Arts Education

A new report by the Education Commission of the States delves into education policy areas where arts in education leaders and stakeholders can expand opportunities to engage the arts in policy solutions.

Much has been discussed about the importance of exposure to the arts as part of early-childhood education programs, but according to a recent column in Education Dive, researchers and educators still have questions about how these experiences benefit children as they continue through school.

As you may know from GIA’s previous webinar “New Horizons in Arts Education: The Student Support and Academic Enrichment program,” the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program, authorized under Title IV, Part-A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) established flexible formula grants to support the following three areas of activities – well-rounded educational opportunities, which include the arts as defined by ESSA; safe and healthy students; and effective use of technology.

At the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation, we are grateful every day for teaching artists.

The nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street recently announced the new Joan Ganz Cooney Fund for Vulnerable Children, which will support Sesame Street in Communities, an initiative that helps caregivers and community service providers give children a strong and healthy start.

Jerry Brown, the governor of California, signed on June 27 a $139 billion state budget that includes a $44,080,000 one-time federal Title IV funding for grants enhancing arts education or expanding access to physical and mental health care in schools in fiscal year 2019.

The finding is not surprising: wealthier children are about twice as likely to visit a cultural institution or historical place or see a play or concert during the summer, as compared with children from lower-income families, points out an article by Chalkbeat.

"What was the original goal of the arts education policy and advocacy grantmaking work?" That is one of the questions the education and policy firm, Education First, tackled after the Hewlett Foundation commissioned an evaluation of its arts education grantmaking over the past decade.

This past Wednesday, Congress finally released its funding bill for the current fiscal year (FY) 2018. This bill was voted upon by the House and Senate and on Friday it was signed into law by President Trump. There is good news within the bill for the larger arts community and for all our collective work to advance arts education.

New Mexico has adopted the National Core Arts Standards which will ensure that public school students in grades K-12 have an opportunity to study at least one of five disciplines: dance, music, theater, visual arts, and media.

The change will also let educators teaching other subjects to weave those art elements into core classes, including math, reading, and social studies, announced Christopher Ruszkowski, New Mexico Public Education Secretary-designate.