This report provides descriptive data for understanding the status of human services in Greater Phoenix, describes provocative issues that certain populations and providers face, and offers a starting point for determining Maricopa Valley's aspirations for tomorrow's human-services infrastructure. This report describes an array of populations that…

This essay addresses the ethical justification for arts education as a component of equal education. The paper traces evolution of equal education opportunity ideas in general and specifically as equal opportunity for arts education. While it is currently considered inequitable to provide an arts education to some and deny it or provide it in…

A school district and community endeavor brought a fine arts facility to Byron Center, Michigan. The Van Singel Fine Arts Center includes gallery space as well as a performing arts theater. Private donations purchased pianos and the acoustical shell. Academic results in the classroom include increases in average ACT scores for 5 consecutive years.…

In Surveys of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPAs) conducted in 1982, 1985, and 1992 by the U. S. Census Bureau, randomly-selected interview subjects (age 18+) were asked a series of questions relating to their participation in the arts through attendance at live performances, exposure via mass media, personal participation in the arts,…

Basic policy questions are offered to help guide efforts to formulate policy for art education in the schools. A view of art education that is responsive to these questions and examples of policy recommendations that have not addressed basic policy considerations are discussed. The central purpose and place of the arts in education is reiterated.…

This manual of facility guidelines examines the planning process and design features and considerations for public school fine arts programs in Maryland. Planning concepts and trends are highlighted followed by planning guidelines for dance, music, theater, visual arts, general education, and performance spaces. General design considerations…

Although the term "arts education" conjures up competing images and definitions for different people, for the purposes of this policy brief, arts education is defined as incorporating four distinct subject areas: (1) music, (2) dance, (3) theater arts, and (4) visual arts, as taught by certified arts educators. The policy brief provides…

This plan for guiding arts development was evolved from input obtained through a "Canvas of the People" that involved surveys, public opinion polls, public hearings, constituent working groups, and task forces examining the artistic and cultural needs for arts in South Carolina. The plan includes goals in areas of artist development,…

The report discusses the Ford Foundation's support for the arts in the United States since 1981. The premise upon which the Foundation provides such support is that the arts provide an immediate and intense means of communication, both in the present and across the centuries. A potent reflector and interpreter of values, art illuminates the…

This report was written by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities and offers suggestions to the President of the United States on ways to strengthen the system of support for the arts and the humanities in the United States. The document describes a vital cultural life as essential to a functioning democracy. It also examines the…

The arts and humanities convey the very essence of what it means to be a human being. The arts are a basic and central medium of human communication and understanding. As such, they should occupy a central place in education. In the wake of a "back to basics" movement in the schools, the artistic heritage and opportunities to contribute…

The proceedings of a 3-day conference, discussing the relationship between government and the arts in the United States, are presented. Issues that will confront the arts in the 1990s were identified and policy recommendations were suggested. Six basic principles were reflected in many of the discussions: (1) a flourishing artistic life is in the…

Warns against a tendency to command Soviet educational reform from above without thought of practical results. Criticizes proceeding before priorities have been set or put into practice, and ignoring the need for a vehicle of reform, material, and labor resources. Urges the humanization of architectural education through study of art, the…

Intended for state legislators seeking recommendations for improving arts education in Minnesota elementary and secondary schools, this executive summary presents (1) an historical perspective of comprehensive arts planning grants authorized by Minnesota statutes between 1973 and 1984; (2) needs assessment results, including findings of the…

Addressed to practitioners, donors, and policy makers, this document describes and compares responses to survey questions administered to top managers of resident theaters, art museums, symphony orchestras, and local arts agencies. Chapter 1 discusses research methodology and design. Organizations participating in the project included 102…