Opinion: Arts are Essential for Boosting Student Engagement & Attendance

Chronic absenteeism has reached alarming levels, with recent data indicating that in 20 states, over 30% of students are missing school frequently nearly double pre-pandemic figures. This issue is complex, as absences are not always related to academics. Students may disengage due to feeling disconnected from school, a lack of stimulating coursework, or external challenges outside the classroom. One simple yet impactful solution may lie in creative outlets: music rooms, art studios, and performance spaces that allow students to shine.

Despite extensive research, arts education continues to be treated as optional, often dependent on school budgets. Between 2015 and 2019, the NAMM Foundation conducted a study across 1,700 New York City public schools serving over 1.1 million students. Schools offering music and arts programs reported lower chronic absenteeism and higher overall attendance. A seven-year cohort study also showed dropout rates dropped from 30% to 6% among students consistently involved in arts programs. Clearly, engagement in the arts enhances resilience, academic involvement, and graduation rates.

Long-term tracking of over 22,000 students by the National Dropout Prevention Center found that those highly involved in the arts were five times more likely to graduate high school than peers with minimal arts participation. Yet, while over 90% of Americans value arts in education, only 66% of students engage in it, and access remains uneven. Charter schools, the fastest-growing segment of public education, are particularly lacking: only 37% of charter high schools offer arts instruction. Students in charter schools, homeschool programs, or military families often face the fewest opportunities to access arts education, despite benefiting from it most.

Creative Learning and Student Engagement

The Cathedral Arts Project in Jacksonville, Florida, is addressing this gap. Partnering with the Florida Department of Education, the program piloted a year-long arts initiative in 2024-25, reaching over 400 students in charter schools, homeschools, military families, and crisis care settings. Weekly visits from teaching artists provided instruction in dance, music, theater, and visual arts. Students from kindergarten through high school experienced confidence, joy, and connection through creative learning.

Homeschool students explored history through art, children from military families gained stability during deployments, and young people facing crises discovered new ways to express themselves. The program highlighted the power of arts to help students envision possibilities. Data analysis with the Florida Data Science for Social Good program at the University of North Florida showed participants developed artistic skills alongside self-confidence, teamwork, problem-solving, and engagement. Over 86% of students reported increased persistence and the ability to tackle difficult tasks.

Families also observed positive changes: nearly 75% reported improvements in in-person social interaction and emotional control, while about one-third noted growth in creative problem-solving and resilience. Surveys like the State of Educational Opportunity in America reflect parents recognition of the arts as a crucial educational tool, with many actively seeking programs that combine creativity with academic growth.

Floridas approach shows the value of arts programs for school choice families, who often lack access to structured arts instruction. Programs such as this provide essential opportunities for students who would otherwise miss out, filling a critical gap in education. The effectiveness of arts lies in its combination of structure, expression, and connection. Through creative learning, students navigate challenges, develop resilience, and experience the satisfaction of persistence skills vital for both academic and future professional success.

Investing in arts education is not a luxury; it is essential for student achievement. Other states should follow Floridas lead and recognize the arts as a core component of effective education.

Author: Sophia Brooks