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No Child Left Behind
CONGRESS PASSES LONG-AWAITED EDUCATION ACT
ARTS EDUCATION WINS SUPPORT
On December 18, 2001 Congress finished work on the biggest overhaul of education law since passage of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The new act, titled No Child Left Behind, included key provisions long sought by arts education advocates and marks a major victory for arts learning.
After being deliberated on for four years, the bipartisan bill determines how the U.S. Department of Education (USED) will support schools, students, and communities. The following key provisions were included:
Arts as a Core Academic Subject: The new act includes a general definition of "core academic subjects," which includes the arts. The Arts were given equal billing with reading, math, science, and other disciplines. This means that whenever national education programs (such as teacher training, school reform, and technology programs) are targeted to "core academic subjects," the arts may be eligible to receive federal funds. Such a broad recognition of the arts has never before been included in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
The national arts service organizations are working together to produce a document with more information about the bill and with specific examples of how artists, schools, parents, teachers, community organizations, and policymakers can take steps to increase local support for arts education. The guide will be available in early 2002.
Other important information to note is that the Bill delegates increasing authority to state education agencies to determine exactly how federal funds are spent as well as requiring schools to test students in grades three through eight every year in math and reading, with low-performing schools facing serious penalties. With these changes in place, it will be more important than ever for communities to make policy makers aware of not only the importance of arts education but also about this legislation that sites arts education as a core subject.
Source:
American Symphony Orchestra League
Arts Education Partnership
http://aep-arts.org