The topic for this dissertation was the effects arts have on standardized test scores of math. The research problem compared the students who had fine arts integrated into the curriculum and those that did not. This study included six target schools that have primarily African American students. The six-city schools studied were the third through the fifth-grade population. The dissertation explored the full effects of the integration of the fine arts in the academic classroom. This study revealed the statistical data of the students' cognitive ability who take fine arts and score higher on the standardized test than students who did not take fine arts. The research method was the quantitative non-experimental design using archival data. The guiding research question focused on determining if there is a difference between the sets of target schools on test scores and the use of fine arts integration. The research design was based on the Partnership for Assessment Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test using archival data from 2019. The analysis tools were the G# Power Software and the SPSS Statistical Software for test analysis. The data showed that the fine arts integrated students consistently scored higher than those without fine arts. This study concluded that students who engaged in the fine arts scored higher on standardized tests than students who did not. Therefore, it is recommended that struggling urban schools reinvest in the fine arts with the stipulation that the music curriculum includes a strong reinforcement of the basics through the study of music and reinvest in a robust assessment program that mirrors the academic instruction in reading and math in the regular classroom. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]