Arts Education Makes a Difference in Missouri Schools

https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/legislation-policy/naappd/arts-education-makes-a-difference-in-missouri-schools

This article talks about the importance of the arts in Missouri schools. They talk about how students do well behaviorally, academically, and socially. The research was done to examine the core subjects and how arts education benefits them. A few highlights of DESE (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) were as follows:

• Nearly all students in Missouri public schools have opportunities to participate in fine arts education, particularly in the areas of Visual Art and Music. Course offerings in Dance and Theater are limited.

• The level of student participation in fine arts classes at the district level is highly correlated to student disciplinary rates. That is, the higher the number of fine arts courses and the student enrollment in this courses1https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/legislation-policy/naappd/arts-education-makes-a-difference-in-missouri-schools, the lower the rate of infractions that require student removal from the classroom.

• Attendance rates are higher for districts with higher levels of student enrollment in the arts when compared to districts with lower levels of arts participation.