The arts are defined as a core subject in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). However, in order to fully realize the role of the arts in the NCLB environment, parents, arts advocates, and arts educators need better data about the status of arts education in the schools. With such data, they can more effectively inform and positively influence education leaders regarding the value of arts education in the schools. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons related to resource and project priorities, reports that present a quantitative snapshot of the status of arts education have not been available. To remedy this situation, the state arts agencies of Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, in collaboration with their state offices of education/public instruction invited all schools in their states to complete a survey, the Statewide Arts Education Assessment (SAEA). The survey was administered in each state during the 2009-2010 school year.

Now is an important time to focus on arts education. Research suggests that arts education fosters the critical thinking skills deemed necessary for success in the workforce of the 21st century. Research also suggests that graduation rates increase in schools with more involvement in the arts, thereby producing a return on investment for arts education. Further, early research suggests that arts education increases emotional intelligence, a highly desirable attribute in a climate where technology often fills voids in social relationships. More information and examples of this research may be found by going to the Arts Education Partnership web site: www.aep-arts.org/publications/index.htm.

While arts-education research has explored the effects of arts education, there is an absence of data regarding the resources dedicated to the delivery of arts education and, in particular, to the structures through which arts education is delivered. The SAEA research will allow state arts agencies and state departments of education to assess the status of arts education regularly, providing consistent and credible data for parents, educators, and policy makers.

This report will serve as a valuable resource for all who want to advocate for a high-quality, wellrounded education for students. Those interested in overcoming the obstacles that hinder the treatment of the arts as a core subject can use the findings in this report to identify areas at the local and state levels that need attention and support. The initial four-study partner states of Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming are now better positioned to understand the strengths and opportunities for improvement of arts education within their states. With an aim of providing quality arts education to every student in every school each year, please join with Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming leaders and the Western States Arts Federation in supporting regular assessments of arts education that will lead to improved availability and quality of arts education for all. [Introduction p. 1]

The 2009-10 statewide assesement for Arts Education was completed in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. More than half of the districts in three of the states did not treat the arts as a core subject, and arts teachers had very high and challenging student-to-teacher ratios. Dance education barely existed except in Utah where it was more available, and Utah experienced greater increases in student participation in the arts than the other three states. Wyoming has total (school-wide) enrollment increase of 1%, average dance enrollment decreased by 8.26% and the average music enrollment decreased by 5.30%.The Montana Arts Education Assessment showed that in elementary schools, Music (86% school-wide enrollment) and Visual Art (61%) are offered most frequently, while Theatre (5%) and Dance (3%) were rarely offered. 11% of respondents offer no high-quality arts experiences, and less than half (43%) treat the arts as a core curriculum. Arts education in Idaho reflects the national situation: the arts are core academic subjects and are included as a two-credit high-school graduation requirement, the state has adopted content standards in the Humanities to outline the skills and recommended content for grades K-12.