January 25, 2008
Some Worry Arts Classes Being Left Behind
By Chris Casteel

WASHINGTON — Americans want schoolchildren to learn the arts along with basic subjects, according to a new poll that gives ammunition to those pushing for more creativity in education.

The poll was released at a news conference here Thursday that featured representatives of various educational and other organizations, including the Oklahoma Creativity Project, that are trying to encourage imagination and innovation.

Some said they were worried music and art classes were becoming victims of the increasing focus in schools on standardized testing.

John Wilson, executive director of the National Education Association, said teachers feel like they're wearing an "instructional straightjacket" because of the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind act and by states.

What's being done?

The Arts Education Partnership, which cosponsored the poll, is working with the organizers of three different initiatives to stress the need for arts education.

One is the Oklahoma Creativity Project, which will be launched Feb. 8.

Susan McCalmont, executive director of the Kirkpatrick Foundation, which is spearheading the project, said Thursday that the statewide initiative will involve the public and private sectors working toward developing a more creative work force.

The educational centerpiece, she said, is the A+ Schools network, which includes 44 schools around the state that have agreed to "whole school reform" and course work that integrates the arts and creativity.

McCalmont said the network has resulted in five years of positive changes in test scores and student behavior.

"We feel that much is at stake here," McCalmont said.

The Arts Education Partnership also is watching the results of a project in Dallas to hire more arts and music teachers and encourage existing arts programs to reach into neighborhoods.

The third project is in Ohio, where state educators are working to integrate the arts into teaching in the state's new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics schools.

What's ahead?

The No Child Left Behind act is up for reauthorization this year, and Wilson, with the National Education Association, said the law needs to be changed.

Critics say it has exacerbated the situation of schools building coursework simply to prepare for standardized tests.

"The vision of No Child Left Behind is a wonderful vision," Wilson said. "But the details are undermining the vision."