Richard Kessler, Executive Director, The Center for Arts Education, Issues Statement on Lifting Graduation Rates by Closing the Arts Education Gap
NEW YORK-(Business Wire)-January 30, 2009 - It is no secret that New York City graduation rates hover at a disappointing 50 percent and that students from poor families are less likely to graduate than their more economically advantaged peers. What is less well known, but equally alarming, is that those least likely to graduate on time within four years — African American students and students from poor families — are also the least likely to have had access to learning opportunities in art, music, theatre and dance.
President Barack Obama has articulated ambitious goals for education and pledged to commit resources to reverse the dismal high school graduation rates across the country, as well as to reinvest in arts education. “To remain competitive in the global economy,” Obama has said, “America needs to reinvigorate the kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great.” In a city where there are real disparities among black, brown and white, and between rich and poor, in both graduation rates and the delivery of arts education, Obama's goals are encouraging.
National studies show that the arts not only motivate kids to learn more and inspire them to get better grades; they also keep at risk youth in schools and graduating on time. Unfortunately, an analysis of data provided by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) shows that schools with the highest percentages of low-income and African American students offer the least in arts education.
Of over one thousand city public schools analyzed in 2006-2007, the higher the percentage of African American or low income (Title 1) students at a school, the less likely it is to have an arts teacher on staff, and have student participation in arts activities, such as visiting a museum or gallery, contributing work to an art exhibition, attending or participating in a dance, theater or concert performance.
At the high school and middle school levels, schools with the highest percentage of African American and Title 1 students were least likely to offer those students interested in advanced arts study and/or pursuit of a career in the arts the option of completing a multi-year sequence of courses in any one art form. Schools with financially well-off children are also almost twice as likely to receive outside funding, from parent groups, funders, etc. to sustain arts programming than schools with a high percentage of low-income or African American students.
What we've also found is that, those schools that would be considered most “arts friendly” also had the highest on time graduation rates—making a compelling case for the presence of arts in schools and the power of the arts to keep students in school by engaging them in their learning.
If we are serious about remaining competitive in the global economy, we will have to take major steps to improve graduation rates and close the arts education gap. To do so we should think more seriously about what is being offered at school, and not only what is being tested.
As a first step to make sure that every child at every school receives the quality arts education they are entitled to by law, Mayor Bloomberg and School's Chancellor Klein should require that principals be held accountable for spending money targeted for arts education on exactly that. Currently, principals can spend money originally allocated for arts education on any number of other items.
Can we close the arts education gap and help more kids graduate one time? Yes we can.
About The Center for Arts Education (CAE)
The Center for Arts Education is committed to restoring, stimulating and sustaining quality arts education as an essential part of every child's K-12 education. CAE provides information and resources that demonstrate the benefits of and need for arts education as part of a quality, balanced education, and identifies and supports exemplary partnerships and programs that demonstrate how the arts contribute to learning and student achievement. CAE is also dedicated to influencing educational and fiscal policies that will support arts education in all of the City's public schools.
For more information on The Center for Arts Education, visit www.caenyc.org.
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