Arts Education

After several attempts over the past few years, Congress is making progress in updating the No Child Left Behind Act, also known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The Arts Education Funders Coalition has been advancing its systemic policy agenda for ESEA as part of the Senate and House process to move ESEA legislation. Just this past week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (Senate HELP) Committee approved their version of an ESEA rewrite on a unanimous 22 to 0 vote. The AEFC arts education agenda was well represented as part of this legislation.

In January, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) released the results of an independent study that shows substantial gains in student achievement at schools participating in its Turnaround Arts initiative. The eight schools in the pilot phase of the initiative—showing increases in reading and math scores, as well as an increase in attendance and a decrease in suspensions—demonstrate that the program’s use of the arts is having a measurable impact on low-performing schools by increasing student engagement and narrowing the achievement gap.

Melissa M. Menzer from the NEA Office of Research & Analysis posts to Art Works Blog:

Coalition Purpose

As Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) has seen federal funding for arts education decrease, dedicated champions dwindle, and schools around the country drop art courses, leaders are working together to rethink the policy landscape and their policy agenda, with help from trusted Washington consultants. GIA has formed a coalition of arts and education grantmakers and other concerned arts organizations to research and identify federal policy opportunities that promote equitable access to arts education in all public schools.

Doug Israel, Director of Research and Policy for The Center for Arts Education, posts to Huffington Post Education:

From Mary Plummer at KPCC, 89.3FM: