When it comes to arts education, Illinois public school children are being shortchanged, according to a study to be released Tuesday.
A third of Illinois’ elementary students and 70 percent of high schoolers have no exposure to art, music, theater or dance instruction during school, the study reports. Children in rural and small schools are the least likely to have access to the arts.
Illinois also falls far short when compared with other states. About 90 percent of public schools nationwide offer classes in visual arts and music instruction, while only 63 percent of Illinois schools provide visual arts classes and 78 percent have music programs.
The lack of a rich arts curriculum not only threatens the creative development of Illinois’ children but also their academic and social growth, according to the study.
“The arts are a vital part of a well-rounded education because they prepare students to be creative thinkers and problem solvers,” said Alene Valkanas, executive director of the Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation. “The creative industries are going to be an extremely important part of our new society, and kids who study the arts will be better situated for the future.”
The study was commissioned by Illinois Creates, an arts advocacy group formed by the Arts Alliance and the Chicago Community Trust. It surveyed a representative sample of nearly 1,000 school superintendents and principals statewide.
Overall, geography played the largest role in the disparity of music, dance, theater and visual art instruction available to public school students.
Suburban Chicago schools have the highest rates of arts education, while rural schools in southern Illinois have the lowest. Many urban areas, including Chicago, ranked high. But even in the Chicago school system, availability of arts education depends on the neighborhood. Schools in Lakeview and the Near North give students abundant choices, while those in West Garfield and Ashburn provide anemic ones, according to the study.
“It’s a shame,” state Supt. of Education Randy Dunn said of the disparities. “I think the old debate about whether art is important in education is pretty much a settled issue–of course it is. Clearly we want and need arts education in every school in Illinois.”
“I think the report is a wake-up call to me too,” said Dunn, who learned to play the trombone in an Illinois public school and later played in a big band. “There is something to be said for me using the bully pulpit to help school boards and administrators understand how vital arts education is.”
Arts education has become a hot topic nationwide as school budgets tighten and the mandates of No Child Left Behind take hold. The federal law requires schools to test students in math, reading and science, but there is no standard for the arts. As a result, some educators complain that schools are eliminating art programs to focus more on math and reading.
In the report, most Illinois principals and superintendents said that lack of money and an already full school day were the primary causes of a disintegration of arts education.
Currently, districts spend about 2 percent to 3 percent of their budgets on the arts, the study found. But a quarter of those surveyed said they have pared arts programs during the last five years. Nearly half said they have kept funding levels the same, despite spending more on education overall.
More than 60 percent of school principals have tapped outside sources to help pay for arts classes and extracurricular activities.
Gurnee School District 56, for example, cut a band program at one of its elementary schools a few years ago after voters repeatedly rejected a tax increase.
“Like every other district, we are in the situation of having limited resources and we were forced into reducing costs,” said Supt. Ben Martindale. “Arts play a key role in education, we know that. But in this case, our hands were tied.”
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But the downsizing did not last long. Band parents banded together and raised money to restore the teaching position. Funds typically collected for uniforms and extra horns were funneled into the position.
“We were lucky,” Martindale said. “Parents in this community are passionate about music and the arts.”
The district eventually absorbed the cost back into its budget. But not every district can erase proposed cuts so easily.
Glenbard School District 87 in DuPage cut the arts curricula after voters rejected a tax increase last year. The district cut four positions in the arts department and narrowed course offerings.
Three years ago, for example, Glenbard North High School had 12 art classes. This year, it has seven.
Doug Megow, chair of the Glenbard West High School art department, said he had to combine numerous art classes. First and second year drawing were paired, as were ceramics and sculpture classes.
“It’s a shame,” he said. “The way I see it, art offers tools for our future workforce. Arts help teach creative thinking skills, problem-solving techniques, teamwork–everything that employers value is encapsulated in an art course. I think that we are going to live to regret the cuts in arts programs.”
Frances Garcia, principal of McKinley Park Elementary School in Chicago, cannot imagine cutting the school’s arts program. The Brighton Park school’s curriculum centers on arts and culture. Students take art classes at least once a week and are encouraged to sign up for a school dance program.
Garcia credits that focus for the increase in test scores last year, from about 42 percent to 47 percent passing the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.
“We consider the arts the essence of the soul,” Garcia said. “It’s important because sometimes kids do not succeed with books, so you have to go beyond the book to reach them. When they excel in the arts, it builds their self esteem and they do better in their other subjects.”
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