Arts Education: Policies and Programs. A Survey of State Education Agencies, Winter 1978-79. FRSS Report No. 6.

Overview & Synopsis

The report on arts education presents findings of a survey of state education agencies. Requested by the U.S. Office of Education, the survey was designed to provide background data for the federal government's activities in coordinating arts education policies and programs. The survey was sent to all 50 states with 100% response. Questions pertained to the 1977-78 school year. Findings show that 31 departments of education endorsed elementary and secondary arts education through policy statements; two out of three of those states reinforced their statements with dollar support; all states but one used federal funds for arts education; most frequently used federal programs were educational innovation and support, library and learning resources, education of the gifted and talented, and education of the handicapped; state priorities for new funds would be inservice training and integration of the arts into the school curriculum; there was more cooperation in planning between the state arts and the state education agencies for the Artists-in-Schools program than in implementation and evaluation; and states with an enrollment of more than one million students reported greater involvement in arts education than those with fewer. Appendices describe the process of taking the survey and show numerical results. (CK)