The Importance Of Arts Education In Public High Schools

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

The article “Book Tackles Old Debate: Role of Art in Schools” by Robin Pogrebin explains the influence of art and the conclusion of two researchers, Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland. “Students who study the arts seriously are taught to see better, to envision, to persist, to be playful and learn from mistakes, to make critical judgements and justify such judgements,” conclude both researchers.

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

There once was a time in our society that the arts took a strong role in the lives of our young youth and community, but the stress of regulations and test requirements has put the arts in the hot seat. There is no amount of fine art that students would not benefit from if teachers consistently incorporated it in their classrooms. The importance of arts should not be thrown aside for the sake of achieving test scores. There are 6 critical reasons why communities should not be so quick to cut the arts programs and unintentionally hinder students growth.

Instead of cutting the art budget to where art programs and teachers will slowly not be a part of the school courses offered, school systems need to be proactive and innovative and use the arts to help students learn and enjoy learning in other classes. Using different aspects of art such as drawing and acting can be outstanding ways for memorizing and studying for the core classes that the school systems desperately try to have their students focus on. School systems and parents are oblivious to the fact that art programs are more than just a time for a student to relax and not focus on math, science, or English. Art programs are enriching and lead to a development in retention, individualized thinking, and can be used as a stress relieving hobby. Not only will it help students while attending school, but it will give them habits to retain information better while also having a fun and relaxing hobby. With the increase in technology and everything becoming technologically based America is becoming oblivious to the dramatic impact the arts have made in shaping society today. By not opening students up to the different aspects of the arts you are leaving those to be closed minded and teaching the philosophy to focus on standardized testing, good grades, and inside the box thinking. This nation was founded on out of the box thinkers and innovators. Do not let the arts dwindle in the American school system. It is receiving extremely effective results in the areas where it is being offered and is being cared for. Think about everything in this country that would not be possible without artist drawing, acting, or playing it for all of us to hear or see. Without the introduction into the arts none of this would ever be. Something as simple as the beautiful red, white, and blue flag pledged to every day would not be here without an artist. The arts is too

First, educators need to have a paradigm shift in the idea that arts education is the responsibility of only the art teacher. Fowler (1994) offers that strong schools tend to have strong arts program. Fowler (1994) states,

Curricula has been a hot topic of debate since education became institutionalized. Many legislative sessions and parent meetings have been held to discern the best possible information necessary for children. In recent years, it is not only what information is being delivered but how the information is presented. Arts integration is not about simply having students attend "extra curricular" or “enrichment classes” about art, but rather it is the complete fusion of all art forms within the standard math, literacy, science, and history core classes. For example, a classroom of 4th graders learning about basic geometry might also be learning about the art of dance from the same teacher in the same classroom. The students might first

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, art is defined as “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings” (“Art”). With that being said, it is almost essential that art is maintained as a general course required for every student to take. While having art classes in schools available for students is important, it is also equally as important for the school funding for the art programs to be regulated throughout each district. By using a simple student to teacher ratio to determine how much money should be allotted to each teacher, this reoccurring problem could be solved for good.

There are people who think that the arts have no value as it does not help with child development and it hinders academic results. This is not true as mentioned earlier, the arts have a great effect on students academic achievements and it also helps with child development. Math scores increase depending on the art course being taken by the students. Students who took acting/play production or music theory courses had the highest math scores and the highest verbal scores as well.(Vaughn, Kathryn, and Ellen Winner 8) Art courses help child development and adolescent development as well. “Research conducted reveals that art learning experiences alter the attitudes of young people toward themselves and others and that students involved in theater arts show gains in reading proficiency as well as self-control, motivation, empathy and tolerance for others.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was passed in 2004; and it declared art and music core subjects, like geography, math, and english. At the time it was lauded as a huge step forward for arts educations in public schools, However, as art wasn't given a part of the test standards, its status as a ‘core subject’ soon meant very little. A report by the Department of Education reported that, “Schools in some states report the amount of instructional time devoted to reading, writing, math and science has increased, while for the arts it has declined.”(Ruppert) Because schools had to focus on improving students success in math and english, or risk losing funding, art was cast aside so that precious time could be used teaching the parts of the core curriculum that were tested. It is time to reverse that trend of art not being truly valued by the American education system. If schools were given incentives for providing an arts education, it would help to connect people to art in a more meaningful way. This would lead to the spread of effects like those felt by the community around the Little Black Pearls Community Center. Art has been approved in a study done by the American Journal of Public Health as an activity that will help to reduce stress: “Engagement with creative activities has the potential to contribute toward reducing stress and depression.”(Stuckey) By giving funding and attention to art will give an opportunity to teach teens a health way to deal with stress, and an effective method of dealing with stress that they can use for the rest of their life. But despite the good changing the education system would do, there are many, many obstacles. It would cost Americans lots of money in taxes, take an incredibly long time to become approved and an even longer time for the effects to be felt. For the people who have

In order for the arts to survive in the United States of America, we need to raise the amount per capita and also be sure that the amount is equal for all fifty states. “Funds have been cut in more than 80 percent of U.S. school districts since 2008. The very first programs to go are often disciplines such as music, art and foreign language” (Boyd). As a student, thinking about going to a school without the opportunity to learn about and enjoy the arts is miserable. The arts create an extraordinary learning, safe, and social environment for students all over the world.

Unlike in most classes in which correct answer and rules prevail, in the arts it’s judgment rather than rules. It is taught that problems can have more than just one solution and that questions can have more than one answer. The arts celebrate many perspectives. One of the largest lessons is that there are so many different way to see and interpret the world. These kids are taught that small differences can have large effects. All art forms employ some means through which images become real. Art helps kids say what can not be said. When children are invited to disclose what a work of art helps them feel, they must reach into their poetic capacities. Arts enable us to have experience we can have from no other source and through such experience to discover the range and variety of what we are capable of feeling. Arts' position in the school curriculum symbolizes to the young what adults believe is important. We lose sense of the Arts most of the time as we get older and then we lose touch of a lot of skills that are learned with it. By making Art mandatory in schools, you will help the kids in all these different types of way. The Arts are a vital part of their future in order to really succeed! I hope you consider this and

Arts education in public schools is a very valuable asset to helping students become a well-rounded life-long learner. The arts are core subjects in the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the NC Basic Education Program, and, as such, are included as core subjects every student should learn as part of a balanced curriculum for all children in North Carolina, in short they are considered essential (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 2011). Because the state budget has eliminated so many vital areas of the public school budget the arts instructional supplies and value of the arts overall have come under careful legislative scrutiny. States all over America are limiting arts instruction and some have eliminated programs due to high stakes testing and public funding shortfalls. Arts education encompasses three main areas. Vocal and instrumental based including; choral music, band, orchestra, and music appreciation; Performance based including theater arts, dance, dance and theater arts appreciation; and Visual based to include visual and studio arts, art appreciation and art history. Through research on the value of arts education in studies throughout

* Arts curricula is typically process-driven and relationship based, so its impact on academic performance is often underestimated and undervalued. The arts provide a logical

Figure 1 represents the answers of 97 people when they were asked whether art education was important in school from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. 100% of them answered that art education was important. This poll was conducted using people of various ages, demographics, and backgrounds (Saal).