Ensuring Educational Equity
for All Students through the Arts
www.PerformingArtsWorkshop.org
“Some of the kids that have a more
difficult time in class, they’re the ones
that find success in theatre arts. It is
a great confidence booster for them;
they shine. I have seen a couple of them
really blossom through the theatre arts
program, and that is transferring to the
classroom. They have the opportunity
to have that kind of artistic expression,
and then get recognized for it. It is a
great boost for them.”
- Elementary school teacher, San Francisco public schools
KEY F I N D I N G S
Increased Math Proficiency
Artists-in-Schools Program
Partcipants’ Math Proficiency
2% from 2007 to 2009
compared to 2% decrease in math proficiency
from 2007 to 2009 of non-participants
Findings from the Performing Arts Workshop’s
Arts Residency Interventions in Special Education (ARISE) Research Study
Teachers, parents, arts advocates and special education advocates express concern
that special education students receive limited access to the arts compared to gen-
eral education students caused in part by systemic practices, such as scheduling
support services during arts education classes. The findings below come from a
four-year, rigorous research study conducted by the Performing Arts Workshop to
examine how special education students benefit from arts learning. This research
study compared academic, social, behavioral and emotional outcomes of special
education and general education students receiving the Performing Arts Work-
shop’s Artists-in-Schools program with those who did not receive the program. Our
findings reinforce evidence from other educational research that has demonstrated
the arts to be a powerful tool in improving student learning, especially for those
students traditionally at-risk for academic failure.1 2
The arts provide a unique opportunity for special education students
to shine in the classroom. There are new, unique expectations for all
students, which levels the playing field for students with special needs.
Teachers report that the arts introduce students to new ways of
learning, increase students’ motivation to learn, and increase
opportunities for self-expression, all of which can lead to improved
academic performance in other subject areas.
Students participating in the Artists-in-Schools program were less
likely to be absent from school or late to class, when compared with
students that did not receive the program.
Findings across multiple years show that more students that
participated in Artists-in-Schools became proficient in mathematics
over the course of the program, as measured by standardized test
scores.
Teacher action research shows that by emphasizing modeling, rehearsal
and repetition, the performing arts are particularly effective in
improving language comprehension, self-confidence and critical
thinking skills of English Language Learners.
Throughout their involvement in the Artists-in-Schools program, special
education teachers were more likely to observe a positive impact
from the performing arts on their students’ classroom behavior
compared with general education teachers.
Cognitive and social development is accelerated through the arts;
students interact with their peers in a structured environment that
encourages critical thinking.

www.PerformingArtsWorkshop.org
Higher School Attendance Rates
2008 Artists-in-Schools Program
Paricipants Non-participants
% days absent 2.9% 3.3%
% days tardy 1.3% 4.5%
“[The artist] worked on control
with [the students]. There are
some kids in my class that have
a lot of trouble just sitting in
a chair. So he did a lot of work
with them on appropriate
ways to use their bodies, and
how they can be aware of their
bodies and control them a
little better, which definitely
supports their academics.”
- Elementary school teacher,
San Francisco public schools
Call to Action
Be diligent in your support for the arts within the reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act as well as in budgeting for the U.S.
Department of Education and National Endowment for the Arts! The arts are a
primary pathway for increasing students’ 21st century learning skills including
critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving skills.
Arts education benefits students when:
High standards are established and
used in delivering quality arts education
experiences, for all students
The arts are addressed in education policies
by including the arts as a core subject,
requiring arts educators to have strong
qualifications, and expecting students to
achieve competency in the arts through
relevant performance-based assessments
Funding is secured for arts education and
not considered optional; too often the
arts are the first subject at risk of being cut
whenever there is a funding shortfall
Methodology
The report draws on findings from a four-year study funded largely through the U.S.
Department of Education’s Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination
(AEMDD) Grants Program. Between 2006 and 2010, a quasi-experimental study was
conducted among five treatment schools receiving the Artists-in-Schools program and
three matched comparison schools that did not receive the program. In total, 54 teach-
ers and 1,583 third, fourth and fifth grade students participated in the study. Data was
collected through the following methods:
surveys of students, teacher and artists;
teacher action research projects;
focus groups of teachers and artists;
classroom observations; and
school administrative records and standardized test scores.
Statistical tests verified that there were significantly improved outcomes among stu-
dents that received the Artists-in-Schools program. Qualitative data help us under-
stand context and the implications of those outcomes. Annual evaluation reports from
this study are published at www.issuelab.org, and a final report with cumulative find-
ings will be available in December 2010.
1 Catterall, James. Critical Links Learning in the Arts and Student Social and Academic Development. United States Department of Education,
National Endowment for the Arts. 2002. Available at: http://www.aep-arts.org/publications/info.htm?publication_id=10
2 Catterall, James. Doing well and doing good by doing art. I-Group Books. Los Angeles, CA. October 2009. Available at: http://www.gseis.ucla.
edu/faculty/files/catterall/DWDG.Info.package.pdf