The Hidden Tool in the School-Improvement Toolbox

For any person who cares about our schools—and this is anybody who cares about the future—the mixed scorecard of years of school reform is a disturbing sign, arguing that we are not doing everything we could.

Research argues forcefully that if we are to achieve the goals of education reform and to have the schools our communities and children deserve, parents must be willing and engaged partners in the process. This imperative is not just for wealthy parents nor for elite schools. Very often, the schools that need the extra hearts and minds of parents are the ones that lack the ready resources of funding, space, and equipment.

While many strategies have been tried and have often failed, hundreds of educators can attest that a carefully planned arts education program can provide the magnet that pulls parents in and keeps them involved. The arts provide tangible evidence of learning for parents who may find the language of standards elusive and mysterious. The arts can celebrate the contributions of many people and provide a common ground for collaborative action.

While a school may not have an on-site dance teacher, a full-time music specialist, a dedicated space for theatre, or a working studio for visual art, it can still have an arts program. Sometimes, all it takes is some energy, imagination, and a book.

Building Parent Involvement through the Arts is a roadmap for refreshing and strengthening the cultural ties between schools and their communities. It is a tool that any educator, administrator, or parent can use to begin a conversation or start up a program. And it can help to strengthen a program that is already in place with tips on building community partnerships, seeking extra funding, and evaluating a program. It is filled with ready-to-use tools, templates, and lesson ideas and examples.

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Parent Involvement Links

Read the article by Michael Sikes, “The Creative Bridge: How the Arts Connect Parents and Schools,” in the national PTA Our Children magazine, whose September issue is dedicated to arts education.

Go to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and click on “Arts Over America” in the bar on the left to find your state arts agency Website. State arts councils usually have many resources, including information on grants or artist residencies.

Cultural Arts Resources for Teachers and Students (C.A.R.T.S.) is a useful website of folk arts resources.

The National Network of Partnership Schools is a clearinghouse on parent involvement.

Books on the academic benefits of the arts are available through the Arts Education Partnership.