Study shows art classes boost grad rates
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A new study, commissioned by the Center for Arts Education, finds that higher graduations rates go hand-in-hand with the number of performing arts and visual arts classes offered to high school students. As reported in yesterday’s Daily News,” students at high schools with graduation rates higher than 85% are much more likely to have taken at least three art classes than those at schools where less than half the students graduate.”
In August, we reported that the city’s public schools were not meeting state requirements, which mandate that a certain percentage of instructional hours be dedicated to the arts. Kira Streets, the CAE’s director of public engagement, says the study “is just one more piece that shows arts education is crucial to a successful K-12 education experience, and it’s not being delivered equitably.”
Interested in advocating for more arts programming in city schools? The CAE is looking to hire parent advocates to campaign for arts-education-friendly policies and to work to get schools in compliance with state regulations. The group would like to have two advocates for each borough; still missing are two representatives from Staten Island, and one each for the Bronx and Queens. Interested parents should contact Kira Streets or call (212) 971-3300, extension 324.
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