Virginia policymakers' views on the value of visual arts education at the high school level

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out from Virginia policymakers their feelings toward visual arts education as a required subject at the high school level by answering the following questions: (1) How do policymakers and gatekeepers see the value of visual arts education as a required subject on the high school level? (2) What is the attitude of Virginia policymakers and gatekeepers towards the importance of issues pertaining to the framing of a visual arts education program? (3) What is the importance of placing visual arts education in the high school curriculum as a required subject for the appreciation and understanding of our society? (4) Of what importance do policymakers and gatekeepers feel visual arts education is in the curricula of high school students as far as their academic, social, cultural, and personal development are concerned?

A pilot study was conducted in which 17 issues important to visual arts education were addressed. Data for the main study was collected by means of a questionnaire in which a selected panel of supervisors of instruction, assistant superintendents, local school board members, and school system superintendents were surveyed. The study, consisting of a three part questionnaire, was conducted by mail over several weeks with a group of 70 local policymakers and gatekeepers.

Findings of this study indicate that about half (54%) of the policymakers surveyed believe that it is very important (16%) and important (38%) to offer visual arts education as a required subject on the high school level. Eighty - six percent feel that standards should be formulated and used in developing a visual arts education framework. Seventy - six percent of the respondents felt that visual arts education is important for the appreciation and understanding of our society. Seventy - one percent of the policymakers surveyed agreed that visual arts education is important for the academic, social, cultural and personal development of high school students. It is quite evident that there is a division among policymakers and gatekeepers regarding the value of visual arts education as a required subject on the high school level.