Missing or Inconsistent Arts Education Revealing Importance to Overall Student Achievement
October 18, 2020
Nothing in education has been untouched by the coronavirus pandemic, says a growing number of arts educators calling attention to the effects of limited or completely canceled arts classes on student achievement, morale, and wellness. Jamie Kasper, director of the Arts Education Partnership, cited over 300 studies demonstrating that “Children raised in arts-rich environments, regardless of socioeconomic status, amount to human development squared. Arts accelerated all development: language, cognitive, reading.” Delivering quality arts experiences to students virtually or in a socially-distanced way amid the pandemic has been difficult to say the least, says Richard Scaletta, superintendent of the General McLane School District in northwestern Pennsylvania. Under ESSA, the arts are considered a key part of a “well-rounded” education, and multiple levers are built into the law to incentivize the inclusion of arts education at the local level.