Arts Advocacy is Like Getting a Vaccine

TRIPLE A: Arts, Advocacy, Action

What does the world look like without arts education?

Most people claim to support arts education – especially in the educational system - and yet, it is often the first item up for elimination in the curriculum when we face budget cuts. Many administrators, believing after school programs and arts enrichment through short, un-sustained arts engagements, are meeting what students need to be ready to enter the creative workforce with adequate 21st century skills. We all know this is most certainly not enough – especially since the arts and entertainment industry is the third largest economy in California.

As we passionately support our students within the confines of our own classrooms, we blindly rely on others to advocate for our cause on the grander scale. We are so busy, don’t have an interest in the political aspects of education, feel like we don’t know enough or that someone else will do it better, so we trust others to do this work and don’t take action.

Advocacy works on the same principle as vaccines. Vaccines only work when everyone does their part. One individual vaccination does nothing to stop a disease, even if that person is the most powerful, influential person in the world. The true power in vaccines lies in numbers; with each person doing a small part to build herd immunity. Advocacy is exactly the same. A few powerful, vocal leaders are nothing without a large group of people taking a few minutes from their day to participate in advocacy in some way.

When we are supported by an overwhelming number of advocates, our profession can be an incredible force; but, when people start to opt out — because we believe we don’t know enough about the issues, don’t have enough time or money or think someone else is better qualified — then the beneficial protections start to dissipate. Advocacy is critical to the health of our profession.

The burden lies equally on us all — from the first-year teacher to the most senior professor emeritus — to be an advocate. 

Advocacy is action – doing something to champion, promote, support, and endorse arts education. The word advocate is derived from the Latin vox, meaning “voice,” as in voicing support for something, or someone who is the figurative voice for a cause.

 Becoming a member of an arts professional organization is a powerful action first step. Tapping into our organization helps us hone our advocacy skills from the classroom, to the district, to the county, to the state, to the nation. It’s not enough to be an artist in the world anymore – you have to self-advocate to be visible in the art world. Our membership in a professional organization is our self-advocacy as a profession. Our service in our organization heightens the importance of the arts in education and gives us power and the tools to keep the arts alive in education – despite the financial climate.  It’s our united voice that can’t be overlooked in the educational landscape. Our students need you to act on their behalf for their future and model for them what they need to do for themselves.

START AN ARTS REVOLUTION

Collective leadership helps us all move arts education to the next level


Artists have always been leaders and forerunners of new movements. In the 20th century, the Fauves led a shift in how we see the world. For the first time, color did not serve as a mirror of objectivity, but expressed departure from norms, causing the viewer to see things differently.

Similarly, Cubism, the avant-garde art style that led to an artistic revolution in the early 20th century, does not present an object from just one perspective but sees it from all angles simultaneously. At the time, the artistic approach was revolutionary, and the world hasn’t been the same since.
There are countless ways artists have led the way fearlessly to change. This can happen in our classrooms, districts, state, and on a national level. Leadership takes on many forms. As our artist predecessors, we are trying to create a movement - new creative approaches to common things and things that don’t yet exist. One of the most important ways to lead as artists and educators is through advocacy.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

"Woman With A Hat"
Henri Matisse, Leader in the Fauve Movement

• We can lead our colleagues both in
the arts and from other disciplines,
to see arts education differently.
• We can lead students to be agents of
change through their work as artists.
• We can model this through our own
risk-taking and assumption of leadership
roles.
HOW CAN YOU DO IT?
• Lead a school-wide initiative
around the arts, maybe it’s a
school-wide effort and you’re at the
helm.
• Assume a leadership role
in your arts professional organization or
lend a leadership voice at your local
arts council meeting.
•Lead students into community
engagement that changes
how we see issues and society
through social artistry.
• Start a chapter of
the version of  A National Arts Honor Society at
your school, and begin cultivating
the next generation of leaders.


Leaders bring people together around new ideas and start conversations. Leadership starts with stepping into an arena that puts us a little out of our comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be
big. It’s a metaphorical shift through small, incremental experimental steps like painting portraits with arbitrary colors. Leadership is listening, identifying patterns, and finding ways to
meet needs and improve systems, organizations, and human experiences. Research shows that students engaged in art tend to be more civic minded. As artists, we can observe the human condition and think critically about how to present it and offer new ways of seeing everyday things.

We need the mindset of leadership in our work as educators, not as a way of
taking on one more thing that makes us feel overwhelmed, but as a means
of more effectively unifying forces that collectively distribute the workload and, ultimately, make things easier. We need leadership to offer us a new way of seeing things to push us to the next level, even after achieving success. If we stay comfortable and status quo,we won’t find that next avantgarde movement that pushes us to stay up with the shifts in the global creative workforce.It takes creativity and tenacity to be a leader. That’s who we are as artists. And, that’s what we bring to our role as arts educators. What’s your next step in leadership? Who and how will you engage in paving the way to the next revolutionary innovation? As anew year begins, I encourage you to reflect on what your next steps are to grow as a leader in arts education.

Another benefit of Arts Education

//psmag.com/arts-education-reduces-stress-level-of-low-income-students-8ec26279aa86#.debi4jy3f

Arts Education Reduces Stress Level of Low-Income Students

Music and dance training can have an immediate, physiological benefit.

By Tom Jacobs

(Photo: Horace Abrahams/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Poverty leads to stress, which in turn leads to poorer health. Breaking this cycle is certainly a challenge, especially with children. But promising new research provides evidence of an effective, low-cost intervention: arts education.

A study featuring 310 economically disadvantaged preschoolers reports music, dance, and visual arts lessons effectively reduced their stress levels as measured by the level of a common hormone.

This effect kicked in during the first half of the school year, and remained strong through the program’s conclusion.

“Our study is the first we know of that demonstrates that the arts may help alleviate the impact of poverty on children’s physiological functioning,” West Chester University psychologist Eleanor Brown, the study’s primary investigator, writes in the journal Child Development.

The three- to five-year-old children all attended the Settlement Music School’s Kaleidoscope Preschool Arts Enrichment Program in Philadelphia. While part of the federal Head Start program, the preschool is unique “in its full integration of the arts,” the researchers note. The children “receive multiple arts classes each day, taught in fully equipped artist studios by credentialed artist-teachers.”

The children were of many races, but all were from low-income families. And poverty has been widely associated with elevated stress.

Our bodies react to stressful situations by increasing our cortisol level, which gives us extra energy to protect ourselves against a perceived threat. People living in poverty (or other high-stress situations) often suffer from chronic elevated cortisol, which has been linked to a variety of health problems, including cognitive and emotional difficulties.

Emotional self-regulation is taught as part of the arts classes.

The children’s cortisol levels were measured on two separate days at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Saliva samples were taken in the morning (to establish a baseline) and at mid-morning, noon, and afternoon, following either an arts or a home-room class. (Their schedules were staggered to ensure the results reflected the impact of a specific class, rather than the time of day.)

The researchers found that, at mid-year and again at the end of the school year, the kids’ average cortisol levels were lower after an arts class than they were after their home-room period. This held true whether the arts class was music, dance, or visual art.

“This suggests that arts classes … taught by credentialed artist-teachers have value added beyond the limited integration of the arts found in typical home-room classes based on (Head Start’s) creative curriculum,” they conclude.

The fact that these positive effects emerged at the middle of the year “suggests that physiological benefits of arts programming may not be manifested upon children’s initial exposure,” the researchers add. Rather, they “may depend on children’s adjustment, or accumulated skill acquisition.”

Precisely why the children’s stress level lowered isn’t entirely clear. The researchers note that emotional self-regulation is taught as part of the arts classes. Presumably, learning artistic skills also helps the kids develop the ability to focus and concentrate, and activities such as singing and dancing certainly allow for emotional release.

Whatever the specifics, the classes’ positive impact is clear. If you still think of arts education as a luxury — well, is good mental and emotional health a luxury too?Arts Education Reduces Stress Level of Low-Income Students Music and dance training can have an immediate, physiological benefit. By Tom Jacobs (Photo: Horace Abrahams/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Poverty leads to stress, which in turn leads to poorer health. Breaking this cycle is certainly a challenge, especially with children. But promising new research provides evidence of an effective, low-cost intervention: arts education. A study featuring 310 economically disadvantaged preschoolers reports music, dance, and visual arts lessons effectively reduced their stress levels as measured by the level of a common hormone. This effect kicked in during the first half of the school year, and remained strong through the program’s conclusion. “Our study is the first we know of that demonstrates that the arts may help alleviate the impact of poverty on children’s physiological functioning,” West Chester University psychologist Eleanor Brown, the study’s primary investigator, writes in the journal Child Development. An Entire MFA Class Dropped Out to Protest the Changing Face of Arts Education Art may be a vocation to students, but art education is quickly becoming vocational school. psmag.com The three- to five-year-old children all attended the Settlement Music School’s Kaleidoscope Preschool Arts Enrichment Program in Philadelphia. While part of the federal Head Start program, the preschool is unique “in its full integration of the arts,” the researchers note. The children “receive multiple arts classes each day, taught in fully equipped artist studios by credentialed artist-teachers.” The children were of many races, but all were from low-income families. And poverty has been widely associated with elevated stress. Our bodies react to stressful situations by increasing our cortisol level, which gives us extra energy to protect ourselves against a perceived threat. People living in poverty (or other high-stress situations) often suffer from chronic elevated cortisol, which has been linked to a variety of health problems, including cognitive and emotional difficulties. Emotional self-regulation is taught as part of the arts classes. The children’s cortisol levels were measured on two separate days at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Saliva samples were taken in the morning (to establish a baseline) and at mid-morning, noon, and afternoon, following either an arts or a home-room class. (Their schedules were staggered to ensure the results reflected the impact of a specific class, rather than the time of day.) The researchers found that, at mid-year and again at the end of the school year, the kids’ average cortisol levels were lower after an arts class than they were after their home-room period. This held true whether the arts class was music, dance, or visual art. Participation in the Arts Is Driven by Education, Not Class A certain percentage of people go to the opera in order to be seen, to impress their bosses (or in-laws), or because it… psmag.com “This suggests that arts classes … taught by credentialed artist-teachers have value added beyond the limited integration of the arts found in typical home-room classes based on (Head Start’s) creative curriculum,” they conclude. The fact that these positive effects emerged at the middle of the year “suggests that physiological benefits of arts programming may not be manifested upon children’s initial exposure,” the researchers add. Rather, they “may depend on children’s adjustment, or accumulated skill acquisition.” Precisely why the children’s stress level lowered isn’t entirely clear. The researchers note that emotional self-regulation is taught as part of the arts classes. Presumably, learning artistic skills also helps the kids develop the ability to focus and concentrate, and activities such as singing and dancing certainly allow for emotional release. Whatever the specifics, the classes’ positive impact is clear. If you still think of arts education as a luxury — well, is good mental and emotional health a luxury too?

Arts Education Matters

Arts Education in SAUSD

Santa Ana High School Orchestra Performance at Artwalk October 2016

The arts matter. They are a critical component of a child’s development of 21^st century learning.  Not only do the arts address the needs of the whole child, they are extremely important in developing the skills students need to enter the creative workforce and succeed in the global market.  Research has demonstrated that students who study the arts learn how to think critically and creatively, to persevere beyond failed attempts to reach goals, and to work collaboratively with their fellow students – important qualities for the next generation of leaders.  Business and industry leaders recognize and understand the need to hire people with the ability to have imagination, creativity and to be innovative.

 “A broad education in the arts gives children a better understanding of their world.  We need students who are culturally literate as well as math and science literate,” said Paul Ostergard, Vice President of Citicorp

The National Standards of Arts Education states, “the arts are inseparable from the very meaning of the term ‘education.’ We know from long experience that no one can claim to be truly educated who lacks basic knowledge and skills in the arts. Society depends on the arts to carry us to a fullness of humanity and are part of the healthy development of children’s minds and spirits”

Many leaders throughout the United States believe arts education is the equal rights issue of the 21^st century.  Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education, “…  unfortunately, the arts opportunity gap is widest for children in high-poverty schools. This is absolutely an equity issue and a civil rights issue--just as is access to AP courses and other educational opportunities.” And, more recently, John B. King, “The bottom line is clear: a rich range of course offerings isn’t a nicety, it’s a vital part of a thorough education and a crucial element of social justice.”

The arts are communication and creative realization.  They are culture, history and connectors.  They contribute to the overall well-being of individuals to provide joy, inspiration, peace, intellectual stimulation and other life-enhancing qualities and experiences. The arts are community engagement with citizens who seek artistic experiences. 

In order to realize these critical philosophical foundations and lifelong goals, students need to become artistically literate.  And, their education needs to begin at an early age to explore and develop through experiential learning where they become reflective, life-long learners who know how to receive critical feedback, engage collaboratively and problem-solve effectively. 

First lady, Michelle Obama said that arts education is essential for building innovative thinkers who will be our nation’s leaders for tomorrow. In order to prepare students to meet the demands of the marketplace and creative economy, students need more arts education beginning in elementary school so they can work at significantly advanced levels to be college and career ready.

Santa Ana parents want more arts education for their children in SAUSD. In response to LCAP outreach and community feedback, Santa Ana Unified School District is launching the first public school of the arts, SanArts.  Housed at Santa Ana High School, this conservatory model will offer students throughout Santa Ana and Orange County the chance to earn a VAPA diploma and certifications that allow them to be college and career ready with industry-related competencies in the arts. 

Conservatory students will be able to study in 5 areas of intensive and multiple-discipline arts studies including dance, theatre, cinematic arts, vocal and instrumental music, and visual and digital media arts. This-school-within-a-school model allows students to work at conservatory levels in advanced arts studies while securing a strong academic foundation.  They will have benefit of the amenities, athletics and activities of a large public high school while getting the individualized attention and support to pursue full artistic potential.  Students who work at conservatory level in the high school will need to be developed in the district’s elementary and intermediate arts programs.  Therefore, it’s essential that all students have equitable access to this unique opportunity.  In addition, students from all over Orange County will be invited to audition.

Partnered by professional arts organizations and industry professionals, the conservatory will provide students with abundant opportunities to study and view professional artists through master classes, workshops, guest artist residencies, and field experience.  They will have opportunities to work as apprentices and interns to gain industry-level expertise, and will be fully immersed in arts studies by their senior year, including working as interns and apprentices in arts-related industries.  They will graduate with rich portfolios and bodies of work in preparation for students to be thriving contributors to the creative economy. 

Students heavily involved in the arts for at least one full year are four times more likely to have been recognized for academic performances, are elected to class office three times as often, are four times more likely to participate in a math and science fair, and are three times more likely to win an award for school attendance according to research.

Saddleback Dance Team at Artwalk October 2016

Godinez Christmas Concert December 2016

California Arts Education Data Project Talking Points

California Arts Education Data Project Talking Points
The California Arts Education Data Project is a new tool designed to help increase participation in arts

•   
  
•   This information can help school leaders, parents and advocates determine the status of arts education access in their schools and identify and address what inequities exist.
  
•   By having a complete picture of where our secondary schools currently stand, leaders will be able to take steps to close gaps in access to a core arts education curriculum in their districts.
  Presented in a user-friendly, color-coded dashboard, the Project provides important information to education leaders, teachers and parents about levels of access to and enrollment in arts programming in schools.
  

•   The dashboard allows users to review school-level, district, county and statewide data and presents the statewide averages as the baseline for comparison.
  
•   It reports data from 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 from 3,719 schools, covering more than three million students in grades 6 through 12, which is roughly half of California’s student population.
  
•   The source of data comes directly from information schools submitted through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) - California’s K–12 longitudinal data system.
  
•   As California elementary schools are not required to report subject-level data, information on arts education in grades pre-k through 5 is not currently included.
  The Data Project also features A Roadmap for School Districts that guides leaders through the process of examining their data to better understand their unique circumstances and challenges.
  

•   The Roadmap contains resources and helpful guides to assist districts in assessing their own programs and creating strategic arts plans.
  
•   The Data Project also provides a communication toolkit that includes materials to share these new resources with local stakeholders.
  Quality arts education sparks creative thinking and sets up students for success in college, career and life.
  

 These important tools will provide a complete picture of where California’s schools currently stand, allowing leaders to ensure their schools can provide invaluable arts education to every child in California. 

California Arts Education Data Project Talking Points

California Arts Education Data Project Talking Points
The California Arts Education Data Project is a new tool designed to help increase participation in arts

•   
  
•   This information can help school leaders, parents and advocates determine the status of arts education access in their schools and identify and address what inequities exist.
  
•   By having a complete picture of where our secondary schools currently stand, leaders will be able to take steps to close gaps in access to a core arts education curriculum in their districts.
  Presented in a user-friendly, color-coded dashboard, the Project provides important information to education leaders, teachers and parents about levels of access to and enrollment in arts programming in schools.
  

•   The dashboard allows users to review school-level, district, county and statewide data and presents the statewide averages as the baseline for comparison.
  
•   It reports data from 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 from 3,719 schools, covering more than three million students in grades 6 through 12, which is roughly half of California’s student population.
  
•   The source of data comes directly from information schools submitted through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) - California’s K–12 longitudinal data system.
  
•   As California elementary schools are not required to report subject-level data, information on arts education in grades pre-k through 5 is not currently included.
  The Data Project also features A Roadmap for School Districts that guides leaders through the process of examining their data to better understand their unique circumstances and challenges.
  

•   The Roadmap contains resources and helpful guides to assist districts in assessing their own programs and creating strategic arts plans.
  
•   The Data Project also provides a communication toolkit that includes materials to share these new resources with local stakeholders.
  Quality arts education sparks creative thinking and sets up students for success in college, career and life.
  

 These important tools will provide a complete picture of where California’s schools currently stand, allowing leaders to ensure their schools can provide invaluable arts education to every child in California. 

California Arts Education Data Project FAQs

The California Arts Education Data Project FAQs
Q1: What is the California Arts Education Data Project? A: The California Arts Education Data Project is
Presented in a user-friendly, color-coded dashboard, the Project provides important information to education leaders, teachers and parents about levels of access to and
enrollment in arts programming in schools. The dashboard allows users to review school-level, district, county and statewide data and presents the statewide averages as the baseline for comparison. The executive summary and dashboard report data from 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 from 3,719 schools, covering more than three million students in grades 6 through 12 which is roughly half of California’s student population.
Q2: Why is the Data Project important?
A: The Data Project responds to the need the 2015 Blueprint for Creative Schools identified for better collection of data on access and equity in arts education. The Data Project provides leaders at the state, district and school level – as well as parents and advocates – with the information they need to determine the status of arts education access and what inequities exist. Ultimately, by having a complete picture of where California’s secondary schools currently stand, leaders will be able to take steps to close gaps in access to a core arts education curriculum in their districts.
Q3. Who is involved with the Data Project?
A: Create CA and the California Department of Education are launching the Data Project as part of the Arts Education Data Project, a national effort led by the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education and Quadrant Research to collect and analyze arts education data in coordination with state departments of education. California is in the first cohort for 2016, along with North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin. An additional 10 states will be joining the project in 2017.
Along with the Data Project, the organizations are releasing The California Arts Education Data Project: A Roadmap for School Districts to guide districts through the process of examining their data to better understand their unique circumstances and challenges. The Roadmap contains resources and helpful guides to assist districts in assessing their own programs and creating strategic arts plans. In addition, they are releasing the

designed to increase participation in arts education

across the state

by

analyzing and reporting school-level data on arts education courses and middle and

high school enrollment across the state.

California Arts Education Data Project Communication Toolkit, which provides

materials to share these new resources with local stakeholders.

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Q4: How was data obtained for this project?
A: The source of data comes directly from information schools submitted through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) - California’s K–12 longitudinal data system for the 2013–2014 and the 2014–2015 school years. The project reports on student enrollment in arts education courses for schools with grades 6 through 12, which includes high schools, intermediate/middle/junior high schools and elementary/high combinations schools. As a result, the report covers 3,719 schools with a total population of 3,070,640 students. Demographic data is from the Common Core of Data file from the National Center for Education Statistics. Data will be added annually, allowing the project to show progress over time.
Q5: Does the effort include arts education data from elementary schools?
A: As California elementary schools are not required to report subject-level data, information on arts
education in grades pre-k through 5 is currently not included.
Q6: How are private schools and charter schools reflected in the data?
A: Private schools are not required to report to California’s K–12 longitudinal data system and therefore are not included in the data. Charter schools are public schools, and thus are required to report data and are included in the project.
Q7: What is the process for registering new information if we discover that our arts data has changed?
The data displayed is taken directly from CALPADS. If you have any questions about your data, we recommend you start by examining how you assigned your course codes. New data for the 2015–2016 year was recently submitted, so this is the perfect time to make sure course codes are correct and that your arts offerings are properly reflected.
Q8: What does the Data Project tell us about arts education in California?
A: The data reinforces the need to continue to address inequities in access to and participation in arts education. The data shows the greater the percentage of students receiving free and reduced lunch, the lower the participation rate in the arts. In addition, the data indicates that the proportion of students without access to any arts courses was higher where the majority of students in the school are either African American or Hispanic when compared to the total student enrollment distribution. This underscores how access to arts education is directly linked to fundamental inequities in our education system.

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Q9: Why aren’t more students taking arts education courses even when they are available in their schools?
A: There are many potential reasons why students may not be enrolling in available arts courses that map to each school’s unique student population, school environment and course offerings. Districts should consider forming a data team to take a closer look at the data and what factors might be challenges for student enrollment.
Some possible factors to consider include:

•   Guidance counselors may not be aware of the growing creative workforce and may be advising students not to sign up for arts education courses;
  
•   Due to limited class availability and scheduling, students may be unable to fit the desired arts programs into their school day;
  
•   Students may be unable to take electives because of more intensive math and language arts requirements; and
  
•   Students may feel unskilled and intimidated if arts education courses were missing or limited in their elementary schools.
  Q10: What does enrollment in rural or small schools tell us about the challenges they face?
  A: School districts in rural communities are more likely to have smaller enrollment sizes and fewer resources, which often translate into fewer course offerings. However, rural districts could work around these challenges by using a shared services model in which arts teachers are shared among schools and among districts. Rural districts could also consider distance learning options.
  Q11: What historic factors have contributed to the decline of arts education in California’s public schools?
  A combination of national and statewide actions led to a decline in arts education in California’s public schools over the past forty years. In 1970, California passed the Ryan Act, which eliminated training in arts education instruction from the requirements of the multi-subject teaching credential. This change opened the door for the next generation of elementary school teachers to enter the classroom, unprepared to deliver arts education instruction to elementary school students. In 1978, nearly two- thirds of California’s voters passed Proposition 13, reducing property tax rates on homes, businesses and farms by approximately 57% and causing districts to cut back on budgets. Arts education was one of the hardest hit areas. In 2002, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law, which narrowed the focus of schools on literacy and math, further isolating arts education from the core curriculum that schools are required to provide. It provided the justification for districts to cut programs in the arts, which were not often seen as directly benefiting student success. Last, the California budget crisis stripped funding for arts education in 2008 as districts scrambled to make ends meet with fewer resources.
  

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Q12: What funders support this effort?
Create CA is funded through the generous support of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Stuart Foundation, The Music Man Foundation, The California Arts Council and The Panta Rhea Foundation. The Arts Education Data Project is funded through the generous support of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, NAMM Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, Educational Theatre Association and National Association for Music Education.

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