From Dewey to No Child Left Behind: The Evolution and Devolution of Public Arts Education

Abstract

This historical narrative tracks the evolution and devolution of visual arts education from Dewey's progressive era pedagogy and the theory of the arts as experience through the modern accountability movement. Archival material, state curricular documents, and conversations with policymakers show an increasing focus on core subject areas of reading, writing, and mathematics at the expense of arts education. Texas House Bill 3, the third generation of accountability legislation in the Lone Star State, provides a case study of the status of arts education after more than fifteen years of high-stakes testing and accountability. Policy considerations are offered for arts education and its future standing within the public educational curriculum.

Keywords:

• accountability
• arts education
• curriculum
• education policy
• high-stakes testing

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to offer special thanks to Brad Davis, Michael Berry, and Amy Kraehe, who contributed to the paper with their keen insight and experience.

Notes

1. This article focuses primarily on visual arts in terms of tangible curriculum-based coursework and study.

2. Subject areas included within fine arts in Texas are: art (grades K–12), dance (grades 9–12), music (grades K–12), and theater (grades K–12). The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are a set of skills that the state of Texas has determined are essential for each student.

3. Enrichment courses in Texas include foreign language, physical education (PE), and career and technology education (CTE), in addition to fine arts.

4. For more information on twenty-first-century skills, see http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/P21+and+creativity+and+innovation.pdf.