Newly published research suggests low-income kids are more likely to develop these all-important abilities if they attend a unique preschool program that integrates education and the arts.

The arts-rich curriculum produced more “positive emotions such as interest, happiness and pride, and greater growth in emotion regulation across the school year,” reports West Chester University psychologist Eleanor D. Brown.These results are particularly significant, she adds, given “the critical importance of children’s social-emotional readiness to learn.”

Award-winning composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch, who died last week, was passionate about arts education in schools. He was known to make a pitch for arts ed during his concerts. His obituary referenced an interview that he gave at the Orange County High School for the Arts in Santa Ana, in which he emphasized, "Arts education is so important. It's part of being a human being. I don't think the American government gets it. I don't think they understand it's as important as math and English. It rounds you out as a person. I think it gives you a certain love of artistic things. You don't have to become the next great composer, but it's just nice to have heard certain pieces and you get a feeling for that, or to see certain things that are artistic and say that's a beautiful sculpture. We sometimes stress so much math and English and physical education, but we sometimes give short shrift to something [arts education] that I think is very important."

You can hear Mr. Hamlisch's comments on arts education at 4:49 of the full OCHSA interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adeIdx2zKcU&feature=plcp

By Ronald Brown, author of Anticipate. The Architecture of Small Team Innovation and Product Success

“Last year, reports said creativity was on the decline in the U.S. However, reports this year indicate that creativity is more important than ever to business success.”

The California Legislative Joint Committee on the Arts [is holding] hearings on legislation that will develop a "creativity index" to measure creativity in public schools statewide. This movement matches legislation [passed in] Massachusetts last spring, and is much like a bill working its way through the legislature in Oklahoma. Maine, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Colorado and Wisconsin are beginning similar discussions and Nebraska is getting itself organized. Seoul, Korea, and Alberta and Edmonton in Canada -- and probably other cities and nations around the world -- are following these efforts closely. Clearly something big is happening across America.