Here’s the latest in research about the power of arts education to keep kids in school.

The most relevant parts:

In several national studies over the past decade, students at risk of dropping out cite participation in the arts as their reason for staying in school. Research has also shown that arts education has had a measurable impact on at-risk youth in deterring delinquent behavior and truancy problems while also increasing overall academic performance.2 Despite these known benefits, as the findings of this report confirm, New York City public school students at schools with the lowest graduation rates have the least access to instruction in the arts. […]

Study findings suggest that “increasing students’ access to arts instruction in schools with low graduation rates can be a successful strategy for lifting graduation rates and turning around struggling schools, not just in New York City, but nationwide.”

See the whole study here:

http://www.cae-nyc.org/sites/default/files/docs/CAE_Arts_and_Graduation_Report.pdf