Lack of Funding for Arts Programs in American Public Schools
I.S. 126 The Albert Shanker School for
Visual and Performing Arts
By Luke Manas
Introduction
Throughout America many schools and districts have seen a steady decline in financial support for arts programs. There are many reasons for this; most come down to one idea, that the only thing that matters in education is performance in traditional academic subjects like ELA and Math. Student scores on high-stakes testing in these areas, like regents exams, often determine how much funding a school gets to distribute. This leaves schools in a pickle. If student test scores in Math and ELA determine how much funding a school gets, then schools need to make sure that students do well on the tests, meaning most of a schools funding gets allocated (given) to math and ELA programs. There is little motivation for administrators to fund arts programs, which results in little funding. The problem is, we still need funding in the arts department.
Task
It is your task in this WebQuest to review current policies on funding arts programs, and determine possible funding solutions that can, or should be implemented.
Process
1. You will work in groups of three to five.
2. Each group will use the websites provided in the Resources section to research the current state of arts funding nationally. Each group will summarize its research on the following six-step TIPS PPA worksheets. Note that the PPA includes an evaluation of an existing public policy (that of not funding arts education) as well as development of your own public policy solution.
a. Worksheet 1: Defining the Problem
b. Worksheet 2: Gathering the Evidence
c. Worksheet 3: Identifying Causes
d. Worksheet 4: Evaluating Existing Public Policy
e. Worksheet 5: Developing Your Own Public Policy Solution
f. Worksheet 6: Choosing the Best Public Policy Solution
3. Each group will use the research it has gathered, as well as its original ideas, to present what they feel is the best possible solution to source funding.
4. Each group will make a ten-minute oral presentation to the class. Each member of the group must contribute at least one minute to the oral presentation.
Resources
Use the following websites to help you in your research:
59 Fundraising Ideas For Your Music Boosters Group!
Evaluation:
Your work will be evaluated according to the following rubric:
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CATEGORY |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Campaign/Product |
Students create an original, accurate and interesting product that adequately addresses the issue. |
Students create an accurate product that adequately addresses the issue. |
Students create an accurate product but it does not adequately address the issue. |
The product is not accurate. |
|
Brainstorming - Problems |
Students identify more than 4 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change. |
Students identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change. |
Students identify at least 3 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change. |
Students identify fewer than 3 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change. |
|
Brainstorming - Solutions |
Students identify more than 4 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change. |
Students identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change. |
Students identify at least 3 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change. |
Students identify fewer than 3 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change. |
|
Sources - Quality |
Students include 4 or more high quality sources. |
Students include 2-3 high quality sources . |
Students include 2-3 sources but some of are questionable quality. |
Students include fewer than 2 sources. |
This WebQuest addresses the following standards:
English Language Arts
Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts.
Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.
Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.
Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.
Conclusion
Having completed this WebQuest, you are now an expert on alternative solutions to a lack of arts funding in the United States. You have used your research as the basis of a political action plan to solve this problem. You have worked with a team to develop alternative solutions to solving a serious problem that public schools face. Let’s try and implement some of these in our school and classroom!
