Study: PACE Program Shows ‘Consistent Growth’
The commission says the plan is the result of more than a year of research and public input.
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana Arts Commission’s Partnering Arts, Communities, and Education program is showing "promising results," according to a new report. The PACE 2016-2017 Project Report says the program is "ideally positioned to contribute to the literacy development of students."
The PACE program brings local arts professionals into the classroom once a week for an entire school year to connect art and language arts lessons. Six elementary schools in South Bend, Michigan City, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute and Nashville are participating in the program.
The report, written by Purdue University Art Education Professor Robert Sabol, examines multiple key skills and knowledge points of students involved in the program, such as self-image, engagement in learning, vocabulary development, and writing skills. It says, compared to the 2015-2016 study, the levels of growth were modest, however "they were consistently positive and suggest that the PACE program is moving toward accomplishing its goals and the vision created for the program."
"The PACE program holds significant potential for making positive impacts on the educational foundations of citizens in Indiana, and for making long-term contributions to the health, growth, and vitality of the state of Indiana," said Sabol. "Comparisons of findings from the 2015-2016 PACE program and the 2016-2017 program provide an emerging and intriguing portrait of how the PACE program is providing consistent growth and advancement of students’ knowledge and skills in the arts."
You can view the full report below: