"The human conscience relies on a feeling of empathy for others and on the anticipation of anxiety, guilt, or shame for violating a community norm. Children need a deeper understanding of these feelings and the arts contribute to this goal."-Jerome Kagan, Daniel and Amy Starch Research Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, Harvard University

Learning, Arts, and the Brain Conference, American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore
May 6, 2009

52% of people surveyed believe that NCLB's emphasis on English and math have reduced the amount of instructional time spent on other subjects like the arts.

PDK/Gallup Poll, April 2008

Listen to interviews with leading arts education advocates

Updated: 4/20/09

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Home > Research

Integrating the arts into public education is a concept that is being applied in communities around the U.S.

National Research:

• Navigating the Blogosphere: Arts Learning & Education Reform
  Douglas Gould and Company, 2008
  "What if you could determine where the online conversations are taking place regarding education and arts learning, the ways in which people are talking about the subject and the key phrases that resonate with those who participate in the dialogue?" Access the executive summary of our research, funded by the Ford Foundation to learn how conversations in the blogosphere can inform strategic communications.

• An Unfinished Canvas: Local Partnerships in Support or Arts Education in California
  The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, 2009
  
• Parents for the Arts
  Douglas Gould and Company, April 2009
• The Arts Advantage: Expanding Arts Education in Boston Public Schools
  Boston Foundation, February 2009
• Better Schools, Better Skills, Better Communities
  Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network, 2009
  
• Getting Narrower at the Base: The American Curriculum After NCLB
  Foundation Center, 2008
• Frameworks and Tools for Evaluating Arts in Education
  VSA Arts, 2008
• Into the Breach: How Creative Philanthropy Can Reverse the Eroding Landscape of Arts Education
  The New Media Consortium, 2008
• Annual Arts in Schools Report 2007-2008
  New York City Department of Education,
  October 2008
• 2008 Study of Arts Education in Colorado Public Schools
  Colorado Department of Education
  October 2008
• A Call to Restructure Restructuring:  Lessons from the No Child Left Behind Act in Five States
  Center on Education Policy
  September 2008
  
• Cultivating Demand for the Arts: Arts Learning, Arts Engagement, and State Arts Policy
  Wallace Foundation
  September 2008
• Arts Education in Wisconsin Public Schools
  Music for All
  August 2008
• Out of Tune: A Survey On NYC Students' Access to Arts Education
  Office of the NYC Public Advocate
  June 2008
• Revitalizing Arts Education Through Community-Wide Coordination
  Wallace Foundation
  June 2008
• Artists in the Workforce
  National Endowment for the Arts
  June 2008
• The Art of Collaboration: Promising Practices for Integrating the Arts and School Reform
  Arts Education Partnership
  March 2008
  
• Annual Arts in Schools Report 2006-2007
  New York City Department of Education,
  March 2008
• Learning, Arts and the Brain
  The Dana Consortium Report, March 2008
• Florida Music Assessment Project Executive Summary
  Florida Music Educators' Association, March 2008
• Instructional Time in Elementary Schools: A Closer Look at Changes for Specific Subjects
  Center on Education Policy, February 2008
• Think 360 Arts Complete Education Parent Survey
  Think 360 Arts Complete Education, February 2008
• Studio Thinking: How Visual Arts Teaching Can Promote Disciplined Habits of Mind
  Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland, October 2007
• MENC Survey Results Summary for The Harris Poll
  Harris Poll, November 2007
  
• Choices, Changes and Challenges: Curriculum and Instruction in the NCLB Era
  Center on Education Policy, July 2007
  
• Arts as an Industry: Their Economic Impact on New York City and New York State
  Alliance for the Arts, May 2007
  
• Arts & Economic Prosperity III
  The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and
  Culture Organizations and Their Audiences
  Americans for the Arts, May 2007
  
• An Unfinished Canvas: Arts Education in California
  Taking Stock of Policies and Practices
  The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, 2007
  This study is a comprehensive report on whether the state of California has met arts education standards. It compares its strengths and weaknesses to the rest of the nation.
  
• From the Capital to the Classroom: Year 4 of the NCLB Act
  Center on Education Policy, March 2006
  This research report takes a look at the impact of the fourth year of implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act on a geographically diverse list of schools and school districts.
• The Arts and Civic Engagement: Involved in Arts, Involved in Life
  National Endowment for the Arts, 2006
  People who participate in the arts also engage in positive civic and individual activities at significantly higher rates than non-arts participants. This report shatters the stereotype that art is an escapist or passive activity, showing instead that it is associated with a range of positive behaviors.
  
• Focus Group Research Findings "Arts-Active" Parents
  2006
  Findings from six focus groups with arts-active parents to develop a personality profile and inform a communications strategy for arts-active parents.
  
• Arts at the Core: Every School, Every Student
  Illinois Arts Alliance, 2006
  Almost 20% of Illinois principals surveyed report having no arts program in their school and 28% of superintendents said that none of the four arts disciplines were considered part of the core curriculum in their school district, despite strong verbal support.
  
• Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement
  National Association of State Arts Agencies/Arts Education Partnership, 2006
  Research shows a correlation between arts training in schools and improved standardized test scores, as well as improvements in social and thinking skills.
  
• State Policymaker's Views on Arts Education
  Education Commission of the States, 2006
  Summary of interviews with 21 policymakers detailing similarities in opinions on the importance of arts education.
  
• Media Paints Art in Fading Light
  Douglas Gould and Company, 2005
  Media analysis highlights key themes and recommendations for projecting a more favorable image of arts education through the media.
  
• Mobilizing Support For Integrated Arts Education: National Opinion Research Findings
  Douglas Gould and Company, June 2005
  Summary of recommendations for advocates on how to build a constituency for integrated arts education in public schools.
  
• To Educate the Whole Child, Integrate the Arts
  Douglas Gould and Company, June 2005
  A report on National Public Opinion Research
  
• Fact sheet of National Opinion Research Findings (Mobilizing Support for Integrated Arts Education)
  Douglas Gould and Company, June 2005

Integrating the Arts:

• Full Report and Executive Summary
  Douglas Gould and Company, March 2005
  Six focus groups and research to inform message strategies concerning the integration of the arts throughout elementary, middle and high school curricula across the country.

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