Author: Schmidt, Joan

Publication Year:

Media Type: Periodical (article)

Summary:

Abstract:

The author states in this article that the time is ripe for arts educators and advocates to participate with school boards in the development and implementation of a vision that includes the arts as a component of a basic education. This is due to several factors:

• The development of a National Standards of Arts Education.
• The National School Boards Association has recognized that the arts is a meaningful component in a quality education.
• Almost every state has revised its arts education curriculum.

The current focus on raising student achievement is triggering new interest in identifying specific links between arts instruction and learning. However, arts programs are threatened in communities where public perception supports reading, writing, and arithmetic as the only areas needing licensed teachers. Other experts cited in the article claim that one of the biggest concerns is that the arts will become the exclusive domain of the affluent and that cuts in arts programs can close the door to meaningful co-curricular activities for students who live in poverty.

When school boards determine the fates of arts programs, the author suggests they consider the following questions:

• To what extent is the community willing to support arts education?
• What essential resources must the school district provide when implementing quality arts programs?
• Do arts education programs contribute to providing equity in education?
• How does the school district implement a high-quality arts program that can be sustained year after year, even through times of fluctuating enrollment and dwindling resources? 

The reality is that successful reform requires a comprehensive plan that addresses the long-term need for facilities and equipment, instructional time, and qualified teachers. The author comments:

Most of all, it calls for commitment to a rigorous sequential curriculum based on standards that define what every student should know and be able to do.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Arts Education