"We don't earmark funding for reading or math - we just demand results. The same should be true of arts."
-David Cantor, NY Department of Education

Narrowing the curriculum in elementary school deprives students of an important opportunity to develop broad vocabulary and background knowledge necessary for strong reading comprehension later on. That lack of opportunity results in several negative consequences as students move into upper elementary school and secondary grades.
Source: The Hidden Costs of Narrowing the Curriculum, The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement

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Updated: 7/29/08

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Home > No Child Left Behind > Talking Points

Talking Points on Arts Education and the No Child Left Behind Act

• We need the arts in all our classrooms and communities to provide every child with a high quality education.
  
  
• 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. 
  
  
• Unfortunately, NCLB's focus on standardized testing in math and reading has led to less, not more, arts education in many schools.
  
  
• Children, teachers, schools and communities all benefit when the arts are a part of the learning experience.
  
  
• As Congress considers reauthorizing NCLB this year, we need to make sure that arts education gets the attention it deserves.  We can't create schools we can be proud of if arts education is left behind.

For more talking points on the arts, click here.

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