New Orleans Public Radio – BRIAN R. FRIEDMAN
“It’s a simple equation for many schools today: pressure to improve standardized test scores equals more focus on the stem subjects – science, technology, engineering, and math. And that equals less time for the arts. But research is showing there may be some flaws in that formula. “So many people think the arts is just fluff, it doesn’t really help you out,” said Jacques Rodrigue, executive director of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts. “When actually what the research shows is that when you integrate the arts into stem and make it steam, the students actually engage with the material more.” Students with an arts integrated education have been shown to score higher on tests and to have fewer discipline problems.”(more)