New Report: Arts Education and High School Graduation Rates

Posted by on November 23, 2009

Arts education boosts graduation

A study from the Center for Arts Education looks at the relationship between school-based arts education and high school graduation rates in New York City public schools, and concludes the arts play a key role in keeping students in high school and graduating on time. Analyzing data from more than 200 New York City schools over a two-year period, the report found that schools in the top third in graduation rates offered students the most access to arts education and the most resources that support arts education. Schools in the bottom third in graduation rates consistently offer the least access and fewest resources. This pattern held true for nine key indicators that researchers felt conveyed a school’s commitment to arts education: certified arts teachers, dedicated arts classrooms, appropriately equipped arts classrooms, arts and cultural partnerships, external funds to support the arts, coursework in the arts, access to multi-year arts sequence, school sponsorship of arts participation, and school sponsorship of arts field trips. “Beyond the traditional benefits that an arts education provides,” the report states, “the arts cut across learning styles and language barriers and engage students who might otherwise be uninterested in school and on a path to dropping out.”

Read more: http://www.cae-nyc.org/sites/default/files/docs/CAE_Arts_and_Graduation_Report.pdf