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For Immediate Release

Americans for the Arts and the National School Boards Association Partner to Help Schools Build a Policy Infrastructure that Supports the Arts in Education

Washington, DC—November 30, 2004—Americans for the Arts and the National School Boards Association (NSBA) today announced the launch of Arts Education in Public Schools, an online resource center designed to help school board members become stronger supporters for arts education in their schools and communities. Arts Education in Public Schools is accessible via the Americans for the Arts and National School Boards Association websites, or by visiting http://ww3.AmericansForTheArts.org/information_services/arts_education_community/.

Americans for the Arts has embarked on a multi-year partnership with NSBA to help increase the presence and quality of arts education in public schools. Arts Education in Public Schools is the first in a series of initiatives, which will include professional development training, for Americans for the Arts and NSBA. The online resource center serves as an introduction to the role of the arts in student achievement by providing local education policy makers access to relevant research, promising practices, success indicators of local arts education policy, and other extensive resources.

"Our partnership with NSBA is a critical component in our work to influence arts education policy at the school district level. School boards are key decision makers—drafting and implementing policies that influence the breadth, scope, and quality of arts education in America's public schools," said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. "We are very excited about this partnership and its contribution to the field."

"The nationwide focus on test scores and standards makes arts education extremely important for today's students," said Anne L. Bryant, NSBA executive director. "Young people who are consistently involved in arts education are much more likely to achieve academically, do well in math and science, and have a better attendance record than their peers. Strong arts education is directly connected to improving student achievement."

The online resource center is designed to inform school boards about the importance of building a policy infrastructure that is supportive of the arts. The resource center will also focus on ways to help board members maintain the status of arts as a core subject in public schools and stresses that arts education must be explicitly identified, funded, staffed, and assessed.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of more than 40 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

NSBA is a not-for-profit federation of state associations of school boards across the United States. Its mission is to foster excellence and equity in public education through school board leadership. NSBA achieves that mission by representing the school board perspective before federal government agencies and with national organizations that affect education, and by providing vital information and services to state associations of school boards and local school boards throughout the nation. Additional information is available at www.nsba.org.