Online
survey aims to gauge arts efforts in Jersey
schools
Friday, April 14, 2006 • BY
PEGGY McGLONE • Star-Ledger
Staff
The state Education Department and arts
agencies have teamed up to launch a monthlong survey
evaluating the status of arts education in New Jersey's
public schools.
The first of its kind in the nation, the
mandated online survey will measure the number and type of
arts courses offered in schools, their enrollment and budget
figures and the facilities available for their use. It also
queries schools about partnerships they have with
professional artists and arts organizations, professional
development opportunities for teachers and whether students
are taken to cultural events and performances outside of
school.
Armed with this data, the state will be
able to chart the quality and availability of arts classes
around New Jersey.
"We expect the findings to provide us
with the most comprehen sive picture ever of how arts
education is carried out in New Jersey public schools, and
with that map we will be able to more clearly iden tify
where resources are required," Secretary of State Nina
Mitchell Wells said last week at the Mott Elementary School
in Trenton, where she and Acting Commissioner of Education
Lucille Davy launched the survey.
Early response is encouraging, said
Robert Morrison, CEO of the Music for All Foundation, a
partner in the project. Schools have until April 30 to
complete the online questionnaire. A report on the data is
expected in September.
"We know there is never a great time to
ask a school to do a survey, but we've been pleased by the
response," said Morrison. "We believe we're going to find
some really valuable information about how schools ... are
addressing access and equity in arts education
programs."
The visual and performing arts survey is
part of the larger effort by the state to evaluate curricula
not included in its testing program. A similar effort was
conducted last year on world language
instruction.
The survey is the first step in the
effort to improve and increase arts education, which is one
of the areas being squeezed out of the curriculum as schools
focus on the smaller set of subjects that are being measured
by tests, said Morrison.
"In order for our students to be
successful, they have to have a broader set of skills beyond
reading and math," he said. "Creativity is important and the
arts play an im portant role in developing
creativity.
"How do we ensure that those
opportunities are there for every child? If the goal is
every child, then we have to count," he said.
The report will be formulated like the
state's annual schools report card, allowing for comparisons
based on geographic and socio-economic factors. Morrison
predicted the results will influence both local and state
education policies.
"We want to make sure this is a positive
tool for the schools' use, to help them move forward with
arts education programs," Morrison said. "By highlighting
programs that are doing great work, others can learn from
them."
© 2006 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with
permission.
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