The purpose of this study was to understand the contextual, school-level factors associated with the availability of arts education courses in the high schools of the United States. In the study, course offerings for a nationally representative sample of N = 940 high schools that were part of the National Center for Education Statistics High…

This study was presented at the American Educational Research Association 2012 conference in Vancouver, Canada. The study explored how action research of arts-based teaching (ABT) impacted at-risk students in three urban public schools in southern California, USA. ABT was defined as using arts, music, drama, and dance in teaching other subjects. A…

There is renewed interest in the role of arts education in the curriculum of U.S. public schools not only because of the intrinsic value of the arts and its believed impact on achievement, but because cultivating creativity is thought to promote innovation and fuel economic growth. Still, we know little about basic access to arts education. Using…

These tables supplement the publication Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary schools: 1999-2000 and 2009-10 (NCES 2012-014). The data are from a total of seven surveys that were administered during the 2009-10 school year. At the elementary school level, the study includes a survey of school principals and three teacher-level surveys,…

Student access to arts education and the quality of such instruction in the nation's public schools continue to be of concern to policymakers, educators, and families. Specifically, research has focused on questions such as: To what extent do students receive instruction in the arts? Under what conditions is this instruction provided? What is the…

This handbook is a guide to help educators and administrators with the decisions they face in the design of an arts assessment. The guide is divided into two broad parts: Part 1: "Background for Thoughtful Arts Education Assessment"; and Part 2: "Assessment Design in Action." The guide includes: (1) a brief background on the…

These South Dakota fine arts content standards identify what students must know and be able to do. This document is a compilation of numerous sources and many years of experience in the teaching of fine arts. For each discipline (dance, music, theater/dramatic arts, and visual arts) the document gives an introduction and definition, multiple…

This survey was developed to accumulate and interpret data pertaining to the current status of music, art, dance, and drama/theater education in U.S. public schools. Questionnaires were designed to secure four types of data: (1) demographic; (2) curricular; (3) adequacy of instructional materials; and (4) support for arts education. Findings were…

This guide to content standards in the visual and performing arts in the state of Delaware is the work of a curriculum framework commission whose members have crafted clear standards for development of curriculum that will prepare Delaware's students to become effective, productive citizens. Standards-based education reform is an initiative for…

The purpose of New Jersey's Visual and Performing Arts Standards is to improve student achievement in arts education, not arts-as-entertainment, not art-assembly projects, not art-as-activity. An education in the arts requires curricular scope and sequence and the intellectual rigor of experiential learning. The Visual and Performing Arts…

A survey was conducted to determine a quantitative baseline on the status of music, visual art, dance and drama/theater education in U.S. public schools. A stratified random sampling technique was used and questionnaires were sent to 1,366 U.S. public schools seeking data about demographics, curricula, adequacy of instructional material, and…

This curriculum framework for the arts defines expectations for student learning in the arts in New Hampshire. The framework standards do not comprise a curriculum with designated course offerings, teaching methods, or materials; instead, they provide a vision for the future, outlining expectations for student learning at the end of grades 4, 8,…

Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1997 Arts Assessment, which assessed eighth-grade students only, indicate that public and private schools in the United States are far more likely to offer extensive instruction in music and the visual arts than in either dance or theater. Includes 1 table and web addresses for…

This document outlines what beginning classroom teachers and arts education specialists should know and be able to do to teach the arts effectively. The volume serves as a guide for individual states, professional organizations, and teacher education programs as they develop and refine their standards and practices. The Interstate New Teacher…

The forum on partnerships to improve teaching the arts was an outgrowth of earlier gatherings and of research to identify and respond to current challenges to sustain and enhance quality arts teaching. During 1999 the Arts Education Partnership convened a task force which concluded that improved teaching hinges on collaborations among three key…