The effects of an arts-based curriculum on academic achievement
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether attending an arts-based middle school appeared to positively impact student academic achievement as measured by standardized achievement tests. In order to determine whether patterns of improved academic achievement were discernible following attendance at a four-year arts-based middle school, achievement data from the grade four and grade eight Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) and the grade nine through twelve Gateway Test were examined. The study examined differences between score trends, differences between scores for students from an arts-based curriculum vs. those from a standard curriculum; specifically differences between the three standardized dependent measures of (a) language arts scores, (b) mathematics scores, and (c) science scores. The study found that the arts-based curriculum group had higher grade 8 and grade 9-12 overall standardized scores than the standard curriculum group. In addition, the overall standardized mean test score values for the arts-based curriculum group was higher than the overall standardized mean test scores for the standard curriculum group.
Subject Area
Art education|Curriculum development
Recommended Citation
Melissa D McClure,
"The effects of an arts-based curriculum on academic achievement"
(2009).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI3404705.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3404705