Ryan Nguyen

Ms. Thomas

UWRT 1102

11 February 2018

The Effects of Arts Education

Would you believe me if I told you that there was an easy, dependable, and science-based

way to improve your brain? Studies show that arts education has a tremendously positive impact

on a child’s cognitive ability, academic performance, and behavior. Over the years, art education

has been brushed aside to make room for more mainstream subjects such as science and

math. Recent budget cuts that are plaguing school districts across the country have made it so

the arts department has been receiving less and less attention. But is this really what is best for

the students?

It may come as a surprise to some to hear that many cognitive skills that are in high

demand can be obtained by taking art classes. Activity-dependent plasticity is a form of

neuroplasticity that makes it so your brain can make changes to itself based on your actions and

memories. To put in another way, the things you do every day have an impact on your brain’s

networking and wiring. Nowhere is this process more evident than your attention networks.Your

brain is a complex machine consisting of neural pathways dedicated to attention, Training these

pathways via learning, performing, and mastering an art fortifies them, improving general

cognition. Attention plays a vital role in almost every aspect of our lives.

The fine arts are more closely linked to the rest of the academic world than one might

think. In fact, studies show that students that take drama, music, and art classes score higher on

the math and reading sections of the SAT than students that opt out of these classes. Further
more, students involved in arts and music throughout high school on average had GPAs that

were 15% higher than students that did not. They also have approximately a 36% higher

graduation rate and have a lower dropout rate than students with no art credits. A national study

observing low income neighborhoods concluded that arts programs inspired children to be more

inclined to participate in extracurriculars. However, the effects of arts education extend further

than academia.

Behavior is also heavily impacted by a student’s engagement in artistic courses. During

adolescent years, arts study resulted a reduction in the likelihood that a child would be caught

doing behaviors that would get them suspended, keeping them engaged in their schoolwork.

Additionally, music students were significantly less likely to engage in illegal drug use and

delinquent activity when compared to non-art peers. Adolescents also spend less time engrossed

with media, television, and video games, giving them time to immerse themselves with the world

and people around them. Furthermore, art students, when compared to their non-art peers, were

more optimistic about going to college, which leads to an increased likelihood to attend

postsecondary school. Lastly, learning about art affects the values of out youth, encouraging

them to more tolerant and empathetic. This may be due to an art student’s awareness of different

ideas that are expressed through art.

Art is more than a standalone academic subject. It’s a way of thinking. There is simply

too much evidence to suggest otherwise. Multiple experiments and analyses show that art

education has a nigh undisputable effect on students’ academic performance, behavior, and

cognitive ability. If our youth is to remain a vibrant and imaginative part of our society, there

needs to be a stronger emphasis on getting them exposed to the world of art education