Arts Education in Public Elementary and
Secondary Schools 1999-2000 and 2009-10
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What is the survey
Data collection scope and methods
Key findings
Key messages
What you can do
What is the “Snapshot
of Arts Education” FRSS?
• FRSS = Fast Response Survey System
• U.S. Department of Education survey used to
collect issue-oriented data quickly
• Current survey for arts education covers 200910 school year
• Previous arts education FRSS was 1999-2000
• Allows for a 10-year pre- and post-NCLB
comparison on status and condition of arts
education
What Data are Collected?
• National-level data on arts education in public
elementary and secondary schools
• Comprised of 7 separate surveys, covering such
arts-related topics as:
– Availability and characteristics of programs
– Teaching loads and professional development of
instructors
– Classroom teachers integration of the arts with other
subjects
– Teachers’ use of methods to assess student learning
High school graduation requirements in the arts
What Data are not Collected?
• State- and local-level data
• Survey responses of theatre and dance
specialists
• Outcomes of student learning in the arts
How are Data Collected?
• Distributed to a nationally representative sample
of over 1200 elementary and 1200 secondary
schools
• Primarily a multiple-choice questionnaire
• Responses gathered from following populations:
– Elementary school principals, music specialists, visual
arts specialists and general classroom teachers
– Secondary school principals, music specialists, visual
arts specialists
Key Findings: A Mixed Picture
Elementary Schools Instruction
Arts Discipline
2009-10
1999-2000
Music
94%
94%
Visual Arts
83%
87%
Theatre
4%
20%
Dance
3%
20%
Source: Parsad, D., and Spiegelman, M. (2012). Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary
Schools: 1999-2000 and 2009-10 (NCES 2012-014). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute
of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC. Figure 1
Key Findings: A Mixed Picture
Secondary Schools Instruction
Arts Discipline
2008-09
1999-2000
Music
91%
90%
Visual Arts
89%
93%
Theatre
45%
48%
Dance
12%
14%
Source: Parsad, D., and Spiegelman, M. (2012). Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary
Schools: 1999-2000 and 2009-10 (NCES 2012-014). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute
of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC. Figure 4
Translating Percentages into Numbers:
Who has access and who does not?
• 1.3 million of our nation’s public elementary school
students receive no specific instruction in music.
• Nearly 4 million elementary school students receive
no specific instruction in the visual arts.
• And literally, tens of millions of students will never
get the chance in elementary school to receive any
authentic instruction in dance or theatre.
Who are the Students with Little or No
Access to Arts Education?
Disproportionately, they are the students
who attend high-poverty schools—the
schools that serve the lowest socioeconomic levels of our population.
On nearly every measure of access to arts
education between low-poverty schools
and high-poverty schools, the highpoverty schools come up short.
Key Findings
Music:
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Nine percent of public secondary schools reported that they did not
offer music. (Figure 11, Pg. 21)
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15 percent of elementary schools offered music instruction at least
three times per week. (First Look Report)
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Schools with a higher concentration of students in poverty were less
likely to offer music education. (Figure 8, Pg. 14)
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Among elementary schools offering music education, the presence
of music specialists declines as the school’s poverty rate increases.
(Table 5, Pg. 15)
www.nces.ed.gov
Key Messages
• All students deserve access to a
complete education – including a
comprehensive arts education.
Key Messages
• The vast majority of our nation’s public
elementary and secondary schools – close to
90% - offer music instruction. At the
elementary level, that includes a majority of
students receiving such instruction at least
once a week by a certified music teacher.
• Arts education advocates have advocated for
the presence of arts education programs
across the country throughout the recession
and in the wake of reading and math
accountability demands on public schools.
Key Messages
• There are critical equity gaps in
student access to a quality arts
education in all arts disciplines, and
these gaps must be addressed.
Key Messages
• Future data collection should be more
comprehensive in scope and depth,
and be conducted more frequently.
What You Can Do
• Review the Report
• Prompt a Conversation about Access
to Arts Education in Your Community
and State
• Seek Data Collection at the State and
Local Level
• Get the facts about the educational
benefits of arts learning at
ArtsEdSearch.org
What You Can Do
Arts Access in American School (FRSS) Toolkit
• Links to Summary and Full Report
• Remarks by Sec. Duncan
• Analysis and News Coverage
• 2008 NAEP Toolkit Link
Coming Soon
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Fact Sheet
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Key Findings
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Communications Tips
www.aep-arts.org
What You Can Do
Stay Tuned For Full Toolkit
Americans for the Arts
Arts Education Partnership
Educational Theatre Association
League of American Orchestras
National Art Education Association
NAfME: The National Association for Music Education
NAMM
National Dance Education Organization
Quadrant Arts Education Research
State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education
Theatre Communications Group
www.aep-arts.org