Audit finds problems with arts education in NYC schools
ALBANY - New York City public high school students are not getting the arts education required by state regulations, according to an audit released by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
“Our audit reveals too many New York City schools may be cutting corners with arts education,” DiNapoli said. “Students should be taught by certified teachers for the required number of hours each week. We all want to find the right formula to improve education and improving arts instruction needs to be part of that equation.”
DiNapoli’s audit examined the arts education received by a random sample of 310 New York City students who attended 166 public high schools from 2007 to 2011.
In New York, high school students must earn at least one unit of arts education during their high school stay to qualify for a diploma. New York City’s Department of Education (DOE) is responsible for ensuring that its public high schools comply with the State Education Department’s (SED) regulations. The regulations require that teachers be certified for arts instruction, that high schools provide 180 minutes of arts instruction each week for two semesters or 108 hours during a school year, and that schools have an SED approved arts syllabus.
http://www.empirestatenews.net/News2014/20140303-5.htm
