Take Action! Contact Your Legislator! Register to Vote!
Visit the Take Action center on the Performing Arts Alliance to read about current issues and send a letter to your legislators!

Register to Vote!

Learn About Our Government and Public Support for the Arts

• US Senate
• US House of Representatives
• Thomas: House and Senate Legislative Information
• US Department of State
• US Department of Education
• Executive Branch
• National Endowment for the Arts
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services
• Find Your Legislator

Visit National Arts Service and Advocacy Organizations

• League of American Orchestras
• Theatre Communications Group
• OPERA America
• Association of Performing Arts Presenters
• Chorus America
• National Alliance for Musical Theatre
• Performing Arts Alliance
• Americans for the Arts

Independent Sector is a coalition of leading nonprofits, foundations and corporations strengthening not-for-profit initiative, philanthropy and citizen action.

National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is the membership organization of the nation's state and jurisdictional arts agencies. It empowers state arts agencies through strategic assistance that fosters leadership, enhances planning and decision making, and increases resources.

National Dance Education Organization is dedicated to promoting standards of excellence in dance education through the development of quality education in the art of dance through professional development, service and leadership.

Arts Education Partnership is a national coalition of arts, education, business, philanthropic and government organizations that demonstrates and promotes the essential role of the arts in the learning and development of every child and in the improvement of America 's schools. It also includes state and local partnerships focused on influencing education policies and practices to promote quality arts education. The Arts Education Partnership was formed in 1995 through a cooperative agreement among the: National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Education, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Council of Chief State School Officers.

Arts Education Resources

Department of Education Arts in Education Programs
Performing arts organizations should be aware of the direct and indirect funding opportunities available from the U.S. Department of Education (USED).  Through its Arts in Education fund, the USED awards direct competitive grants to arts organizations under two categories – 1) Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program and 2) Professional Development for Arts Educators Program.

The Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program is designed to enable schools and organizations to develop and disseminate comprehensive approaches for integrating the arts into elementary and middle school curricula, strengthening arts instruction in these grade levels, and improving students’ academic performance.  

The Professional Development for Arts Educators program supports the implementation of high-quality professional development model programs in K-12 education for music, dance, drama and visual arts educators. Applications must be initiated by a local education agency, but projects may include partnerships with arts organizations. Programs must focus on the development, enhancement, or expansion of standards-based arts education programs; or the integration of arts instruction into other subject area content. The program requires that participating schools must have student populations in which at least 50% are from low-income families (Title I). If your organization partners with schools to provide professional development for teachers, consider bringing this grant program to the attention of your school system.

Status of Arts Education

No Subject Left Behind
How might your local schools find federal funding to support arts education? Share this guide with your local school administrators to find how federal funding (which may not be arts-specific) may be used to support music education.

ECS Artscan
The Education Commission of the States (ECS) has released an important new resource. Artscan, a searchable database of existing state-level policies regarding the arts, is a helpful tool for arts advocates seeking to improve their state-level education policies.

The Nation’s Arts Report Card
The NAEP report is often referred to as the "Nation's Arts Report Card." First completed in 1997, the National Assessment of Educational Progress in the Arts (NAEP) measured the ability of eighth-grade students to create, perform, and respond to works of art in music, theater, and the visual arts. From January through March of 2008, the NAEP arts assessment was administered to eighth grade students across the country. The assessment measures kills in music and the visual arts. Results of the 2008 test will be reported in 2009.