Keeping Students in School: An Art Therapy Program to Benefit Ninth-Grade Students

Abstract

The pilot study discussed in this article involved the integration of art therapy into the ninth-grade English classroom of an urban high school. The three goals of the study were to reduce drop-out rates, to decrease school failure, and to improve students' attitudes about school, family, and self. The data from three measures indicated that the pilot project was successful in reaching its goals. The discussion of artwork illustrates the success of the program, and ideas for future programming and research are outlined.