Are art classes a waste of resources...
or the most important class a child can have?
In a test driven, results oriented public school system, the art department costs money. Supplies don't come cheap, nor do teacher's salaries. Is art just a class that allows core content teachers a bathroom break or preparation time? Is it a moderated block of time for kids to express themselves, have fun, and blow off some steam? The short sighted and ill-informed will say "AMEN!" They fail to understand something very important.
The solution to failing schools is right under our noses. It has been for a long time. Research, studies, and evidence prove it, but schools ignore it because they feel it's counter-intuitive. Worse yet, when schools do decline, they cut the one program they should be strengthening. ART!
Not "craft time," or follow-along busy work, but a rigorous, focused, inter-curricular program taught by a certified ART instructor. The facts show that schools that implement STEAM programs, outperform schools that promote STEM. The "A" (Art) is THE important key to student success!
A study by PlosOne (https://goo.gl/6XZ5KZ ) shows that exploring art and making art both help the brain make more neural connections, but that making art showed significantly greater cognitive gains.
Evidence from The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and the AEPsupport (https://goo.gl/op4zGo ) the fact that art students are more successful than their non-art involved peers by a significant margin.
72% of business leaders say that creativity is the number one skill they hire for. Art is one of the few places children develop these kinds of problem solving skills. Students who participate in art are 4X more likely to participate in a math or science fair. Art students are more likely to be recognized for student achievement. Art reduces truancy in schools and in poor districts student dropout rates go from an average 22% in schools without art to 4% within the SAME population in schools with art. Art students are 17% more likely to volunteer, and 20% more likely to vote. Art students outscore their peers on the SAT exam by an average of 100 points. https://goo.gl/wik68T and https://goo.gl/CBMB3R
Art does even more, like lowering stress so students can cope with the challenges of school. (https://goo.gl/pguZ2l ) A Missouri study (https://goo.gl/t796S2 ) of public schools in 2010 found that greater arts education led to fewer disciplinary infractions, higher attendance, graduation rates, and confirmed data that student test scores were higher. Conversely a New York City high schools study showed that schools that had a graduation rate under 50% offered the least access to art education with fewer certified arts teachers. (https://goo.gl/a9AOHY) ( bit.ly/ArtBenefits )
Additionally, medical schools are noticing a decline in students’ dexterity, likely from spending time swiping screens rather than developing fine motor skills that we know are a hallmark of hands-on classes like art. https://nyti.ms/2YTnaem
With such huge, verifiable benefits, it's amazing that only 7% of schools require art education. State arts agencies receive 0.037%—less than one half of one tenth of one percent—of state general fund expenditures. https://goo.gl/qjqKFo .
The solution to failing schools is right under our noses. (https://goo.gl/Ps1YWN) More statistical evidence can be found on the Arts Ed Now organization publication located here: (https://goo.gl/a9AOHY)
Will you share this blog post or the video below and help spread the word? Below is a hand-out that can be shared to help promote art education, it is a concise version of this blog post and links.
A new article with research demonstrates how art education strengthens seemingly unrelated careers in surprising ways HERE.
or the most important class a child can have?
In a test driven, results oriented public school system, the art department costs money. Supplies don't come cheap, nor do teacher's salaries. Is art just a class that allows core content teachers a bathroom break or preparation time? Is it a moderated block of time for kids to express themselves, have fun, and blow off some steam? The short sighted and ill-informed will say "AMEN!" They fail to understand something very important.
The solution to failing schools is right under our noses. It has been for a long time. Research, studies, and evidence prove it, but schools ignore it because they feel it's counter-intuitive. Worse yet, when schools do decline, they cut the one program they should be strengthening. ART!
Not "craft time," or follow-along busy work, but a rigorous, focused, inter-curricular program taught by a certified ART instructor. The facts show that schools that implement STEAM programs, outperform schools that promote STEM. The "A" (Art) is THE important key to student success!
A study by PlosOne (https://goo.gl/6XZ5KZ ) shows that exploring art and making art both help the brain make more neural connections, but that making art showed significantly greater cognitive gains.
Evidence from The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and the AEPsupport (https://goo.gl/op4zGo ) the fact that art students are more successful than their non-art involved peers by a significant margin.
72% of business leaders say that creativity is the number one skill they hire for. Art is one of the few places children develop these kinds of problem solving skills. Students who participate in art are 4X more likely to participate in a math or science fair. Art students are more likely to be recognized for student achievement. Art reduces truancy in schools and in poor districts student dropout rates go from an average 22% in schools without art to 4% within the SAME population in schools with art. Art students are 17% more likely to volunteer, and 20% more likely to vote. Art students outscore their peers on the SAT exam by an average of 100 points. https://goo.gl/wik68T and https://goo.gl/CBMB3R
Art does even more, like lowering stress so students can cope with the challenges of school. (https://goo.gl/pguZ2l ) A Missouri study (https://goo.gl/t796S2 ) of public schools in 2010 found that greater arts education led to fewer disciplinary infractions, higher attendance, graduation rates, and confirmed data that student test scores were higher. Conversely a New York City high schools study showed that schools that had a graduation rate under 50% offered the least access to art education with fewer certified arts teachers. (https://goo.gl/a9AOHY) ( bit.ly/ArtBenefits )
Additionally, medical schools are noticing a decline in students’ dexterity, likely from spending time swiping screens rather than developing fine motor skills that we know are a hallmark of hands-on classes like art. https://nyti.ms/2YTnaem
With such huge, verifiable benefits, it's amazing that only 7% of schools require art education. State arts agencies receive 0.037%—less than one half of one tenth of one percent—of state general fund expenditures. https://goo.gl/qjqKFo .
The solution to failing schools is right under our noses. (https://goo.gl/Ps1YWN) More statistical evidence can be found on the Arts Ed Now organization publication located here: (https://goo.gl/a9AOHY)
Will you share this blog post or the video below and help spread the word? Below is a hand-out that can be shared to help promote art education, it is a concise version of this blog post and links.
A new article with research demonstrates how art education strengthens seemingly unrelated careers in surprising ways HERE.
| Free Hand-out to promote art education |
| Speech to BOE to save an art program |
This post was created in such a way that you can copy and paste it to keep the links and present it to your district to advocate for your art program.
Amy Herman, in her TED Talk "A Lesson on Looking," explains that Visual Intelligence is an important skills for many outside the field of art. She explains the 4 A's of Assess, Analyze, Articulate, and Act are important skills for police, parents, Navy Seals, physicians, counter terrorism officials, and anyone where looking carefully at a situation is important.
Clicking on the image will take you to Nitin Kaku's article on the topic.
Additional research on the benefits of art education:
- Investigating Arts Education Effects on School Engagement & Climate, Educational Policy, 2023
- The Arts Advantage: Impacts of Arts Education on Boston Students: EdVestors
- New research finds evidence arts education increases school engagement, attendance among Boston students: The Boston Globe
- Arts programming in Boston schools linked to attendance, engagement gains: CommonWealth
- Decade-long Effort to Expand Arts Education in Boston Pays Off: The Wallace Blog
How can we promote our programs?
With all the things we're required to do all year, there's always more... and one important one is to promote your department from within!
Though we often think art promotes it'self, you can see enrollment fluctuate, which may even have an impact on your employment. A fully tenured, exceptionally talented art teacher can be let go (RIF = Reduction in Force) if students do not register for their classes. Your guidance department may not view art as important, or have misinformed ideas of what we really do.
Every year that students begin to schedule classes, I make a concerted effort to be more visible in school. The image in this post is a fun structure project we do outdoors while students are having lunch, in full view of everyone. We also put work outdoors, and make it more visible in the halls.
Promoting has to be done with colleagues as well, so they understand the importance of what you do.
Consider too making connections to members of your guidance department, especially those in charge of scheduling. Touch base, tell them what you are up to. Send them good news when you have some about a difficult student. No one like to just hear about problems.
Display written work along with the artworks, so everyone knows you promote literacy. If you have math, science, history, or cultural connections in your assignment, make that an obvious part of your display.
If students question, "Why Make Art?" Share THIS with them.
With all the things we're required to do all year, there's always more... and one important one is to promote your department from within!
Though we often think art promotes it'self, you can see enrollment fluctuate, which may even have an impact on your employment. A fully tenured, exceptionally talented art teacher can be let go (RIF = Reduction in Force) if students do not register for their classes. Your guidance department may not view art as important, or have misinformed ideas of what we really do.
Every year that students begin to schedule classes, I make a concerted effort to be more visible in school. The image in this post is a fun structure project we do outdoors while students are having lunch, in full view of everyone. We also put work outdoors, and make it more visible in the halls.
- Display really fun looking projects during scheduling weeks.
- Display work in the Library or other major gathering areas.
- Connect 1 on 1 with your freshman, and be sure they stay in art.
- Remind students to tell their talented friends to sign up for art.
- Show how "art kids" score 100 points higher on average on SATs.
- Have the video club feature art the weeks of scheduling.
- Start an art club and have them help promote during scheduling.
Promoting has to be done with colleagues as well, so they understand the importance of what you do.
Consider too making connections to members of your guidance department, especially those in charge of scheduling. Touch base, tell them what you are up to. Send them good news when you have some about a difficult student. No one like to just hear about problems.
Display written work along with the artworks, so everyone knows you promote literacy. If you have math, science, history, or cultural connections in your assignment, make that an obvious part of your display.
- Send periodic invitations to administrators to visit your room
- See if you can display work in a public community space
- Send a press release if the work should get extra attention
- Submit your lessons and work to School Art Magazine & others
- Blog and create YouTube videos on projects
- Display student work in offices
- Document successes and share with administration
- Track student test scores and promote how your students do better
- Partner your art shows with other school functions for larger attendance
If students question, "Why Make Art?" Share THIS with them.
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