2014-15 State of the Arts Progress Report
Ingenuity’s third State of the Arts in Chicago Public Schools details the arts assets available to CPS students in the 2014-15 school year. According to data provided by 571 schools representing 90% of CPS students, over 30,000 students have greater access to arts staffing and instruction than the previous school year.
Key Findings
- the total number of certified arts instructors increased from 1,278 in 2013-14 to 1,322 in 2014-15, with the greatest increases in visual arts and dance instructors
- 68% of CPS schools reported meeting the recommendation of 1 arts instructor per 350 students – a 10 percentage point increase from the previous year
- over 96% of CPS schools partnered with at least one community arts partner for services ranging from field trips to in-school residencies
Media coverage
Education Week
Chicago Sun-Times
Fox-32 Morning News
NPR – WBEZ
Make it Better
Read the Press Release
What People Are Saying
“An arts education cannot be optional. By fostering creative thinking and enhancing other fields of study, it is an essential part of a well-rounded education, which is why I am proud of the progress that CPS is making to give more students access to a quality arts education. As Chicago’s students continue to make academic gains in the classroom, we must also keep working to give them time in a studio or on a stage to help them reach their full potential.”
—Rahm Emanuel, Mayor, City of Chicago
“The arts have always been a cornerstone at CPS, as we are a vibrant District and serve a culturally-rich community. By offering our students access to the arts—including visual, dance and performance arts—we hope to inspire an appreciation for this expression, and inspire the next generation of creative, innovative Chicagoans.”
– Dr. Janice Jackson, CEdO, Chicago Public Schools
“Ingenuity has exhibited tremendous effort in gathering the high quality data necessary for this report and its paying off in dividends. It demonstrates that when good information comes together with good intentions, kids win. It’s great to see arts education continue to grow in CPS.”
– Andrew Means, Ingenuity Board Member and Founder of The Impact Lab
“To be able to express oneself through art, drama, music, or dance is not a privilege that some should have–it is the right of us all. Plain and simple, arts education makes us better! And when CPS, Ingenuity, arts partners, principals, teachers, parents, and the community come together, it makes our students better.”
– Joshua Simonds, Ingenuity Advisory Panel Member and Executive Director, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras
“CPS has undergone numerous shifts in the past several years, but continues to improve and advance arts education efforts city-wide. We now have 86 percent of CPS schools participating in the Creative Schools Survey, a significant increase from two years ago—and of those, more than half are classified as “strong” or “excelling” in the arts. There is still work to be done, but this meaningful progress reaffirms stakeholder commitments to these efforts.”
– Paul Sznewajs, Executive Director, Ingenuity