Empirical evidence supports claims that engaging with art is essential to the human experience: Among adults, arts participation is related to behaviors that contribute to the health of civil society such as increased civic engagement, greater social tolerance, and reductions in other-regarding behavior. Yet, while we recognize art’s transformative impacts, its place in K-12 education has become increasingly tenuous.
Over the last few decades, the proportion of students receiving arts education has shrunk drastically. This trend is primarily attributable to the expansion of standardized-test-based accountability, which has pressured schools to focus resources on tested subjects. According to the Brookings Institution, these pressures have disproportionately affected access to the arts in a negative way for students from historically underserved communities.
Read the Brooking Institution's full trial study on the fight for arts education in schools and how arts educational experiences can produce significant positive impacts on academic and social development.
Photo credit: The Brookings Institute