The push for academic electives has grown over the years for many reasons. The pressure for high test scores has forced schools to focus on literacy and core content areas. The competition for entrance to four-year universities has grown, too. However, in the race to improve academic offerings and raise test scores, some schools have neglected to educate the whole child and, as a by-product, a way of effectively reaching many students. Walling (2006) suggests that, throughout history, there has been a strong connection between art and ideas. One of the problems is that low-performing schools are the first to cut away at electives such as art. In this article, the author argues that art is the perfect venue for allowing students to demonstrate their proficiency. Some education professors have seen the need and have designed courses for teachers based on the idea that integration of art into the curriculum helps prevent the departmentalization and segmentation of academic areas, develops connections between academic areas, and helps students make connections to the world around them (Zwirn and Graham, 2005). Educators must continue to value and make available for children both the abstract and very concrete benefits of art.