Creating Success in Schools
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There is no question that education in America has turned into a national debate. The White House, Congress, state legislatures, and administrators are urging reform and improvements. The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Domestic Policy Council, has created the Turnaround Arts Initiative to help improve some of the lowest performing elementary and middle schools in the country. t all began as a campaign promise. When Barack Obama was running for president, one of his campaign platforms I was a “champion for arts and culture.” He specifically pledged several items in support of arts education, including the CREATING SUCCESS IN SCHOOLS promise to “use the bully pulpit to promote the importance of arts and arts education in America.” He also pledged to “engage the foundation and corporate community to increase support for public/private partnerships” that support arts education. TURNAROUND ARTS 4 | ARTS LINK | FALL/WINTER 2013 The arts can be an innovative n method for boosting student engagement and increasing academic achievement in low- performing schools. All photos throughout this article are courtesy of Turnaround Arts. CREATING SUCCESS IN SCHOOLS TURNAROUND ARTS By Kristen Engebretsen, Americans for the Arts TURNAROUND ARTS QUICK LOOK Reinvesting in Arts Education 4 “The president and I want to ensure that all children have access to great works of art at museums. We want them to have access to great poets and musicians in theaters around the country, to arts education in their schools and community workshops.” — First Lady and Honorary Chair of PCAH Michelle Obama Read the report: http://bit.ly/ReinvestingInArtsEd. One way that President Obama has been our nation’s schools. The report synthe- able to keep these campaign promises sized this information and described is through the important work of the how our schools can utilize the arts as a President’s Committee on the Arts and tool to 1) close the achievement gap, 2) the Humanities (PCAH). Created under lower the dropout rate, and 3) prepare President Reagan in 1982, the Commit- our students for jobs in the 21st century tee works with federal agencies and the workforce. The report offers case studies, private sector to initiate and support key an appendix of model programs, and a programs in the arts and the humani- set of recommendations for federal, state, ties, usually through research and policy and local policymakers and stakeholders. analysis. Central to the PCAH mission is The report offers five recommen- using the power of the arts and humani- dations to increase and improve arts ties to contribute to the vibrancy of our education in America: society, the education of our children, 1. Build collaborations among the creativity of our citizens, and the different approaches. strength of our democracy. First Lady 2. Develop the field of arts integration. Michelle Obama is the Honorary Chair of 3. Expand in-school opportunities for PCAH, and members of the Committee teaching artists. include public figures, celebrated artists, 4. Utilize federal and state policies and presidentially appointed individuals. to reinforce the place of arts in In 2011, the Committee released K–12 education. a landmark report called Reinvesting in 5. Widen the focus of evidence Arts Education: Winning America’s Future gathering about arts education. Through Creative Schools. The report sum- These recommendations lay the marized more than a decade of research foundation for PCAH’s work and mission showing the benefits of arts education in both immediately and in the future. 6 | ARTS LINK | FALL/WINTER 2013 The Source for Arts Professionals In the Know TURNAROUND ARTS: THE PROGRAM In 2012, PCAH launched a new initiative to test the hypothesis that high-quality and integrated arts education can be an effective tool to strengthen school reform efforts. The new initiative, Turnaround Arts (which implements several of the recommendations from Reinvesting in Arts Education), focuses QUICK LOOK on using the arts to help boost academic achievement and increase student motivation in schools facing some of Turnaround the toughest educational challenges Arts Schools in the country. 4 Turnaround Arts was also designed As part of the program, PCAH Artist members have each “adopted” at least one to be an innovative example of public/ of the Turnaround Arts schools. Turnaround private partnership. Federal partners Artist involvement with schools takes include the White House Domestic many forms, including participating in performances, master classes, and Policy Council, the U.S. Department of community events at the school. Education, and the National Endowment n Chuck Close for the Arts, which contributes both Roosevelt School funding and expertise. Private partners Bridgeport, CT include the Ford Foundation, the Herb n Yo-Yo Ma Orchard Gardens K–8 Pilot School Alpert Foundation, Crayola, the NAMM Boston, MA Foundation, the Aspen Institute, and n Sarah Jessica Parker Booz Allen Hamilton. Americans for the Martin Luther King Jr. School Arts was added as a coordinating partner Portland, OR in June 2013. n Kerry Washington Turnaround Arts works exclusively Savoy Elementary School Washington, DC in “turnaround schools”—schools that n Forest Whitaker perform in the lowest 5 percent on their Findley Elementary School state test scores and are receiving School Des Moines, IA Improvement Grants (SIG) through n Damian Woetzel the U.S. Department of Education. SIG Lame Deer Jr. High School Lame Deer, MT & grants are awarded to help persistently Orchard Gardens K–8 low-performing schools that agree to Pilot School, Boston, MA implement a series of significant and n Alfre Woodard structural interventions. Renew Cultural Arts Academy, New Orleans, LA & After an application process, open Noel Community Arts School to any SIG grantees, and a nomina- Denver, CO tion process from state and municipal authorities, PCAH members conducted www.AmericansForTheArts.org FALL/WINTER 2013 | ARTS LINK | 7 When you walk into a Turnaround Arts school, it just feels different. There’s a lot of joy in the hallways; people are engaged; family members and community members are coming into “the school for performances. —Kathy Fletcher,” Turnaround Arts Program Director Students at Roosevelt n School enjoyed a presentation of The Wiz, a musical adaptation of the beloved The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Turnaround Artist and n mentor Sarah Jessica Parker greets students at her “adopted” school—Martin Luther King Jr. School in Portland, OR. site visits to each of the final schools. Each school receives a minimum of Criteria for selection included demon- the following services: strated need and opportunity for arts n A summer institute for school leader- education impact, strong school leader- ship with nationally recognized arts ship with district support, and evidence education providers; of a commitment to arts education as a n In-school professional development pillar of the school’s turnaround strat- during the school year; egy. As part of that commitment, all n Partnerships with community arts schools were required to have at least education and cultural organizations; one full-time arts specialist on staff. The n PCAH Turnaround Artists working in eight schools selected represent demo- each of the schools; graphic diversity of environment (urban, n Additional arts supplies and rural, suburban), grade levels (elemen- musical instruments; tary and middle schools), geographic n A public arts event in the school with spread, and student populations. students, parents, and community; After consulting with each selected n Communications campaign highlighting school and developing a customized stra- success stories of the schools’ progress tegic plan, PCAH and its partners provide and achievements; and each school with the arts education n An educational evaluation of the services, resources, and materials they effects of arts learning on whole most need to engage their community, school turnaround. raise the visibility of their achievements, The key to these efforts is building arts and increase the likelihood of successful education programming that is rigorous, school turnaround. effective, and integrated into the school. www.AmericansForTheArts.org FALL/WINTER 2013 | ARTS LINK | 9 TURNAROUND ARTS Students at Turnaround n Arts schools are encouraged to engage and express themselves through curriculum that focuses on the arts—such as dance. RESULTS turn around the school. Andrew Bott The schools selected to be in the pro- was the sixth principal in seven years gram have completed one of the two and began his tenure three years ago years in this pilot. While full program with a commitment to take drastic evaluation is currently being conducted measures to turn around his school. by an evaluation team including Booz “It made the most sense to just go Allen Hamilton and the University of big and go bold…if we were going to Chicago, it is clear from anecdotal evi- undergo a transformation, it made the dence that the initiative has impacted most sense to tackle it altogether,” Bott principals, teachers, students, and the stated in an interview with the BBC. entire school culture. Bott began by firing 80 percent of his teachers—state and federal law EMBOLDENED PRINCIPALS required him to replace at least 50 Orchard Gardens K–8 Pilot School in Roxbury, MA percent. Bott chose to go well above was struggling: 90 percent of students that minimum so that he could bring in qualify for free or reduced-priced teachers excited by his new vision. He lunches; about half of students are offered extensive professional develop- learning English as a second language; ment to the new and remaining teachers, 20 percent of students are classified as and extended his school day to allow special needs; and the school was in the more time for tutoring and study of bottom 5 percent of test scores across additional subjects. the state.