Ryan Nguyen

Ms. Thomas

UWRT 1102

11 February 2018

The Effects of Arts Education

Would you believe me if I told you that there was an easy, dependable, and science-based

way to improve your brain? Studies show that arts education has a tremendously positive impact

on a child’s cognitive ability, academic performance, and behavior. Over the years, art education

has been brushed aside to make room for more mainstream subjects such as science and

math. Recent budget cuts that are plaguing school districts across the country have made it so

the arts department has been receiving less and less attention. But is this really what is best for

the students?

It may come as a surprise to some to hear that many cognitive skills that are in high demand can

be obtained by taking art classes. I would like to find more scientific evidence many more

scientific examples such as this one

 Activity-dependent plasticity is a form of neuroplasticity that makes it so your brain can

make changes to itself based on your actions and memories. To put in another way, the

things you do every day have an impact on your brain’s networking and wiring. Your

brain is a complex machine consisting of neural pathways dedicated to

attention, Training these pathways via learning, performing, and mastering an art

fortifies them, improving general cognition. Attention plays a vital role in almost every

aspect of our lives.

 The fine arts are more closely linked to the rest of the academic world than one might

think. In this inquiry project, I would like to explore some of the many academic benefits that

result from taking art classes.

 For example, studies show that students that take drama, music, and art classes

score higher on the math and reading sections of the SAT than students that opt

out of these classes.

 Further more, students involved in arts and music throughout high school on

average had GPAs that were 15% higher than students that did not.

 They also have approximately a 36% higher graduation rate and have a lower

dropout rate than students with no art credits.

 A national study observing low income neighborhoods concluded that arts

programs inspired children to be more inclined to participate in extracurriculars.

However, the effects of arts education extend further than academia.

Behavior is also heavily impacted by a student’s engagement in artistic courses. I think

that behavioral improvements are important when talking about the effects of art education, so I

plan on elaborating more on the subject.

 During adolescent years, arts study resulted a reduction in the likelihood that a

child would be caught doing behaviors that would get them suspended, keeping

them engaged in their schoolwork.

 Additionally, music students were significantly less likely to engage in illegal

drug use and delinquent activity when compared to non-art peers.

  Adolescents also spend less time engrossed with media, television, and video

games, giving them time to immerse themselves with the world and people

around them.

 Furthermore, art students, when compared to their non-art peers, were more

optimistic about going to college, which leads to an increased likelihood to attend

postsecondary school.

 Lastly, learning about art affects the values of out youth, encouraging them to

more tolerant and empathetic. This may be due to an art student’s awareness of

different ideas that are expressed through art.

Art is more than a stand alone academic subject. It’s a way of thinking. There is simply

too much evidence to suggest otherwise. Multiple experiments and analyses show that art

education has a nigh undisputable effect on students’ academic performance, behavior, and

cognitive ability. This data is relevant to everyone because if our youth is to remain a vibrant and

imaginative part of our society, there needs to be a stronger emphasis on getting them exposed to

the world of art education.

 Works Cited

Admin. “Explore | The GEMS World Academy Blog.” THE LINK BETWEEN ART

EDUCATION AND CRITICAL THINKING, blog.gemsworldacademy-

chicago.com/blog/arts-eduction-and-its-powerful-effect-on-student-brains.

“The Arts Make a Difference in Academic Success!” St Petersburg Arts Alliance, 23 May 2016,

stpeteartsalliance.org/the-arts-make-a-difference-in-academic-success/.

“How Arts Training Improves Attention and Cognition.” Dana Foundation - Home, 14 Sept.

2009,

www.dana.org/Cerebrum/2009/How_Arts_Training_Improves_Attention_and_Cognition

/.

Jay P. Greene, Brian Kisida, Cari A. Bogulski, Anne Kraybill, Collin Hitt, & Daniel H. Bowen.

“Arts Education Matters: We Know, We Measured It.” Education Week, 8 Feb. 2017,

www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/12/03/13greene.h34.html.