Almost a half million public school students in North Carolina have learned math, science, geography and language with direct classroom experiences in the arts through the A+ Schools Program, celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer.
The A+ Schools Program, nationally recognized for its success in student achievement, is the longest running and most successful arts-based school reform program in the country.
Education leaders, teachers, artists and administrators will gather in Durham on Monday, Aug. 3 through Wednesday, Aug 5 to celebrate two decades of the arts as the foundation for teaching and learning in all subjects.
"Such longevity is almost unheard of among education reform programs," said Michelle Burrows, Director of the A+ Schools Program at the North Carolina Arts Council. "The 20 year A+ history speaks to how successful the arts can be in engaging students in learning and providing inspiration to every subject area."
A+ Schools use the arts as a catalyst for creating connections and making schools engaging, meaningful and enjoyable places to teach and learn.
Burrows, who taught fourth grade at Bugg Creative Arts and Science Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh, one of the original A+ Schools, said the endurance of the program, which includes expansion to three other states, is largely due to the use of arts in teaching, continual high quality professional development and a strong network that supports the entire school.
The program was founded in 1995 by the Kenan Institute for the Arts and has grown from 25 schools to a network of 50 Pre-K-12 public schools in North Carolina. A+ was moved in 2010 from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro to the North Carolina Arts Council within the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.
"We are proud to be the home of the A+ Schools Program and celebrating 20 years of viewing the arts as fundamental to how teachers teach and students learn in all subjects," said North Carolina Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz. "Students should have access to the arts in the classroom and after school in order to gain the skills needed in today's global job market."
A national model, A+ Schools are now in Oklahoma, which has grown to more than 75 schools since 2002, Arkansas, which has developed 14 schools since 2011, and Louisiana, which has developed 17 schools since 2013. Three other states have pilot A+ Schools projects underway.
Ongoing research and evaluation of the A+ Schools Program shows that:
- A+ schools provide students with valuable skills, improving academic performance and preparing students for the 21st century global economy. Students in A+ classrooms are more engaged in the curriculum and improve their attitudes, attendance and behavior.
- Arts curriculum improves communication between parents and schools.
- Arts in education sparks teacher enthusiasm and team planning.
- Arts-based schools add value to communities.
- The arts forge community partnerships with schools.
"The A+ Schools program has shown time and again that the arts are an integral part of the solution in preparing all student for success in school, work and life," said Sandra Ruppert, director of the Arts Education Partnership (AEP), based in Washington, D.C. "If we work together to apply the lessons learned from the past, the arts can lead the way in shaping the future of learning for all students in America."
Since moving to the Arts Council the program has received more than $1.5 million in private funds, paving the way for its growth in North Carolina. Burrows has become nationally recognized for her work:
- In October 2013, Burrows participated in a meeting in Washington, D.C, hosted by the Congressional STEAM Caucus, to investigate the growing activity in STEAM education and its impact on U.S. innovation and economic potential in the 21st century.
- In May 2012, A+ Schools Program leadership from N.C., Oklahoma and Arkansas traveled to Washington, D.C. to share the program with the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Department of Education and the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
- In June 2011, the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities released a report, Reinvesting in Arts Education, which recognized North Carolina's A+ Schools Program as one of the nation's most successful arts education programs. The report cited the research on the program which tracked consistent gains in student achievement, the school's engagement of parents and the community, and other measures of learning and success. Additionally, the report noted that A+ schools with higher proportions of disadvantaged and minority students performed as well on statewide reading and mathematics assessments as students from more advantaged schools.
"The A+ Schools Program proves that the arts are crucial to education of students at all grade levels," said Wayne Martin, Executive Director of the North Carolina Arts Council. "It is a privilege for North Carolina to host the 20th anniversary celebration and pay tribute to the founders, funders, supporters and the many teachers, administrators and students who have made the program a national model of whole school reform."
Interview Opportunities
Throughout the conference:
- Wayne Martin, Executive Director, North Carolina Arts Council
- Michelle Burrows, A+ Schools Program Director, North Carolina Arts Council
- Representatives from A+ Schools Programs in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana
Monday, August 3:
6:45 to 7 p.m., Fletcher Hall Lobby, Carolina Theatre, Durham:
- Susan Kluttz, Secretary, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
- Wayne Martin, Executive Director, North Carolina Arts Council
- Michelle Burrows, A+ Schools Program Director, North Carolina Arts Council
Tuesday, August 4:
1:30 p.m., Fletcher Hall, Carolina Theatre, Durham:
- Dr. June Atkinson, N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction, after her remarks and introduction of keynote speaker
- John Merrow, award-winning education correspondent for PBS NewsHour, after his remarks
Wednesday, August 5:
3 to 4 p.m. Fletcher Hall, Carolina Theatre, Durham:
- Corey Mitchell, Tony-Award Winning Theater Arts Educator, Northwest School of the Arts, Charlotte, after his remarks about receiving the first Tony Award for being an outstanding arts educator.
- Michelle Burrows, A+ Schools Program Director, North Carolina Arts Council
For more information or to arrange interviews contact Rebecca Moore at (919) 807-6530 or Rebecca.Moore@ncdcr.gov.