➤ 88 percent of respondents indicated that an education in and through the arts is essential to cultivating the imagination.
HOW SCHOOL BOARDS CAN SPARK STUDENTS’ IMAGINATIONS
➤ 63 percent of voters strongly believe that building capacities of the imagination that lead to innovation is just as important as the “so-called basics” for all students in the classroom. They also believe that an education in and through the arts helps to substantiate imaginative learning (91 percent) and should be considered a part of the basics.
When school boards are considering policy, the Imagine Nation constituency asks them to consider an education that develops the cognitive capacities of the imagination: ✸ Support time and resources for an education in and through the arts. ✣ Support integrated and interdisciplinary processes and approaches, which also save money and time in the school day. ✦ Understand that it may take contemporary methods to reach today’s learners. ✤ Support the need to teach beyond assessment and move beyond scoring that focuses on the minimum, which may stifle students and educators. Broader assessments encourage imaginative and innovative teaching and learning. — Imagine Nation
The results of this study echo the sentiments of a survey that was conducted by the Conference Board in 2006 in which three-fourths of the nation’s top business leaders said that creativity and innovation were among the top five skills likely to increase in importance for America’s top high school graduates. These findings clearly send a signal to our school boards and our administrations to develop and support arts education at all grade levels, but it goes far beyond that. Imagination and innovation must be promoted and encouraged across the curriculum even in the so-called “basic” classes. Teaching to a standardized test discourages creativity and critical thinking skills. 86 percent of parents say imagination should In the Jefferson County School system, we be developed in core courses when asked: have established technical academies in the “On a scale of 1-10, how critical is it to areas of pre-engineering, finance, art and incorporate building imagination into core theatre where students explore their given courses?” discipline while applying math, science, English and history in innovative and sometimes surprising ways. Students who have studied in these programs have a distinct advantage when they compete later in the global marketplace. Since 2001, graduating seniors in the Shades Valley Theatre Academy have been offered between $1.5 million and $2.9 million in scholarships each year to such universities as Emerson, Cincinnati, Pepperdine, DePauw, Birmingham-Southern, Samford, Alabama and Auburn, among others. Their fields of study have been as diverse as bio-chemistry, engineering, pre-med, pre-law, psychology, veterinary medicine, forestry, education, building science, communications and, of course, theatre. I encourage all educators to explore innovative and creative ways to engage every level of leadership and rally public support for a new vision of education that will place imagination and the arts at the core of learning in schools. Then, we must begin to take even more bold steps if we are to create schools that give our students the skills that allow them to meet the challenges of the 21st century global marketplace. We must give back to this generation the hope that I felt for my future on that momentous evening almost 40 years ago. ■
2008-2009 Alabama Teacher of the Year Roy Hudson, who teaches theater arts at Jefferson County’s Shades Valley High School, is the first arts educator to become the state’s top teacher.
IMAGINE NEW CENTURY EDUCATION Building a 21st century education can happen through the arts. The arts engage students deeply in learning that is rigorous and relevant to their lives today and empowers them with the vision, motivation and skills to strive for excellence in the future. An arts education also helps spark creativity in the economy because it demands and develops imagination and the critical, intellectual and personal skills needed to create, innovate and adapt in a global economy and in one’s professional life. Some of the skills and habits of mind developed by imaginative students are the ability to... ✤ Use multiple ways of learning and communicating. ✦ Set goals and achieve them. ▲ Concentrate on a task. ◆ Manage challenges and overcome failure. ❖ Respect multiple values and perspectives. ✱ Participate in a group and be team player. — Imagine Nation
For more on the Lake Research Partners Survey, visit www.theimaginenation.net. Alabama School Boards • July/August 2008 21