Written by Audrey S and edited by Liberty V

In 2019,the Houston Education Research Consortium, along with Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, published a study called Investigating Causal Effects of Arts Education Experiences: Experimental Evidence from Houston’s Arts Access Initiative. In this study, researchers discover that “arts-learning experiences benefit students in terms of reductions in disciplinary infractions, increases in compassion for others and improvements in writing achievement.” 

How did they discover this? Researchers did a randomized controlled trial of 10,548 students (from 3rd grade to 8th grade) from each of Houston’s 42 schools. 21 schools were assigned by lottery to receive substantial influxes of arts education experiences in dance, music, theater, and visual arts disciplines. These were provided through school-community partnerships with local arts organizations, cultural institutions, and teaching-artists. 

Here are the statistics they developed: 

• 3.6% reduce in students receiving disciplinary action
• .13% increase of a standard deviation from STAAR writing achievement 
• .08% increase of a standard deviation for compassion for others 

The study found that in elementary school students, which comprised 86% of the students in the study, arts education also “…significantly improves school engagement, college aspirations, and arts-facilitated empathy.” Arts educational experiences not only improves students’ academic performance, but their social development as well. 

All of this research was done in the hope that policymakers would be made aware of the importance and benefits of arts education in our public schools- not only in Texas but across the nation. 

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Works Cited

“Investigating Causal Effects of Arts Education Experiences: Experimental Evidence from Houston’s Arts Access Initiative: Kinder Institute for Urban Research.” Kinder Institute for Urban Research | Rice University, kinder.rice.edu/research/investigating-causal-effects-arts-education-experiences-experimental-evidence-houstons-arts.