Works Cited

19 May 2010. <http://bankthewayyoulive.com/wp-content/uploads/ss-14068165-artSupplies.jpg>.

"2008 Reynolds Grade 5 Test Scores." Web. 18 Nov 2010. <http://www.trulia.com/schools/RI-Bristol/Reynolds_Art_Magnet_School/>.

Anderson, F.E., and K.C. Alexander. "Special Eduation and the Arts: Index." Special Education and the Arts. National Art Education Association, 2004. Web. 18 Nov 2010. <http://www.southernct.edu/~gerber/SEDarts/>.

Art Atelier. "The Best Art Academy in Miami." August 4, 2010. <http://www.free-press-release.com/news-the-best-art-academy-in-miami-art-atelier-1280894762.html>.

Byron NY. Art class for Women at the Chase School of Art. 1897. <http://0.tqn.com/d/painting/1/0/W/J/2/Smithsonian-womenartclass-w.jpg>.

Geffen Playhouse. Special Children's Art Foundation "ART GALA 2008." May 19, 2008. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/priscila-giraldo/an-evening-of-music-and-a_b_100732.html>.

Grace. Vintage Art Supplies. 28 April 2009. <http://www.poetichome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/vintage-art-supplies.jpg>.

Kimery Vance, Brigid. "School fights to save art program." Tulsa World (OK) 20 Feb. 2008: Newspaper Source. EBSCO. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.

Patrick Camera Club. Art Class at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. 1955. <http://www.theglasgowstory.com/image.php?inum=TGSe01275>.

Ponder, Carol, and Lori Kissinger. "Shaken and Stirred: A Pilot Project in Arts and Special Education." Teaching Artist Journal 7.1 (2009): 40-46. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.

Moorefield-Lang, Heather M. "Arts Voices: Middle School Students and the Relationships of the Arts to Their Motivation and Self-Efficacy." Qualitative Report 15.1 (2010): 1-17. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 11 Nov. 2010

Sousa, David A. "How the Arts DEVELOP THE YOUNG BRAIN." School Administrator 63.11 (2006): 26-31. Professional Development Collection. EBSCO. Web. 9 Nov. 2010.

Reflection Paragraph on Sources

The sources were somewhat hard to find about actually losing art programs in schools and how the community is working around it. Many non-EBSCO Host sites were biased and not useful. There authors were listed often and couldn't be found. The documents from EBSCO Host were the most reliable and trustworthy. The sources I could find that pertained to school were very informative and contained connections to near every essential question I was answering.

Reflection Paragraph on Process

The i-Search Blog is a fun and new way to do a research project. I really enjoyed it. The findings paragraphs were slightly hard because there was so much due all at the same time, but it was manageable. The hardest part was getting the good stock of sources that were usable when we aren't used to getting so many sources of information so quickly. It didn't bother me too much, but I had to do plenty of research at home. That helped me get ready for the even larger projects to come!

Wordle #2 Based Off of Key Terms

Reflection Paragraph on Findings

This process has yielded me bounties of information I had no clue existed previously. The school systems shutting down so many programs and the communities trying to stop it are not well spoken of. I found out more than I could have ever imagined about the different programs out there for areas without arts in their schools and how they help everyone in the community not just as parents, children, or families, but as a whole. Special needs children and students all together greatly benefitted in self confidence and learning abilities. I still wonder an exact cost to upkeep a fully functioning art class, but it was difficult to find any information at all about the subject, for people do not know it is a major issue. I still feel as though it is a fundamental growing process that helps us all with our expression of emotions.

Findings Paragraph #3

Our society has a question which no one will directly answer. Why would the government want to take arts out of school? According to a report in School Administrator the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act labeled art as a "non-essential course" because the focus is on only raising standardized test scores. The reason behind this ridiculous choice being that art does not have a specific standardized test which the entire nation must take (Sousa). The unfavorable luck in Tulsa, Oklahoma came with the 2007-2008 school year funding. The school board did not have the resources to pay the art teacher their position. The teacher was laid off, causing both art and music to be cut from the school. The community had to band together and come up with the funds to pay the teacher for the position for the 2007-2008 academic year (Kimery Vance). Rhode Island's Reynolds Art Magnet School was shut down merely because it was small and a larger school could house all of the students at once, but the adverse effects on test scores and grades were not accounted for. The environment which was created in an art magnet program is not replicated in a normal school (Reynolds). Across the nation in California the Special Children's Art Foundation has to auction artworks of their members to be able to support the art programs for the Los Angeles County Schools for their special needs students attending there. The state decided that one of the highest scoring schools in Rhode Island should be shut down because it was too small. The government has decided that test scores are more important than specific classes but fail to realize these classes boost scores.  These communities all are suffering from the lack of proper funding to what needs to be acredited for the success of students.

Findings Paragraph #2

An on-going struggle to keep our fading arts in schools has caused the public to ask a slew of questions; Everyone is asking does art even help students? One case study over a variety of middle schools in the south-eastern United States questioned students taking fine arts classes. Their results were overwhelmingly similar. They all enjoyed these courses and found new friends, new mediums of expression, and new views of themselves in a more positive light. These students all declared to have been positively affected by these classes and have new skills and better encouragement to do better in their core academic classes (Moorefield-Lang). One prominent report by School Administrator boasted the impressive statistic that 41% of Florida's dropouts chose to stay because they were more engaged in their fine arts classes than their academic courses. This same report had the results from a questionnaire filled out by over 10 million high school students, priding in the turn out that those who attended more years of fine arts courses made substantially higher verbal, math, and composite SAT scores than those who did not take as many years of fine arts classes. In Rhode Island Reynolds Art Magnet School was progressively ahead. The 5th grade class took the 2008 standardized tests as any other child, but 90% of the children who took the reading portion were proficient or greater. This public school was shut down for its small size, the art magnet program removed entirely, and all of its prior students sent to a larger school (Reynolds). Who knows how these excelling students are doing now that their special art magnet program has been taken from them. The Florida dropout rate could increase another 41% should they decide to remove art as well. The arts are a core format of learning for special needs students as well as the student body as a whole. Arts have an enormous impact on the scores and learning of children.

Findings Paragraph #1

The never-ending battle for our fine arts to remain in education is being lost before our eyes. This has caused many a question and one at the forefront is who will support these fine arts once government funding is gone? One of the strongest outcries from the people to be publicized was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The funding for the 2007-2008 school year did not have the money to pay the art teacher, so the position was cut. This teacher was also the music teacher. The community turned to local businesses, fundraisers, and creating public programs such as CREATE to keep children from losing the enriching experience of the arts (Kimery Vance). Not far away, in California, the Special Children's Art Foundation is privately funding the Los Angeles County Schools by selling their children's artworks and murals in galas and auctions. These funds are used to give special needs students access to art where they spend the majority of their core educational time (Geffen Playhouse). Pilots are being used to give educators cross curriculum training and to help fund productions of plays for children in schools. Supplies are given to schools and classes are being held for children and adults with communication disabilities or mental disabilities to help them learn core life skills while enjoying freedom of expression and creation of their own works (Ponder, Carol, and Kissinger). This research steadily confirms that upon the failure of government funding, the community will step up and commit all possible efforts towards supporting the fine arts within our communities and areas. The people will continue to desire to expose our children and our futures to fine arts and keep the expansive knowledge at the forefront of allowing a child freedom of expression. This will only open the people up to more questions left unanswered as the government continues to decrease funds for education, but the community is unwilling to let the fight go until justice is served.

Quotation, Paraphrase, and Citation #5

Quotation: The overwhelming theme expressed by educators was the need for cross-curriculum training between arts specialists and special education teachers. Arts specialists expressed concern about a lack of training for working with special education students and a lack of skills for managing a classroom of students with mixed abilities.
Paraphrase: The overbearing advice from professors and teachers was an outgoing demand for cross-curriculum education for fine arts authorities and special children's educators. Fine arts veterans displayed an ongoing involvement concerning a deprivation of knowledge for cooperating with special needs children and a deficiency of abilities with instructing a class of children of varied skill levels.

Summary of the Article: The case studies of varied in an out-of-school programs collaborated to try to answer if a connection lies within arts and special education. Many special education adults attended CHOICES, a transitional class which ultimately taught them how to properly meet demands, essential communication skills, meet deadlines without crippling the quality of the work, and other things. Students put a play of "Frog and Toad" on in their elementary school. Necesssary life skills and ethics for future life. The object was to help instructors learn to use art to its prime, finding the middle ground where ability meets inspiration and creativity. This pilot is becoming slowly a program in their area as they uncover and answer the forthcoming questions about just how these connections of art and other fundamental skills will positively effect the people who take part in these pilots and experience it for themselves.

Ponder, Carol, and Lori Kissinger. "Shaken and Stirred: A Pilot Project in Arts and Special Education." Teaching Artist Journal 7.1 (2009): 40-46. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.

Quotation, Paraphrase, and Citation #4

Quotation: Two years ago, the National Art Education Association (NAEA) recognized that its members were interested in information about art for special education students.

Paraphrase: The National Art Education Association acknowledged that members wanted notices about art and special needs students in their art courses two years ago.

Summary of the Article: The Special Education and The Arts program began with a yearning for more information approximately 10 years ago. Special needs teacher often go to one another conferences to try and associate one another's artistic programs and activities with another. These teachers collaborated to create database of art related knowledge to special needs education. The NAEA is working along with these programs to raise awareness and spread the knowledge of special needs education and art with a bi-monthly article in their newsletter.

Anderson, F.E., and K.C. Alexander. "Special Eduation and the Arts: Index." Special Education and the Arts. National Art Education Association, 2004. Web. 18 Nov 2010. <http://www.southernct.edu/~gerber/SEDarts/>.

Graph, Map, Chart, and Citation

This is a graph showing the results from standardized testing at Reynolds Art Magnet School. These are percentiles of students at OR above proficiency level. The school was public, contained an art magnet program, and enrolled 400 students in grades 1-5. This is a prime example that  exposure to art at early ages is one of the most effective ways for young minds to learn content matieral while having fun as well. This school was small, and was shut down and those students sent to a larger school due to lack of funding. Will the other school have as good of statistics once they cram all of their students together with not half the exposure as before?

"2008 Reynolds Grade 5 Test Scores." Web. 18 Nov 2010. <http://www.trulia.com/schools/RI-Bristol/Reynolds_Art_Magnet_School/>.

Quotation, Paraphrase, and Citation #3

Quotation: "My arts classes drive me to do better in all of my classes because the people in them push me to keep going and study. We have fun in them and that shows me that just maybe learning and succeeding could pay off in the near future." -Anna

Paraphrase: Fine arts students are motivated and encouraged by one another to try their absolute best and constantly praised for their artistic expression. Children enjoy themselves and it teaches them that success and education can realistically benefit in their futures.

Summary of Article: A case study was done in the Southeastern United States with 92 students from two schools named West Middle School and North Middle School. The study was full of interviews, questionnaires, and teacher evaluation of students being actually affected by these courses. The two subjects were if children attending these classes had improvements in their self efficiency and confidence. The data concluded on a consistent level that the students all immensely enjoyed and gained from the classes. They made new friends, found new outlets of expression, and discovered parts of themselves they may not have known before.


Moorefield-Lang, Heather M. "Arts Voices: Middle School Students and the Relationships of the Arts to Their Motivation and Self-Efficacy." Qualitative Report 15.1 (2010): 1-17. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 11 Nov. 2010.

Photo, Caption, and Citation #3

This is a photo of two special needs children painting a mural to be sold at the silent auction that evening. Both of these children are happy, and they are enjoying their time painting for this gala. All of the proceeds were going towards SCAF's 2008-2009 projects of funding inter-social projects in Los Angeles County school campus so that special needs students may directly access art where they spend most of their days. This proves that special needs children greatly benefit once exposed to the fine arts and freedom of artistic expression. Their schools are now also getting funding towards this noble cause.

Geffen Playhouse. Special Children's Art Foundation "ART GALA 2008." May 19, 2008. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/priscila-giraldo/an-evening-of-music-and-a_b_100732.html>.

Quotation, Paraphrase, and Citation #2

Quotation: Most of the children will not have the luxury to be exposed to art in their home environment.

Paraphrase: A majority of kids do not get the enriching experience of fine arts at home.

Summary of Article: In Tulsa, Oklahoma the community is fighting to be allowed to keep their art programs in school and public. The funding for the 07-08 school year cut the art course entirely from the educational system. The art teacher happened to also be the music teacher, so it was removed as well. Project CREATES and Remington are working continuously to save fine arts in the area, but funding is lacked due to the failing economy. The community is looking to local businesses to assist in funding, and personal sponsors are trying to help for the noble cause. One person comments that most children do not get the opulence to experience fine arts at home. This is sad because that means children don't get art exposure aside from school. And with art taken from school, how are children supposed to be open to new forms of expression? These mothers, community members, and just concerned citizens want the best for our upcoming generations, but they cannot get this because schools do not realize what they are doing to our children.

Kimery Vance, Brigid. "School fights to save art program." Tulsa World (OK) 20 Feb. 2008: Newspaper Source. EBSCO. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.

Photo, Caption, and Citation #2

This is a photo of a special needs child at the ART ATELIER studio in Miami, Florida. She is painting what she finds to be art, and is all that she wants to do. Her expression and freedom is allowed to run free.These lessons she is taking privately would be much more beneficial if she could have them daily creating synapses rather than only every Saturday. She and many other children all enjoy these classes and praise for their work. Why can't it be every day at school?

Art Atelier. "The Best Art Academy in Miami." August 4, 2010. <http://www.free-press-release.com/news-the-best-art-academy-in-miami-art-atelier-1280894762.html>.

Quotation, Paraphrase, and Citation #1

Quotation: More than 10 million American high school students responded to a questionnaire indicating the number of years of arts classes they took. The results were amazingly consistent. Students who took arts classes had higher mathematics, verbal and composite SAT scores than students who did not take arts classes.

Paraphrase: Millions of students attending high schools across America answered the question stating how many fine arts classes were attended in their educational careers. The turn out was surprisingly steady. People who chose not to attend fine arts courses received lesser SAT scores in the math, oral, and compound areas than those who opted to attend these fine arts courses.

Summary of Article: The article written in School Administrator was focusing on the benefits and extreme importance of fine arts in schools. The education system failed to realize that music is a key role in numeracy and mathematics. Art is a fundamental part to cognitive and leadership skills. David Sousa brought statistics that consistantly prove that students whom attended fine arts in their educational upbringing perform substantially better than those who did not. The author continuously claims that the arts develop young minds and indulge children into their own imaginations. Sousa refers to a study in Florida reports that 41% of all dropouts chose to stay because they were more engaged in their art classes than academic courses. This is an immense statistic of students who chose to stay not because their parents told them or they were pressured, but because they enjoyed the day even if only for one period. The author steadily states that different learning styles are integrated in fine arts and have in fact improved overall attendace, grades, and standardized test scores in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Iowa. These strong associations between our fine arts and core curriculum subjects are the essential steps to successful integration of an enjoyable topic that not only pleases us, but subconsciously is creating more and more connections over our two cranial hemispheres.

Sousa, David A. "How the Arts DEVELOP THE YOUNG BRAIN." School Administrator 63.11 (2006): 26-31. Professional Development Collection. EBSCO. Web. 9 Nov. 2010.

Photo, Caption, and Citation #1

This is a photo of early American women learning art of equal importance to men. Art increased the learning abilities and skills of even early American culture and brought out new styles and trends which have shaped the way we live. Models used their bodies as a form of art and let the painter create their own image. This individual point of view was what made art an individual subject. The ideal "well-rounded education" is considered to be possible only when the fine arts are involved and properly funded and taught. Our fine motor skills are the fundamental steps we use to build foundations for the movements we flow through in the everyday situation; however, as a child we must learn these in a way that we don't feel overwhelmed, and art is how we learned this. These women are learning better handwriting, color and shape association to words, and proper posture all while thinking they are simply painting in art class.

Byron NY. Art class for Women at the Chase School of Art. 1897. <http://0.tqn.com/d/painting/1/0/W/J/2/Smithsonian-womenartclass-w.jpg>.

Wordle #1 Based Off of Helpful Site

Preliminary links

http://www.abrakadoodle.com/benarted.htm

This website is funded by an art support program called Abra Kadoodle listing benefits children experience after using this program. The benefits include both mental synapses but fine motor skills and leadership skills. This is helpful because this lists out what art can do to help your child.

http://www.arttherapyblog.com/art-therapy-benefits/

A blog about art therapy created and edited by its users; it goes into detail about how art therapy is used, who it is used on, and other information. The use of art therapy is designed to create a safe environment where one can have creative expression. This brings a sense of new self knowledge and relief knowing now how to express their emotions in a simple way we all know how to do.

http://www.indiaparenting.com/child-development/26_176/the-benefits-of-art-and-your-child.html

An article funded by India Parenting informing parents of how art affects children as they grow and develop. The article states different statistics about how art positively benefits children when they are motivated and able to express themselves through mediums of the fine arts. It also states that art is stress reliever and self confidence builder.

http://www.policyalmanac.org/education/archive/no_child_left_behind.shtml

An online summary of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 by the US Department of Education which states that President Bush wanted more accountability on teachers and local educational systems so that all schools will be performing on "grade level." The emphasis is on standardized testing and getting high test grades in the "core subjects."

Animoto

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

What I Want to Know About My Topic

I want to learn the in depth reasons behind my issue. Should arts be kept in schools knowing how they benefit students? How expensive is running a fully functional art class? How many schools have lost this privelage and enriching experience? Why would the government want to remove these classes from our educational systems? What programs are in place to help keep the fine arts in school if not still in the community for children? How could the average citizen help keep the fine arts in their local schools? The way children grow up will change their futures; our future relies on the act of today.

Patrick Camera Club. Art Class at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. 1955. http://www.theglasgowstory.com/image.php?inum=TGSe01275.

What I Already Know About My Topic

The "No Child Left Behind Act" has caused school systems to base all funding into the "essential" education of English and Math. The cognitive skills, leadership, and synapses connecting the two hemispheres of the brain are not considered important to school boards. Students, particularly special needs students and emotionally traumatized students are given art therapy as a way to help develop a young mind in early and middle education and giving children an open outlet for creativity without being judged. Art therapy is even given to schizophrenic children and adolescents to help treat the condition; which could create essentially a cure for these children and their futures. The cognitive skills and this helps develop motor skills and fine control over their hands. Our abilities both mentally and physically are lessened, but there are after school programs and individual organizations that support the act of keeping art in schools for all education systems.

19 May 2010. <http://bankthewayyoulive.com/wp-content/uploads/ss-14068165-artSupplies.jpg>.

Story Behind My Topic

The education of art has been in schools as long as we can all remember. Painting each other's faces, getting messy with clay, masks made from newspaper, and drawing with color were all some of our assignments. My small cousins now do not have near the experience I have. Funds are being cut and programs I once had are no longer available to the younger generations. They have to bring their own art supplies to class and don’t get half of the fun activities I did. Students are losing the fine arts to the “essential” classes of English and Mathematics.  Within the next decade, these cognitive classes may be completely removed from our educational system; however there is hope. Programs have created after school programs and petitions to help the cause of freedom to express through art. These classes create friendly environments and have fun memories with paint and pencils. As an active painter and artist, art education holds importance to me. My art teacher, Mr. James Gorcesky, was always struggling to fund the projects we did in class. This shouldn’t be happening. In the words of Diego Rivera, “I’ve never believed in God, but I believe in Picasso.”

Grace. Vintage Art Supplies. 28 April 2009. <http://www.poetichome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/vintage-art-supplies.jpg>.