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* January 1, 2010 A Case for Middle School Arts By Nancy Chodoroff and Joan Fargnoli (Editor’s Note: This article, excerpted from the October 2009 issue of Middle Level Leader, (the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ monthly electronic newsletter for middle school leaders), is used with permission. The issue focuses on the arts; SupportMusic Coalition affiliates may link to it using proper attribution.) How do we make crucial decisions when it comes to budget cuts that directly impact our students’ educational future? It is our contention that the visual and performing arts are essential elements of any successful middle school and should be maintained. The arts are just as important to a child’s education—and sometimes more so—than academic programs. When arts programs are eliminated from the daily curriculum, many students lose their opportunity to develop the learning style that will foster their possibilities for academic diversity and prowess. They miss out on experiencing an environment “where all learners feel that their ideas, contributions, and work are valued, and that they are able to succeed.” (Silver et al., 2000) In middle school, the loss is significant. According to An Agenda for Excellence at the Middle Level (NASSP, 1985), one tenet of middle school education is that educators “provide opportunities for students to achieve and demonstrate excellence in a number of domains (i.e. the arts, athletics, academics, crafts).” (Woody, p. 41) Educating the whole child asks educators to consider young adolescents’ unique characteristics when crafting meaningful opportunities for students’ academic, social, and emotional growth. Dismantling arts education takes away crucial opportunities for brain growth, self-awareness, and the intrinsic creation of beauty. Our students’ education is narrowed and incomplete. Many middle schools have increased academic programs to meet the 2014 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) deadline of all children achieving on grade level. How do we keep the balance and recognize that, even in tough times, we must maintain the arts as a necessary and vital component of our middle school program while remaining in step with the guidelines and requirements of increased accountability? It isn’t easy. According to the National Association for Music Education (MENC), “While music clearly corresponds to higher performing students and adults, student access to music education has dropped about 20% in recent years, thanks in large part to the constraints of the NCLB Act.” Yet the demands of learning to play an instrument, developing vocal techniques, or perfecting other artistic talents foster growth in self-discipline, dedication, and academic achievement. Playing an instrument stimulates both sides of a student’s brain, simultaneously engaging the logical and aesthetic, and is the only activity measured to date where this dual-hemisphere engagement exists. The split-second decisions a musician faces in each measure - phrasing, balance, articulation, fingerings, intonation, timing - produce brain stimulation at a remarkably high level. In the arts, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are constantly used. Students who participate in the arts “begin to appreciate themselves for who they are; they learn to set challenging and realistic goals for themselves. The performing arts teach students to overcome obstacles and to appreciate the process of accomplishment, as well as the end product of achievement.” (Woody, p. 44) The need for peer acceptance is powerful among middle school children. What better way to achieve a sense of belonging and stimulate creative thinking than through shared interest and participation in music and arts programs? In a circle of friends, students develop leadership skills, effective group dynamics, and share in the creation of beauty. Indeed, arts programs may be the only reason some children stay in school. A 1990 Florida Department of Education study surveyed at-risk students taking art and music classes: in many cases, arts participation influenced their decision to continue attending school. The study concluded that “strategies and techniques that are commonly a part of arts education: hands-on involvement, opportunities for individual expression, pride in creative accomplishment, and an environment of high standards and expectations” were of tremendous benefit to these students. (Woody, p. 43). When a small It’s no surprise that many of our top-achieving high school students are members of school arts programs. At School systems that support their arts programs are taking the courageous step of educating the whole child and stimulating creative thinking. It is our belief that arts programs are vital to young adolescents as they learn to make their way in the world. The arts provide “one of the ways we make sense of our lives, one of the ways in which we express feelings when we have no words…to understand things with our hearts when we cannot with our minds.” (Paulnack, 2004) Our children deserve nothing less. -- Nancy Chodoroff is a literacy coach for the Ewing Township Schools, NJ. Joan Fargnoli is principal of Hurley Middle School in Seekonk, MA.
References
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