Research & Advocacy
Links to critical research and advocacy on arts education.
The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is a national coalition of arts, education, business, philanthropic and government organizations that demonstrate and promote the essential role of the arts in the learning and development of every child and in the improvement of America's schools. This is a “Must See”site for valuable and current research. Publications on arts education advocacy and research:
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies: (NASAA): Unites, represents and serves the nation's state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Published in collaboration with the Arts Education Partnership (AEP), Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement responds to the needs of policymakers, educators, parents and advocates for fact-based, non-technical language documenting the most current and compelling research on the value of arts learning experiences. Link to PDF version and order information.
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA): The National Endowment for the Arts, an investment in America's living cultural heritage, serves the public good by nurturing the expression of human creativity, supporting the cultivation of community spirit, and fostering the recognition and appreciation of excellence and diversity of our nation's artistic accomplishments. Arts Learning publications, including, “How the Arts can enhance After School Programming.”
Americans for the Arts: Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Arts Education On-Line Resource Center.
Council of Chief State School Officers: Recently published, Third Space: When Learning Matters tells the riveting story of the profound changes in the lives of kids, teachers, and parents in ten economically disadvantaged communities across the country that place their bets on the arts as a way to create great schools. The schools become caring communities where kids - many of whom face challenges of poverty, the need to learn English, and to surmount learning difficulties - thrive and succeed and where teachers find new joy and satisfaction in teaching.
Annenberg Institute for School Reform: The Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University develops, shares and acts on knowledge that improves the conditions and outcomes of schooling in America, especially in urban communities and in schools serving disadvantaged children. The Arts and School Reform: Lessons and Possibilities for the Annenberg Challenge Arts Projects fostered a civic commitment to arts education in their local schools and communities, which led to an expansion in local ownership and investment in arts education.
Keep Arts in Schools: This comprehensive site, funded by the Ford Foundation highlights the efforts of arts education organizations throughout the country, using the power of the web to make tools and resources available to those seeking to make the arts top priority in public schools and communities at-large.
The Dana Foundation: The Dana Foundation is a private philanthropic organization with particular interests in brain science, immunology, and arts education. The Arts Education initiative at Dana supports innovative programs leading to improved teaching in the performing arts in public schools. Grants, guidelines, publications, and resources are all online.
Education Commission of the States: ECS Former Chair Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas believes the arts must play an essential role in the K-12 education of every child. It is this understanding of the transformative power of the arts that led Governor Huckabee to choose the arts in education as the focus of his ECS 2004-06 chairmanship. The website includes many articles and issue briefs on arts education.
Harvard Project Zero: Project Zero's mission is to understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, as well as humanistic and scientific disciplines, at the individual and institutional levels. Organization also has strong research on family involvement.
The Wallace Foundation: The Wallace Foundation works to expand learning and enrichment opportunities for all people. The Knowledge Center on the web site is a repository of field-based evidence of what is working, what is not and why.
