The Arts that I will be discussing can be defined as, “modes of expression that use skill or imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others.” This includes but is not limited to, storytelling, acting, drawing, jewelry making, digital design, modeling, theatre, cosmetology, and architecture. The Common Core State Standards set goals for each grade level to achieve so students are prepared for college/trade school, a career, and life. This set of standards came into effect in June 2010. For almost a decade, the Common Core has placed an emphasis on the English Language Arts and Mathematics. This means more standardized tests and less emphasis on the Arts. But do we even need Arts in schools? Should they be reserved for students who know that’s the path they want for themselves? Should we do away with the Common Core and start pursuing a more “well-rounded” or “holistic” education, as many colleges have taken to doing?
Some states are exploring ways to test arts on a large-scale. Art teachers have been trying to find a way to show that, “the arts are as valuable to curriculum and society as such long-tested subjects as math and reading.” Research has shown that the arts are very important to students’ academic skills. A study from the Champions of Change show that students, from middle to high school, who are involved in the Arts are consistently getting better grades in their English, Reading, and History classes. Students who are involved in the Arts are also more likely to score higher on standardized tests and less likely to drop out by tenth grade. The Champions of Change report that students participating in the Arts do better than the average student when it comes to Math proficiency. Another study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that, “Among all students in the U.S. class of 2004, 75% applied to at least one postsecondary institution. Among arts students, the percentage was slightly higher than the average among all students: 77% of all arts students applied to at least one postsecondary institution, while only 70% of non-arts students applied to at least one postsecondary institution.” Students in the Arts are well-prepared for college by the time they are applying to schools.
The Missouri Arts Council also has a study that shows the correlation between participation in the Arts and higher test scores, as well as higher high school graduation rates. The Missouri Arts Council conducted research that shows how the Arts can develop a child’s behavioral skills. Districts in Missouri where a lower percentage of students participated in the Arts had lower average attendance rates. Lower Arts participation showed attendance rates of 94.1% while higher Arts participation showed attendance rates of 95.1%. This 1% is the difference between getting more district funding from the state. A student’s behavior is also impacted by their involvement in the Arts. It is shown that, “the higher the level of student enrollment in art classes, the lower the district’s rate of violent incidents and the lower the rate of out-of-school suspensions and suspensions lasting more than 10 days.” Attendance and behavior are key components of a successful student. Involvement in the Arts makes students much less likely to fall behind their peers, drop out, or develop social-emotional and behavioral issues.
Students of low socioeconomic status (SES) get better grades, are more ambitious, and are more civically engaged if they take part in the Arts in comparison to their peers who do not. Low SES students who were engaged in the Arts in high school were, “15 percent more likely to enroll in a highly or moderately selective four-year college [and] three times more likely than students who lacked those experiences to earn a bachelor’s degree.” A study in the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience journal researched the effect of musical training on children from low SES backgrounds. They reported that children with two years of musical training had more brain stimulation than their peers being athletically trained or not trained at all. This suggests that the arts effect the brain in a way that no other activity can. The benefits of participation in the Arts is most evident in those from SES backgrounds. Cognition retention is high in older adults who engage in dancing or woodwork, especially compared to those who do not. The Arts can benefit one all throughout their life, starting from childhood.
https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/Research-Art-Works-Maryland2-rev.pdf
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/champions/pdfs/champsreport.pdf
https://www.waterford.org/education/school-attendance/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929315301122
https://www.healing-power-of-art.org/art-and-the-brain/
https://edtrust.org/the-equity-line/students-gain-arts/
http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/development-process/
I completely agree that Arts in education is very important. I was in an Arts program myself for the majority of my education and I do truly believe that it does help to improve your education as you showed. However, I believe that the true reason for this may belong to Group Identity Theory. Social Identity Theory is one of four psychological theories of group social identity according to Fiske and Taylor in 2008 and is an etic that originated to explain how an individual’s self is intertwined with group behaviour and intergroup interaction according to Hoggs et al in 1995. The basis of the Social Identity Theory is that people desire a connection and a sense of belonging to others in order to satisfy the core motives of self-enhancement, belonging, and trusting which are highlighted in the theory. After being enrolled in an Arts program, I found that what it truly did was force me to have to work with others as a cohesive unit to produce a final piece and although we may be led by a conductor, each of us was responsible for maintaining our respective parts of the cohesive unit. In this way, I was establishing belong and connections to my fellow classmates and trusting them to do their part. Additionally, other forms of art such as paintings and scultures are representations of others and by observing and analysing them, we are connecting to the other person to find a relation with them and to self-enhance ourselves. Social Identity Theory also entails that each group is represented in one’s mind as a cognitive schema that tells us what we should think, feel, and do in particular contexts, and in specific contexts, a particular social identity with a group becomes the most noticeable way of self-regulating behaviour in relation to others. Once the proper social identity for a particular context is identified, those behaviours become stereotypes of the in-group and considered the norm. The behaviour of the out-groups are stereotypes of what others are like. This is why we generally have ideas about what is cultured art and “good” art. By taking classes in the Arts, we are connecting with society and interacting with it better, understanding the norms and stereotypes and becoming part of a schema to understand society and ourselves better. This is why I believe the Arts are important and why those who participate in the Arts generally outperform. It is because they can understand themselves and relate to others and society better.
This concept didn’t even cross my mind. I took psych in high school so I am familiar with the theory. Being a Band and Theater kid I definitely know the feeling of being part of a group. Especially when other kids make fun of “band nerds” or “theater geeks”.
It is really amazing how the arts have such an effect on student performance and behavior. When I feel down or am stressed, I have always found that playing my guitar improves my mood, motivates me, and clears my head, helping me destress. I always wondered if it was a biological thing or if I just liked music. A report from the National Alliance on Mental Illness showed me that there is in fact a biological and psychological response to listening to and creating music, one that is mirrored in the experience of and the creation of other arts like painting/drawing. The article is written by a musical therapist who often works in mental hospitals, and reports the findings of studies that have shown music creates benefits for those with depression, trauma, schizophrenia, grief, addiction, and stunted emotional processing. The article lists four major aspects to musical therapy and its effects on those with mental illness: lyric analysis, improvisational music playing, active listening, and songwriting. Lyric analysis “lyric analysis provides an opportunity for an individual to identify song lyrics that may correlate with their experience” and allows patients to recreate and interpret lyrics to help process and express their own emotions and experiences. Music playing “can encourage emotional expression, socialization and exploration of various therapeutic themes” as well as use escalations, de-escalations, silences, high- and low-volumes, and other dynamics to help incite their own emotional response and express particular feelings they have. In a group dynamic, this allows the patients to relate emotion through the music though their experiences may vary greatly. Listening can regulate moods by engaging the neocortex of the brain which has calming effects and reduces impulsivity. Finally, songwriting is the purest form of emotional expression and can be a large release, especially for people struggling with mental health. For certain illnesses, the feeling of emotional validity and pride in one’s work is especially beneficial. Seeing that music and other artforms have been proven to create immense benefit for people with mental illness severe enough for hospitalization, it is only reasonable to assume that engaging students in art and building passion and pride in the work they produce leads to fewer instances of debilitating mental illness in teenagers. (1)
Beyond mental illness treatment, music benefits the mind and body in surprising and hugely positive ways. Researchers have found that the use of background music while focusing on another task actually increases cognitive performance, especially as you grow older. Music also can act as a meditative facilitator and reduce stress significantly, as I have found in my own life. On a surprising note, music while eating relaxes the body and speeds up the beginnings of digestion, causing people to eat 18% less on average. Studies have also shown that music improves short-term memory and acts as a strong pain management strategy by reducing the physical sensation of pain in the brain. Beyond the physical effects, most people know that music improves mood, motivates us to exercise, study, or be productive, and can improve sleep. Furthermore, during exercise and work, music is shown to improve endurance and increase physical and mental stamina.
I think its pretty clear everyone should be involved in an art, especially from an early age, as artistic activities during neural development have been proven to increase emotional tolerance, decrease mental illness, and increase intelligence and cognitive function as an adult. (2)
1. https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/December-2016/The-Impact-of-Music-Therapy-on-Mental-Health
2. https://www.verywellmind.com/surprising-psychological-benefits-of-music-4126866
I liked how you pulled the art education and tied it to mental health issues in the United States. I definitely think it plays a large role and combating mental health for the better with the use of the arts.
I definitely agree with everything that you discussed in the article. I do believe that the arts can have a wide range of benefits, especially to students.
I think its interesting that you included cosmetology as part of the arts that can help benefit students.
From personal experience, this spoke to me because I definitely feel better about the day when I can wake up and use makeup and listen to music, it always makes me feel better and more prepared for the day. On days where I am rushed and I don’t have the opportunity to listen to music or just relax and doodle, I am definitely more stressed and I can probably argue that I do worse on assignments on days like this.
As a visual learner, I think taking art classes in high school definitely helped me. School has not always been easy, and having classes where you can use different parts of the brain is helpful. An article from 10 Magazine explains, “…along the same line, many of us are using (or overusing) our left brain, typically more analytical and organized in nature, and underusing the right brain, which is associated with more spontaneous and creative acts. The brain is a very “plastic” or constantly regenerating tissue, and if one part of the brain is unused then it atrophies, just like a muscle. You wouldn’t go into the gym and only exercise one half of your body, right? Time to exercise the right side of your brain with some art as well”.
Just based on this single explanation its already clear how important it is to be able to express yourself and be creative because it ultimately helps your brain in the long run.
I think another reason why its beneficial, which was already touched upon a bit, is with emotions and mental health.
From personal experience, I know doing activities that are hands on like doing make up, drawing, painting, playing music can automatically relax me, and de-stress me. One article explains, “Activities like painting, sculpting, drawing, and photography are relaxing and rewarding hobbies that can lower your stress level and leave you feeling mentally clear and calm”.
I think this is one of the main reasons the arts are essential to every student because our lives are too stressful to just focus on paper related tasks all day and just typing on a computer. I think we are very lucky to be on a campus that provides so many opportunities to explore the arts and I definitely believe after reading this article, that it will help us in the long run as we grow up.
Sources:
https://10mag.com/5-reasons-art-is-good-for-health/
https://bebrainfit.com/benefits-art/
I, too, am a visual learner and I believe arts classes has helped me in figuring this out. I always have to draw a graph or use different colors in order to fully understand the information being presented to me. I think this also makes me a more organized and creative person as well, since I am able to categorize very easily due to my visual skills.
Angel, I love all your research regarding the benefits correlated with arts education—it’s clear that Arts are impactful in developing successful, well-rounded students. When I was in elementary school, I specifically remember when common core was instilled into our curriculum. I recall a noticeable shift in the amount of time my teachers would spend teaching math and writing rather than assigning creative projects and engaging with our music and art teachers. I also remember the huge budget cuts my elementary and middle schools had for the arts. My schools’ bands and theatre programs were primarily run by booster clubs—without parent led fundraisers there would’ve been very limited resources to support arts students. I think it’s a shame that the shift to common core has led to greater emphasis on standardized testing and thus “teaching to the test.” With these new parameters, teachers feel the need to hammer math/English concepts in preparation for standardized tests (as a result of No Child Left Behind) instead of focusing on quality learning—which in my opinion, should include the arts. Not only are arts beneficial in the ways you have already mentioned, but the arts are important for children’s psychological development, especially in elementary schools. To take a slightly scientific perspective, in my AP Psychology class in high school, we discussed Erik Erikson’s stages of psychological development, which is a theoretical model describing how each person’s personality is established through a series of “conflicts” during certain stages of life. In our class, my teacher noted a specific role of the arts in one of the stages of development. During the Industry vs. Inferiority stage, which takes place during 5-12 year old’s, “child’s peer group will gain greater significance and will become a major source of the child’s self-esteem. The child now feels the need to win approval by demonstrating specific competencies that are valued by society and begin to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments” (McLeod). Therefore, creating forms of art and receiving praise for their efforts is one way to positively impact a child during this stage. Additionally, teachers become increasing impactful during this stage of development. I believe placing an emphasis on the arts and creativity is another strategy to positively benefit child development, and for this reason, schools should follow suit and reinvest in arts education.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html
I am not shocked at the impact arts has on student grades and academic success. I personally feel that arts are something that everyone should be exposed to, since it is not as popular as other core academic subjects. Art can help us be aware of not only ourselves but the world around us without much critical scrutiny or analysis. To me, art tells us so much, but it tells us in a way that is comprehensible to almost everyone. Similar to the requirement to take higher level math courses to promote critical thinking, I think that the promotion of arts by educators could help students think in a more innovative and creative way. This is why I believe that a revival and focus on the arts is crucial in having a diverse society. Cities have been taking steps to make art a bigger part of their curriculum in public schools. New York City has made arts reform a priority under mayor Mark Bloomberg. In comparison to past years, nearly all schools now provide, “at least some arts instruction and cultural programming.” Other states have not only revitalized the programs, but used them to reform schools and other education areas. Like stated above that arts increases academic performance, arts are now a weekly part of elementary education in Dallas. This promotion from a young age has increased the local arts community in Dallas and has led to other non-profits and insinuations getting involved in this innovative and new education plan. Without arts, I feel the world would be bleaker and harder to understand, therefore, it is important to expose as many people to it as we can in order for us to fully be aware of the world around us. Educators must make it their job to make sure students are ready for the world, and arts education will help make that transition to the real world easier.
https://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development
It’s great to hear that there seems to be a revival of the arts in public education. While these are great examples of schools making efforts to reinvest into the arts, I wish they were happening on a grander scale. School funding is still such a big issue, I feel that needs to be addressed before a nation-wide effort to support the arts can be completed.
It is very interesting how each comment just adds to the discussion and specific instances how the Arts have built in different parts of the US and how it has a similar effect in each of them. I think this just adds to the argument of how beneficial the Arts really are in terms of education and how it is vastly underrated.