Arts Instruction

BENEFITS

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• Academic – Better writing. In a randomized trial with more than 10,000 Houston students, writing scores rose by 13% of a standard deviation. The same study found no clear gains in math, reading or science.brookings

 

• Better grades in some studies. Students aged 14–16 who took at least two semester-long arts workshops earned higher grades in language arts and math.arteducationmasters.arts.ufl

 

• Stronger thinking skills: observation, problem-solving, critical thinking and communication. oregon

 

• Easier recall. Drawing or singing as part of a lesson may help students remember things like vocabulary or science concepts. arteducationmasters.arts.ufl

 

• Social and emotional – More compassion and empathy for others. kinder.rice

 

• Help with handling feelings, bouncing back from setbacks, and being tolerant of others. arts

 

• A way to connect with others and heal after disruption or trauma. oregon

 

• More confidence and self-expression, including among shy students. degree.astate

 

• Engagement and behavior – Fewer discipline problems: a 3.6 percentage point drop in infractions in the Houston trial. brookings

 

• More interest in school and higher college goals. kinder.rice

 

• Better motivation and attendance, plus higher graduation rates. education.stateuniversity

 

 

 

 

 

HOW TO

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• Curriculum and instruction – A full program that builds year by year and is tied to standards. Instruction covers all five arts disciplines during the regular school day, every year from TK through grade 12.cde.ca

 

• The same rigor and high expectations used in other core subjects. nafme

 

• A clear scope and sequence: which concepts, skills and techniques students should master at each grade, and in what order. arts.wa

 

• A balance of making art and responding to it, covering art history, criticism, aesthetics and production. docs.elkhart.k12.in

 

• Three strands together: arts taught as their own subject, arts blended into other subjects (including STEAM), and exposure to working artists and live performances.oregon

 

• Emphasis on effort over talent and process over the finished product, with mistakes treated as part of learning. westonschools

 

• Discussion and critique built into lessons so students learn from each other and reflect on their own work. westonschools 

 

• Assessment – Real assessment of student progress, with programs accountable to school leaders, parents and the community.nafme

 

• Clear criteria for judging work and a mix of formative and summative assessment, such as rubrics, self-assessments, peer critiques and portfolios.arts.wa

 

• Staffing and professional learning – Qualified arts teachers and regular class time. nafme

 

• Highly qualified arts specialists whom every student gets to see often. cfinsights.issuelab

 

• Well-trained teachers who make art themselves, plus ongoing staff training. files.eric.ed

 

• Training that goes deep over time instead of one-time workshops.arts.wa

 

• Resources and environment – The basics in place: curriculum, scheduling, staffing, facilities, safety, materials and equipment.cde.ca

 

• A set budget for supplies and a dedicated space for each art form taught.cps

 

• Welcoming spaces, high-quality equipment and teaching artists. wallacefoundation

 

• Student-centered and culturally relevant – Lessons that build on students’ interests, cultures and identities.wallacefoundation

 

• Content connected to students’ cultural backgrounds and prior knowledge, with room for student voice.cfinsights.issuelab

 

 

 

 

CHALLENGES

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• Funding and resources – Tight budgets and accountability pressure have reduced access to the arts. In some schools the arts are treated as an elective or a frill.amacad

 

• When money runs short, art supplies, field trips and even teaching positions are often cut first. torontoguardian

 

• 81% of schools reported enough student interest in the arts, but only 55% had enough funding, facilities and materials. arts

 

• Federal funding has become less certain. Some Assistance for Arts Education grants were ended a year early, and both that program and the NEA were proposed for elimination.edweek

 

• Time and scheduling – With more focus on test prep, art classes often get squeezed out of the school day. torontoguardian

 

• Among schools with music or visual arts, 26–29% teach less than one hour a week.arts

 

• In high school, arts courses get lower scheduling priority than core subjects, so students often have to work around graduation requirements to fit them in. nfhs

 

• Testing and low status – Since No Child Left Behind, the focus on tested subjects (math and English) has led states to give less money and attention to the arts.edweek

 

• Teachers feel pressure to spend more time on reading and math.afterschoolalliance

 

• Unequal access – Schools with many students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch are nearly twice as likely to offer no arts at all. nafme

 

• More than two million public school students get little or no arts instruction. publicschoolreview

 

• Limited range of art forms – Only 15% of schools teach three arts disciplines, and just 9% teach four or more. nafme

 

• States often read “music and the arts” in federal law as music and visual art only. That leaves dance, theatre and media arts underfunded or missing.nafme

 

• Staffing – Some states lost certified arts teachers between 2022 and 2024, especially in dance, theatre and media arts.

 

• Burnout is common. Art teachers often juggle many classes on tight budgets with limited resources.torontoguardian

 

• Facilities and working conditions – Arts classes need special equipment, more space and flexible room setups, so poor conditions hurt them more than most subjects.nfhs

 

• Schools serving low-income students are less likely to have dedicated arts rooms with the right equipment.

 

• Arts integration and working with others – Arts integration needs buy-in from leaders and teachers. Change takes time, energy and money.escholarship

 

• Every arts educator interviewed in that study named working meaningfully with classroom teachers as a challenge. escholarship

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT NOT TO DO

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• In the classroom – Don’t do for students what they can do themselves. That includes drawing or painting on their work and leaning on templates just to save time or control the result.teachkidsart

 

• Don’t “fix” student work so it looks perfect.theartofeducation

 

• Don’t over-demonstrate or control the process too much. That leads to copying instead of real creativity. ecokidsart

 

• Don’t build lessons entirely around craft projects where everyone follows the same steps. Students learn to follow directions but never make an artistic choice. lessondraft

 

• Don’t fall back on cookie-cutter holiday projects that leave no room for individual expression.teachkidsart

 

• Don’t care only about the finished product. Value the process and growth. phoenix

 

• Don’t make students afraid to fail. Fearful students won’t try anything new.teachkidsart

 

• Don’t give vague praise. Give specific feedback students can act on. jobicy

 

• Don’t assume every student has the same fine-motor skills, access to materials or confidence.jobicy

 

• Don’t overlook quiet students. Set up routines that bring in every voice.phoenix

 

• Don’t discipline too much or too little.theartofeducation

 

• Curriculum and planning – Don’t teach the same projects every year, or the program goes stale.teachkidsart

 

• Don’t cram too much into the year. Cover less, but go deeper.theartofeducation

 

• Don’t skip materials just because you don’t like them or they’re a lot of work.theartofeducation

 

• Don’t let appreciation (looking at and identifying famous works) take over. Most of the curriculum should be guided practice and making art.canaacademy

 

• Don’t skip the basics, such as the elements and principles of art.canaacademy

 

• Don’t teach a lesson you haven’t worked through yourself first. teachkidsart

 

• Don’t show artists’ work without context, credit and cultural care.jobicy

 

• Arts integration – Don’t treat the arts as add-ons. Plan with clear goals for both the academic subject and the art form.teacherstrategies

 

• Don’t work alone. Partner or co-teach with arts specialists.teacherstrategies

 

• Don’t use assessments that ignore arts skills. Use rubrics that score both the content and the art. teacherstrategies

 

• Program and leadership – Don’t let outside programs, such as residencies or field trips, replace a real sequential arts program taught by qualified teachers. nafme

 

• Don’t hold the arts to lower standards than other subjects.nafme

 

• Don’t rely on one-time workshops for teacher training. Build in-depth learning over time.arts.wa

 

• Don’t skimp on basic supplies like paper and paint. Save money somewhere else. theartofeducation

 

• Don’t make families pay for materials, especially in Title I schools.amacad