Citywide School Analysis Shows an Increase in Student Participation in All Arts Disciplines
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, New York City Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein, and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin today released the second Annual Arts in Schools Report, a comprehensive analysis of arts education in New York City public schools that provides citywide data on student participation in and access to arts programs during the 2007-2008 school year. The report shows an overall increase in the number of schools offering the four art disciplines (visual arts, music, theater, and dance) and a related increase in the number of students receiving arts instruction. For example, last year 45 percent of elementary schools offered the four art disciplines, an increase of seven percentage points from the previous year. The number of middle schools offering the four art disciplines went up from 17 percent to 33 percent, and student participation increased in all four disciplines. These results reflect the ongoing efforts of partners in the cultural community to expand opportunities for students. Last year, 89 percent of schools reported having one or more partners, up from 82 percent in 2006-2007, and the percentage of schools with students involved in arts activities outside of the school building increased at all grade levels. The Annual Arts in Schools Report was developed by the Art Education Task Force, which is composed of members of the City’s cultural community and school leaders and provides guidance and builds support for arts instruction.
This year’s report provides the first year-to-year comparison of arts education in the City’s public schools and demonstrates the effectiveness of ArtsCount, a series of strategies launched in the summer of 2007 to provide greater accountability for arts education. The report documents that despite difficult economic times, arts education remains a priority to school leaders. The results of the report were verified and supplemented by systemwide school budgetary data. The results will be used by administrators and school leaders to enhance arts instruction.
“This year we saw more schools offer more art to more children, and we’re going to keep building on that progress,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “For the first time, we are focusing a spotlight on our schools for arts programming, not just math or English Language Arts, and the report shows that accountability is producing results.”
“This report gives us the first year-to-year comparison of arts programs and participation rates in our schools, and the results are promising,” Chancellor Klein said. “ArtsCount holds schools accountable for providing the arts and educators are responding. Despite budget and space limitations more schools are recognizing the importance of the arts in providing our students a well-rounded education. We still have a long way to go, but I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made in just one year.”
“More students than ever before are benefiting from the extraordinary range of cultural resources in our classrooms and cultural organizations,” Commissioner Levin said. “The commitment of the City’s nonprofit community is helping school officials, teachers, and parents progress towards our goal of a robust arts education for every New York City public school child.”
“Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein have made bold efforts to ensure that every child who attends a New York City public school will receive a high-quality arts education,” said Jason Duchin, Co-Executive Director of the DreamYard Project and a member of the Arts Education Task Force. “For the past several years, the Department of Education has brought together educators and members of the New York City cultural community to create a standards-based sequential arts program that aims to provide our city’s students with the best arts education of any public school system in America. There is much still to be done, yet even in difficult times, we are confident that the City and the community of cultural partners will continue to support the remarkable progress we are making towards providing arts education to every student.”
“New York City is the arts capital of the world,” said Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall and an Arts Education Task Force member. “And just as we at Carnegie Hall believe that great music should be available to as many people as possible, we also share with the Department of Education a belief that music should be an essential element in the education of the whole child. Working with the Department of Education and our peer cultural organizations on the Arts Education Task Force has provided us all with great tools to measure arts education in the schools as well as created an invaluable forum for addressing the ways we can work effectively together to ensure that all students in New York City have rich and comprehensive classroom-based arts experiences.”
Among the main findings:
- Forty-five percent of elementary schools offered all four art disciplines in 2007-2008, up from 38 percent in 2006-2007.
- 92 percent of elementary schools offered visual arts
- 89 percent of elementary schools offered music
- 73 percent of elementary schools offered dance
- 56 percent of elementary schools offered theater
Thirty-three percent of middle schools offered all four art disciplines, up from 17 percent in 2006-2007; and student participation increased in all four disciplines.
- 91 percent participated in visual arts programs, up from 84 percent
- 75 percent participated in music programs, up from 69 percent
- 57 percent participated in dance programs, up from 36 percent
- 56 percent participated in theater programs, up from 49 percent
A greater percentage of high school students are participating in arts instruction by discipline.
- In the 9th grade, student participation in dance, theater, and visual arts increased by more than ten percentage points in each discipline.
- In the 10th grade, student participation in dance, music, theater, and visual arts increased by more than six percentage points in each discipline.
- In the 11th grade, student participation in dance, music, and theater increased by more than five percentage points in each discipline.
- In the 12th grade, student participation in dance and theater increased by at least ten percentage points.
The report also shows that despite budget constraints, school leaders reported hiring an additional 152 certified arts teachers. Spending levels remained essentially unchanged.
Last year, the Department of Education used several approaches to enhance access and participation rates. These included:
- Establishing the Arts Education Liaison position in more than 1,200 schools. The Arts Education Liaison assists the principal in planning arts instruction, choosing cultural partners, and completing the Annual Arts Survey;
- Building awareness of the requirements for arts education, resulting in a higher survey response rate. The 2007-2008 response rate was 91 percent, representing 1,307 schools, compared to 75 percent, representing 939 schools, in 2006-2007;
- Offering technical assistance and support to every school. More than 800 schools accepted and received help in implementing arts programming;
- Identifying schools in need of improvement in arts education programs and providing specific support services such as visits to best practice sites, seminars on budgeting and scheduling, and an introduction to the Blueprints for Teaching and Learning in the Arts—a research-based approach to teaching arts implemented under Children First.
The 2007-2008 Annual Arts in Schools Report is available online. Individual arts in schools report are posted on school web pages.