This article contains excerpts from a winter 2004 report from the National Association of State Boards of Education, "The Complete Curriculum: Ensuring a Place for the Arts and Foreign Languages in America's Schools." [C] The National Association of State Boards of Education, 2004.

"The Achiever" is a monthly publication for parents and community leaders from the Office of Communications and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education. This issue contains the following articles: (1) Spellings, Education Community Discuss President's Agenda; (2) Arts Integration at Oklahoma School Provides Multiple Paths for Learning;…

This paper first examines the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 on the academic performance of Latino students in the U.S. Although the purpose behind NCLB is to help improve academic proficiency in the areas of reading, language arts, and mathematics, research demonstrates that there is still an achievement gap between…

Most Americans actually understand the importance of an education rich in arts, science and humanities. But what they may not realize is that their children are not getting enough. Each day more and more of the arts and humanities are being drained from our nation's school curriculums. Studies have shown that the arts play a stimulating role in…

The goal of No Child Left Behind Act is for 100% of all children to pass their state's standardized tests by the year 2014. With the act steadily increasing expectations for schools, teachers are scrambling to raise test scores. Because the arts are not included in most state standardized tests, schools are cutting these programs and putting all…

In this article, the author provides a review and critique of key provisions in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and documents some major effects of the law, which have not been positive for arts education and other subjects not formally tested under the law. Because NCLB is scheduled for reauthorization in 2007 or 2008, the author offers a…

This guide provides an overview to programs under the Elementary And Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. These laws are the basis for most federal funding for the nation's schools. The guide is a layered document with information at a glance, as well as links to more detailed information…

In this article, the author discusses how school boards are facing increasing pressures to shift scarce resources from the area of arts education to stress the areas of math and reading. In a report issued by the National Association of State Boards of Education, the Complete Curriculum expresses concerns with regard to the de-emphasis of arts and…

In June 2004, three out of four public schools in Florida failed to meet a new federal standard for school improvement, including one arts school that had earned "A" ratings on statewide tests for four consecutive years (Shanklin 2004). How can so many schools, including "A" schools, be failing? The answer: the No Child Left…

As a Teaching Artist (TA) for the past 12 years, the author has visited hundreds of schools in western Pennsylvania. She has had an opportunity to work with many talented and dedicated classroom teachers, arts teachers and administrators who all share an enthusiasm for making the arts central to quality education. The teachers and administrators…

In June 2004, three out of four public schools in Florida failed to meet a new federal standard for school improvement, including one arts school that had earned "A" ratings on statewide tests for 4 consecutive years (Shanklin, 2004). Why are so many schools failing, including "A" schools? In this article, the author explains…

In this era of No Child Left Behind, educators are urged to reach children with special needs. Learning to recognize these children and develop strategies for teaching them is a fundamental hurdle for new educators. Abuse, poverty, or malnutrition, for example, are among the circumstances of some children--circumstances which taken alone, may…

The importance of arts education has long been recognized. Years ago, John Dewey (1934, vii) argued that, in arts education, "learning is controlled by two great principles: one that participation is something inherently worth while, or undertaken on its own account; the other is perception of the relation of means to consequences... A third…

In 2001, the U.S. government allocated $4.5 billion to after-school programs through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant directed at high-poverty, low-performing schools. Since 2003, 6,800 rural and urban public schools have been served around the country, at county, city, and district levels as well as some organizations…

This article examines the current status of dance education in North Carolina. Key issues impacting dance, including public school laws and policies, the impact of state and national accountability movements, graduation requirements, and health initiatives, are identified and described. Specific events that have shaped the status of dance…