I can’t see myself in the Scantron!

A recent study conducted by the Rand Corporation suggests that art education falls short at the state and district levels, while the national standards continue to push broader levels of education. Too bad the average High School doesn’t provide an adequate amount of time in the day for art education. High stakes standardized testing led by legislation stemming from the “No Child Left Behind Act” has severely reduced the class time for the arts as well as the humanities. Although national standards suggest art education can broaden teaching practices, the actual frequency of such skills is well below the ‘desired’ level.

The Rand Corporation suggests that the lack of adequate art education is beginning to show in the attendance and participation of art events such as theater and classical symphonies. Many believe that schools focus too much on art education physical resources and less on teaching art appreciation. Without such knowledge, the individual is less likely to take on a specialized art due to their misunderstanding of its importance. How can people expect a student listening to the pop sounds of Miley Cyrus to pick up a violin and play Vivaldi? Without a broader understanding of music composition and theory, music appreciation is bound to plummet. This same principle applies to all the arts.

What can we do? There are a few theories that hint at art acceptance and appreciation including: discussion and personal reflection with a piece of art, historical and cultural influences with works of art, and most importantly the ability to diligently create within an art form. Focusing on these practices and levels of understanding can only broaden a students ability to problem solve and learn. Lessons of morality and personal reflection seem to fall off the Scantron page in the cold dry classroom.

The Rand Corporation is a non-profit organization that focuses on researching issues that are affecting our society, anywhere from education to global warming. For more information about the Rand Corporation visit www.rand.org.