"The purpose of arts education is not to create more artists... the purpose is to produce complete human beings who can function productively in a free society." -Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts

The negative consequences of curriculum narrowing are even greater for low-income students, which means the practice can end up magnifying achievement gaps.
Source: The Hidden Costs of Narrowing the Curriculum, The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement

Listen to interviews with leading arts education advocates

Updated: 7/29/08

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Home > No Child Left Behind > Expanding Local Advocacy Efforts

Tips on expanding the advocacy efforts in your local community

• Talk to your neighbors and friends about the importance of the arts.
• Ask them if they know that the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) defines the arts as one of 10 core academic subjects, on equal footing with math, science and reading.
• Have your local book club read Third Space or Critical Evidence which use data and storytelling to create more urgency for arts education.
• Join or start a group in your community working on arts education and education issues.
• Send a pitch to a local television and/or radio station.

Here are talking points to use when engaging your community.

Click here to return to the 5 Things You Can Do

To view an expanded list of resources, click here.

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