The Necessity of Arts Program on Adolescent Development and Academic Achievement in American Middle Schools

It has become evident in recent years that arts programs across all ages and grade levels have fallen victim to substantial budget cuts in schools and communities in order to shift focus and resources to other areas of education, such as English and Math, as well as to other departments within the government. For example, a study that was done in 2012 indicates that 1.3 million elementary schools across the country fail to get any music education into their curriculum, as well as 800,000 secondary schools. Nearly 4 million elementary schools do not even have access to visual arts programs. Pairing this with The Trump Administration's Budget Proposal which would cut 1 billion dollars from the Department of Education to impose a 54 million dollar increase in defense spending, it is clear that the arts programs are experiencing nationwide cuts from schools. Although, to some, this may seem like a financially sound plan to cut arts programs from schools to focus education on the, supposed, “more important subjects”, this claim is not backed by factual information. Research into the arts and arts programs have significant implications that the arts allow for substantial benefits in adolescent development, academic success (especially in economically disadvantaged areas), and lower dropout rates in schools.

There are numerous advantages to exposing adolescents and young children to the arts in order to further and enhance many developmental and life skills. An article written by Grace Lynch for PBS stresses the importance of exposure to the arts on young children. Some of the benefits that she collected from various studies include advances in: motor skills of children through painting or drawing, language development through discussing their creations or referencing different shapes or words in songs, decision making through working on problem-solving and critical-thinking skills when creating, cultural awareness through recognizing choices an artist makes and why they made those choices, and finally, academic performance where students active in the arts at young ages are four times more likely to succeed in school. Exposing young children to arts programs at young ages creates a foundation for various important skills that are to be continually worked on for the rest of their lives. Not only are arts programs a substantial benefit for young children, they also have significant benefits for adolescents in middle and high school.

There is a substantial amount of research that shows a strong correlation between arts education and academic success. Robin Pogrebin discusses how music education has substantial benefits in the math classroom. This is so important for adolescents because too often in math courses student are taught how to memorize formulas, but not understand what the mathematics implies in the real-world. For example, I was always taught that I had to memorize the sine, cosine, and tangent equations paired with their graphs. However, if I was ever asked to explain what this means in the real-world to someone who does not take higher level math courses, I would not have the slightest idea as to how I should even begin. It was not until this blog when I was researching this math application topic that I finally understood what these equations can be used for. Click the link here to see how such an abstract mathematics topic can be modeled in such an interesting, fun, engaging, and interactive way.

Teaching math abstractly leaves students uninterested, less engaged, and bored because they do not see the importance of learning various math concepts. However, through the application of math and science to music in the form of sound waves, vibrations, and time signatures, students can begin to become engaged in both their math and music courses as well as develop interdisciplinary skills, an element included in common core standards. Some further skills that students develop through their involvement in arts courses include student’s ability to: see better, envision, persist, think outside the box, and learn from their mistakes. Students also improve their visual and visual literacy skills through music and art, which is important in the wake of the digital age. These programs are essential to be an active, informed, and educated members of society. Also, involvement in drama clubs impacts/improves verbal skills. In areas like Australia and Spain, schools have a heightened duty, paired with governmental support to teach students social, cultural, and peacebuilding skills. In an article written by Alberto Cabedo-Mas, he explains how the arts programs in these places are the best tools for achieving these goals. Again, this takes student’s conceptual understandings out of the classroom and creates students that have developed interdisciplinary, social, applicable, cultural, and peacebuilding skills. For example, music and art from various cultures provides insight into that culture that a history textbook or a French class could not do. Student’s education is furthered when they are involved in the arts programs in various ways, and it is essential to teach adolescents of today skills in which they can use in their careers and the real-world.

Since the early 2000s, there has been a movement to eliminate arts programs in schools for reasons other than financial disparities. For example, an article published in the early 2000s states that the arts programs do not help students in their core courses, claiming that if music helps students with math is their argument, then they should take more math. However, there is a huge difference between doing one application problem in the math classroom, than being fully submerged in the culture and practice of music. The correlation also does indeed show that students in the arts programs perform better in school, tend to have higher GPA’s, have lower dropout rates, and perform higher on standardized tests. The authors of this article also cite examples such as family life to support their argument when they claim that families that push their children to excel in school are the same families that urge their children to become involved in extracurriculars and arts programs. They also support their argument by citing that schools with heightened performance often have strong arts programs. However, this could not be more false when examining the correlation between academic success and involvement in arts programs in economically challenged and underperforming areas.

More attention is being focused on the increased high school dropout rate because it leads to lower wage jobs, increased incarceration rates, and poor health as compared to their educated peers. Kathleen Thomas argues that arts programs are an effective answer because they involve active learning and are creative and engaging by their very nature. They also involve practice and performance with peers which can foster student attachment to a group and forge connections between a student and his/her school. Many dropout because their classes were too boring, but arts programs allow for a higher engagement in students. In these underprivileged areas where the arts programs are less prevalent, family involvement is lower, and economic advantages decrease, successful completion of arts programs is associated for students remaining in school. In disadvantaged or high dropout areas the arts should be one of the last programs to be cut because, although the evidence accounts for too many variables, there is a clear correlation between graduating students and arts programs.

Arts integration is at it utmost importance in the middle school years. During these years students are starting to become more responsible for their own learning and are more frequently challenged academically. By clicking the link here, there are many examples of The Kennedy Center's Artsedge Program which highlights the importance of arts integration for middle school students. Many of the examples that I have been discussing throughout this blog are prevalent in this school’s program such as: drama implementation in cross-disciplinary arts integration for students, math applications and demonstrations of shapes and the behavior of functions through dance, and the behavior of objects in space through creative dance in the science class. Arts integration is so helpful for middle school students who are beginning to encounter more advanced topics throughout their curriculum. Arts integration is a great way for students to visualize, create, and thoroughly understand their learning. Overall, arts integration and arts programs in middle schools allow students to embrace student differences, construct and demonstrate understanding, and impact teacher roles and instructions.

Michelle Obama could not have said it better in this video linked here. The evidence is clear, involvement in arts programs allows for heightened academic performance in students, interpersonal connections among students and the world as a whole, and cultural and social awareness/skills. The arts help students in economically disadvantaged areas excel in school, however these are the first areas where the arts get cut. The government needs to stop cutting funding for the Department of Education, and start realizing that arts programs are allowing our youth to prosper and succeed. It is teaching them skills and lessons that extend beyond the core subjects.

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The Necessity of Open Communication and Decision Making with Middle School Parents

The involvement of families is crucial to optimal development of student’s in my future classroom. Parents play a pivotal role in encouraging, developing, and guiding students. However, during student’s middle school years, parents often play a more hands off role with their kids than they had in the elementary school years. In turn, this creates a disconnect between parents and student’s schooling and learning. As a result, students become less engaged, less attentive to their progress, and less motivated when there is a lack of parental involvement. In turn, Epstein has created a framework to help effectively promote parental involvement so that students can excel to the best of their ability in school.

One type of involvement that Epstein discusses in his Framework is communication between the teacher and the home, and the home and the teacher. There are many ways to implement open communication back and forth between the home and the teacher. Some of these include: conferences with the parent one or more times within a school year with follow-ups if necessary, weekly/monthly folders sent home with student work and progress, and regular scheduling of memos, emails, newsletters, etc., home to parents/guardians. All of these practices allow for open communication between the teacher and the parent. The benefits of such a practice are that parents are consistently informed with the progress of their child in school. Informed parents can then help ensure student progress continues both at home and at school. It also benefits the teacher because informed parents can act as a second academic advocate for the students when they are kept in the loop. There are some challenges with open communication, however. For example, some non-English speaking parents may not be able to read the various memos that are sent home, fostering uninformed parents. Also, there may not be clear communication back and forth between the home and the teacher, creating a disconnect between the guardians and the teacher. Although there could be some setbacks when initiating communicative practices between the home and the teacher, overall the practice has seen to be highly beneficial for student success in the classroom. As a future educator, I encourage the idea of open communication, and would implement weekly student-written memos home to the families. These memos would include progress made throughout the week, a school event that took place during the week, one big subject matter the student learned, and an area of improvement for the next week.

Another aspect of Epstein’s Framework is decision making by teachers which includes parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives in the community. Some of the ways schools decisions can be made with the help of parents, in practice, is through the implementation of parent organizations, advisory councils, and committees, in which parents can lead and facilitate conversations about curriculum and organization within the schools. Independent advocacy groups can also be established which work for school reform and improvements. There could also be networks to keep families that are not on parent committees informed and able to express their own concerns. Some challenges have been seen to arise when implementing parents into the decision making process. Some challenges include: keeping parent councils diverse in order to represent all members of the community, and allowing students to also be involved in their own schooling decisions. Although there are some drawbacks, there are also a lot of benefits when allowing parents to help in the decision making process. For example, there is clarity in all decisions that are being made for the students. Parents can directly affect their student’s education and ensure they are receiving optimal schooling for their individual student. This also promotes a strong sense of community among the faculty paired with the families and students when everyone is on the same page. In my future classroom, I would love to have as much parent involvement as I can get. I like the idea of having networks so that the families that are on the councils and committees can reach out and have conversations with the other families in the community. This is essential to ensure that all student needs are heard and addressed, even if the teacher cannot hear every single parents wishes, or if the parent does not have enough time to be on a committee.

Paired with communication, allowing parents to go a step further and be a part of the conversation is beneficial so each student’s needs can be met. Parental involvement has been shown to be a crucial aspect of the student’s middle school experience, and these two practices explained above ensure that families stay connected, informed, and allow them to have a voice in their child’s academics. In turn, students have multiple advocates, engagement rises, and progress is a working goal that involves the parent, student, and teacher.

Middle School Teaming and Advisory Programs: The Benefits

Middle school aged students need a curriculum that transcends teaching and learning. There needs to be a strong connection between students and teachers, as well as a strong connection among teachers. This is such a crucial time for the development of students as adolescents as well as in their educational career. For students to be effectively educated at this age, they must feel they are cared for, respected, welcomed, and appreciated. The most effective way for teachers to do this is through the implementation of teacher teaming and advisory. Being a teacher who is effectively engaged in every one of their student’s lives is unrealistic, but through the implementation of teaming, it becomes more accessible to get a well-rounded view of a teacher’s students as a whole. Implementing advisory programs as an effect of teaming is essential to further team discussion and implement new areas of the curriculum to adjust to student needs. Many teachers are uncomfortable approaching students regarding sensitive topics, they are not adequately trained to address the needs and concerns of students of the middle school age, and many teachers have also not been exposed to the ideology of advisory. In turn, teachers are often ill-equipped to help adequately further student academic growth because they have no means of effective communication with their students.

That is why implementing teaming paired with an advisory period is so important. Teachers can gather insight on the feelings, attitudes, and mindsets of their students in advisory programs. Teachers can also relate to students in these periods, create a sense of advocacy and community in these periods to ensure students that students feel welcome, connect to students, and help students set academic and personal goals. All of these advisory benefits and practices are planned and addressed within the team. Teachers can then adjust curriculum to meet the needs of students, get a well-rounded picture of students’ feelings and mentalities around the school and curriculum, and, the goal, get to know their students so that school can be a fun, engaging, and common place for all students. If schools can implement these practices and ideologies that surround teaming and advisories, students will have greater success not only within their education, but in their lives to come!