Arts Education

I have learned a whole lot in these past few months in regards to arts education. Jumping up from a Teaching Assistant to an Admin job alone at summer camp showed me the realities of making these programs work. Also what the "man" perceives to be important and what indeed is important. Not that they create a show at the end. Not that they become great actors. It's the process. What they learn about themselves.

My views on Arts Education are currently being molded by the people I am coming in touch with. At the American Theater Company, they also perceive theatre to be a tool for advancement in social skills in more at risk communities. These programs are not geared so much towards "actors" but towards students in general providing an opportunity to show how the arts can increase the benefits of regular academic skills. Not only for advancement in their daily school lives, but in their social lives when they deal with friends and family. And with themselves. They grow. They learn through support from their peers and teachers that it's ok to put yourself out there. And what better way than in a safe environment? where you can learn about others and yourself and how we function in the world.

So if that's the case. Why are Arts programs the first ones to be cut from schools? Because despite some studies showing the positive impact of Arts Education, there is still not enough. How does one assess a successful program? How does one (with data?) prove to those above that these programs are indeed working? Journals and documentation are important, but when people want to see figures. Numbers to compare one program to the next, how do we do that? How do we put the Arts, that cannot be measured with right or wrong answers for the most part, into a numerical format? Is that the best way to show people that our programs are working?

Those are the questions I am currently pondering. When trying to figure out how to assess the success of Arts Education, what's the best way? It's difficult. We can't just say they memorized the monologue or they performed because how do we show the impact that that has on their social and personal growth. Yes memorization is key, but you don't the Arts to do that. Performance doesn't have to come from a Theater program either.

It's tough. People are still making studies. There are lots of forums from advocates for Arts Education on how to assess programs.

I wonder what I'll discover is the best way for the program I'm working on.

Thoughts?