We really don't have time for the arts.

 We really don’t have time for the arts

 

Horace Mann, the father of public education, believed the arts enhanced learning.  For many years the arts were seen as a way for the working class to get some class and develop intellectually.

Then along came No Child Left Behind, that amazing piece of federal legislation that was going to assure that every child would be at grade level by 2014.   That was a tall order.  Turns out too tall for public school system to reach but that didn’t matter.  Kids were tested annually in math and reading and it was determined that school time was needed for math and reading and not “wasted” on non-tested areas.   The recession of 2008 didn’t help.  Budgets were slashed and only “important” courses remained.  That cut out more arts courses, particularly in lower socio-economic schools.

Some people noticed.  Arts advocates marshaled evidence to show that arts education matters.  Well okay, but evidently not as much as reading scores.

Finally, arts advocates got together a large sum of money.  They were going to test to see if arts education took away from traditional academic programs, enhanced education as Horace Mann thought so many years ago, or it was just nice to have but made no difference.

Sixteen thousand students participated in the study.  Eight thousand students from 21 elementary and middle schools were matched with another eight thousand students from a different 21 elementary and middle schools.   The two groups were demographically very similar.   Either kids got art or they didn’t, there was no placebo.

The arts programming ranged a lot.  Sometimes artists visited the schools.  Sometimes there were weekly lessons in dance or theatre.  Sometimes the students went on field trips.

After at least a year of this potpourri of arts education, the academic performance of the students in the two groups was- drum roll please- NO difference!  Schools that worry taking time for the arts will diminish time for academics and lower scores- didn’t happen. Attendance didn’t improve either.   Disciplinary infractions were 3.6% lower in schools with the arts programs.  Maybe the arts gave some kids a reason to come to school.  

Principals insist it is hard to make the case for the arts when they need to raise math and reading scores.  But making time for the arts neither lowered NOR raised scores.

So why bother and why spend the money?   Maybe because being fully educated is more important than test scores. Oh not NOT that!  Maybe Horace Mann had it right from the beginning- the arts help us to develop intellectually and give us all some class.