The Status of Arts Education in Ohio's Public ... - Ohio Arts Council

ENSURING SEQUENTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTION ACROSS GRADE LEVELS
Providing access to the arts includes offering sequential courses in each of the
four arts disciplines spanning K-12 grade levels. Those courses establish and
build on a foundation for understanding and accomplishments in the arts.
Clearly, the ODE data show that few Ohio students can access 13 years of instruction in dance or
drama/theatre. However, ODE data indicate that 87 percent of districts in 2009-2010 reported
providing a sequence of courses spanning kindergarten through grade 12 in the visual arts and/or
music.
According to ODE data, 83 school districts (13 percent) did not enroll students in arts courses at
every grade level between kindergarten and 12th grade in 2009-2010. Fifty-one of those school
districts enrolled at least one student in an arts course in 12 grades. In most cases, kindergarten
was the grade with zero students enrolled in arts courses.
PROVIDING A WELL-ROUNDED ARTS EDUCATION
Access to arts education includes opportunities for all students, especially those
who aspire to careers in the arts and other creative industries, to develop a solid
background and deep understanding in the arts.
Based on course titles, Ohio’s public schools delivered 29 different courses in the arts in 2009-
2010, including enrollment in eight music courses, 17 courses in visual arts, 2 courses in dance
and 2 courses in drama/theatre.
While 97 percent or more of districts offered visual arts (K-12) and instrumental and vocal music,
22 of the other courses listed were available in less than 40 percent of Ohio’s 612 school districts.
The range of music and visual arts courses reported expanded after grade 5. The number of
schools offering courses in instrumental music and vocal/choral music increased in grades 5 and
6, and remained steady through high school. The variety of visual arts courses offered increased
beginning in grades 5, 6 and 7 and remained steady through high school. The few dance and
drama/theatre courses offered were introductory or broad at all grade levels.
Table 4 (next page) shows the number and percentage of districts that reported offering each of
the 29 courses.
Note: The term ‘course’ refers to a unique arts course offered within a grade. If multiple schools
in a district offer a specific course in the same grade, that course would count only once; a
course offered in two grades would be counted twice. For example, Comprehensive Dance taught
in grade 6 and Comprehensive Dance taught in Grade 7 would each be counted as a unique
course, but each would be counted once, even if several schools in the district taught the course.
Status of Arts Education in Ohio’s Public Schools 24