Art education improves students' academic, social development, study finds

A new study from the Houston Education Research Consortium — a partnership between Rice University and Houston-area schools — has found an initiative to expand arts education in elementary and middle schools improved students' academic and emotional development, according to the consortium's website. The study, called "Investigating Causal Effects of Arts Education Experiences: Experimental Evidence from Houston’s Arts Access Initiative," was conducted by Dr. Daniel H. Bowen of Texas A&M University and Dr. Brian Kisida of the University of Missouri. According to the study, which examined 10,548 students across 42 schools, students' art educational experiences reduced the proportion of those receiving disciplinary infractions by 3.6 percentage points, and it additionally improved students' writing achievement and compassion. The results also showed elementary school art programs boosted school engagement, college aspirations and arts-facilitated empathy.