A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR RELEASE                                Contact:  David Thomas    October 26, 1995                                   (202) 401-1579

Nevertheless, Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, a national survey conducted for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) by the Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics, reports that most school administrators view the arts as an "essential" or "very important" part of the curriculum.

"Not only can the arts enrich children's lives, there's a lot of evidence that arts education can help children academically," said U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley. "Through the arts, students can hone their basic and problem- solving skills, learn responsibility and the ability to work as a team, sharpen their communications skills, and better understand their own heritage, as well as other cultures."

"I ask parents, educators, and business people to heed this report. It is not enough that 39 percent of public schools require the arts for graduation," said Arts Endowment Chairman Jane Alexander. "Many children are missing out on something which gives their education a context, gives their lives depth and meaning, and prepares them to be the future workforce."

Among the survey findings:

• Music is almost universally included in education programs of elementary schools (97 percent) and visual arts instruction is provided in the majority of schools (85 percent);

• Nearly all elementary schools (92 percent) provide creative writing instruction as part of the language arts curriculum, and almost half (47 percent) of secondary schools offer classes in creative writing;

• Only 8 percent of elementary schools offer drama as a separate subject, though most elementary teachers (56 percent) report using dramatic activities, such as enacting stories or plays, to teach other subjects;

• More than half (54 percent) of high schools provide separate instruction in drama while only 13 percent provide separate instruction in dance; and

• Only 39 percent of schools specifically require arts for graduation, although 22 percent allow credit in the arts as an option for fulfilling graduation requirements.

The 1993 Goals 2000: Educate America Act included competency in the arts as a core subject and other national initiatives, such as voluntary National Standards for Arts Education, have cited the value of arts education in preparing children with skills they need to get a solid foundation to make the most of their lives.

The survey also showed that:

• Large, urban and suburban schools were more likely than small or rural schools to have specialized arts staff;

• Half or less of public schools or districts had offered their teachers professional development experiences in the arts during the year prior to the study;

• Visual arts is offered by more secondary schools in the Northeast than by those in the Southeast or West and music is included in more secondary schools in the Central part of the country than those in the West.

• Students spend more time in arts classes in schools where classroom teachers are complemented by specialists who are also providing instruction;

• Nearly 90 percent of public elementary schools with visual arts specialists reported that the specialists integrate other subjects into their courses, and nearly the same percentage reported that these specialists also consult with teachers so that the teachers can integrate the arts into their non-arts subjects;

• Large secondary schools and those in the Northeast are the most likely to publish literary magazines and elementary schools in the Northeast also are more likely to publish students' work than those in other geographic regions.

• Respondents in both elementary and secondary schools reported that artists-in-residence made the greatest contribution to schools' arts programs by providing knowledge about art forms to students through exhibition or instruction.

The National Endowment for the Arts, which has supported arts education activities since the 1960s, requested the fast response survey to provide useful information for policymakers and program administrators seeking to improve student achievement.

For information on ordering Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools call 1-800-424-1616 (in the Washington/Metro area (202) 219-1652).