Stretching students' skills

N.J school districts are showing vast improvement in arts education

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

BY PEGGY McGLONE AND JOHN MOONEY

Star-Ledger Staff

From the studios filled with limber dancers to the music rooms filled with the sounds of budding performers, a commitment to the fine arts is evident in Somerset County's Franklin Park Elementary School.

Parsippany Hills High School has everything from music theory to computer graphics and ceramics. But dance class, even though it's a state requirement, isn't offered.

Inside Newark's vast school system, the opportunities are plentiful at Arts High School but scarce at schools straining to find art teachers, let alone ones covering music, theater and dance.

Consider those examples a snapshot of arts education in New Jersey. While the first statewide survey of arts education shows vast improvement over the "barely passing grade" issued by a task force in 1989, the picture remains decidedly mixed.

The New Jersey Arts Education Census Project -- which examined programs in more than 2,300 schools -- found visual arts and music classes are nearly universal. Schools are tapping into outside artists and foundations like never before, including 899 schools with long-term partnerships. And all arts classes are being taught by certified teachers.

On the other hand, dance and theater -- both required by the state -- remain more the exception than the rule, especially in elementary schools where fewer than one in 10 offer them as specific classes. Nearly 6 percent of all schools -- serving about 77,000 students -- have no arts classes. And not all high schools require even the minimum of one arts class to graduate, which is also a state mandate.

"We should be proud of what we have, but don't think for a minute that we're finished with the job," said state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy at a Trenton ceremony yesterday. She and others pledged to close the gap between what is required by the state and what is delivered in classrooms. Learning any schools are without arts classes, Davy said, is "very troubling and very surprising." "Our policies are among the best in the nation; the implementation needs to improve," said Robert Morrison, the project's director and vice president of Music For All, one of several nonprofit organizations working with the state on the project.

The report and its conclusions drew some doubts from local districts, especially those that didn't fare so well.

One of the state's wealthiest districts, Rumson, was among a handful drawing a "low" grade, and one official contested that mark. Principal Kathi Cronin of Forrestdale School, grades 4 to 8, said the mark failed to factor in special classes offered to some students, not to mention extracurricular activities such as drama club, drum circle and jazz ensemble.

"How do you even fit in some of the things we do that don't fit into the boxes of the survey," she said.

One of the more surprising survey findings, in fact, was socioeconomics isn't always the best indicator of the amount and quality of arts classes in a given school. Researchers said the top schools for the arts are typically large, urban and generous with their financial support. "There are some great arts programs in poor districts and some not so great ones in wealthy districts," said Morrison. "Socioeconomic status is not a factor. What is a factor is the will of community leaders." That's the case in Somerset County's Franklin Township, one of the districts to receive a "high" ranking and where dance and theater had been part of the curriculum years before the 1996 state mandate, according to Donna Serio, supervisor of fine and performing arts.

"We have a history of having people on our board of education that fully understand the value of arts education because their children went through our programs," said Serio, who has 57 teachers in her charge.

"Whenever there is a move to take something away, there's a groundswell from the parents: 'Oh, no you won't,'" she said. "They see what these programs have done for their kids."

Even so, there have been mounting pressures on the arts in public schools. A recent national survey found the advent of the federal No Child Left Behind act and its required testing in reading and math has caused some non-tested subjects like the arts to be sacrificed.

In New Jersey's largest district, Newark arts educators say they worked hard over the last decade to ensure the arts flourished in their schools, but there remain challenges in finding qualified staff, the money to pay for them and time in the school day.

"We are not getting squeezed out, but we are getting squeezed," said May, the arts supervisor. "I have one teacher who just told me she was being limited by her principal to just four periods (out of eight) for teaching instrumental music. That's not enough."

Some districts questioned whether the state was clear in its requirements. In Parsippany Hills, where dance class isn't offered, one educator argued students could be picking up that skill outside a specific dance class.

"If the Department of Education said, 'You have to have a dance course,' we'd have a dance course," said John Pico, lead teacher for applied technology and fine and performing arts.

At Toms River Regional Schools, dance in the elementary schools is typically taught in physical education class. "I don't think there is enough certified dance teachers in the state to provide the instruction to every kid," said Kim Defibaugh, Toms River's arts supervisor.

Still, Defibaugh said the survey does a valuable service in pointing out her and other districts' strengths and shortcomings, and she's pleased that schools are being put on notice and parents are being informed.

"The arts open children's eyes to other opportunities that are out there for them, that it's not just about English, math and science," she said. "That's an important message."

Franklin Township is recognized with "High" rating in Arts Education via State survey! In an article that hit the front page of the September 19th Star Ledger, Franklin Township is cited as one of few districts in New Jersey that offers its students the full range of curricular opportunities required by the State Core Curriculum Content Standards in the Fine & Performing Arts. In fact, long before the NJ State mandate for Arts Education requirements, Franklin was in the forefront having put in place, not only Music and Art, but Dance and Theater programs as well!

The survey, entitled New Jersey Arts Education Census, was conducted by multiple stakeholders to include the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ Sate Dept of Education and various state Arts organizations with a goal in mind to identify "Models of Excellence" in Arts Education. Those districts that have been successful in providing curricular offerings in all Arts disciplines can be "partnered" with those in need of establishing Arts programming.

Franklin Townships Department of Fine & Performing Arts with its extensive programming in all Arts disciplines is poised and ready to serve as a "Model of Excellence."

Additionally, at an exciting "kick off" event to publicize the NJ Arts in Education Consensus results, hosted yesterday and NJN Television Studios in Trenton, FHS Music students performed to begin the program. With over 500 schools districts in the State to choose from, the invitation for a student performance group was granted to orchestra students from FHS.  Under the leadership of Maryann Spinella, five talented orchestra students formed their own ensemble named "String Theory" including  Zachary Brill, Zachary Israel, Neha Kulkarni, Nidi Kulkarni and Gaurav Kumar. Franklin's reputation for excellence in music education will continue due, in no small part, to the exceptional performance provided by these dedicated young musicians!

For further information on the NJAE Census Report and to enjoy the live webcast of the September 18th "kick off" event, visit www.artsednj.org

Viewers at this site will be able to enjoy not only Franklin Musicians performing at the beginning of the program, but they can also look for David Bryan, keyboard player for NJ based Rock Band Bon Jovi, performing two musical selections at the conclusion of the show.

Peggy McGlone may be reached at pmcglone@starledger.com and John Mooney may be reached at jmooney@starledger.com