Advocates have long fought for equity in arts learning, making the case for arts as core and not “special” curriculum. These cries were heard when the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) gave states the opportunity to expand student access to quality instruction in the visual and performing arts. This issue of the State Education Standard gives state policymakers good reasons to pay attention to the depth and breadth of instruction their schools offer in music, drama, theater, dance, and media arts—all key components of students’ well-rounded education.
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The NASBE Interview: Gigi Antoni
Using ESSA to Leverage Arts Education Policy
Increasing access and quality with an assist from hallmark federal law.
by Lynn Tuttle
Expanding Access to High-Quality Arts Instruction
Advancing universal access through policy and with evidence.
by Mary Dell’Erba
Using Arts Data to Match Community Organizations to School Needs
by Valerie Norville
The Art of Early Childhood Education
Arts integration is linked with school readiness, emotion regulation, and stress reduction in young students.
by Eleanor D. Brown
The ESSA Arts Indicator in Illinois: A Study in the Art of Policymaking
Arts educators bring creativity and process expertise to their work on statewide accountability.
by Jonathan VanderBrug
Advancing Arts Education in Arizona
Partnerships, federal funding, and a diploma seal are teed up to bolster equitable access.
by Catherine “Rusty” Foley
How Arts Education Supports Social-Emotional Development: A Theory of Action
Teaching rooted in action and reflection can transform how all disciplines build students’ competencies.
by Camille Farrington and Steve Shewfelt
The Role of Arts Integration and Education in Improving Student Outcomes
If research is to inform state policy, key gaps should be filled.
by Yinmei Wan, Meredith Ludwig, Andrea Boyle, And Jim Lindsay
Arts in Turnaround Strategies
A+ Schools and Turnaround Arts schools commit to whole-school reform.
by Valerie Norville