Vantage Point: The arts—not just part of “The da Vinci Code,” they also play a role in the Education Code 

Section 51210 of the Education Code reads: “The adopted course of study for grades 1 to 6, inclusive, shall include instruction, beginning in grade 1 and continuing through grade 6, in … visual and performing arts, including instruction in the subjects of dance, music, theatre and visual arts, aimed at the development of aesthetic appreciation and the skills of creative expression.”

Section 51220 contains a similar statement for grades 7-12. I venture to say that many of us have not been aware of these two passages. I have to admit that, even though I have always been a strong advocate of arts education, I was unaware of these requirements until I attended CSBA’s Curriculum Institute in Monterey this summer. One of the speakers was Sara Anderberg, director of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association Arts Initiative.

With grant funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, CCSESA launched the Arts Initiative to provide support to school districts and county offices of education so that they can implement successful arts education programs. Activities include research and the development of resources, support, staff development and templates to integrate the arts into core
subject areas.

In June, the CSBA Board of Directors unanimously approved a resolution supporting this effort, making CSBA a partner in this arts education project. CSBA is proud to collaborate with CCSESA in this effort. We have long expressed concern that high-stakes testing, the No Child Left Behind Act and budget constraints have had the effect of narrowing the curriculum to math and language arts. Here is an opportunity for all of us to work together to fully educate our children by providing them with a well-rounded curriculum.

Research has shown that students who study the arts outperform their peers in academic disciplines:

• A study by the College Entrance Examination Board found that students who took music courses scored 40 points higher on the math portion of the 2004 Scholastic Achievement Test than students with no arts background.
• Students who studied acting and stage production boosted their verbal scores on the SAT by 66 points over students without any arts classes, according to the same study.
• Recent research by the Solomon Guggenheim Museum in New York confirmed other reports that studying the arts increases literacy.

All of these provide important rationales for incorporating the arts into our schools. However, I think that the most important reason comes from a painting teacher I had long ago. “Art,” she said, “is a different way of seeing.” That statement was a revelation to me. I realized that it was the study of art that has enabled me to “think outside the box,” to be a creative problem-solver, to be able to look at problems, issues and the world from a variety of dimensions.

Isn’t that what we most want for our students as we prepare them to live and thrive in the 21st century?