Several new studies have recently been released to add to the growing list of research in the last decade showing that arts education helps student achievement in a variety of areas. Education journalist Matt Barnum, summarizes findings from research conducted by the Houston Education Research Consortium, in this story last month on Chalkbeat.org.
Doctors Dan Brown of Texas A&M and Brian Kisidi of the University of Missouri conducted a randomized, controlled trial of more than ten thousand students in forty-two schools. Those schools that received an influx of arts education experienced a reduction in the number of students receiving disciplinary infractions, an increase in the amount of compassion students felt for others, and also saw improvements in writing scores during state standardized testing. For elementary school students, experiences in the arts also improved their engagement in school and aspirations for secondary education.
Medical Doctor Perri Klass interviewed experts in this story for The New York Times to discuss their professional experience and report on the results of what one expert found to be the effects of using arts in education to teach science concepts. Doctor Mariale Hardiman, Director of the Neuro-Education initiative at Johns Hopkins, found that using arts-integrated instruction to teach science content helped struggling readers to remember more science content learned through the arts than conventional methods.
Doctor Jessica Baron also compiled a number of national and state studies in her article on Forbes.com earlier this month. Baron pulls together research from the last twenty-plus years that demonstrates many benefits for integrating the arts in education. A 2012 report from the National Endowment for the Arts concluded that for at-risk youth particularly, engagement in the arts shows brings positive outcomes in a variety of areas including improved school grades and test scores, increased high school graduation and college enrollment rates, and more participation in civic engagement.
In 2011, a study from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities deduced that learning to play a musical instrument helps students succeed in math. This 2010 study from the Missouri Arts Council analyzed student participation in fine arts courses is significantly related to higher scores on standardized tests, higher graduation and attendance rates, and lower disciplinary rates.
Another example localized at the state level is this 2013 study from Mississippi State University, that concluded integration of arts into other subjects improved learning in the classroom. Baron additionally sites the recent new study mentioned above by Dr. Hardiman.
There are two topics at hand that both show improved outcomes for students: Fine Arts Integration (classes) and Arts Education Experiences (assemblies). Fine arts classes like Band and Piano lessons through Band For Today can help students improve their test scores and learn other subjects more successfully. Arts Experiences, such as school assemblies, can also improve these areas and help students learn topics, like Science, in a fun and interesting way that they might retain better than through conventional teaching methods.
At Academic Entertainment, we’ve been advocates for the arts in education for more than 20 years. Our mission is to promote education through quality entertainment. We hope you will browse our programs and request more information for prices and date availability specific to your location. Or, just give us a call at 800-883-9883. We’re here to help!
