March Is
Arts Education Month
The
California State PTA and the California Alliance for Arts Education have
developed the Arts Learning In Action Toolkit to help schools and districts
bring elected officials into our schools to witness the power of learning in
the arts during the month of March.
Why the Arts Are Important for ALL
Students
In a time of budget shortfalls,
many parents may ask why the arts are important, and why the PTA is so committed
to the arts for ALL children at EVERY school.
The answer is important:
Extensive research shows that the
arts help our children do better in school and do better in life.
Take a
moment to look at some of the research provided by the Arts Education Partnership:How and Why the Arts Are Critical to Student Achievement and Better Schools-
"Arts learning directly contributes to the
development of students' intellectual and personal capacities.
- For many students, where school had often
been a place of failure and frustration, the experience of success in the arts
was a revelation that learning matters - that they matter. As a result, they
were more willing to do the hard work of learning.
- Learning in the arts helped students
develop the sense that they can be agents of their own learning and that they
can make a positive change in their own lives and in their surroundings. It
contributed to their sense of self-efficacy and self-esteem.
- Improved student behavior and attendance
rates were attributed to the schools' arts programs. Students themselves
reported that the arts kept them engaged in school.
- As one high school student noted, "If it wasn't for this program, I
wouldn't be in school at this point." Teachers and district officials credited
their school's arts programs for the improved scores of students on
standardized tests, including improvement in reading and mathematics."
Edutopia provides additional findings of the
importance of arts education:Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who's Doing It Best
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