Middle School Teaching Units

Arts for Academic Achievement Program

The Minneapolis Schools ‘ Arts for Academic Achievement Program is a program that aims to reform schools by using collaborations between teachers, artists, and artistic organizations. The main goal is to raise the students’ academic achievement with strong content focus and arts strategies. Minneapolis Schools’ Arts for Academic Achievement Program was launched in 1997 as part of the Annenberg Foundation educational reform grant. The Arts for Academic Achievement Program is a direct partnership with the Perpich Center for Arts Education. After the success of the Minneapolis Schools’ Arts for Academic Achievement Program, the Perpich Center for Arts Education has expanded the Arts for Academic Achievement Program across Minnesota.

The Minneapolis Schools’ Arts for Academic Achievement Program wants to provide the urban students of Minneapolis with opportunities in music, dance, writing, and other artistic forms. Arts for Academic Achievement Program teaches students how to express themselves better. It has also proven to reduce absenteeism among high school students. The more that the arts were integrated in the classroom, the better all students performed on tests, especially students with barriers to learning. The program is based on a great deal of educational research that shows the positive impact of arts based learning on students in not only academic areas but personal and social as well.

Research shows that teachers and their teaching are altered by the Minneapolis Schools’ Arts for Academic Achievement Program as well. The program changes the teachers’ perceptions about students. Through their participation in the arts students gain intelligence, leadership and motivation and this is shown in the classroom. Many teachers change their instruction to a more student-centered approach. Teachers Continue Reading