Schools get crafty to offer arts classes

Despite deep budget cuts, area schools partnered with more cultural organizations and non-profit arts groups to bring music, dance, theater and visual arts into the classroom during the 2010-2011 school year, according to the Department of Education’s sixth annual Arts in Schools Report. 

The report, released Dec. 11, shows that there was a small dip in the percentage of students who earned as many arts credits as they did last year. Still a handful of schools, including the High School of American Studies at Lehman College, posted big improvements. 

In 2011-2012, 71 percent of American Studies seniors graduated with three or more arts credits, up from 43 percent in 2010-2011. Principal Alessandro Weiss said he believes more students are choosing to take art at Lehman College, where juniors and seniors are allowed to take classes. 

Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy had 88 percent of students graduate with three arts credits or more, up from 13 percent; the Marie Curie School for Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions had 54 percent of students graduate with three or more arts credits, up from 6 percent; and Bronx High School of Science had 44 percent of students graduate with three or more arts credits, up from 39 percent. 

The DOE noted that the bulk of students not included in the percentage earned the required two arts credits and a few students who were granted special permission to graduate without meeting the requirement due to extenuating circumstances.

IN-Tech Academy, MS/HS 368, was among a dozen schools that added collaborations with outside organizations. In addition to courses taught by IN-Tech’s music and visual art teachers, the school works with the Museum of Natural History and Parents as Partners to provide visual arts lessons. CUNY’s Creative Arts Team and the Metropolitan Opera also offer theater education. The collaborations have helped expand art as budgets grow thinner, according to Arlene Mackin-Hyland, IN-Tech’s grant coordinator.

“For us, these organizations have established programs and instead of us trying to invent the wheel, we like to tap into all the resources that are in New York City,” Ms. Mackin-Hyland said. “They love it. They just eat it all up.”

About 91 percent of seniors graduated with at least three arts credits and all IN-Tech’s eighth graders met the state standard of taking 110 hours of arts in two disciplines, according to the report. 

Eighth-grade students are not held back if they don’t complete the arts standards. However, most students left local schools with the required coursework, according to the report. Close to 96 percent of students left the New School for Leadership and the Arts, MS 244, after meeting the art requirement; almost 96 percent left David A. Stein Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy, MS/HS 141 having completed two classes, and the entire eighth-grade class met the standard at PS/MS 37.

Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott noted that all elementary schools offered at least one arts discipline and the proportion of high school students graduating with two credits grew for the third consecutive year. 

Middle schools tend to have the most dismal arts offerings, according to Eric Pryor, executive director of the Center for Arts Education. Last year, the city lost 16 middle school arts teachers and 22 percent of eighth graders were promoted despite not earning the two required arts courses, according to Mr. Pryor. 

“ … the opportunity gap that exists in city public schools has barely budged, leaving far too many students without access to quality instruction in the arts,” Mr. Pryor said in a statement.

Close to 54 percent of elementary schools met the state instructional requirements for the arts, the Center for Arts Education noted. The state requires that students in first- through sixth-grades receive some theater, dance, visual art and music education and it recommends hours of instruction based on grade. 

PS 24, PS 81, The New School, PS 51, AmPark Neighborhood School and PS 207 were the only area schools that didn’t indicate having taught all four disciplines to students in first- through sixth-grades.