§ 811. Findings
Congress makes the following findings: (1) Arts literacy is a fundamental purpose of schooling for all students. (2) Arts education stimulates, develops, and refines many cognitive and creative skills, critical thinking and nimbleness in judgment, creativity and imagination, cooperative decisionmaking, leadership, high-level literacy and communication, and the capacity for problem-posing and problem-solving. (3) Arts education contributes significantly to the creation of flexible, adaptable, and knowledgeable workers who will be needed in the 21st century economy. (4) Arts education improves teaching and learning. (5) Where parents and families, artists, arts organizations, businesses, local civic and cultural leaders, and institutions are actively engaged in instructional programs, arts education is more successful. (6) Effective teachers of the arts should be encouraged to continue to learn and grow in mastery of their art form as well as in their teaching competence. (7) The 1999 study, entitled “Gaining the Arts Advantage: Lessons from School Districts that Value Arts Education”, found that the literacy, education, programs, learning and growth described in paragraphs (1) through (6) contribute to successful districtwide arts education. (8) Despite all of the literacy, education, programs, learning and growth findings described in paragraphs (1) through (6), the 1997 National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that students lack sufficient opportunity for participatory learning in the arts. (9) The Arts Education Partnership, a coalition of national and State education, arts, business, and civic groups, is an excellent example of one organization that has demonstrated its effectiveness in addressing the purposes described in section 814 (a) of this title and the capacity and credibility to administer arts education programs of national significance.
§ 812. Definitions
In this subchapter: (1) Arts Education Partnership The term “Arts Education Partnership” means a private, nonprofit coalition of education, arts, business, philanthropic, and government organizations that demonstrates and promotes the essential role of arts education in enabling all students to succeed in school, life, and work, and was formed in 1995. (2) Board The term “Board” means the Congressional Recognition for Excellence in Arts Education Awards Board established under section 813 of this title. (3) Elementary school; secondary school The terms “elementary school” and “secondary school” mean— (A) a public or private elementary school or secondary school (as the case may be), as defined in section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801); [1] or (B) a bureau [2] funded school as defined in section 2026 [1] of title 25. (4) State The term “State” means each of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.
§ 813. Establishment of Board
There is established within the legislative branch of the Federal Government a Congressional Recognition for Excellence in Arts Education Awards Board. The Board shall be responsible for administering the awards program described in section 814 of this title.
§ 814. Board duties
(a) Awards program established
The Board shall establish and administer an awards program to be known as the “Congressional Recognition for Excellence in Arts Education Awards Program”. The purpose of the program shall be to— (1) celebrate the positive impact and public benefits of the arts; (2) encourage all elementary schools and secondary schools to integrate the arts into the school curriculum; (3) spotlight the most compelling evidence of the relationship between the arts and student learning; (4) demonstrate how community involvement in the creation and implementation of arts policies enriches the schools; (5) recognize school administrators and faculty who provide quality arts education to students; (6) acknowledge schools that provide professional development opportunities for their teachers; (7) create opportunities for students to experience the relationship between early participation in the arts and developing the life skills necessary for future personal and professional success; (8) increase, encourage, and ensure comprehensive, sequential arts learning for all students; and (9) expand student access to arts education in schools in every community.