me arts ed

President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Hopefully you’ve heard of The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities research that was released in May. When I was searching for arts education research today I found this White House blog post on the President attending one of the committee meetings. I really like the blog post Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools from May 12th. The writer, Melody Barnes, does a really nice job of including some quotes and historical information about the value of arts education and their rightful place in the school curriculum. Melody is the Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. I pasted a segment of the post below and you can read the entire post by clicking here.

The arts are not just for those who go on to become professional artists. Research shows that girls and boys, young men and women who have art classes are more likely to be engaged in their classes, attend school, achieve better test scores, and graduate.  In fact, just last Friday, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities released a stellar report, Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools, which details the powerful role that arts education strategies can play in closing the achievement gap, improving student engagement, and building creativity and nurturing innovative thinking skills.

Education is one of our nation’s most important investments. And an education without the arts is incomplete.  As a candidate, when President Obama spoke about remaining competitive in the global economy and the importance of innovation, he said that meant not only teaching our children science and math skills but also encouraging them to think creatively and be rewarded with all that comes with being engaged in creative endeavors: the awareness that comes with self-expression; the sense of strength that comes when you share your authentic voice; and a fresh, innovative perspective on problems of all stripes when you’re using all of your brain. Failure to invest in a well-rounded education for our children will thwart our efforts to lead in a new economy where critical thinking and creativity will be the keys to success.

That means that arts education can’t be an afterthought — an investment that our schools can make only after they’ve solved all the other challenges they face.  Instead, we must see it as a tool for keeping students more engaged, for closing achievement gaps and lowering dropout rates. My office, along with the Department of Education, is working with the President’s Committee to take next steps on the report’s recommendations and work with other government, private and philanthropic partners as well to realize a complete and competitive education – from cradle to career – for all children.

Report just out

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) have just released the report Reinvesting in Arts Education. In my quick scan I find similar findings to Maine’s statewide arts education census work Opportunities to Learn in the Arts in Maine released in 2009.

The President’s Committee was formed under President Reagan in 1982. The PCAH works directly with the Administration and the three primary cultural agencies – National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services – as well as other federal partners and the private sector.

The  I am familiar with a report they published in 1999 called Gaining the Arts Advantage. In that report three Maine school districts were sited: Westbrook, MSAD #40, and Camden-Rockport for their exemplary arts education programming. I was fortunate to be teaching in MSAD #40 at the time. Through the support and commitment of school board, district- and building-level administrators, and the community the arts programs flourished. The staff had high expectations and through ongoing collaboration created a comprehensive K-12 arts curriculum complete with benchmarks and district wide assessments at grades 3,6,8, and 12. Art at the middle level was a “core” subject which resulted in visual arts classes for students the same number of times per week as other subjects. Today I think back about how amazing that was and yet I know that work did not happen overnight. It was through careful planning and continuous communication.

I suggest you not only read this new research but use it to communicate about your programs. We have research from the past that shows the links between high-quality arts education and a wide range of education outcomes. Arts integration models are yielding positive results in school reform and closing the achievement gap. The research on neuroscience helps us understand how arts strategies support crucial brain development in learning. I suggest you not only read this new research but use it to communicate about your programs.