A case study: arts education -- the vehicle to high quality education

Given the current No Child Left Behind accountability measures, there exists a requirement for K-12 public schools to ensure student proficiency on standardized tests. The demands have often resulted in a narrowed curriculum, placing heavy emphasis on tested courses and minimal access to quality arts education. The purpose of the study was to examine a secondary institution that has successfully maintained arts education as a priority via instructional minutes, while managing other demands that have emerged from mandated accountability measures and budget constraints. The qualitative design guided the methodology and identified research methods to study a school’s best practices, strategies and overall success through the arts. The purpose of using a qualitative case study approach in this study was to provide detailed descriptions, and develop an understanding of a high quality arts program through research and data. There were four instruments (data collection, surveys, interviews, and observations) used to gather relevant information. Findings in this study provided evidence that with strong leadership support, collaboration, and a school wide team effort, retaining a successful arts program, despite given situations is attainable. An educational entity should be a place for all students to learn, grow and develop. This study indicates that that although the connection between arts and school success may be hard to measure, it provides students an opportunity to achieve success academically, emotionally, and socially, helping to create a path for future endeavors.

鉴于当前推行的《不让一个孩子掉队法案（No Child Left Behind）》问责机制，K-12公立学校需保障学生在标准化考试中达到合格水平。此类考核要求往往导致课程体系收窄，学校过度侧重应试科目，优质艺术教育的获取渠道大幅缩减。本研究旨在考察一所中学，该校通过合理分配教学时长，成功将艺术教育列为办学优先事项，同时妥善应对了法定问责机制与预算紧缩带来的各类办学压力。本研究采用质性研究设计（qualitative design）作为方法论框架，确定适配的研究方法，以探究该校依托艺术教育形成的最佳实践、实施策略与整体办学成效。本研究采用质性案例研究方法，旨在通过详实的资料梳理与数据分析，对高质量艺术教育项目展开细致描述并形成系统性认知。本研究共使用四类研究工具：数据收集（data collection）、问卷调查（surveys）、访谈（interviews）与观察法（observations），用以收集相关研究资料。研究结果表明，只要获得强有力的领导支持、跨团队协作以及全校师生的共同努力，即便面临各类办学困境，保留成功的艺术教育项目仍是切实可行的。教育机构本应是所有学生学习、成长与发展的场所。本研究显示，尽管艺术教育与学校办学成效之间的关联难以量化，但它为学生提供了在学业、情感与社交层面取得进步的机会，有助于为其未来发展搭建路径。