Academic Performance on State Assessments for grades 6-12 is EXCELLENT!

www.dsa.dpsk12.org

Huff Elementary School in Elgin, Illinois was facing possible closure due to low

performance on state assessments. Two years after restructuring their curriculum to

center on the arts & technology, the percentage of students who met state

standards in Reading increased by 8% and in Math increased by 33%

Data for the years 2005-2007, Visual Imagery as Artful Evidence, SchoolArts, Oct. 2007

Huff Elementary School in Elgin, Illinois was facing possible closure due to low

performance on state assessments. Two years after restructuring their curriculum to

center on the arts & technology, the percentage of students who met state

standards in Reading increased by 8% and in Math increased by 33%

Data for the years 2005-2007, Visual Imagery as Artful Evidence, SchoolArts, Oct. 2007

“Of all the effects on cognition, visual arts seem to be strongest

when used as a tool for academic learning…Art

classes are an important feature in any

curriculum, but the greatest payback comes from integrating visual

arts into the curriculum… A majority

of your learners are visual.”

-Eric Jensen, Arts with the Brain in Mind

In August 2008, Adams 12 Five Star Schools will open a unique school with a focus on the creative arts. The newly

named Studio School will feature an integrated approach to the arts as music, visual art, dance, theatre,

and literary arts are infused with language arts, math, science and social studies. Featuring a culturally rich

learning environment, instruction will capitalize on the latest research linking academic success with the

integration of arts concepts and hands-on experiences.

www.artsmagnet.adams12.org

“We recognize that we are calling on schools to change dramatically even as

they face difficult economic challenges and a vigorous discussion of student

achievement and assessments. However, while current budget constraints will

eventually subside, the long-term need for 21st century learning will not.”

Letter to America’s Education Leaders, The Board of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Adequate Funding?

Adequate Funding?

School Spending Statistics:

Colorado ranks 8th in the country for per capita income &

our taxes are amongst the lowest in the nation, yet we spend over $1,000 less per

pupil annually than the national average. Various calculations rank Colorado between 37th

and 49th in investment in public education.

National Center for Education Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/expenditures/tables.asp

School Spending Statistics:

Colorado ranks 8th in the country for per capita income &

our taxes are amongst the lowest in the nation, yet we spend over $1,000 less per

pupil annually than the national average. Various calculations rank Colorado between 37th

and 49th in investment in public education.

National Center for Education Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/expenditures/tables.asp

An analysis by the Colorado School Finance Project forecasts that we will need an additional $2.9 billion

annually to adequately invest in our public schools. That’s just for

academics, not for maintaining or building facilities.

www.believeinabettercolorado.org

An analysis by the Colorado School Finance Project forecasts that we will need an additional $2.9 billion

annually to adequately invest in our public schools. That’s just for

academics, not for maintaining or building facilities.

www.believeinabettercolorado.org

Colorado’s tax scenario and recent economic conditions engender fierce

competition for insufficient public dollars

www.greateducation.orgwww.believeinabettercolorado.org/basics/index.html

Colorado’s tax scenario and recent economic conditions engender fierce

competition for insufficient public dollars

www.greateducation.orgwww.believeinabettercolorado.org/basics/index.html

With a widening gap in school funding, the question facing our school districts

each year is “What to cut?”

“My son's middle school eliminated foreign language this year partially as a result of cuts.  There was a

huge parent outcry, and Spanish will be offered next year.  But the parents have been warned that there may be a cut in music and band depending upon

enrollment, and there will be cuts in gym, and perhaps other courses as well.  Schools should not be making these choices. There should be enough money so that schools can offer a a varied curriculum and students

can take the courses that they want to.”Comment posted by Jane F., Feb. 28, 2008

www.greateducation.org

In 2011, both Amendment 23 and Referendum C (voter approved 5-year break from TABOR) will

expire…

In less than two more school years,

what will the state of education

funding, and consequentlyarts education, in Colorado be?

The answer is up to us:

parents, teachers, administrators.

Please use the resources provided in, and with,

this presentation to get involved.

Today.

The answer is up to us:

parents, teachers, administrators.

Please use the resources provided in, and with,

this presentation to get involved.

Today.

“The arts must…contribute forcefully

to the education of the public.”

~ Jaques Louis Davis, 1793

Gratitude and acknowledgement to the Colorado Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for

the Arts for financial support of this presentation.