The percentage of teachers that reported that  instruction time had stayed the same was similarly high across a range of  school characteristics, irrespective of the schools’ percentage of low- income or minority students or of students with limited English  proficiency, or the schools’ improvement under NCLBA. However,   7 percent of the teachers reported a reduction in the time spent on arts  education. Teachers at Schools Identified as Needing Improvement and Those with a Higher Percentage of Minority Students Were More Likely to Report a Decrease in the Amount of Time Spent on Arts Education

According to Education’s data, the vast majority of elementary school  teachers surveyed reported that the amount of weekly instruction time  spent across all subjects, including arts education, stayed the same in the  2006-2007 school year compared with the 2004-2005 school year. However, there were some  significant differences across characteristics in the percentages of  teachers reporting that the time spent on arts education had decreased, as  shown in table 3. While Basic State Requirements for Arts Education in Schools Have Remained Constant in Most States, State Funding Levels for Arts Education Changed

According to our survey of state arts officials, since passage of NCLBA,  basic state requirements for arts education in schools, such as the number  of hours a week that the arts must be taught, have remained virtually  unchanged and more states have established funding for some type of arts  education, such as providing grants to schools to promote arts education. Arts officials attributed changes  in funding to state budget changes to a greater extent than to NCLBA or  other factors. Since NCLBA, District Officials and School Principals Have Used Several Strategies to Provide Arts Education; However, Some Struggled with Decreased Budgets and Competing Demands on Instruction Time

District officials and school principals have used several strategies to  provide arts education, including varying when the arts are offered,  seeking funding and collaborative arrangements in the arts community,  and integrating the arts into other subjects; however, some struggled with  decreased budgets and competing demands on instruction time, according  to officials we interviewed. Overall Research on the Association between Arts Education and Student Outcomes Is Inconclusive

While some studies that have examined the association between arts  education and students’ academic achievement have found a small  positive association with student outcomes, others have found none. Education said that it will  carefully consider our recommendation that the department’s planned  study of NCLBA implementation include questions in its surveys asking  respondents to describe the reasons for any changes in instruction time  they report. The study was framed  around four questions: (1) has the amount of instruction time for arts  education changed and, if so, have certain groups been more affected than  others, (2) to what extent have state education agencies’ requirements and  funding for arts education changed since NCLBA, (3) what are school  officials in selected districts doing to provide arts education since NCLBA  and what challenges do they face in doing so, and (4) what is known about  the effect of arts education in improving student outcomes? We ultimately decided to recruit school districts and schools in  other states. Review of Existing Studies on the Effect of Arts Education on Student Outcomes

To determine what existing research says about the effects of arts  education on student outcomes, we used several search strategies.
Why GAO Did This Study

Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA), districts and schools must demonstrate adequate yearly progress (AYP) for all students. Because schools may spend more time improving students' academic skills to meet NCLBA's requirements, some are concerned that arts education might be cut back. To determine how, if at all, student access to arts education has changed since NCLBA, the Congress asked: (1) has the amount of instruction time for arts education changed and, if so, have certain groups been more affected than others, (2) to what extent have state education agencies' requirements and funding for arts education changed since NCLBA, (3) what are school officials in selected districts doing to provide arts education since NCLBA and what challenges do they face in doing so, and (4) what is known about the effect of arts education in improving student outcomes? GAO analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education (Education), surveyed 50 state arts officials, interviewed officials in 8 school districts and 19 schools, and reviewed existing research.

What GAO Found

According to data from Education's national survey, most elementary school teachers--about 90 percent--reported that instruction time for arts education stayed the same between school years 2004-2005 and 2006-2007. The percentage of teachers that reported that instruction time had stayed the same was similarly high across a range of school characteristics, irrespective of the schools' percentage of low-income or minority students or of students with limited English proficiency, or the schools' improvement under NCLBA. Moreover, about 4 percent of teachers reported an increase. However, about 7 percent reported a decrease, and GAO identified statistically significant differences across school characteristics in the percentage of teachers reporting that the time spent on arts education had decreased. Teachers at schools identified as needing improvement and those with higher percentages of minority students were more likely to report a reduction in time spent on the arts. Because Education's survey did not include questions about why instruction time changed, GAO was not able to determine the reasons for the disparities its analysis identified. A new study of NCLBA implementation that Education plans to undertake may collect information on the uses of instruction time, among other topics. However, Education has not yet determined if it will collect information on the reasons instruction time changed for certain groups. While basic state requirements for arts education in schools have remained unchanged in most states, state funding levels for arts education increased in some states and decreased in others, according to GAO's survey of state arts officials. Arts education officials attributed the funding changes to state budget changes to a greater extent than they did to NCLBA or other factors. School principals have used several strategies to provide arts education; however, some struggled with decreased budgets and competing demands on instruction time, according to those GAO interviewed. Strategies for maintaining arts education include seeking funding and collaborative arrangements in the arts community. Competing demands on instruction time were due to state education agency or school district actions taken to meet NCLBA proficiency standards. Overall, research on the effect of arts education on student outcomes is inconclusive. Some studies that examined the effect of arts education on students' reading and math achievement found a small positive effect, but others found none.