1. An Unfinished Canvas Arts Education in California
Research conducted by the Center for Education Policy SRI International Funded by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

2. The Charge: Fill the Information Gap
Review existing state policies
Assess implementation relative to state policies
Examine systems of support
Identify potential policy levers

3. The Charge: Rigorous Research Design
Statewide survey
Large sample to ensure reliable estimates for state and by school level, poverty, and population density (1800 schools)
Sufficient response rate (62%)
Use of existing survey instruments
Case studies
31 schools in 13 districts and 9 counties
District level staff, school administrators, arts and classroom teachers, and arts partners
Secondary data analysis

4. Key Findings

5. Ambitious Policies
The California Education Code calls for all schools to offer a course of study in the four arts disciplines.
The California arts standards reflect what students are expected to know and be able to do in the four arts disciplines.

6. Limited Access to Standards-Based Course of Study
Percentage of K-12 Schools Offering a Standards-Based Course of Study in the Arts

7. Unequal Access to Arts Education

8. Key Finding: The Barriers

9. Follow-up Research

10. An Unfinished Canvas follow-up studies
Funding and instructional time (May 2008)
Teacher capacity (May 2008)
Large-scale assessment (Sept 2008)
District leadership and the use of new state funds (January 2009)
Partnerships with local arts organizations (April 2009)