Funding of the Arts
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Americans for the Arts is an organization that is attempting to demonstrate and support the value of the arts in America through advocating the arts to state and federal leaders, researching the benefits, and connecting with other programs. According to Americans for the Arts, there are three priority issues for arts advocacy at the federal level. This includes “ensuring well-rounded arts provisions in the new law,” “supporting funding for the Assistance for the Arts Education program at the U.S. Department of Education at $30 million,” and “supporting full funding of the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant program at its authorized level of $1.65 billion" [1].
The new law that was written is the Every Student Succeeds Act, which is a new version of the No Child Left Behind Act. This act was signed on December 10, 2015 by Obama, and in it, terminology changed from the old act to the new act from “arts” as a “core academic subject” to “arts and music--alongside reading, math, science, etc.--listed as part of a “Well Rounded Education" [3]. The arts are defined as music, visual art, dance, theatre, media arts, etc. Having a well rounded education means that under federal law, the arts must be included in that education. So far, "of the 12 states and the District of Columbia that have so far submitted ESSA plans to the U.S. Department of Education, five include access and participation in arts education as a component of their proposed accountability systems" [5].
In the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) issue brief, one of the talking points states that “there are huge, persistent disparities in access to arts education in the schools” [2]. It goes on to explain that, unfortunately, schools in more urban or low income areas simply do not get the same access to arts education as schools in white, suburban areas. At the state and local levels, “schools [can] receive funding for arts education programs from school districts, PTA/PTOs, grants, foundations, and/or parent donations.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities are the two federally funded organizations that distribute grants for arts education. In February of 2017, each program had about $148 million to distribute [7]. The U.S. Department of Education states under subpart 15, Arts in Education, that funds are used for research on arts in education, development and implementation of curriculum frameworks for arts education, supporting collaborative activities with federal agencies/institutions involved in arts education programs, and much more [6].
Having made these steps forward, there is still a long way to go. While there are many programs and organizations designed to support and fund the arts in education, there still seems to be a disconnect. As mentioned before, just 12 states are participating in the ESSA, which is only one fourth of the country. If there was more funding at the federal and state levels, the arts might have the ability to be completely implemented into education, without budget cuts or redistribution of funds to other programs.
The new law that was written is the Every Student Succeeds Act, which is a new version of the No Child Left Behind Act. This act was signed on December 10, 2015 by Obama, and in it, terminology changed from the old act to the new act from “arts” as a “core academic subject” to “arts and music--alongside reading, math, science, etc.--listed as part of a “Well Rounded Education" [3]. The arts are defined as music, visual art, dance, theatre, media arts, etc. Having a well rounded education means that under federal law, the arts must be included in that education. So far, "of the 12 states and the District of Columbia that have so far submitted ESSA plans to the U.S. Department of Education, five include access and participation in arts education as a component of their proposed accountability systems" [5].
In the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) issue brief, one of the talking points states that “there are huge, persistent disparities in access to arts education in the schools” [2]. It goes on to explain that, unfortunately, schools in more urban or low income areas simply do not get the same access to arts education as schools in white, suburban areas. At the state and local levels, “schools [can] receive funding for arts education programs from school districts, PTA/PTOs, grants, foundations, and/or parent donations.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities are the two federally funded organizations that distribute grants for arts education. In February of 2017, each program had about $148 million to distribute [7]. The U.S. Department of Education states under subpart 15, Arts in Education, that funds are used for research on arts in education, development and implementation of curriculum frameworks for arts education, supporting collaborative activities with federal agencies/institutions involved in arts education programs, and much more [6].
Having made these steps forward, there is still a long way to go. While there are many programs and organizations designed to support and fund the arts in education, there still seems to be a disconnect. As mentioned before, just 12 states are participating in the ESSA, which is only one fourth of the country. If there was more funding at the federal and state levels, the arts might have the ability to be completely implemented into education, without budget cuts or redistribution of funds to other programs.
Work Cited
[1] “Arts Education Policy and Funding.” Americans for the Arts, 30 Mar. 2018, www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/legislation-policy/legislative-issue-center/arts-education-policy-and-funding.
[2] “Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).” U.S. Department of Education Releases National Student Loan FY 2014 Cohort Default Rate | U.S. Department of Education, US Department of Education (ED), www.ed.gov/essa.
[3] “Federal Funding for Arts Education.” PerformingArtsAlliance, www.theperformingartsalliance.org/issue/federal-funding-for-arts-education/.
[4] “Funding and Grants for Arts Education Programs.” Art in Action, artinaction.org/resource/funding-and-grants-for-arts-education-programs/.
[5] “New NAEP Data: Deep Rifts in Access to Arts Education.” Education Writers Association, www.ewa.org/blog-educated-reporter/new-naep-data-deep-rifts-access-arts-education.
[6] “Subpart 15 - Arts in Education.” Home, US Department of Education (ED), 19 Dec. 2005, www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg80.html.
[7] “Washington Journal: Robert Lynch Discusses Federal Arts Funding.” C-SPAN.org, www.c-span.org/video/?424454-3%2Fwashington-journal-robert-lynch-discusses-federal-arts-funding.
[1] “Arts Education Policy and Funding.” Americans for the Arts, 30 Mar. 2018, www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/legislation-policy/legislative-issue-center/arts-education-policy-and-funding.
[2] “Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).” U.S. Department of Education Releases National Student Loan FY 2014 Cohort Default Rate | U.S. Department of Education, US Department of Education (ED), www.ed.gov/essa.
[3] “Federal Funding for Arts Education.” PerformingArtsAlliance, www.theperformingartsalliance.org/issue/federal-funding-for-arts-education/.
[4] “Funding and Grants for Arts Education Programs.” Art in Action, artinaction.org/resource/funding-and-grants-for-arts-education-programs/.
[5] “New NAEP Data: Deep Rifts in Access to Arts Education.” Education Writers Association, www.ewa.org/blog-educated-reporter/new-naep-data-deep-rifts-access-arts-education.
[6] “Subpart 15 - Arts in Education.” Home, US Department of Education (ED), 19 Dec. 2005, www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg80.html.
[7] “Washington Journal: Robert Lynch Discusses Federal Arts Funding.” C-SPAN.org, www.c-span.org/video/?424454-3%2Fwashington-journal-robert-lynch-discusses-federal-arts-funding.