Discusses the founding and activities of the National Arts Education Research Center, focusing on the site at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Outlines the center's current seven project program, briefly describing each project. Defines the Center's purpose as seeking the best ways to teach and assess learning in the arts. (DB)

The purpose of this report is to highlight some of the more interesting and compelling research on arts education. The focus is on two major reports: "Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning" and "Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development." Together, these provide enough…

Presents a lesson plan constructed around materials found in the User's Guide to the Federal Project. The Federal Theater Project produced radical and populist plays during the Great Depression before being de-funded by a conservative Congress. The lessons include activities and discussion built around the original plays. (MJP)