Studies Showing How the Arts Improve Academic Capabilities
1. Arts Education Partnership – Champions of Change (1999)

• A landmark report sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Key Findings:

  • Students involved in the arts outperformed their peers on standardized tests.

  • Low-income students highly engaged in the arts were more likely to attend and succeed in college.

  • Arts participation correlated with better reading and math scores, improved critical thinking, and increased motivation to learn.

2. Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement – AEP (2006)

• Key Findings:

  • Arts learning experiences can boost literacy, numeracy, and overall school engagement.

  • Integration of arts into curriculum improves cognitive development and retention of academic content.

3. National Endowment for the Arts – The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth (2012)

• Longitudinal study using data from four national databases, including the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988.

• Key Findings:

  • At-risk youth with high arts engagement were:

    • 4 times more likely to participate in math and science fairs.

    • 3 times more likely to win awards for school attendance.

    • 2 times more likely to read for pleasure and show stronger writing skills.

  • These students were also more likely to enroll in post-secondary education.

4. ArtsEdSearch – Ongoing

• A project of the Arts Education Partnership offering a searchable database of over 200 peer-reviewed studies.

• Relevant Findings:

  • Dance improves spatial reasoning and memory.

  • Theater enhances reading comprehension and empathy.

  • Music improves mathematical ability and executive function.

5. University of Chicago Consortium on School Research – Arts Education and Social-Emotional Learning (2019)

• Key Findings:

  • Arts programs help develop social-emotional competencies such as self-confidence, collaboration, and perseverance—traits that support academic success.

  • Students in arts-rich schools showed stronger attendance and lower dropout rates.