S.C. students at "arts-rich" schools show higher level of engagement than national mean, Gallup poll says

Today the South Carolina Arts Commission released the results of a 2018 Gallup Student Poll, results that hold some positive news about SC schools. The main takeaway is that “levels of engagement and hope among students in arts-rich South Carolina schools are higher than the national mean.”

Last year in South Carolina Gallup surveyed 8,286 students at 30 arts-rich schools. The results showed a direct correlation between a school’s length of time as arts-rich and an increase in student engagement and hope. S.C. Arts Commission (SCAC) education director Ashley Brown says that schools are considered arts-rich when they are “committed to the arts at a cellular level.”

Brown references both Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) Project and Distinguished Arts Program (DAP) schools, which are required to have an arts strategic plan; the Gallup poll was conducted in arts-rich schools in SC that were a mix of ABC Project and DAP sites.

The items on the Poll where students from arts-rich schools scored higher than the national mean are:

— The adults at my school care about me
— I have at least one teacher who makes me feel excited about the future
— I have a great future ahead of me
— I know I will find a good job in the future
— I will invent something that changes the world
— I plan to start my own business

In a press release,Ken May, SCAC’s executive director, said, “The arts are integral to a well-rounded education that allows students to achieve the knowledge, skills, and life and career characteristics outlined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate.”

He continued, “During this critical time when state leaders are working to modernize the public school system in South Carolina, we are strongly advocating for greater inclusion of the arts, and this study further proves the benefits.”

Peruse the full study online or check out some highlights below. [pdf-1]