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Evidence Matters | Arts Integration: It’s Smart Business
December 18, 2024
In our last post, we highlighted the promising research behind the practice of arts integration. At a time when leaders are continually looking for new and innovative ways to improve educational outcomes for students, it turns out that arts integration may be one of the most effective ways to do just that. And while there many are examples of effective arts integration programs happening across the country, some of the best are right here in South Carolina.
In 2024, a program known as Spark! Inspiring Tomorrow’s Readers Through Drama, which is a partnership between the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities (SCGSAH) and Arts Grow SC, was awarded the Dick and Tunky Riley WhatWorksSC Award—an annual award given to a program in South Carolina that is positively impacting public education.
Through the integration of beginning-level drama skills, Spark works to reinforce literacy standards being taught in elementary level classrooms. And the results speak for themselves: a study conducted by researchers at the University of South Carolina showed that third grade students who participated in Spark’s program demonstrated a 20-45% increase in reading gains compared with students who did not participate in the program. According to Dr. Cedric Adderly, SCGSAH’s president, Spark’s results demonstrate how “incorporating the arts into education can help improve student engagement, academic success, motivation, and hope for the future.”
Just down the road, in Charleston, South Carolina, Engaging Creative Minds (ECM), is engaging in similarly-focused work. A nonprofit working with school districts, principals, teachers, and the local work force, ECM trains artists, STEM professionals, and cultural organizations to work with teachers.
ECM coaches engage in planning alongside teachers to co-design ways to integrate one or more art forms or design concepts into instruction, and everyone reaps the rewards. In one classroom, a dance instructor might lead students through motions that represent the pieces of the scientific method, while down the hall, a theatre coach might assist students with recalling the major events that lead to the American Revolution. According to survey results, over 95% of teachers believe that arts integration is effective for standards-based instruction, and over 99% of teachers believe that ECM has a positive effect on students’ academic achievement. Additionally, schools that participated in ECM programming have seen positive changes in standardized test scores compared with similar, non-participating schools.
And while arts integration shows benefits for all students, those who are most at-risk appear to gain the most from this approach. A 2012 report from the National Endowment for the Arts highlighted that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who had the opportunity to be exposed to, and participate in, multiple art forms while in school were 15 percent more likely to enroll in a moderately selective four year college compared to low socioeconomic level students who did not have the same opportunities (41% versus 26%). When one considers that, on an annual basis, bachelor’s degree holders’ earnings are 86% higher than individuals with only a high school diploma, the importance of finding creative ways to level the playing field becomes even more apparent.
Given the chance, arts integration programs have the potential to positively impact the students who need it the most, and we are seeing some of these promising results right here in South Carolina. And it turns out that arts integration isn’t only smart education—it’s smart business.
Kelly Gregory is the Riley Institute’s Director for Public Education Projects and Partnerships and previously taught for 11 years in South Carolina public schools. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Special Education. She also holds a National Board certification as an Exceptional Needs Specialist. She can be reached at [email protected].