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…

A review of the educational program for gifted students in the Soviet Union discusses student responsibilities, program admission, and specialized schools featuring foreign languages, mathematics and physics, music, ballet and arts, sports, and "little academics" (advanced studies). (CB)

Educators have recognized the limitations of artificial assessments and called for more authentic assessments of student performance, i.e., assessment that is contextualized. In the field of movement education, teachers have typically tended to evaluate their students by administering skill tests, categorizing children for their developmental…

The effects of practice on the bilateral transfer of complex dance movement patterns were studied by having subjects learn two sequences under eight different conditions. Results indicate that teachers have been correct in expecting students to transfer movements bilaterally (from one side to the other) but should teach to the nonpreferred side.…

Describes arts-based, anchored instruction at Fair Arts IMPACT Elementary School (Columbus, Ohio), a five-week program centered around "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" (Georges Seurat). Addresses unit objectives such as understanding social climate with respect to race/gender discrimination and examining why people…

Describes curriculum at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), a public high school that offers a rigorous fine-arts curriculum in music, dance, visual arts, theater, and creative writing. A total of 260 students attend home schools half of the day and take classes at NOCCA the second half. Although not founded as a magnet school, the…

Discusses the development of the concept arts education. Provides an example of an exemplary district wide arts education program in a Vancouver (Washington) school district as a context for comments on factors regarding districtwide implementation in other school districts. Addresses what constitutes a districtwide arts education program. (CMK)

Explores a discussion about the role of arts education in relation to academic achievement in the Netherlands. Focuses on discussion at the elementary school level dealing with the topic of the extended school day, while also addressing discussions at the secondary level related to arts examinations. Includes references. (CMK)

Addresses what arts education may be like in the future. Explains that the arts are context bound. Discusses individual cases of present visual experiences. States that the key concern in the future will be the quality of the arts experiences that students receive. (CMK)

States that the arts education disciplines, such as music education, have changed but have not improved overall. Explains that music education has to define its discipline and focus on the history of music education. Addresses the vision of school music in the year 2050. (CMK)

Six articles comprise this feature which explores ways in which educators and recreation leaders can respond to the needs of disabled individuals by adopting a flexible teaching style. The emphasis is on creative use of dance, movement, and music with children and adults having various disabilities. (IAH)

Several school- and community-based arts programs in inner city areas across the country offer choices to children and the elderly. Involvement in the arts develops self-esteem, confidence, and discipline in children and helps reconnect the elderly with society. (SH)

Finds that, for 120 boys and girls in a rural Maine elementary school, a 36-week physical education program incorporating dance and movement education produced significant improvement on a wide variety of fundamental motor, physical fitness, and balance skills. Contains 17 references. (SV)

Proposes that dance is a language with its own symbols, gestures, and aesthetics with the power to communicate complex ideas and thoughts. Outlines how discussion, analysis, and criticism can be crafted from three major elements of dance: (1) space; (2) time; and (3) energy. Asserts that students can learn to read dance as a visual text. (CFR)

A grade 6-12 Vancouver, Washington, magnet school blends arts education with interdisciplinary academics. To get in, students don't need talent or good grades, but a serious desire to study the arts. Academics are taught in the morning; afternoon arts classes are on three levels. Students are required to explore all the arts. Contains three…