2025 Arts in Education Week Resolution
A RESOLUTION to commemorate "Arts in Education Week" in Tennessee.
WHEREAS, arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines, including dance, media arts, music, theatre, visual arts, and more, is a well-rounded subject and an essential element of a complete education for all students; and
WHEREAS, arts education enables students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline and collaboration, alternative ways to communicate and express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding, which supports academic success across the curriculum; and
WHEREAS, arts education contributes to increased attendance and graduation rates; elevates academic achievement; enhances social and emotional learning; and prepares students for college, career, and citizenship readiness; and
WHEREAS, arts education contributes to personal growth outside of the classroom, including increasing a student's likelihood of participating in civic life, volunteerism, altruism, and community engagement; and
WHEREAS, to succeed in today's economy, students must masterfully develop skills that business leaders demand in a 21st century workforce, including the ability to be creative, communicate effectively, collaborate with peers, and think critically; and
WHEREAS, the provision of arts education in elementary, middle, and high school, including the designation of arts education as a graduation requirement, is found in the State Education Code (Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-1025) (Tennessee Compilation of Rules and Regulations 0520-01-03-.05) (Tennessee Compilation of Rules and Regulations 0520-01-03-.06); and
WHEREAS, new content standards in Fine Arts were adopted by the State Board of Education in 2016; and
WHEREAS, the State of Tennessee is committed to providing all students with equitable access to a quality education, one that includes the arts; and
WHEREAS, the Tennessee Arts Education Data Project, conducted in partnership with the Department of Education, Country Music Association Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission, and Quadrant Research, shows that while ninety-three percent of all students have access to arts instruction, only seventy-nine percent have access to both music and visual arts, as required by State policy. Further, while seventy percent of students are enrolled in at least one arts course, thirty percent are not enrolled in any arts course; and
WHEREAS, the arts are an integral part of life in the United States and Tennessee and are an integral part of a complete education, contributing to the vibrancy and vitality of communities and the nation; and, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that we join with ArtsEd Tennessee in commemorating March 2-8, 2025, as "Arts in Education Week" in Tennessee. During this week, professionals in the field of arts education join together in communities across the state to tell the story of the impact of the transformative power of the arts in education;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to the appropriate clerk, the language immediately following the State seal appears without House or Senate designation.