Considering the arts in school assessment in the United States: An investigation of engagement and hope

Arts education advocacy in the United States often relies on arts education research for its arguments, yet significant policy changes supporting arts education are inconsistent from state to state. This article highlights the investigation of a US Gallup Student Poll on South Carolina arts-rich schools. More specifically, the study focuses on how states determine a school’s effectiveness and can be held accountable for the ideals of a whole-child education instead of using the narrow lens of test scores. The authors delve into two poll categories that had significance for these schools. Engagement and hope stood out as convincing measures for the arts. The data presented in this article provide a persuasive argument for how the arts can account for school effectiveness. Although the project is closely related to schools in the United States, it is presumed that results from this study are relevant for colleagues in other countries as well, where similar accountability measures prevail.