Arts May Improve Grades Article

Arts May Improve Students' Grades; by Carl Hartman, c. The Associated Press, 10/22/99; WASHINGTON (AP) - If your teenagers want to be in the; high school band or drama club, let them. It may improve; their grades.; High school students who take music lessons and join; theater groups do better in math, reading, history,; geography and citizenship, according to a study of; Education Department data to be published today.; "If young Americans are to succeed and to contribute to; what Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan describes; as 'our economy of ideas,' they will need an education that; develops imaginative, flexible and tough-minded; thinking," Education Secretary Richard Riley said in a; message accompanying the study. "The arts powerfully; nurture the ability to think in this manner."; The study, which tracked more than 25,000 students for; more than 10 years, found that students who reported; consistently high levels of involvement with instrumental; music scored significantly higher on math tests by the 12th; grade.; This observation held true for students regardless of their; parents' income, occupations and levels of education, said; James S. Catterall, the lead author and an education; professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.; While 38.6 percent of higher-income students who were; uninvolved in music scored high in math, 48 percent of; those highly involved in music received high marks.; "Kids who are more advantaged tend to be more involved; in the arts. Period. They have more opportunities and; you'd expect them to do better," Catterall said in an; interview.; But the influence of music was far more pronounced; among lower-income students.; Among the lower-income students without music; involvement, only 15.5 percent achieved high math scores.; But of the musically oriented group, more than twice as; many excelled in math.; "It's not a matter of economic advantage. It's a matter of; something happening with the arts for the kids," Catterall; said.; The study also found that as students progress through; high school they are less likely to be involved in the arts.; "There's a clear trend," Catterall said. "Kids' participation; in the arts declines. It may be that high schools offer fewer; programs than middle schools or that kids are more; concerned with academics or admissions to college."; Fewer than 3 percent of seniors take out-of-school classes; in music, art or dance, compared with more than 11 percent; of sophomores.; More than half of the "high-involvement" seniors are; found in top levels on standardized tests, compared with; fewer than 43 percent of the "low-involvement" seniors.; The study also indicated arts study affected students' racial; attitudes.; "Students at grade 10 were asked if it was OK to make a; racist remark," the authors wrote. "About 40 percent of; 'no-drama' students felt that making such a remark would; be OK, where only about 12 percent of high theater students; thought the same."; When the 12th graders involved in plays were compared; to their uninvolved counterparts, 20 percent more of; those active in drama had excellent reading skills.; Catterall noted that the work supports strong suggestions,; but is not definitive.; This study was one of seven included in "Champions of; Change - The Impact of the Arts on Learning," by; Edward B. Fiske, former education editor of The New; York Times. The project was sponsored by the GE (General; Electric) Fund and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur; Foundation.; Associated Press Writer David Ho contributed to this story.