The document discusses the importance of arts education for developing well-rounded, creative students who are prepared for 21st century careers. It cites several education leaders and studies that find arts education improves academic achievement, reduces discipline problems, and helps develop skills like creativity, problem solving, and teamwork that are valuable for future success. The document argues that a well-balanced education including the arts is crucial to developing students' imagination and innovation.

1. “ I believe education is the civil rights issue of our generation – and why arts education remains so critical to leveling the playing field of opportunity.” Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education “ The Well-rounded Curriculum” April 2010

2. “ The power behind the U.S. economy is its creative class – scientists, artists engineers, technologists, and designers to name a few.” Sarah Anderberg and Glen Thomas “ The Role of the Arts in Learning” Leadership, November/December 2008

3. “ Tomorrow’s world will demand a quick mind. Focus. Discipline. Imagination. Grasp of the big picture. Attention to detail. Teamwork. Knowing good work from bad. How will we educate our students to thrive in such a world? Through the arts.” Laura Longley Gaining the Arts Literacy Advantage Educational Leadership , October 1999

4. “ Despite…challenges, and the tough budgetary climate, arts education must not just survive, but thrive. A well-balanced curriculum is simply too vital to our students and our national character to let the teaching of the arts and humanities erode.” Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education “ The Well-rounded Curriculum” April 2010

5. “ If we don’t pay attention to the arts, we are in danger of seeing the curriculum narrowed. This could mean that students’ educations are not complete, and their ability to participate fully in a rapidly changing democratic society will be impeded.” Sarah Anderberg and Glen Thomas “ The Role of the Arts in Learning” Leadership , November/December 2008

6. “ Tomorrow’s workforce – and especially, its leaders – will need broad ability beyond technical skills. There will be a demand for people who are creative, analytical, disciplined, and self-confident – people who can solve problems, communicate ideas, and be sensitive to the world around them. Hands-on participation in the arts is a proven way to help develop these abilities.” Joyce Hergenhan, President GE Fund, 1999

7. “ One way to model creativity is to show imagination in teaching. Jennifer Henderson “ Developing Students’ Creative Skills for 21st Century Success” Education Update , December 2008

8. “ Education minus art? Such an equation equals schooling that fails to value ingenuity and innovation.” Jeffrey Schnapp “ The Question of Art” Edutopia , February 2009

9. “ So the question we are facing is …what is the quality of the core skill set which we hope to – and must – equip future generations? Will it be a tool kit designed for the performance of simple practical tasks? Or will it promote instead the sort of flexible, imaginative, and critical thinking that is required to grapple with the complex and ever-shifting challenges posed by the contemporary world? Jeffrey Schnapp “ The Question of Art” Edutopia , February 2009

10. Since kinesthetic learners make up 15% of the student population, it is incumbent upon educators to make adjustments in methods to meet the needs of these students. ~Richard Gage “ Excuse Me, You’re Cramping My Style: Kinesthetics for the Classroom” English Journal , December 1995

11. “ Imagination is not merely the domain of arts classrooms and artists; it is a fundamental urge that taps into our capacity to create and our desire to express ourselves.” Marcia Hirst and Dianne Conkovich “ Wait! Wait! I have an Idea!” Schoolarts , March 2009

12. “… teachers of academic subjects might well benefit from making their classes more like arts classes.” Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland “ School arts classes matter more than ever – but not for the reasons you think” The Boston Globe September 2007

13. “ The more practice one has in working imaginatively and reflectively, the more likely one will be able to apply those skills while discovering, say, cures in medical research or solutions for promoting a clean environment.” ~Merryl Goldberg Integrating the Arts

14. “ The fact is that most students who take the arts are not going to be professional musicians, painters, dancers or actors. Yet every student who plays in a band, acts in a play, dances in a company or sings in the chorus can benefit from the experience in amazing ways.” Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education “ The Well-rounded Curriculum” April 2010

15. “… almost all Nobel laureates in the sciences actively engage in the arts as adults. They are twenty-five times as likely as the average scientist to sing, dance, or act; seventeen times as likely to be a visual artist; twelve times more likely to write poetry and literature…” ~Michele and Robert Root-Bernstein “ A Missing Piece in the Economic Stimulus: Hobbling Arts Hobbles Innovation” Imagine That! February 2009

16. “ First, the arts significantly boost student achievement, reduce discipline problems, and increase the odds that students will go on to graduate from college. Second, arts education is essential to stimulating the creativity and innovation that will prove critical to young Americans competing in a global economy. And last, but not least, the arts are invaluable for their own sake, and they empower students to create and appreciate aesthetic works.” Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education “ The Well-rounded Curriculum” April 2010

17. It is not surprising that visual arts instruction improves reading readiness, or that learning to play the piano or to master musical notation helps students to master math. Reading, math, and writing require students to understand and use symbols – and so does assembling shapes and colors in a portrait or using musical notes to learn fractions.” Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education “ The Well-rounded Curriculum” April 2010

18. “ The child in dance is involved in cooperating, integrating, understanding of social interaction, rule-guided behavior, assuming the point of view of others, joyousness, pure beauty, and generosity of feeling. All are skills and insights needed for emotional maturity in social effectiveness.” ~Mary Ann Lee “ Learning Through the Arts” Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance

19. “ Many of the fastest growing jobs and emerging industries rely on workers’ creative capacity – the ability to think unconventionally, question the herd, imagine new scenarios, and produce astonishing work. Some of these emerging industries will generate jobs that do not even exist yet….” Jennifer Henderson “ Developing Students’ Creative Skills for 21st Century Success” Education Update , December 2008

20. “ Arts education…is often the only subject that inspires students to do their personal best, rather than just enough for a passing grade. Consequently, it is becoming an important force in developing the high performance standards so vital to industry today.” “ What kind of jobs? What kind of skills?” Educational Leadership , 1997