A Case for Arts Education
By Edward J. McElroy

Arts education is increasingly vulnerable to dual threats. Years of budget cuts have put many arts programs on the endangered list. And high-stakes testing has led to a greater emphasis on the academic "basics" – often to the exclusion of art, theater, dance and music programs. But many educators, teacher unions, parents and community leaders are making the case that the arts should be considered the "fourth R" with a secure place in every child's education.

Many students who might not excel in other ways can find something they're passionate about when they have a chance to express themselves artistically. Students with poor concentration skills may eagerly throw themselves into rehearsing for a play and following the "director's" instructions, for example. Or a student who hasn't raised her hand all year may brim with confidence when she sings in the spring choir performance. The arts can also provide new challenges for students who are already considered successful.

Higher levels of achievement
Parents also tend to be ardent champions of arts education. For some, the arts are such an integral part of their lives that they want their children to be exposed to art both at home and school. Other families may actually gain most of their exposure to the arts through their children's school experiences. All parents feel tremendous pride when they attend their child's dance or choral performance, view a work of art created by their child displayed in the school or see the youngster excel at something that takes great skill like playing a musical instrument.

There's ample evidence that students can reach higher levels of achievement through their exposure to the arts. James Catterall, an education professor at the University of California – Los Angeles, conducted an analysis of 62 studies of various categories of art – including dance, drama, music and visual arts – and their impact on student achievement. The research suggests that students exposed to the arts may do a better job at mastering academic subjects than those who focus solely on academics. The studies indicate that arts education may be especially helpful to economically disadvantaged students and those who struggle academically.

After-school arts
While most educators and parents would like the arts to be incorporated into the regular curriculum, the benefits of after-school arts programs have been clearly demonstrated as well. One decade-long analysis of after-school programs for disadvantaged youth found that students in all the programs – whether related to sports, academics, community, or the arts – did better in school and in their personal lives. Interestingly, students in the arts programs did the best. That's strong ammunition for arts advocates, since scarce resources often follow programs with demonstrated effectiveness.

Arts exposure
Many teachers unions have used the contract negotiation process to bolster arts education programs. These contract provisions frequently are as creative as the programs they are intended to protect. While these aren't always air-tight protections against attempts to trim arts education, they make such cuts tougher to make because they are subject to negotiation.

The "basic" academic subjects develop skills that are essential for students' success and fulfillment. Exposure to the arts has a profound impact on young people as well. The social, cultural and emotional benefits of a life rich in the arts have been well-documented. Couple this with the academic benefits of involvement with the arts and you have a case for arts education that should appeal to both the left and right sides of most everyone's brain!

Edward J. McElroy is the President of the American Federation of Teachers.

March, 2005, Vol.35, No.6