Implementing Core Tested Programs For Schools

Section Two: History: Since public schools across the country have faced budget cuts in the past decade and a half, a common cost-cutting measure is to lessen the funding for arts education, prioritizing what are deemed more essential subjects such as math, reading, and science. Yet in fact, the current iteration of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, also known as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, lists that the arts are among the core academic subjects, requiring all schools to enable all students to achieve in the arts and reap all the benefits of a comprehensive arts education. Yet the economically prioritized curriculum is still draining the sources from these imperative programs leaving instruments, paintbrushes, and other artistic pieces in closets to collect dust, because no one will be there to teach or use them. Most impacting in the history of

All around the United States, art programs are being cut out of the budget in public schools. The arts include dance, band, chorus, theatre, film, drawing, painting, photography and literary arts. Some school board members feel these art programs are not necessary and do not benefit the students in any way. Elementary, middle, and high school students are forced to quit their passion and feel that their talents are not supported by their schools. Although many are not aware, there is a strong connection between arts education and academic achievement. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts in many public schools, the art classes are first on the list to be cut. It is important that the students, parents and teachers

In most affluent schools, parents have the expectation that their kids are being offered a full liberal arts curriculum that will allow them to further their creativity and curiosity. However, many schools have been only focusing on the subjects that are being tested on standardized tests set by the state, because they receive more school funding if they achieve higher test scores. In her article titled “The Essentials of a Good Education”, Diane Ravitch, utilizing direct examples of schools, and policies that limit student’s knowledge of the arts in order to have more time preparing for tests, points out that this shift in focus is causing students to suffer academically and is killing their curiosity and creativity.

In today’s school systems, art and music classes are not mandatory to be taught. This makes them very vulnerable to budget cuts in struggling schools. It is estimated that more than eighty percent of schools nationwide have experienced cuts to their budgets since 2008 (Metla). Every child in America deserves a complete education, and a complete education includes the arts. Due to budget cuts, many students do not receive instruction in art and music and therefore do not receive a full education. Music and art classes in schools are just as important as core classes and should not be subject to budget cuts.

One of the largest issues with fine arts implementation is the narrow effects. Garcia et. al conducted research that attempted to determine the effect fine arts have on standardized test scores. The researchers found that specific students attending schools with dense fine arts programs scored higher on the state standardized test; however, this improvement does not imply that fine arts will effectively cure the education decline. When analyzing the results, one sees that the fine arts mainly affect one group of students: at-risk students. The term “at-risk students” generally includes English Language Learners and low socioeconomic students. The research found that the at-risk students exposed to fine arts programs were more likely to have higher scores on the state standardized test specifically on the English Language Arts portion. This research suggests that if these at-risk students are exposed to the fine arts their test scores will increase on this specific portion of the test.

Upon reading both the Mississippi Arts Frameworks and the National Core Arts Standards, it became very apparent that there were similarities and contrast in both their structure and content. Both of these frameworks still have the overall goal of increasing both individuality, creativity, and important life skills in students. Both of these frameworks highlight important artistic processes and content, but both differ in the components that they contain as well. Additionally, both frameworks still have the same universal goal as other subject area, which is to inform readers of what a student should know and be able to do at different grade levels. Similarly, both standards are also offer itself as guides and models for educators to plan their instruction. Both standards offer a multitude of resourceful information that can guide teachers into designing a curriculum in which performance is assessed rather than paperwork.

Fine arts programs are rapidly being cut around the country. When school systems are running out of money the first programs to be eliminated are the fine arts. School board members have no idea of what they are doing to students. They are unaware of the many benefits of fine arts programs in their schools. They also do not know how to run a successful fine arts program. Since 1993, when legislators imposed revenue corps on public schools, school districts have been forced to make some hard decisions about the ways they can cut back spending. Music and art programs are usually among the the first to receive severe blows. “Fine arts are vulnerable to budget cuts partly because children are not tested in music

At the eighth grade level, 57% of eighth graders attend schools offering a credible level of instruction in music; the figure for visual arts is 47%, while data for dance and theatre were not collected. At the secondary level, 91% of our schools offer music, 89% offer visual arts, 12% offer dance, and 45% offer theatre.”(“National Core Arts Standards” 3).This proves that even though schools are incorporating the arts, dance in not a priority. This is a recurring issue in schools. There are many schools that do not offer enough dance classes even though dance is a part of the core curriculum. I believe that this should not happen because the Federal law requires that all schools receive funding from the state or the local government and if they get this money they must be able to give all students access to the arts. Another fact that is mentioned that I understood already was the purpose for the National Core Arts Standards. These standards were created to promote the arts and showcase the benefits that the arts have. The standards also represent the goals students and teachers can achieve through creating and

Common Core standards were introduced in 2010 and now schools all over the nation are implementing Common Core literacy standards for writing in physical education. According to the website SPARK, which is dedicated to creating, implementing, and evaluating research-based programs that promote lifelong wellness, “The standards prepare students for college and the workforce by providing them with various skills that enforce writing, thinking critically, and solving real-world problems” (SPARK, 2013). The Common Core standards are made up of three components: 1) Text types and purposes 2) Production and distribution of writing 3) Research to build and present knowledge. Physical Education teachers create lesson activities based on these components.

The American education system has not managed to survive a single day in which it has not been placed beneath society’s microscope to be analyzed and critiqued by both those involved and not. It comes as no surprise that there are a plethora of flaws involved in the institution of education. However, there is one entirely unique aspect of American education that has potential to alter the system’s negative persona; the fine arts programs. Rick Dean, a journalist for Topeka Capital Journal, researching Topeka’s new arts and education program stated, “Teachers and students participating in the program benefit from infusing fine arts across the curriculum, thinking critically. . . . to find creative and innovative solutions to problems beyond

Greek philosopher Aristotle defines the arts ¨as the realization in external form of a true idea, and is traced back to that natural love of imitation which characterizes humans, and to the pleasure which we feel in recognizing likenesses.¨(IEP). The fine arts which have been a part of human history for 30,000 years have played an essential role in the development and advancement of our societies. As of today, the fine arts are facing the danger of vanishing in the education system of the United States Schools in places like Minnesota, Michigan and Philadelphia struggle to obtain arts programs within their schools. Districts like the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan district, have been struggling with raising student’s academic scores in courses

Much too often in America today, modern music and art programs in schools are perceived to many as extracurricular activities rather than important subjects that are vital to a students learning and skill development. The truth of the matter is that encouraging music and art education in public schools has a much larger impact on student’s grades, academic performance, and the economy than the majority people realize. Within the next year city school budgets will be dropping by twenty five percent, and despite the fact that music and art programs have been showing a dramatic contribution to student’s learning, this substantial drop in funding for the programs will lead to no dedicated money for art or music programs (Mezzacappa). There is

Art in our culture today is not as appreciated as it used to be, due to the decrease in interest, many people find creative arts classes such as drawing classes, and theatre classes are not as important and are useless to the educational system. Schools all over the country have begun cutting art classes from the academic programs, assuming it will be better for the student’s sake. However, a recent poll found that eighty percent of the American people believed that creative arts classes will enhance academic performance. In addition, studies have also shown that arts programs teach a specific set of skills that are not taught in the academic curriculum. This means if the studies are true, cutting arts classes could lower students’ test scores and their overall grades. Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland, the authors of “Art for our Sake: School Art Classes Matter More than Ever-But Not for the Reasons You Think,” stated that, after visualizing different art classes in different schools, they realized that the students are not only taught the basics of art but also the willingness to learn from their mistakes, which are not taught elsewhere in schools. The students are also taught how to analyze their work and their peers work, as well. According to Winner, arts classes are important to the educational system because it teaches appreciation and self-value. It also teaches the students certain aspects of knowledge that

    The fine arts have been studied for many years, and those who have studied how people have emphasized the importance of arts in the education process (Katy Independent School District). In 2002, the government assessed school districts by students’ scores on reading and mathematics. After they assessed the districts, they passed the No Child Left Behind Act. Schools started spending more time on tested subjects like reading, language arts, and mathematics and cut time spent on other classes. The more schools fall behind, the more money they begin to spend on these programs and the less they spent on others (Arts and Smarts: Test Scores and Cognitive Development). With budgets tightening, schools have to cut programs and they try to choose the ones that least impact learning and create the least amount of controversy, which means the core classes are safe (Dickson).Today, many schools have cut their fine arts programs or are considering it because of major funding cuts by state governments who are struggling to balance their budgets (Hawkins). They can not cut sports programs because it results in the communities feeling as if they cut the heart out of the community. The first programs to be cut are the fine arts from the elementary programs. However, fine arts are still kept in the curriculum, but the students’ everyday teachers teach them instead. At the highschool level, fine arts are harder to cut because they are

Art education has been proven to help with “cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skills” as well as “motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork” (Smith). Having the ability and patience to sit down and paint a masterpiece or work through a song on the piano requires high focus and dedication. Students willing to do this will in turn have stronger skills to focus and be dedicated in other subjects. The mixture of all these abilities gained from participation in art programs lead to higher test scores and overall better performance in school. Still, these are only a few of the assets provided by art education.