Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools

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On May 6, 2011 the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities released its report Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools at the Arts Education Partnership National Forum in Washington, DC. Using new data, the report presents compelling evidence for arts education’s effectiveness in increasing student engagement and academic achievement. Building on arts education’s role in whole-school reform, the report outlines several strategies and recommendations for building creativity-rich schools by integrating the arts into classroom instruction across disciplines.

The reports conclusions and recommendations are based on the following principles:

First, the arts are a vital part of the culture and life of this country, and all students deserve access to the arts in school as part of a complete education. Just as science and social studies are deemed essential subjects independent of their value to other learning outcomes, the arts merit a similar unambiguous place in the curriculum.

Second, decades of research and experience show that high quality arts education can
play an important part in achieving a range of educational objectives. The arts can motivate and engage students; stimulate curiosity and foster creativity; teach 21st Century Skills such as problem solving and team work; and facilitate school-wide collaborations. While there is certainly room for additional information in these areas, there is no doubt that research about the value of arts education is positive and consistent.