Looking at the Arts in the Context of Research
Should school leaders advocate for comprehensive arts education by linking arts learning to achievement in other subject areas? The authors of a report from Harvard University's Project Zero caution against doing so. "The arts are the only school subjects," say Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland, "that have been challenged to demonstrate transfer as a justification for their usefulness."1
The arts are core academic subjects, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The arts greatly enrich our lives and shape our culture. They are a treasure that no generation has ever failed to pass on to the next. No other arguments should be needed to justify quality arts education for all students.
Still, a review of research makes increasingly distinct the possibility that arts learning and achievement in other academic areas are linked. Although conclusive scientific evidence will be difficult to obtain because of the complex environments in schools and the vast variety and necessary subjectivity inherent in the arts, quantitative evidence does exist.
Consider these studies.
—Schools that implemented the SPECTRA+ arts integration program in Hamilton, Ohio, achieved higher passage rates on the Ohio Proficiency Tests in reading and math than did two sets of control groups, according to a study conducted by Dr. Richard Luftig of Miami University and funded by the U.S. Department of Education.2
—In a monograph published by Americans for the Arts, James Catterall reports that data on more than 25,000 students from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey (NELS) show better grades and higher standardized test scores among students who took advantage of arts-related classes and opportunities.3
—Data from the College Board show that students with more years of arts courses tend to have higher verbal and mathematics scores on the SAT.4
—Critical Links, a research compendium by the Arts Education Partnership, provides results from a number of studies suggesting that the use of drama aids reading comprehension and enhances writing skills.5
Adding to the impact of the "hard data" is the rich evidence that is detailed in the Third Space case studies6 and other qualitative research.
It is hard to dismiss the detailed pictures those studies provide of economically disadvantaged students who exhibit engagement with learning and rigorous thinking. Furthermore, such studies can meet the National Research Council's criteria for what makes a study scientifically based, according to the National Assembly for State Arts Agencies monograph An Introduction to Scientifically Based Research by Deborah Ingram and Michael Sikes.7.
Citations
- "The Arts and Academic Improvement: What the Evidence Shows." The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 2000. Link.
- SPECTRA+ Final Report to the U.S. Department of Education, 2005. (Draft)
- Catterall, James S. "Involvement in the Arts and Success in Secondary School." Americans for the Arts Monographs, January 1998. Link
- The College Board, 2005 College Bound Seniors: Total Group Profile Report, 2005. Link
- Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development, 2002. Link
- Stevenson, L.M. & Deasy, R.J. Third Space: When Learning Matters. Washington, D.C. Arts Education Partnership, 2005. Link
- Ingram, D. & Sikes, M. An Introduction to Scientifically Based Research. National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, 2005. Link
This article was published in March 2006.
Archives --> Arts Education --> Research --> Looking at the Arts in the Context of Research
