Status Report on Arts Education in the State of Georgia
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Category:
Statistic |
Issue(s) Addressed:
Inherent value/intelligence Supporting learning in other subjects Developing the "whole child" Music as efficient use of school budget Standardized testing in math/reading/etc Sufficient staff/reasonable teaching loads |
Attribution
Executive Summary, The Georgia Project: A Status Report on Arts Education in the State of Georgia, 2004; Dr. John Benham, President, Music in World Cultures Program, Bethel University, St. Paul, MN
Item Text
The Georgia Project found that school districts in Georgia that made staffing and funding of their arts programs a priority tended to have higher overall rates of student participation in the arts, and higher rates of arts student retention. Such districts tend to have lower dropout rates in grades 9 – 12 and thus keep their students in school longer and graduate more of them. Students tended to score higher on achievement and performance tests, such as the SAT and Georgia High School Graduation Test. They tended to graduate more of their students with college prep diplomas, percentages increasing with diversity of arts curriculum and percent of students participating. While these findings do not prove a cause and effect relationship, they do indicate "strong arts programs need not come at the expense of academic achievement." Rather, the arts are an important factor in achieving academic excellence.
Links
Submitter Information
- Name: MENC Staff
- Email: advocacy@menc.org