Many people have the opinion that the arts, such as in schools, do not affect the students in student development. However, many studies show that being involved in the arts, whether in high school or middle school, can help improve scores on standardized tests, and mental capacities.

Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skills. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork. A 2005 report by the Rand Corporation about the visual arts stated, “they can connect people more deeply to the world and open them to new ways of seeing.”

Most schools are focused on testing to get higher scores and pushing students to the best of their ability. Incorporating the arts into everyday classes could give students a better grasp on the subject. It could also increase the desire to get involved, and in terms, raise scores. Whether it is teaching fractions like the time signature in music, or writing and or performing a play for a core class.

“If they’re worried about their test scores and want a way to get them higher, they need to give kids more arts, not less,” says Tom Horne, Arizona’s state superintendent of public instruction. “There is a lot of evidence that kids immersed in the arts do better on their academic tests.”

In some schools, there is a chance that the school does not have a high budget. Most of the time, the arts tend to suffer. With budget cuts, there is a possibility that band uniforms cannot be fixed or bought, choir uniforms bought, or to get the supplies needed for a performance.

Alliance High School band teacher Jerrold Heide stated, “Although students can build self-discipline and dedication through a variety of activities, few can match the fine arts for depth or efficiency. Like all performers our band students consistently work hard to advance their playing abilities, but in doing so, they also find that they must become more efficient time managers in order to schedule enough practice to meet performance expectations. This is one of many coincidental items that must be considered when discussing the value and applicability of fine arts education”.

Alliance High School choir teacher, and elementary school music teacher, Christina Kloch stated, “The arts in school provide students with opportunities to grow that they can’t find anywhere else. They allow students to develop emotional connections with themselves and with others, provide intellectual links to other subjects, and create new pathways in the brain that allow students to grow academically beyond the classroom.”

I know that my involvement in the arts helps me on a daily basis. I am the type of person who doesn’t sit well in a classroom for 8 hours a day. I enjoy being able to go to the practice field for marching band or get up and dance in choir. I express myself through all of the arts programs that I participate in and for that I am grateful.