Illinois First in Nation to Include Arts as Weighted Indicator of K-12 Success Under ESSA
March 20, 2020
The Illinois State Board of Education voted unanimously to “include arts as a weighted indicator of K-12 success in its school accountability metrics under the Every Student Succeeds Act.” Only a few states include the arts in their ESSA accountability metrics, and none include them as weighted indicators of success for all grades K-12. Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, the arts “indicator will equal 5% of every school’s total score.” The vote is a big win for arts education advocates, including Arts Alliance Illinois Executive Director Claire Rice, who said, “The arts teach students to think critically and solve problems creatively. Arts learning also enhances student engagement and helps with social and emotional development.”