While there are still many questions about the implementation of the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), there’s good news in it for arts education. The term “core academic subjects” has given way to “a well-rounded education,” and the arts still have a place at the table—music and art are listed among the components of a well-rounded education, defined as having “the purpose of providing all students access to an enriched curriculum and educational experience.”
Recognizing the importance of arts education is in keeping with NAESP’s commitment to fostering creativity in schools. This is the sixth year that NAESP and Crayola have teamed up to develop a special supplement to Principal, as part of a mission to support arts-infused education. In it you’ll find profiles of schools across the country awarded arts education grants, and learn how they invested in their students’ capacity for creativity.