State of the Arts in Chicago
Over the past 12 years, the State of the Arts (SOTA) in Chicago Public Schools has presented data that tracks student access to arts education in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) while also identifying areas for improvement and opportunities for growth. The data for these reports come from CPS administrative sources, from CPS schools via the annual Creative Schools Survey, and directly from arts partner organizations that support CPS students. The insights derived from this data have helped to transform CPS Arts Education in ways not seen in the past 40 years.
For the 2022-23 SOTA, Ingenuity introduced a new SOTA Dashboard to allow stakeholders to explore the data with customizable filters. For the 2023-24 SOTA, Ingenuity introduced the SOTA Toolkit to equip school leaders, arts organizations, and funders with tailored talking points and call to action.
State of the Arts 2023-24
The 12th annual State of the Arts (SOTA) Report – a powerful reflection of both remarkable progress and the opportunities that remain for arts education in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The SOTA Dashboard provides an interactive platform to explore the data through customizable filters, and the SOTA Toolkit is introduced for the first time to equip stakeholders with data-informed insights and a clear call to action. Together, these form a powerful trio of tools – built to inform, inspire, and ignite data-driven strategies and advocacy. Explore the Report, Dashboard, & Toolkit
State of the Arts 2022-23
Our 2022-23 State of the Arts report shows clear trends of recovery since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Explore the Report & Dashboard
State of the Arts 2021-22
The State of the Arts in Chicago Public Schools (SOTA) report has, for the past ten years, employed data to chronicle the advancement of CPS arts education while also identifying areas for improvement and opportunities for growth. View the Report
State of the Arts 2020-21
The State of the Arts in Chicago Public Schools (SOTA) report has, for the past nine years, employed data to chronicle the advancement of CPS arts education while also identifying areas for improvement and opportunities for growth. View the Report
State of the Arts 2019-20
Introducing the updated Creative Schools Certification (CSC) 2.0, this edition provided a more nuanced analysis of arts education access and quality, though data collection was impacted by the onset of the pandemic and the shift to remote learning. View the Report
State of the Arts 2018-19
Celebrating significant growth, the report noted a 97% increase in students with regular access to arts instruction over seven years, underscoring the effectiveness of sustained investment and policy support in expanding arts education across CPS. View the Report
State of the Arts 2017-18
The 2017–18 SOTA report highlighted significant growth in CPS arts education since 2012, including a 117% increase in schools offering robust arts programs, over 150,000 more students with consistent access to arts education, and a 33% rise in active arts partners working in CPS schools. View the Report
State of the Arts 2016-17
Marking five years since the implementation of the CPS Arts Education Plan, the 2016–17 report celebrated the integration of arts as a "must-have" in schools, reflecting widespread adoption of arts education across the district. View the Report
State of the Arts 2015-16
The 2015–16 report showed that 60% of CPS schools were certified as Strong or Excelling in the arts, with nearly 250,000 students attending such schools, and noted increases in arts instructor staffing and partnerships despite fiscal challenges. View the Report
State of the Arts 2014-15
The 2014–15 report indicated that CPS schools had increased arts instruction, staffing, partnerships, and funding during the second year of implementing the CPS Arts Education Plan, with combined district and external funds for arts education rising by nearly $14 million. View the Report
State of the Arts 2013-14
In its second year, the 2013–14 report found that CPS schools continued to enhance arts instruction, staffing, partnerships, and funding, with a notable 11% increase in combined district and external funds committed to arts education. View the Report