It's been eleven years since the last arts assessment from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the "Nation's Report Card." NAEP is also widely viewed as the gold standard of educational assessment.On Friday June 15th, the 2008 "Arts Report Card" was released. Before I get into anything else, I do have to say how important it is that NAEP includes … [Read more...] about NAEP Arts Assessment Released
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Arts Education Cuts at New York City Public Schools: A Tale of Two Worlds
The Daily News released an article today on cuts to the arts starting to appear in the New York City Public Schools. Note the title: City Schools are Seeing Arts Programs Erased Amid Budget CutsFor those of you who don't know this school district, basically, the principals call the shots. If they want to gut an entire arts program, they have the power, as the have been … [Read more...] about Arts Education Cuts at New York City Public Schools: A Tale of Two Worlds
Can the Arts be a Central Part of Urban School Improvement?
Well, of course. Unfortunately, that answer is not widely known or embraced among the policy elites. That's part of our job as advocates.Middle School 223, once shuttered as one of the most violent middle schools in New York City, was reopened in 2003 as M.S. 223/The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology. Today, Principal Ramon Gonzalez says attendance is about 4 percent … [Read more...] about Can the Arts be a Central Part of Urban School Improvement?
Why Arts Education is Important–What My Daughter Taught Me
I have a four-year-old daughter, Sophie. Last July, one of my very first blog entries, Daddy Don't You Have Some Baby Music?, was about how she had already developed her own personality, taste, and requisite ability to discern styles of music. That entry is in my archives.Okay, so last week, juggling family obligations, I had to take a day off from work to watch Sophie. … [Read more...] about Why Arts Education is Important–What My Daughter Taught Me
K-12 Education in America: Why We’re Behind Other Countries
You have heard a lot about how the US cannot compete with other countries when it comes to K-12 education. We're behind in the key barometers, essentially meaning test scores in reading and math, which has helped fuel a mini-back-to-basics movement narrowing the curriculum.Moreover, high stakes have driven this narrowing. Look at NCLB. Look at the School Progress Report in NYC. … [Read more...] about K-12 Education in America: Why We’re Behind Other Countries