Despite the evidence supporting the standardized testing benefits received through the arts, schools are still fighting back against educating their students in the arts, arguing that studying anything other than what is on a national standardized test is a waste of time, and will only impede good scores. Students are being conditioned in math, reading, technology, and science, and prepped for the standardized tests which will rank them among the nation’s best. The No Child Left Behind Act holds schools accountable for teaching the subjects which will appear on those nationwide tests, causing schools to lean towards standardized test prep, as opposed to a full education. A survey conducted in 2006 in the state of California, demonstrated that …show more content…
Students who receive an arts education from their school gain abstract critical thinking skills and creative approaches to problem solving. This makes them more likely to succeed, and more equipped to handle a job in their future. An education in the arts, builds on one’s ability to learn complex things abstractly. Being an active learner, and practicing thinking using all of the parts of your brain sets good habits for your brain’s usage. People who are constant and active learners and listeners develop habits that help them to learn new subjects more easily. Schools who educate their students in “The arts, enhance the process of learning. The systems they nourish, which include our integrated sensory, attentional, cognitive, emotional, and motor capacities, are, in fact, the driving forces behind all other learning” (Jensen 186). In addition, people who study the arts have been found to spend more time doing productive things, and less time watching TV (Ruppert). A report published by the U.S Department of education, titled First Lesson: A Report on Elementary Education in America, and written by W.J Bennett, a renowned psychologist, it is stated that an arts education will help students later in life. It was noted that students who receive an arts education develop an understanding for learning, and this development will promote better performance in other subjects including languages, geography, and even applied medical sciences and engineering