Annual Arts in Schools Report 2011-2012

Data from the 2006-12 Annual Arts Education Surveys and other NYCDOE databases for 2006-12 have yielded valuable information to school leaders, teachers, parents, and community-based organizations to expand students' access to and participation in the arts. Under the leadership of Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Walcott, the NYCDOE maintains a strong commitment to arts education for all students. The success of our endeavor to build the quality of arts instruction and equity of access across all schools, as articulated in the Blueprints for Teaching and Learning in the Arts, will depend on our continued collaboration with the arts and cultural community, the higher-education community, and other city and state agencies. Working with the New York State Education Department (NYSED), the arts and cultural community, and the higher-education community, along with school leaders and parents, the NYCDOE is fully committed to supporting quality arts education, even in the face of the most severe fiscal crisis in 40 years, and will continue to:

• ensure student achievement in the arts;

• support school leaders to plan and provide comprehensive, sequential Blueprint-based instruction for all students;

• build capacity of teachers to deliver quality teaching and learning in the arts; and

• support all schools to meet ArtsCount/NYSED requirements.

The Office of Arts and Special Projects (OASP) -- within the Office of School Programs and Partnerships, Division of Academics, Performance, and Support -- continues to analyze arts education data to refine and develop strategies to address the findings of the Annual Arts in Schools Report and support arts education citywide.

• Successful Strategy: 497 cultural arts organizations partnered with responding schools in the 2011-2012 school year to provide arts education instruction. This was up from 378 the prior year. Tweet
• Observation: 91% of responding elementary schools provided at least two arts disciplines to any grade in the 2011-2012 school year. Among middle schools, the number drops to 79%, and among high schools it was 72%. Tweet
• Observation: 77% of schools reported having at least one full-time certified school-based arts teacher. Tweet
• Observation: 75% of schools reported having at least one appropriately equipped classroom or school facility for visual arts instruction. 63% have a music facility and 28% have a dance facility. Tweet
• Challenge: The percent of responding schools with students participating in performances or exhibitions decreased in the 2011-2012 school for dance, music, theater, and visual arts. Tweet