This document summarizes several research studies on the relationship between arts education and academic and life outcomes. It discusses longitudinal studies by James Catterall that found students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds who had high arts involvement showed better academic outcomes than similar students with low arts involvement. It also summarizes studies by Schellenberg that found students who took music lessons showed higher IQ scores, and a study by Hyde that found changes in brain structure for students who took piano lessons. The document advocates using this research to support arts education funding.

2. SAT & Four Years Of Arts

3. Central Problem
Argument: Smart Kid Are Predisposed
to Participate in the Arts
 We Need Research To Help Show
Correlation and Causation
 Best Research is Longitudinal With
Compatible Variables (Age, SES,
Gender)
 Pre & Post Testing Helps


4. FYI 169S Without The Arts…..
Chadron State College, First Year
Inquiry
 Study Relevant Research Studies
 Learn Digital Manipulation of
Image, Sound, Movies, Websites
 Create
Advocacy, Website, Poster, Meme, Ra
dio Commercial, YouTube Video
 Collaboration, Creative
Thinking, Digital Skills


5. Your Advocacy Team
Kennedy Center KCAAEN Arts
Advocacy Toolkit
 Meet With Your Music Parents
 Include Arts and Theater
 Talk About the Research Studies
 Leaders Attend A School Board
Meeting
 Request Time to Present Research


6. Your Advocacy Team
Have Someone at Every Meeting
 Be Aware of the Cycle of Budget Talks
 Know who speaks Against Arts
Funding
 Target Them Next Election Cycle


7. Where To Find Research
NAMM Foundation
 National Endowment For The Arts
 Arts Education Partnership
 Americans For The Arts
 NAfME
 National Assembly of State Arts
Agencies
 President’s Council on Arts and the
Humanities


8. Advocacy Research
Catterall
James Catterall UCLA
 The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk
Youth: Findings From 4 Longitudinal
Studies
 3 Studies US Dept. of Education
 1 US Dept. of Labor


9. Catterall: At Risk
National Educational Longitudinal
Study: Data 8th grade- Age 26
 Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: K8
 Educational Longitudinal Study 10th
grade- 20 yrs old
 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth:
12-16 yrs with Data collected through
mid-20s


10. Catterall: Arts & Socio-Economic
Status (SES)
Population = 25,000 Students
 Top & Bottom Quartile: High SES &
Low SES
 That Population Divided High Arts vs
Low Arts (12.5% each)
 High-Art-Low-SES; Low-Art-Low-SES;
 High-Art-High-SES; Lo- Art-High-SES


12. Catterall: Assumptions

High SES Expected to Do Well, Easy
Access to the Arts, Encouragement

Low SES At-Risk, Expected to Have
Fewer Advantages

Question: Does High Arts Involvement
Change the Expected Outcomes?

13. Catterall: Statistics

All Reported % are Statistically
Significant

Too Many Variables To Show
Causation

Long-Term Nature of the Data Shows
“Arts Are Associated” With Improved
Outcomes

14. Catterall: Average Writing 8th Grade
Test Scores (2007)

15. Catterall: Mean Math GPA High School
Students (2005)

16. Catterall: Mean GPA of High School
Students (2004)

17. Catterall: Mean GPA High School
Students (2005)

18. Catterall: Did Not Graduate
Rates

19. Catterall: 8th Graders Who Read A
Newspaper

20. Catterall: 12th Graders Who
Participated in Student Government

21. Catterall: Young Adults: Civic &
Community Volunteering

22. Catterall: Voted in the 2004
Election

23. Catterall: Occupations: 2008

24. Catterall: Conclusions

Socially and Economically
Disadvantaged Who Have High Levels
of Arts Engagement Show More
Positive Outcomes Than Their LowArts Peers.

25. Catterall: Conclusions

At-Risk Students With A History of
Intensive Arts Experience Show
Achievement Levels Closer to, Some
Cases Exceeding, The General
Population

26. Catterall: Conclusions

Positive Relationships Exist Between
Arts and Civic Engagement.

27. Schellenberg: Music Lessons
Enhance IQ
E. Glenn Schellenberg Music Lessons
Enhance IQ (2004)
 144 Six-Year Olds into 4 Groups
 Piano Lessons
 Voice Lessons (Kodaly)
 Control: Drama Lessons
 Control: No Lessons
 36 Weeks of Lessons
 Pre-Tested & Post Tested
 12 Dropped Out of the Study


28. Schellenberg: Music Lessons &
IQ
Pre & Post Test Longitudinal Research
 Tests:
 Wechsler Intelligence Scale for
Children (3ed)
 Kaufman Test of Educational
Achievement
 Behavioral Assessment System for
Children


29. Schellenberg: IQ Results

30. Schellenberg: IQ Results
Music Groups 7.0 Average Increase
 Control Groups 4.3 Average Increase
 Drama Group Changes in Social
Behavior


31. Hyde: Brain Plasticity

Krista Hyde (2009), Musical Training
Shapes Structural Brain Development
1st Longitudinal Research To Correlate
Changes in Brain Structure
 Pre & Post Test Research


32. Hyde: Brain Plasticity
15 month study with 6 year olds
 No Previous Musical Training
 Matched: Age, Gender, SES
 Two Groups:
Treatment - ½ hour Piano lessons
Control - 40 min general music
class


33. Hyde: Brain Plasticity
Tests: Behavioral
Near Transfer: Fine Finger Motor
Skills, Melodic-Rhythmic Discrimination

Far Transfer: Object Assemble, Block
Design, Verbal IQ etc.
Tests: MRI Scan for Voxel Changes

34. Hyde: Results
Significant Differences in Near
Transfer Behavior Tests
 No Significant Differences in Far
Transfer Tests
 MRI: Significant Differences Voxel
Size (3-5mm 3-D Volume) and in
Corpus Callosum p<0.05


35. Gasser & Schlaug:
Brain Structures Differences
Brain Structures Differ Between
Musicians and Non-Musicians (2003)
 Cross-Section MRI Research
 Measure Gray Matter Volume
 20 Professional Musicians
 20 Amateur Musicians
 40 Non-Musicians


36. Gasser & Schlaug
Statistical Model Assumed Amateur
Musicians Would Fall Between
Professionals and Non-Musicians
 Significant Positive Correlation
Between Gray Matter Volume and
Degree of Musical Expertise


37. Conclusion
Arts Research Continues
 Arts Research Can Provide Data
 You Can Help Keep Your Public
Officials Informed.

Dr. G. W. Sandy Schaefer
Chadron State College
sschaefer@csc.edu