Archive for October, 2008

The State of Arts Education in the NYC Public Schools

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

By: Richard Kessler

Buyer beware: this is not a brief blog…

On October 14th, the New York City Department of Education released its second Annual Arts in the Schools Report, which is part of a larger initiative called Arts Count.

There were three press articles that covered this report:
NY Times

NY Post

Inside Schools

Here is the press release issued by the NYCDOE

Okay, what are the key points that made it to the press release?

Among the main findings:

  • Forty-five percent of elementary schools offered all four art disciplines (visual arts, music, dance, and theater) in 2007-2008, up from 38 percent in 2006-2007.
  • Thirty-three percent of middle schools offered all four art disciplines (visual arts, music, dance, and theater), up from 17 percent in 2006-2007; and student participation increased in all four disciplines.
  • A greater percentage of high school students are participating in arts instruction by discipline.
  • The report also shows that despite budget constraints, school leaders reported hiring an additional 152 certified arts teachers. Spending levels remained essentially unchanged.

Okay, what didn’t make it to the press release and what warrants further examination in the report?The number of schools without any arts teachers jumped from approximately 20% to almost 30%. (There are almost 1500 schools in the system–you can do the math.)

Spending on arts supplies went down by 63% (a reduction in almost $7 million). That’s a whole lot of supplies.

Spending on services of cultural organizations went down by over $500,000. If you factor in that cultural organizations match the contributions of schools by two dollars for every one dollar a school spends, you’re looking at total reduction in $1.5 million related to services provided by outside organizations. This is particularly important when you consider the dearth of certified arts teachers.

Even after what many believe to be the largest budget increase in the history of New York City public schools, from approximately $12 billion in 2003 to almost $20 billion at present, you have only 8% of all elementary schools even in the position to provide the minimum State requirements, by offering all four art forms in all grades.

The report indicates that “per capita” spending rose from $308 to $311 per student. (Actually, last year’s report states the spending was at $312). Again, it sounds great, doesn’t it? Where else in the country are they spending $311 per student? If you consider that there are hundreds of schools without a certified arts teacher, how could the per capita spending be $311? Certainly, if you add up all spending attributable to arts education, and divide it by the number of students, you can calculate such a per capita figure. But this doesn’t really tell us much of the story, as to who is provided with what. What is the per capita spending in a school where the kids haven’t a single certified arts teacher and spending on cultural providers is being cut, versus spending at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School? This is an area that needs much greater attention.

It’s also interesting that both this year and last year’s report give the impression that all high school students receive the arts education required by the State of New York. This is because one cannot graduate without one year of arts education. That is, roughly speaking, the minimum requirement. However, if you consider graduation rates, as well as alternative pathways to high school diplomas, well, many high school students are not being provided with arts education. It is another area, a significant one, warranting a different methodology.

This is a particularly important area of concern. Upon analysis of last year’s report, we determined a clear statistical correlation between those who study the arts, and attendance and graduation rates. In a system struggling to raise graduation rates, it would appear that participation in high quality arts for all high school students on a regular basis would be an important approach to raising the graduation rates.

The report is hobbled by much of what ails many of the similar reports being released elsewhere: it is heavily weighted towards explicating what is “offered,” without going the next very hard mile to determine real rates of participation. As long as these reports tell us, in the main, what is “offered” but do not apply more sophisticated and costly methodologies to uncover participation to a much greater degree, a veil will remain over the data and its utility.

All in all, I would have to say this the report has a through the looking glass quality that doesn’t provide the real tools we need – namely a detailed understand of what each child receives and what it will take to get us to a well-rounded education that includes the arts for every child – while meeting the minimum requirements required by the State of New York.

This blog is a condensed version of Richard Kessler’s, Executive Director of the Center for Arts Education, blog posted on http://www.artsjournal.com/. To read the entire blog, click here.

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Make Learning More Relevant to Students

Friday, October 24th, 2008

Providing cash incentives to students for good grades, passing standardized tests, attending school, and completing homework has been a hot topic. Read about it here and here.

“In Chicago, the nation’s third-largest school system distributed payouts on Oct. 16 totaling more than $265,000 to 1,650 freshmen in 20 high schools as part of the privately funded “Green for Grades” program unveiled last month. Freshmen and sophomores receive $50 for A’s, $35 for B’s and $20 for C’s every five weeks.”

“In the District of Columbia, meanwhile, students at 15 public middle schools received their first reward checks for good grades and behavior. On Oct. 17, students earned $137,813 from the Capital Gains program, a new venture between the school district and Harvard University. Under the program, students are eligible for up to $100 month for attendance, homework, good behavior, and good grades.”

Instead of experimenting with cash incentives for improving student achievement, why not look for ways to make learning more relevant to students? It is important while children are young to instill a love for learning, rather than growing a “what do I get for it?” mentality.  Children are born with an innate sense of curiosity, exploring the world around them and yearning to learn new skills. Somewhere along the way, it seems, schools are squelching this yearning.  Why is that?

Perhaps it is boredom. One of the reasons students often cite for dropping out of school is a lack of interest in what they were learning and how it was relevant in the “real world.” A growing number of anecdotal accounts about narrowing curriculum suggest a possible reason that children lose interest.  Many schools emphasize the mindless repetition of basic reading and math skills, conduct endless test preparation, and demand only the regurgitation of factoids about historical people and events presented in hopelessly dull textbooks created by committees. Children of all ages are capable of more, and examples abound of schools that both embrace a rigorous, well-rounded curriculum and that perform well on standardized tests as a byproduct rather than an end in and of itself.

I’d venture to say that schools providing a full liberal arts curriculum including sciences, social studies, the arts, technology, and math do not need to offer cash incentives to entice their students to do better.

It is inconclusive whether these cash incentive programs actually make gains in student achievement, but it is likely that they do not espouse a love for learning-and after all, isn’t learning what school is all about?

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Textbooks are a Bore Laments Indiana Board of Education

Monday, October 6th, 2008

It was business as usual as the Indiana Board of Education prepared to approve the list of proposed textbooks, until they actually read them.According to Indy Star reporter Andy Gammill:

“Their reviews of this year’s batch of social studies texts:  Boring, dull, uninspirational; so lifeless as to be unfit for students. The board first rejected the entire list of books during a meeting Wednesday. After much discussion, members settled on a compromise to approve the books but send a letter to schools warning that the books may be too monotonous for children.”

The Board reasoned that it had to do something; if the texts weren’t approved, school districts would not be able to purchase them at a discounted rate.  But to pass the buck on determining quality textbooks, and simply send a letter to schools warning them about the monotony of the textbooks they just approved: What exactly does the Board anticipate school districts’ reaction to be?  Of, course the “boring” textbooks still will end up in the classroom.

Next time, instead of passing along mediocre classroom materials to teachers with a letter of warning, we recommend the Indiana Board of Education do its job.  Indiana should put the word out to textbook publishers that they want to see rigorous, content-rich textbooks.  And if they don’t get it the Board should be thinking “outside the box” -meaning outside the established textbook industry–to acquire the materials Indiana students need and deserve.  How about checking out the great materials that the Core Knowledge Foundation produces?  Or Joy Hakim’s excellent A History of US series?   Or-for high schoolers-former US Secretary of Education Bill Bennett’s America:  The Last Best Hope?

To many teachers and curriculum specialists, dull textbooks are nothing new.

“Social studies textbooks have been dull for decades,” said Robert Brady, director of social studies for Indianapolis Public Schools.  “I just think the books are sterile,” he said. “All the fun is softened. When I read history, the controversies are what’s interesting. . . . The actual content is watered down.”

We’d be interested to see how the textbook industry would react if even just a few states refused to go along with the pablum it produces.  It could help make textbooks better for all students.

– Lynne and Laura

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