Read all the research, news, and policy in our arts education RECAP for July 2018.
Research
Music Education Could Help Children Improve Their Language Skills
Kindergarten students who took piano lessons showed increased capabilities to distinguish pitch and understand spoken words—and it showed up on their brain scans, according to the study’s findings.
ABC News
Equity
The ‘Shadow Education System’: How Wealthier Students Benefit from Art, Music, and Theater Over the Summer While Poor Kids Miss Out
More affluent kids are about twice as likely to visit a museum, art gallery, or historical site or see a play or concert over the summer, as compared with their peers from low-income families.
Chalkbeat
$1m Award-winning Teacher Brings High-profile Artists and Cultural Figures Into Deprived London Schools
Equity in arts education is a global issue, but the winner of the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, Andria Zafirakou, is set on making a difference. Which is why she is using the prize money to bring artists, cultural figures, and arts organizations to underserved schools in London.
The Art Newspaper
Calls-to-Action
Supporting Students With Disabilities by Preparing Arts Teachers
Providing better educational opportunities for our students with disabilities means supporting the professional development of in-service arts teachers, while also addressing this gap at the pre-service level.
Education Commission of the States
Here Comes Summer … Time to Get to Work!
Take advantage of the summer to make an arts plan for your school.
Americans for the Arts
Advocacy
Cerabino: County Schools Chief Sounds His Horn About Arts Education
Students shouldn’t have to pick between the arts and academics, he said. They both work hand in hand. “I’m a better math person because of music,” he said.
Palm Beach Post
Want to Make School Great Again? Fund Arts Education.
“The arts not only enrich and enliven our lives but can also help close the terribly persistent racial achievement gap. We know their value, and are, collectively, choosing to waste it. Don’t our children deserve more?”
The Daily Beast
Miss Michigan Spends Year Advocating for Arts Education
Heather Kendrick, the director of an arts program at the University of Michigan, spent her year as Miss Michigan advocating for a cause close to her heart, “Keeping the Arts in Education: Advocating STEAM.”
U.S. News
Grants Supporting Arts for System-involved Youth Get Big Funding Boost
The California Arts Council awarded over $16.3 million dollars in funding around the state. P.S. ARTS was thrilled to be one of the recipients of a grant for funding our visual arts programs in Lawndale Elementary School District.
KPCC
Met Museum Launches Artists and Communities for Social Change Program
Arts education is not limited to in-school instruction, but can also take the form of community engagement. Which is why we were thrilled to see the new program at the Met which gives artists the tools to create meaningful engagement in their communities.
Philanthropy News Digest
Policy
Arts, PE Revamped by Georgia Education Board
“The updated, high-quality standards approved in the areas of fine arts and physical education are great examples of the direction we’re moving in here in Georgia,” state School Superintendent Richard Woods said in press release. “We’re prioritizing areas of the curriculum that haven’t been updated, in some cases, for decades, and expanding opportunities that support the whole child.”
Gainesville Times
What’s in ESSA’s Big Flexible-Spending Pot
Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act just saw an increase to $1.1 billion. Here is a primer on what exactly Title IV is and how it can be used for arts education and other activities that contribute to a well-rounded education.
Education Week
Mayor Walsh Joins EdVestors in Announcing Phase IV of BPS Arts Expansion Initiative
“As we approach the first anniversary of Boston Creates, we’re proud to announce the next phase of our partnership with Boston Public Schools Arts Expansion, which is increasing access to arts education,” said Mayor Walsh. “Through Boston Creates, we are working to ensure that access to arts and culture, including arts education, is accessible to all.”
Boston Public Schools
State Budget Includes $8.8 Million One-time Increase in California Arts Council Funding
On the heels of the CAC’s grant announcement, Governor Brown and the State Legislature have agreed to boost funding for arts programs in California.
California Arts Council
