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City Issues First Comprehensive 'Arts In Schools' Report Last Thursday at Fort Hamilton High School in Bay Ridge, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein released the first Annual Arts Schools Report , which provides the most comprehensive analysis of arts education in New York City public schools ever produced. The report documents the comeback of arts education since it was nearly eliminated during the 1970s, and identifies areas where schools are excelling, as well as where targeted interventions are needed to improve results. It provides student participation and access to arts programs data during the 2006-07 school year - the year before the ArtsCount initiative began - and will serve as a baseline for measuring performance under ArtsCount , which was announced last summer to enhance and provide greater accountability for arts education. Early indicators suggest that ArtsCount is already yielding results: in 2007-08, schools budgeted to increase arts spending by 3 percent, or $9.5 million, including a 2 percent increase in the number of full-time, certified arts teachers. Bloomberg and Klein were joined by Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin, Theatre Development Fund Executive Director Victoria Bailey, and Principal Jo Ann Chester. "Arts instruction is essential to a high-quality education," said the mayor. "As the first report clearly shows, we have come a long way from the days when the arts were essentially eliminated from our schools." Klein said, "We will use the data to target support to the schools that need it most, and we will enlist the arts community to assist us in ensuring that every student has access to a well-rounded arts education." The report's data allows the DOE to measure progress and develop targeted strategies to move schools toward the goal of providing high-quality arts education for all students. Principals will now be held accountable for arts education in their progress reports, quality reviews, and annual performance reviews. Among the new strategies are: •For elementary schools, the DOE will develop curriculum and provide professional development for classroom teachers to integrate all four arts forms- visual arts, music, theater, dance- into their regular instructional programs. •At the middle-school level, schools will be offered professional development workshops to help school leaders strategically use their schedule, space, and budget to provide more arts programs - the three issues most often cited as creating barriers to arts education programs. •At the high school level, the DOE will offer seminars to help more districts and schools establish multi-year arts sequences. In addition, the DOE will be implementing a 12th grade comprehensive exam in all four arts disciplines, which students will take for the first time in the 2008-09 school year. The Arts Report identifies areas where schools are excelling and areas where the targetes described above are needed. In high schools, nearly half of students (46 percent) are exceeding graduation requirements by earning two or more credits in the arts. In elementary schools, 98 percent of schools are providing arts education to every student each year, with 62 percent providing instruction in two arts forms. However, only 4 percent of elementary schools are offering all four art forms to every grade annually, as required by the State. At the middle school level, more than 90 percent of schools offer at least one art form and 79 percent offer at least two; but only 29 percent of students received one semester's instruction in two distinct arts disciplines, as New York state requires. Other key findings from the report include: •Members of New York City's cultural community are instrumental in helping schools offer diverse arts programs. •Between 2004-05 and 2006-07, the number of school buildings with arts rooms increased 3 percent, and the total number of arts rooms increased 1 percent. Nearly all, 92 percent, of school buildings have arts rooms. The complete Annual Arts in Schools Report is accessible at www.nyc.gov/schools. Additionally, an individual report has been published for every school and can be found on the 'Statistics' page of each school's website.
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