As if 8th grade isn't hard enough. The latest news in arts education is "The Nation's Arts Report Card". This is research on a nationally representative sample of 7,900 eighth-grade students from 260 public and private schools conducted by the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) - and it's one I couldn't imagine having to bring home to mom and dad.
The research data has uncovered a decline in music and arts in schools.
We know the arts in schools benefit student outcomes, particularly when it comes to developing the 21st century skills they'll need. But NAEP tells us that there has been no significant improvement in how many students have access to the arts in schools.
While the report's findings are not encouraging, they have at least brought much needed attention to the issue of arts education. No major newspaper or education reform blogger missed the opportunity to note the findings. Even Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, made a strong statement on how important the arts are to building 21st century skills. We know from a recent statement by Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States of America, that the importance of arts education is recognized by the current administration.
But let's not draw too many conclusions either. There are so many holes in the latest national report (and no information on dance and theater) it begs the question of whether it was worth doing in the first place. While The Nation's Arts Report Card was originally done in 1997, funding cuts forced a major change in what data was collected, so we don't have a true comparison.
It's a new world that demands the skills the arts bring to a child's development. We'd like to ask for new benchmarks for assessing how the arts in schools play a role in success and equity for our children. How can we assess student success and quality education that will support real system change?
So back off the poor 8th graders. Show them that this report just won't make the grade - that we are so embarrassed by the lack of access to the arts we're going to roll up our sleeves and put in the hard work it will take to improve and keep arts in schools. Get involved in school meetings. Contact your elected officials. Blog about it! Act!. The grantees of the Ford Foundations' Integrating Arts and Ed Reform initiative all work with the underlying understanding and agreement that all children deserve a great well-rounded education and that learning in and through the arts should be a vital component of all public schools for every student -- no matter where they live. There are great examples of local efforts to keep arts in schools that just might inspire you to take the lead in your community.
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