Investigating Arts Education Effects on School Engagement and Climate

Abstract

There is a renewed focus on what constitutes a well-rounded education, as well as a growing interest in broader indicators of educational success, including social and emotional development and school engagement. However, identifying educational practices that improve such outcomes has proven elusive. We explore the role of arts education on a broad range of educational outcomes using administrative and survey data from Boston’s public schools. We find that students receiving the arts in school attend more, are more engaged, and their parents and teachers are more likely to participate and be engaged at school, with larger effects for students with individualized education plans, students with lower standardized test scores, and students with a history of chronic absenteeism. These findings call attention to the pivotal role of the arts in providing students with socially and emotionally supportive learning environments that enhance relationships between students and schools.