Defined as the tendency for structures and groups to "grow more alike, to develop similarities" policy convergence is a recognized factor in policy analysis across fields. In the arts education sphere, this can mean adopting similar curriculum standards, imitating an after-school arts program, or even borrowing a large-scale metropolitan…

Education organizations have noted a gender disparity in administrative leadership. In colleges, the American Council on Education urged leaders to move the needle from having 30% to 50% of U.S. college presidents be women by 2030 (ACE, 2017). A gender inequity has also been documented in school district populations (PBS, 2016), with a majority of…

This research brief summarizes highlights from the full report (published separately) on program evaluation activities for the 2016-2017 school year in AISD. [For the full report, see ED629313.]

This report summarizes program evaluation activities for the 2016-2017 school year in AISD. A separate research brief also was published. [For the research brief, see ED629314.]

The decisions regarding school curriculum are based on mandates from state and local policies and funding from local, state, and federal government funding. In most K-12 public school systems, decisions regarding funding issues are approved by the local board of education upon the recommendation from the superintendent. As chief executive officer…

The Creative Learning Initiative (CLI) is a community-wide effort to bring creative learning and the arts to each and every student in Austin. Lead by MINDPOP, the City of Austin, and Austin Independent School District (AISD), CLI designs systematic and sustainable programs that integrate creativity, creative teaching strategies, and the arts with…

The Creative Learning Initiative (CLI) is a community-wide effort to bring creative learning and the arts to each and every student in Austin. Lead by MINDPOP, the City of Austin, and Austin Independent School District (AISD), CLI designs systematic and sustainable programs that integrate creativity, creative teaching strategies, and the arts with…

Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; and Title IV, Part A funds are provided to the Houston Independent School District (HISD) through the 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), also known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). All three funds focus on enhancing student achievement. Title I, Part A…

To measure the impact of fine arts instruction in HISD [Houston Independent School District] , the study compared the STAAR [State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness] performance, attendance, and disciplinary outcomes of fine arts students enrolled in Fine Arts Magnet schools (treatment group) with students enrolled in non-Fine Arts Magnet…

As a result of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, many school districts have reduced instructional time for the arts in order to focus on reading and mathematics. Accordingly, fine arts programs across the nation have become subject to budget cuts or elimination in order to meet federal accountability measures. Hit especially hard are…

llinois K-12 public education administrators' attitudes about, participation in and support of the fine arts were investigated to determine what impact those experiences might have on the inclusion of fine arts in the schools they lead. A secondary consideration was if attitudes toward the fine arts played a role in the inclusion of the fine arts…

To demonstrate the significance of cultural crossings in Texas and how cultural exchanges can inform teachers and students in the areas of history, fine arts, geography, and social studies, the author constructed a Summer 2013 teacher workshop for Texas K-12 teachers through the Smithsonian Affiliated Institute of Texan Cultures. The author…

For the last decade Michelle Kamhi has been prominent in her critique of contemporary art education. In her philosophy she positions herself as an essentialist who believes there are essential masterworks that define fine art, and the curriculum in art should teach fine art only. Her definition of fine art focuses on representation in painting and…

This article presents a selective review of the literature on cross-cultural art studies, with the aim of identifying their commonalities. The article includes a specific cross-cultural case study, the Art Lunch Project, which the author attended as a representative of Turkey, that aims to exchange practical teaching experiences. The participants…

Advocates of the arts agree that the K-12 curriculum should include dedicated time for arts instruction. Some have argued further that knowledge and skills acquired through the arts transfer to nonarts domains. Others claim that evidence of this kind of transfer is limited and instead argue that the arts cultivate valuable dispositions that help…