I chose this topic after reflecting on the beginning of my own elementary education journey. I love music (all kinds), art, museums and theater. I remember the experiments were part of our Library Club program. I'm from a small southern town and was in grade school during the civil rights movement. Remembering these experiences brings out my years in elementary school, junior high school, and high school. So, I thought, if the fine arts program helped me discover pleasant memories during my schooling, how would it affect the educational experience of others. During my research, I discovered the effects of fine arts, test scores, attendance, participation, and discipline in rural schools. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay According to Eaton, the arts should be considered part of the core content of any school curriculum. (Eaton, Living, Learning, and the Arts: Integrating the Arts into the Rural School Curriculum. October 9-11, 1985) The arts contribute to the freedom a student can experience by presenting the application of the concepts taught. Even though a student may not be able to explain in writing how they arrived at a certain solution, the arts would give them the freedom to use a creative yet informative presentation. They need to be exposed to these types of experiences first. With most rural schools located in remote areas, access to museums, theaters and symphonic music would make it difficult for schools to obtain the funds needed to allow students to enjoy these experiences. The use of the arts was tried in rural schools to gauge the possible effect it had on students. In a study by the Livingston-Steuben-Wyoming Board of Cooperative Educational Services, there was a marked improvement in the behavior of students involved in the project compared to those who were not. (A Coordinated Rural Fine Arts Program: Final Project Report. Livingston-Steuben-Wyoming Cooperative Educational Services Board. Leicester, NY) The program included art, drama, dance, and music. These are the elements measured with pre- and post-test student responses. The problem with school budgets is that when they are tight, arts subjects are the ones that get cut. If ballet helps improve the performance of football players on the field during a game, why can't the same logic be applied to the arts for struggling or even gifted students? Some may view the arts as just part of the process. gap between rural and urban schools. I prefer to see it as another form of lack of fairness. As I said before, it was through this type of program that I discovered the arts. I'd like to think it's made me a better person with a broader perspective of our world. I couldn't afford the nominal fee, but a professor paid it for me. I tell my children and my schoolchildren that they should attend all three types of events. It helps you see the world in a different light. We have empirical evidence that the arts improve behavior, but I still needed to learn about other aspects of the educational experience. With more research, I discovered that Garcia had done a study on the effect of the arts on reading and math scores, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. The students included students from the?