Almost 90 percent of Arizona's students have access to at least one dance, music, theater or visual-arts course at their schools, according to a recent statewide arts census.
But while schools make arts-education programs available to their students, more than half of the K-12 schools surveyed for the first statewide Arizona Arts Education Census also reported they had no money to spend on arts programs.
"Schools are spending less than half a penny a day on arts education," said Steve Carr, a spokesman for the Arts Education Census. "That needs to change."
Responses from 409 Arizona charter and public schools - which represented an enrollment of 236,645 students and accounted for 22 percent of the state's public-school enrollment - were collected from every county and school district in the state.
New Jersey-based Quadrant Arts Education Research conducted the Arts Education Census over six months in 2009 for the Arizona Department of Education.
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"There hadn't been any comprehensive research done in Arizona to determine access to arts education," Carr said. "This census provides us with a baseline for moving forward with future research efforts."
Among the survey's findings:
• Eight out of 10 schools spend less than half a penny a day on arts education.
• Arts courses are considerably less likely to be offered at charter schools, and when they are provided, most classes are not taught by highly qualified teachers.
• Dance classes at the high school level have a higher enrollment than band, orchestra or theater classes.
• 75 percent of schools provide arts-based field trips.
• Arts curricula in 56 percent of schools met Arizona academic arts standards, which were adopted in June 2006.
The census also ranked the top 10 percent of schools for arts education based on the responses it received from the schools.
Six Tucson schools made the list: Robins, Miller, Fruchthendler and Lyons elementary schools in the Tucson Unified School District; and City High School and Lifelong Learning Academy, both charter schools.
Contact reporter Andrea Rivera at arivera@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.
