Maximizing the Effectiveness of Arts-Based Education Programs to Improve the Academic Achievement Gap in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Youth

Abstract

Education, the arts, and socioeconomically disadvantaged youth are three seemingly disconnected topics of discussion. However, backed by extensive research and evidence, an argument for their connectivity is clearly apparent. While often underutilized and overlooked, arts in education provide valuable resources to aid students both directly and indirectly in achieving academic progress, helping to narrow the oft-cited academic achievement gap found in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. In the last decade, there has been increasing attention to the uses and benefits of arts within educational settings supporting a new generation approaching curriculum design and support more strategically and systemically. This paper was written as a means to make this information accessible to the general public, specifically school administrators and individuals within the school education systems who have the power to influence in-school and after-school curricula.