Arts Report Card Connects Art Education to Student Achievement
The National Assessment Governing Board and the National Center for Education Statistics recently released “The Nation’s Report Card: Arts 2008,” which detailed the performance of U.S. eighth-grade students in music and visual arts on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
Even though the arts was written into No Child Left Behind as a core academic subject, this was the first time NAEP has provided an arts report card since 1997. The assessment was administered to a nationally representative sample of 7,900 eighth grade students in both public and private schools, with approximately half assessed in music and half assessed in the visual arts.
“If we are to fulfill the call issued by President Obama and the Secretary of Education to ensure that the United States is the gold standard for curriculum and student achievement, we must first ensure that all students have access to a robust, effective arts education,” said R. Barry Shauck, president of the National Art Education Association and assistant professor, head of art education at Boston University. “The NAEP results demonstrate the importance of arts education in our schools, and the significant work we must undertake to ensure that all students have access to this vital instruction.”
Specifically, “The Nation’s Report Card: Arts 2008” found 57 percent of eighth graders attend schools where music instruction was offered three or four times a week; 47 percent attended schools where the visual arts were offered with the same frequency. There was no statistical change in offerings since 1997. In addition to the equity issues pointed out by this statistic – approximately half of American students don’t get a credible arts education – the report found that there were disparities in student achievement attributable to race/ethnicity, type of school, socioeconomic status and school location (city, suburb, town or rural).
Detailed findings on student’s knowledge and skills include –
• The percentage of eighth graders asked to write down music in music class at least once a month increased from 26 percent in 1997 to 33 percent in 2008.
• The percentage of students asked to write about their artwork at least once a month increased from 21 percent in 1997 to 27 percent in 2008.
• For music, 71 percent of students correctly identified a symphony orchestra as the type of ensemble that played a piece of music; 52 percent were able to identify Africa as the region of origin for a musical excerpt and could describe a characteristic of the music’s style; and 20 percent were able to identify the name of a piano dynamic marking and explain its meaning.
• For visual arts, 53 percent were able to describe specific differences in how certain parts of an artist’s self-portrait was drawn, 34 percent were able to describe two characteristics of the medium of charcoal as used in an artist’s self-portrait, and 19 percent were able to connect the formal characteristic of an artist’s self-portrait with what the artist was trying to communicate.
“Throughout the nation, educators recognize the important role the arts play in a comprehensive learning environment designed to prepare all students for the opportunities of the 21st century,” said Barbara L. Geer, president of the MENC: The National Association for Music Education. “Music and arts should not be just value-added options in our public schools. These programs must be non-negotiable.”
She added: “Even in these difficult budget times, the arts must be a part of the school’s curriculum framework, with music and visual arts teachers receiving the same priority in resources, professional development and high expectations for learning as teachers of other subjects.”
The National Art Education Association is the leading professional organization for art educators in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, as well as college and university professors and researchers, administrators and museum educators.
MENC: The National Association for Music Education marked its centennial in 2007 as the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. Through a membership of more than 75,000, and with 60,000 honor students and supporters, MENC serves millions of students at all levels. |
