Fast Facts

K-12 Arts Education Access

  • Arts education opportunities have largely been in steady decline in the U.S. from the 1980s through 2000s.12
  • Partnerships between arts organizations and schools: 42% of public schools in the U.S. partner with cultural or community organizations, 31% with individual artists, 29% with museums, and 26% with performing arts centers.3
  • Approximately 5.5% of U.S. public school teachers are arts teachers; this percentage remained fairly stable from 1988-2018.4
  • The majority of high schools provide arts courses, though offerings vary substantially by discipline: 82% of all high schools offer at least one arts course in one of the “major” arts disciplines: 79% offer visual arts courses; 74% music; 46% theater; 16% dance. 5
  • The number of arts courses offered to students has been in decline since the advent of No Child Left Behind. From 1999-2000 to 2007-08, there was a 4% decline in music courses offered and a 1% decline in visual art courses (the number of theater and dance courses essentially went unchanged).6

Disparities in Arts Education Access

  • Cuts in arts learning opportunities have been more severe at schools serving higher proportions of lower-income, Black, Hispanic, and immigrant student populations (Balfanz et al., 2007; Government Accountability Office, 2009; Parsad & Spiegelman, 2012; Rabkin & Hedberg, 2011; Yee, 2014).2 3
  • Schools with higher percentages of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and low-income students have consistently had a lower percentage of full-time arts teachers. Roughly 5-6% of full time teachers are primarily providing arts instruction; this proportion has been roughly 25-30% lower for schools serving greater concentrations of BIPOC and low-income students. However, this gap has shown signs of gradually closing since 2010. (Dalane, 2023)4
  • School partnerships with arts organizations can effectively mitigate disparities in students’ arts learning opportunities and resources (Bowen & Kisida, 2023; Gibson, 2016; Perille, 2016).

Why We Need the Arts in Schools

  • The arts are intrinsically beneficial, a fundamental mode of human expression, and an essential component of a well-rounded education. (AAAS, 2021) 7
  • The arts support students’ social and emotional development., (American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAAS), 2021 7; Deasy, 2002 8; Farrington et al., 2019; Konrath & Kisida, 2021; Nowack, 2011; Tay et al., 2018).
  • The arts increase students’ empathy, reduce intolerance, and generate acceptance of others. (AAAS, 2021 7; Farrington et al., 2019; Konrath & Kisida, 2021; Nowak, 2011; Tay et al., 2018).

Empathy

  • Increase from one year of arts learning provided through school-community arts partnerships (Bowen & Kisida, 2023)
  • Increase in historical empathy from a theater field trip program (Kisida et al., 2020)
  • Increase in students’ historical empathy from an enriching visual art museum school visit program. (Greene et al., 2014)

Tolerance

  • Increase in students’ tolerance from an enriching visual art museum school visit program. (Greene et al., 2014)
  • Increase in students’ tolerance from attending a live theater performance. (Greene et al., 2018)
The arts broaden our understanding and appreciation of our own as well as others’ identities, cultures, and histories. (AAAS, 2021; Eisner, 1992; Halverson, 2021).

Enthusiasm for Arts and Cultural Engagement

  • Increase in students’ interest in arts consumption from participating in a series of three culturally enriching field trips — theater, orchestra, and visual art museum (Erickson et al., forthcoming)
  • Increase in students’ interest in performing arts from a theater field trip program (Kisida et al., 2020)
  • Increase in students’ interest in visiting art museums from an enriching visual art museum school visit program (Greene et al., 2014)
The arts improve school engagement and culture. (AAAS, 2021; Dewey, 1919).

School Engagement

  • Increase in student engagement from one year of arts learning provided through school-community arts partnerships (Bowen & Kisida, 2023)
  • Increase in student, parent, and teacher engagement from arts course enrollment (Bowen & Kisida, forthcoming) 9

Enthusiasm for Learning

  • Increase in interest in learning history from a theater field trip program (Kisida et al., 2020)

Student Attendance

  • Increase in average daily attendance and decrease in chronic absenteeism when students take an arts course (Bowen & Kisida, forthcoming) 9
  • Increase in average daily attendance from student participation in a series of three culturally enriching field trips — theater, orchestra, and visual art museum (Erickson et al., forthcoming)

College Aspirations

  • Increase from one year of arts learning provided through school-community arts partnerships (Bowen & Kisida, 2023)

Discipline

  • Decrease in students receiving disciplinary infractions from one year of arts learning provided through school-community arts partnerships (Bowen & Kisida, 2023)
  • Decrease in the total number of student disciplinary infractions from participation in a series of three culturally enriching field trips — theater, orchestra, and visual art museum (Erickson et al., forthcoming).
  • Increase in students being suspended as a result of arts course enrollment (Bowen & Kisida, forthcoming) 9
The arts develop valuable life and career skills. (AAAS, 2021).

Critical Thinking Skills

  • Increase in students’ critical thinking about works of art (more representational as well as abstract) from enriching visual art museum school visit program (Bowen et al., 2014; Kisida et al., 2016)

Non-Arts Knowledge/Achievement

Writing
  • Increase in standardized writing achievement from one year of arts learning provided through school-community arts partnerships (Bowen & Kisida, 2023)
Social Studies
  • Increase in state history content knowledge from a theater field trip program (Kisida et al., 2020)
Science
  • Increase in retained science content knowledge (astronomy and ecology) from a 3-week arts-integrated 5th grade instructional unit (relative to the same unit being taught traditionally, i.e., without arts integration). (Hardiman et al., 2014). However, a later study (with a larger sample) from the same lead researcher only found significant effects with students at “basic” reading proficiency level (as opposed to “proficient/advanced”). (Hardiman et al., 2019)
  • No effect from one year of arts learning provided through school-community arts partnerships (Bowen & Kisida, 2023)
Math
  • No effect from one year of arts learning provided through school-community arts partnerships (Bowen & Kisida, 2023)
Reading
  • No effect from one year of arts learning provided through school-community arts partnerships (Bowen & Kisida, 2023)
The arts strengthen collaboration, community, and improve civic engagement. (AAAS, 2021; Dewey, 1919; Halverson, 2021; Tay et al., 2018).

General Public’s Perception of Arts Education

  • 90% of adults believe that the arts are an important part of the education system (Jackson, 2019).
  • 80% of adults agree that it is important to continue providing access to arts education outside of school (Jackson, 2019).
  • 80% of adults feel as though arts education is not as valued as it used to be (Jackson, 2019).
  • 93% of adults believe that exposure to different arts experiences broadens one’s mind (Jackson, 2019).

Findings on Impacts for Specific Populations

Students Receiving Special Education Services

  • Substantially larger positive effects on attendance from student arts course enrollment (Bowen & Kisida, forthcoming) 9

English Language-Learning (ELL) Students:

  • Positive social-emotional, school engagement, and writing effects from one year of arts learning provided through school-community arts partnerships appear to be more pronounced with ELL students (Bowen & Kisida, 2023)
  • Significant increases in teachers’ engagement and sense of school collegiality from increases in school-wide arts course enrollment for schools that serve higher proportions of ELL students (Bowen & Kisida, forthcoming) 9

Socioeconomic Status

  • Positive effects on critical thinking about art from an enriching visual art museum school visit program stronger for students from schools serving higher concentrations of FRL-eligible students. (Bowen et al., 2014; Kisida et al., 2016)
  • Positive effects on historical empathy, tolerance, and interest in visiting art museums from enriching visual art museum school visit program stronger for students from schools serving higher concentrations of FRL-eligible students (Greene et al., 2014)

Race/Ethnicity

  • Positive effects on parents’ school engagement from increases in students’ arts course enrollments stronger for schools with higher proportions of Black and Hispanic students (Bowen & Kisida, forthcoming) 9
  • Positive effects on interest in interest in performing arts and learning about history from a theater field trip program appear to be driven by effects on Black and Hispanic students (Kisida et al., 2020)
  • Positive effects on critical thinking about art from enriching visual art museum school visit program appear to be stronger for Black and Hispanic students (Bowen et al., 2014)

Urbanicity

Rural
  • Positive effects on critical thinking about art from enriching visual art museum school visit program stronger for students from schools serving more-rural communities (Bowen et al., 2014)
  • Positive effects on historical empathy, tolerance, and interest in visiting art museums from enriching visual art museum school visit program stronger for students from schools serving more-rural communities (Greene et al., 2014)

Grade Level

Elementary
  • Reductions in disciplinary infractions appear to be attributable to stronger impacts with secondary vs. elementary school students (Bowen & Kisida, 2023).
Middle School
  • Positive impacts on social-emotional outcomes appear to be attributable to stronger effects with elementary vs. secondary school students (Bowen & Kisida, 2023).
High School
  • Positive effects from students report being more engaged with learning and believe teachers are more engaged from increases in school-wide arts course enrollment appear to be attributable to stronger effects with high school students (Bowen & Kisida, forthcoming) 9

Students with a History of Chronic Absenteeism

  • Substantially larger positive effects on attendance from arts course enrollment (Bowen & Kisida, forthcoming) 9

Students with Lower Standardized Test Scores

  • Substantially larger positive effects on attendance from arts course enrollment (Bowen & Kisida, forthcoming) 9
  • Increase in retained science content knowledge (astronomy and life science) from a 3-4 week arts-integrated 5th grade instructional unit (relative to same unit being taught without arts integration) found to be effective with students at “basic” reading proficiency level (no effect found with “proficient/advanced” reading students). (Hardiman et al., 2019)
  • Increase in retained science content knowledge (astronomy and ecology) from a three-week arts-integrated 5th grade instructional unit (relative to same unit being taught without arts integration) primarily attributed to effects found with students at “basic” reading proficiency level (as opposed to “proficient/advanced”). (Hardiman et al., 2014)

Students with Low/No Prior Engagement in Arts

  • Positive effects on critical thinking about art from enriching visual art museum school visit program appear to be stronger for students who were making their first visit to a museum (Bowen et al., 2014)

References

  1. Farkas Duffett Research Group (2012). Learning Less: Public School Teachers Describe a Narrowing Curriculumn.
  2. Rabkin & Hedberg (2011). Arts Education in America: What the Declines Mean for Arts Participation.
  3. Parsad & Spiegelman (2012). Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: 1999-2000 and 2009-10.
  4. Dalane (2024). Trends in Arts Education in United States Public Schools from 1988-2018.
  5. Elpus (2022). Access to Arts Education in America: The Availability of Visual Art, Music, Dance, and Theater Courses in U.S. High Scho.
  6. Gara, Farkas, & Brouillette (2022). Did Consequential Accountability Policies Decrease the Share of Visual and Performing Arts Education in U.S. Public Secondary Schools During the No Child Left Behind Era?
  7. American Academy of Arts & Science (2021). Art for Life’s Sake: The Case for Arts Education.
  8. Deasy, R. J. (2002). Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development.
  9. Bowen, D. H., & Kisida, B. (forthcoming). Investigating arts education effects on school engagement and climate. Educational Policy.