WASHINGTON—A growing body of research on the effects of early arts experiences shows their positive relationship to improved overall academic performance and demonstrates that when creativity is developed at an early age, its benefits are continual and are transformed to many individual tasks. Schoolchildren exposed to drama, music and dance may do a better job at mastering reading, writing and math than those who focus solely on academics, says a report by the Arts Education Partnership. ''Notions that the arts are frivolous add-ons to a serious curriculum couldn't be further from the truth,'' says James Catterall, education professor at the University of California - Los Angeles , who coordinated the research. "The fine arts—dance, drama, music and the visual arts—are fundamental ways of knowing, and thinking. They contribute to a child's development and foster skills of communication, creativity, and cognition."

The report is based on an analysis of 62 studies of various categories of art—ranging from dance, drama, music, and visual arts—by nearly 100 researchers. It's the first to combine all the arts and make comparisons with academic achievement, performance on standardized tests, improvements in social skills and student motivation. Catterall says the studies suggest that arts education may be especially helpful to poor students and those in need of remedial instruction. "While education in the arts is no magic bullet for what ails many schools, the arts warrant a place in the curriculum because of their intimate ties to most everything we want for our children and schools," Catterall says. The report took two years to produce, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Education.

G. Thomas Houlihan, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, acknowledges that many school superintendents, principals and teachers are unaware of the value of arts education. He says copies of the report will be distributed to school leaders throughout the nation. Houlihan says he was impressed by the one study finding that "arts motivate and reach certain students."

The Arts Education Partnership is a coalition of more than 100 national education, arts, philanthropic and government organizations. CCSSO and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies administer the partnership under a cooperative agreement with the Education Department and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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