A new nationwide survey on the state of arts education in U.S. public schools finds that arts offerings haven't declined as much as expected, but that students in high-poverty schools, particularly at the secondary level, do not receive the same rich exposure to arts opportunities as their wealthier peers.
Educators have long suggested that the No Child Left Behind Act's singular focus on reading and math combined with state and federal budget woes has forced schools to dramatically cut their arts programming. But the congressionally mandated study reveals no significant national declines in the availability of music and visual arts instruction in both elementary and secondary schools. Ninety-four percent of elementary schools offer music instruction and 83 percent offer visual arts instruction. However, only 3 percent of elementary schools offer specific instruction in dance, and only 4 percent in drama—a decrease from 20 percent of