[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 119 (Thursday, September 10, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1692-E1693]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             ARTS EDUCATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 10, 1998

  Mr. BOB SCHAFFER of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address 
the importance of arts education--music, dance, visual arts, and 
theatre--to learning and development. Art as an academic discipline has 
long been seen as an essential component of education. From the dawn of 
western culture, through the Middle Ages, to the education of our own 
forefathers and the great schools of today, the western tradition 
relies on the use of arts education to enhance the cognitive and 
cultural development of children.
  Recent scientific studies confirm what teachers of old have always 
known--art and music stimulate higher brain function. Referred to now 
as the ``Mozart Effect,'' researchers have demonstrated that classical 
music enhances spatial-temporal reasoning. Moreover, music education 
elevates test scores in other academic disciplines.
  In light of this information, the arts education community under the 
leadership of the Consortium of National Arts Education Associations is 
working to shape education policy in a

[[Page E1693]]

way that maximizes the benefits of the arts for all children. Recently, 
they produced a Statement of Principles which states seven basic 
concepts for successful arts education.

                       A Statement of Principles

       First, every student in the nation should have an education 
     in the arts.
       Second, to ensure a basic education in the arts for all 
     students, the arts should be recognized as serious, core 
     academic subjects.
       Third, as education policy makers make decisions, they 
     should incorporate the multiple lessons of recent research 
     concerning the value and impact of arts education.
       Fourth, qualified arts teachers and sequential curriculum 
     must be recognized as the basis and core for substantive arts 
     education for all students.
       Fifth, arts education programs should be grounded in 
     rigorous instruction, provide meaningful assessment of 
     academic progress and performance, and take their place 
     within a structure of direct accountability to school 
     officials, parents, and the community.
       Sixth, community resources that provide exposure to the 
     arts, enrichment, and entertainment through the arts all 
     offer valuable support and enhancement in an in-school arts 
     education.
       Seventh and finally, we offer our unified support to those 
     programs, policies, and practitioners which reflect these 
     principles.
       These principles should serve to guide education policy by 
     providing an approach to arts education which is practical 
     and consistent with western traditions.

     

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