Supporters of K-12 arts education often make the case that when students study music, dance, theatrical performance, and the visual arts, they tend to improve in the academic subjects as well. But, as Lois Hetland explains, that's not the best way to advocate for greater investments in arts instruction. In fact, a careful analysis of a vast amount…

As a companion to more data-driven articles and studies that consider the long-term impact of art museum teen programs on alumni, this article takes the form of a person to person interview with two founding teen members of important programs that emerged in the 1990s. Talking candidly about the impact of their program participation, Calder Zwicky…

This author contends that there never has been a need for the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and there is no evidence that it will do students any good. The Common Core ignores the real problem in American education: poverty. The Common Core movement will be a disaster for libraries and will have a negative impact on nearly every aspect of…

Ronald Hughes and his colleagues have written a groundbreaking article on child welfare's use of differential response. Their research addresses the matter from a "lessons learned" and "ways to improve" approach. Our comments focused on three key issues: (1) the importance of evidence-based practice; (2) the recognition…

The three papers and the pictorial essay that follow Rustom Bharucha's keynote all originated at "Theatre Applications" (Central School of Speech and Drama, London, April 2010). One theme of the conference was "cultural geographies of dislocation, place and space"; the three papers and pictorial essay respond to that theme. All…

In this article, the authors responded to nine commentaries by 17 contributors to their article, "Issues in Differential Response." The authors found that a majority of the respondents agreed with the major conclusions of "Issues in Differential Response." However, there were varying degrees of disagreement regarding the…

Most of the applied drama and theatre projects being carried out in African contexts tend to be one-off events with limited follow-up in terms of building the capacity of target communities and organising them for action. Besides bringing people together for workshops, performances and post-performance discussions, such projects simply pass by…

Background: The high school production offers our students a creative way to develop their literacy, numeracy and social skills to mention a few. Why then do we permit anyone to teach the production and usually expect teachers to volunteer? Purpose: To do research into why the school production should be adopted as an integral part of our…

Argues that theater students must be encouraged to keep competition in perspective. Points out that too often program growth and support are dependent upon the number of honors that participants receive. Emphasizes that competition should be engaged in for its positive learning potential or should be abandoned as a student activity. (KO)

Proposes that it is more useful for industrial arts/technology teacher education to adopt than to ignore the concept of liberal learning. Argues that the goals of liberal learning are not only compatible, they are complementary, useful, and necessary. Includes recommendations for selecting courses for industrial arts/technology teacher education…

The authors believe that artists illuminate the human condition--the politics, the social climate, the economics of current thought, and the emotions behind it all. Artists participate in revealing truth. And truth illuminates the path away from fear. In their effort to celebrate and challenge the power of Teaching Artists and prepare the world…

Using the results of the Standards for Industrial Arts Programs Project, the authors reflect on the lack of impetus for change in industrial arts, the disparity between the definition of industrial arts and its practice, the lack of consensus about content, and the relative freedom of teachers to structure industrial arts curricula. (SK)

Critiques the effectiveness of various National Endowment for the Arts programs which sought to develop a broad and discerning audience for the arts. Explores the underlying reasons for the failure of government policy in arts education to promote aesthetic welfare and educational/cultural participation. (TRS)

Describes TheaterVision, a series of live professional performances for children. Indicates that TheaterVision is offered by the Franciscan Center in Ohio, a community organization that provides arts programs to students from more than 40 school districts. Argues that art education is a way to teach children important skills. (AJL)

Addressed is how the art curriculum and the school system affect one another, with a pragmatic description of how the art curriculum should fit into the total art program and of how both can be related to the goals of the school system. (Editor/KC)