2024 AAEA Summer Conference

This presentation will highlight the transformative effect that arts-integration is having in Arkansas schools. Presenters will discuss the impact by offering an interactive presentation that relays their experiences working with school leaders and educators. Resources and contacts will also be provided for school administrators that would like more information about transforming their school through arts integration.

Implementing Arts Integration across an entire school is beneficial now more than ever. As more and more schools are embracing new schedules (double blocking, four-day weeks) and are attempting to recapture the momentum that they had pre-pandemic, the introduction of art-based strategies becomes more and more important and leads to happier, more engaged students; strong student achievement; fewer discipline issues; and positive school climate for teachers and students.

A 2014 research study provides insight into the impact of arts-integration methods*. The study focused specifically on the long-term retention of academic content. The study shows that retention was significantly better for the group of students who performed at lower levels of reading achievement and were taught through arts-integration based methods than those who were given conventional instruction. These results suggest that arts-integrated methods of instruction can help level the playing field for students by providing them with non-traditional ways to receive knowledge and demonstrate understanding. (*Mariale Hardiman, Luke Rinne and Julia Yarmolinskaya, “The Effects of Arts Integration on Long-Term Retention of Content and Student Engagement,” Mind, Brain and Education 8, no. 3 (2014): 144-148.)