Champions of Change: The Impact of Arts on Learning

A study performed by the Arts Education Partnership in cooperation with the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities

Funded by:

The GE Fund

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArther Foundation

 

 

Introduction: A five year study performed by seven teams of researchers to examine a variety of art education programs using diverse methodologies. Studies examined well established models of arts education, larger issues of the arts in American education and beyond class-rooms and schools to include out-of –school settings. The Goal: To better understand the impact of the arts on learning, not just on formal education.

Researchers: James S. Catterall of the Imagination Project at the University of Los Angeles. Analyzed data on more than 25,000 students to determine the relation of engagement in the arts to student performance and attitudes

Shirley Brice Heath of The Carnagie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Sanford University. Examined after school programs for youth in poor communities. Looked at the qualities that made programs in the arts, sports, and community service effective sites for learning and development. Identified features that made involvement with the arts the most powerful factor to success in and out of school

Judy Burton, Rob Horowitz, and Hal Abeles with The Center for Arts Education Research at Teachers College, Columbia University. Studied arts education programs with in elementary and junior high schools.

James Catterall and The North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) evaluated the impact of Chicago Arts Partnership in Education (CAPE). CAPE includes partnerships of 23 local schools, 33 art organizations and 11 community based organizations which integrated arts with learning across curriculum.

The National Center for gifted and Talented at the University of Connecticut. Examined the offerings of Arts Connection, the largest provider of arts education programming to the New York City public school systems.

Steve Seidel from Harvard University’s Project Zero. Examined two education programs of Shakespeare & Company: The National Institute on Teaching Shakespeare, a high school teacher training program and The Fall Festival of Shakespeare.

Dennie Palmer Wolf with researchers from the Performance Assessment Collaboratives for Education (PACE) of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Examined the Creating Original Opera Program of The Metropolitan Opera Guild.

 

Executive Summary

 

 

Overall Results :

Researchers found that learners can attain higher levels of achievement through their engagement with the arts. One critical research finding was that the learning in and through arts can help " level the Playing field" for youngsters from disadvantaged circumstances.

 

 

Why Arts Change The Learning Experience:

The Champions of Change Research was performed separately by the seven groups in different parts of the country. However, their findings had a remarkable consensus of seven things:

  1. The arts reach students who are not other wise being reached.
  2. The Arts reach students in ways that they are not otherwise being reached
  3. The arts connect students to themselves and each other
  4. The arts transform the environment for learning
  5. The arts provide learning opportunities for the adults in the lives of young people.
  6. The arts provide new challenges for those students already considered successful
  7. The arts connect learning experiences to the world of real work

 

How The Arts Change the Learning Experience:

The institutions examined by the Champions of Change researches were selected because they appeared to be models of excellence that were making a real difference to young people. The successful institutions all contained a similar philosophy of "project-based learning." The best programs displayed them in great breadth and depth. To be effective, the arts learning experience will also do these five things:
    1. Enable young people to have direct involvement with the arts and artists.
    2. Require significant staff development.
    3. Support extended engagement in the artistic process
    4. Encourage Self-directed learning
    5. Promote complexity in the learning experience.
    6. Allow management of risk by the learners.
    7. Engage community leaders and resources.
      8.

 

 

Conclusion:

These Champions of Change Studies demonstrate how involvement with the arts provide unparalleled opportunities for learning, enabling young people to reach for and attain higher levels of achievement. The research provides both examples and evidence of why the arts should be more widely recognized for its current and potential contributions to the improvement of American education.

This research provides compelling evidence that the arts can and do serve as champions of change in learning. Yet realizing the full potential of learning in and through the arts for all American children will require heroic acts from all segments of out society. With the 21st century now upon us, we, too, must be champions of change: we must meet and exceed the challenge of giving our young people the best possible preparation we can offer them. To do so, we must make involvement with the arts a basic part of their learning experiences. In doing so, we will become champions for our children and their children.

 

The preceding is a summary including some quotes from the study Champions of change conducted by Arts Education Partnership in cooperation with the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. If you would like more information on this study or like to read this study in full the information is available on the web @ http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/champions