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Arts are wonderful, but this study isn't

Rocky Mountain News

Published October 12, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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We'd like to believe the conclusions of a just-released study on arts education in Colorado, because we agree that every child deserves exposure to the visual and performing arts. But the study is an inadequate piece of research - if the word "research" can even be applied to it.

The report, sponsored by the Colorado Council on the Arts and the Colorado Department of Education, claims that students are more likely to stay in school and perform better in several traditional academic disciplines if their schools offer a variety of arts programs. But the report doesn't come close to cinching this claim.

In the first place, it's hard to say how representative the results were, since only 435 of the 1,700 schools asked to participate did. Moreover, in Colorado's largest school districts of 40 schools or more, participation was typically much lower than the 25 percent statewide average.

Much more data from many more schools is needed before policy-makers who are redesigning state content standards should take any guidance from this report.

The survey asked principals a series of questions about the range of formal classroom instruction and extracurricular activities on campuses. Researchers found that, at least among those schools answering the survey, nearly all offer some formal visual or performing arts education: 93 percent of elementary, 86 percent of middle, 83 percent of high schools.

After controlling for the racial composition and economic status of the student body, researchers concluded that schools offering a variety of arts courses tended to have lower dropout rates and score higher on the Colorado Student Assessment Program's measures of reading, writing and science.

Those conclusions sound plausible, but that skimpy sample is a real concern. And even if the authors had a larger sample they would still need to demonstrate something more than a correlation to prove their case. From a research standpoint, proving causation is a taller order requiring more sophisticated tools.

Keep this in mind as state officials revamp content standards in response to SB 212, passed by this year's legislature. Policy-makers will face significant pressure to water down traditional academics. State Rep. Mike Merrifield, D-Manitou Springs, may have inadvertently signaled as much on Monday when he denigrated the three R's as "rigor, regurgitation and regimentation."

That's dangerous nonsense. Watering down traditional subjects would hurt Colorado students, who must first master the fundamentals before they can hope to succeed as adults.

Elaine Mariner, executive director of the arts council, suggested the state require educators to have college credit for art courses before being certified to be principals. That's actually the wrong direction in which to proceed. Districts and schools need more flexibility in hiring principals, not less. You don't need an arts certificate to appreciate the importance of arts in your school.

We were encouraged to see state Education Commissioner Dwight Jones say last week that he would not allow the new content standards to diminish the role of the core subjects in Colorado schools. Instruction in the arts is important, but it's part of a well-rounded education that's based on a foundation of reading, writing, math and science.

Comments

  • October 12, 2008

    3:38 a.m.

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    roger44 writes:

    Looking back 50 years, we didn't get much as far as arts etc. Were taught the basics, had recess for social skills, few of us had tv's, were always outside in the summer running around with other kids, didn't have cell phones, Ipods, computers, and sit on our butts in front of them. but this country was number one in the world in the 50's, wonder what they were thinking when they started changing the system? They lowered standards to pass Johnny so he won't have to take meds for his depression, about as many kids on meds and drugs as senior citizens!
    Parents has interaction with schools and teachers, and they were respected, now the kids show up dressed like dummies, head full of metal, tattoos, gang colors on. My day they'd have been sent home. We were top of the heap then, and I'll guarantee we will never get there again if it continues.

  • October 12, 2008

    5:26 a.m.

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    vudumom writes:

    The last thing the schools need is to water down the basics. They need to revamp and make the curriculum more challenging than it is.
    Art and music are fine but, they need to make those curriculums stronger than they are.
    For example: One of my children finished elementary school last year. We were cleaning out a art closet to make some more room. I found 5 pinchpots from her art classes in school. One for every year of 1st through 5th. Pinchpots are little clay pots formed with their hands and fingers.
    I also found other art mediums with about 5 of each. That means she pretty much did the same things in art every year. That is a waste of time and money.
    What is needed is an hour long lunch and recess. I think that would go along way in helping kids learn.

  • October 12, 2008

    5:02 p.m.

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    HopiMedicineMan writes:

    Standards have been declining. My father's 1930s high school physics was more sophisticated and useful than my 1970s college physics. His physics was taught to eighth graders a generation before him. Art was for life-like renderings, not for "self-expression."
    Preserved Civil War era letters written by barefoot southern infantrymen with no more than sixth grade educations are more literate than today's newspaper stories. When you fall slowly, you never learn you're down until you look where you've been. We won't get up until we get tough.

  • October 12, 2008

    6:54 p.m.

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    Brix57 writes:

    What is the problem here? 1700 schools were asked for data and 435 responded. That gives us a huge database in today's terms as 25% gave their answers that we can use in any way we see fit. We can say that Arts should be put to the wayside or we can say that math programs are too hard or that since English is not spoken in the home, we can do without that in schools.

    Standards? We teach to fill in the blank on a test and anything outside of that test might be taught in college, if you can get there.
    Besides all of this, schools must continue their sports programs as we cannot risk losing any potential professional athletes from making their millions whom will certainly give back to their schools.

  • October 13, 2008

    12:18 a.m.

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    ColoradoArtist writes:

    Obviously education in the core subjects is important, but art shouldn't be discounted! As an art major, I have witnessed huge changes in my ability to think critically and approach problems with creativity and freshness. I am an art teacher, and that is the focus of my classroom. I understand that most of my students will not grow up to be artists, but if I can give them the capability to use their creative, critical thinking skills in other avenues of life, then I've done my job!

    And to vudumom: What a bummer that your daughter missed out on a great art education. I personally don't repeat projects and challenge the students and myself with new ideas all the time.

  • October 13, 2008

    8:31 p.m.

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    HopiMedicineMan writes:

    ColoradoArtist
    I don't think America is falling behind the world in creative expression, do you?

  • October 14, 2008

    1 p.m.

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    UncleZancle writes:

    HMM
    Where America has fallen behind is in the area of artisanship. There's an artisanship gap. Our only artistic tradition is tearing down tradition.