S.J.R. 9

1

RESOLUTION ON FUNDING THE ARTS IN
2 PUBLIC SCHOOLS
3 2000 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Karen Hale
6 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATURE ENCOURAGING THE STATE BOARD OF
7 EDUCATION AND LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS TO ADOPT WRITTEN POLICIES THAT
8 VALUE THE ARTS AS A CORE CURRICULUM SUBJECT AND TO WORK WITH STATE
9 AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO IDENTIFY
10 RESOURCES TO ADEQUATELY PROVIDE FOR THE FUNDING OF ARTS PROGRAMS
11 IN THE STATE'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
12 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
13 WHEREAS, recent national studies have confirmed that students with high levels of arts
14 participation outperform students who have had little or no involvement with the arts by virtually
15 every measure;
16 WHEREAS, people learn in many different ways, and the arts provide a wide variety of
17 ways to successfully learn, increasing student self confidence and the potential to learn more;
18 WHEREAS, the arts require that students learn self-motivation and self-discipline that the
19 students can apply to other courses and encourage students to aim high and achieve academic
20 excellence in all subjects through performing in music, dance, visual art, and creative writing;
21 WHEREAS, research shows that the arts actually stimulate neurological development,
22 which is important to all areas of learning, and that the important thinking and learning skills that
23 are taught through the arts include how to solve problems, how to make decisions, how to ask
24 questions and analyze information, and how to figure out the next step in a project;
25 WHEREAS, arts education teaches students to work cooperatively as a team, dealing with
26 different points of view, as students work together on a play, concert, dance, mural, or writing
27 project together;

28 WHEREAS, the arts teach creativity, a skill that is needed in all areas of living and
29 working;
30 WHEREAS, recent research has shown that students who are not having positive
31 experiences in their traditional academic classroom settings often become high achievers in arts
32 learning settings and that success in the arts becomes a bridge to learning and eventual success in
33 other areas of learning;
34 WHEREAS, an arts education builds specific workforce skills that business values and it
35 also builds values that connect children to themselves and to their own culture and civilization;
36 WHEREAS, the public is demanding more than ever from our public schools, wanting to
37 equip young people for professionally and personally rewarding careers, and it recognizes that to
38 do so those young people must be given greatly enriched experiences; and
39 WHEREAS, researchers have confirmed that young people can be better prepared for the
40 21st Century through quality learning experiences in and through the arts:
41 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature encourages the State Board
42 of Education and local school boards to adopt written polices that value the arts as a core
43 curriculum subject and to collaborate with state and local government, business, and community
44 leaders to identify and secure financial resources to adequately fund the arts in the state's public
45 schools.
46 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature encourages the State Board of
47 Education and local school boards to cooperatively develop a plan to strengthen arts education
48 throughout the public education system.
49 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to the State Board of
50 education and the state's forth local school boards.




Legislative Review Note
as of 2-7-00 2:35 PM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel