To the editor:

The Arts is a core academic subject and has incredible value in the K-12 education system. Research shows that the arts also bring about many other advantages for K-12 students, including increased attendance, higher graduation rates, improved family involvement, and higher test scores in other academic areas. Social Emotional Learning — the ability for students to express themselves, be more empathetic, and improve decision-making capacity — is at the center of a good Arts education and is a major goal of RIDE.

So why do the actions of RIDE continue to imply that the Arts are less important for all students? These actions include:

1. Lack of a full-time Arts content specialist.
   
   RIDE has full-time content specialists in Math, Literacy, Science, and Early Education but, as of the present, has no Arts content specialist to work with schools to ensure students are meeting the National Core Standards and the RI Basic Education Plan (BEP).
   
   While we are grateful to see movement in hiring a part time position in the Arts, the amount of work needed to address deficits in arts education requires the position to be full-time. We ask that RIDE increases the position to full-time AND given the same level of funding as other core academic subjects.
2. The concerning proposed Revision of Secondary Graduation requirements from RIDE scheduled this month for presentation to the Board of Education.
   
   We hope that this revision continues to list the Arts as a core subject, but it does not clearly require at least one full credit in Arts coursework in high school. We ask that at a minimum one credit specifically in the Arts (taught by a licensed Arts teacher) be required of all students. While the BEP requires that all students, in order to graduate, demonstrate proficiency in one of the Arts, there is no specific description of what “arts proficiency” looks like.
   
   We ask that RIDE provides specific definitions and examples of arts proficiency, based on the National Arts Standards, to serve as models for districts to follow. Furthermore, the inclusion of “flex” credits in the proposed regulations, to be designed by individual schools, will further erode support for meaningful Arts instruction in high school. A course, such as Music-Its Influence and Impact on Society-taught by a social studies teacher, cannot replace an Arts course which focuses on Performing, Creating, Responding and Connecting in artistic ways. We ask that RIDE drop the concept of flex credits from the regulations or specify that flex credits cannot take the place of any standalone minimum academic credits.

The above concerns support a tendency by school leaders to view the Arts as less important than other academic subjects. PreK-12 education MUST include a comprehensive, standards based education, including music, visual arts, theater and dance, taught by a licensed arts educator for every child in every school. Our students deserve nothing less.

Shannan Davis
Music Advocacy Task Force Member
Rhode Island Music Education Association