Illinois Arts Alliance Reports on Arts Education Disparities
January 18, 2006
Recently the Illinois Arts Alliance and the Illinois Creates initiative released new research on the status of arts education in Illinois public schools. While the research reported that most superintendents and principals in the state believe that the arts are an essential part of a quality education, the study also found broad disparities in the levels of arts education offered in Illinois schools and school districts. Among the findings:
- 20% of principals surveyed report having no arts program in their school.
- 28% of superintendents report that of the four arts disciplines - dance, music, theater, visual arts - none were considered part of the core curriculum in their district.
- One in ten superintendents report having no full- or part-time certified arts teachers in any discipline anywhere in their district. 23% of principals also report employing no full-or part-time certified arts teachers.
- 11% of school districts in Illinois require no arts instruction in any grade.
- 80% of high school principals report that students in their schools are not required to take a single course in the arts in order to graduate.
What You Can Do
40 North | 88 West will host representatives of the Illinois Arts Alliance at an Illinois Creates event on March 6, 2006, at the Virginia Theatre, Champaign. Educators, administrators, parents and children are invited to attend and discuss the current state - and future - of arts education in Champaign County. Watch the 40 North web site for further details.
The Illinois Arts Alliance and the Illinois Creates coalition invite members of the public to show support for arts education. Interested parties can go to http://www.illinoiscreates.org/ for more information and to join the Illinois Creates coalition. Illinois Creates seeks to organize area residents to oversee local issues and develop ways to strengthen arts education in every school.
source: Illinois Arts Alliance - ARTSAdvocacyNews