Governmental Funding of K-12 Arts Programs

Among the significant political debates of our time is how to dedicate resources to different programs, and what types of ideas will be funded and subsidized by the government. Unfortunately, even the United States is not a nation of unlimited resources. In general, arts programs are one of the first to be cut from schools, as they are not seen to be equal to math, reading, or even sports. However, arts programs could be an integral part of the successes of the elementary, middle, and high school student. In my thesis, I will explore the differences between students who have access to government-funded school art programs and students who do not have access to programs like these. Specifically, I will present evidence that supports the argument that K-12 schools should have arts programs, and that those programs should be funded by the state or national government. Research data will include measurable milestones, such as grade point average, college placement, and test scores. The research may also explore behavioral patterns, if I can find a measurable discrepancy, such as disciplinary patterns in students who participate in arts programs compared to students who do not or cannot

Heinz Endowments 2008 Annual Report

Contains president's message, foundation history, 2008 grants list, financial summary, and list of board members and staff

Community Partnerships for Cultural Participation: Concepts, Prospects, and Challenges

Evaluates the first year of the Wallace Foundation's Community Partnerships for Cultural Participation Initiative, which funded nine community foundations working to increase participation in the arts and culture in their communities

The American Assembly: Art, Technology, and Intellectual Property

Examines intellectual property issues as the arts sector joins other sectors in the race to deal with an increasingly information-driven economy

Fiscal Update, October 5, 2005

The Fiscal Division newsletter, published weekly during session and periodically during the interim

An Ongoing Experiment: State Councils, The Humanities, and the American Public

In 1965, President Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act, giving birth to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. The act declared, "Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens. It must therefore foster and support a form of education, and access to the arts and the humanities, designed to make people of all backgrounds and wherever located masters of their technology and not its unthinking servants."In this monograph, author Elizabeth Lynn describes the subsequent creation of state humanities councils, beginning in 1971, as "an ongoing experiment." The result has been a continually evolving attempt to work out, on the ground, just what the humanities can and should be to the American public and what kinds of citizens a democracy needs. Lynn writes that the humanities' answer to the latter question has evolved over the past half-century. In the 1950s and 1960s, democracy needed autonomous individuals; in the 1970s, informed voters; the 1980s, prepared pluralists; the 1990s, thoughtful Americans; and the 2000s, engaged citizens.State humanities councils are still exploratory organizations. They are still asking -- and seeking to answer in new ways from year to year -- what the humanities can do to enhance American public life. There are lessons to be drawn from this ongoing experiment in bringing the humanities to the public, both for those who worry about the health of the humanities and for those who seek to strengthen American public life

Profiles in Leadership: Women of Color Elected to Office in Massachusetts

In 2015, UMass Boston’s Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy released the first-ever publication exploring the elected leadership of women of color in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts largely to make known the contributions of female electeds of color across the Commonwealth. The publication also aimed to delve into what hinders and what facilitates the elected leadership of women of color. This 2021 updated publication contains profiles of the 174 women of color who have been elected to key policymaking positions and offers quantitative analysis to better understand office-holding patterns. Evident in the profiles is the centrality of community and advocacy for women of color who make a bid and secure elective office. Responding to a community need, an unaddressed problem, or a lack of leadership drove many women of color to seek office in order to make a difference in the cities, towns, and districts they represent. For those in non-municipal positions, the concept of community is just as paramount to many female electeds of color as they work toward solutions to issues that they have championed onto the political agenda. The profiles provide a glimpse into the personal and professional backgrounds of women of color who have been transformative forces in their communities, districts, and in Massachusetts over the decades. This publication offers a window to begin to acknowledge the many ways that women of color have made a difference in public leadership roles. From their election as early trailblazers in the early 1970s to those sworn in more recently, the women featured in this publication come to public service with a range of priorities but many explicitly call for transparency and accountability in governance, particularly on behalf of underserved and/or marginalized populations. Further, women of color leaders in Massachusetts are reimagining and constructing progressive policies related to the economy, labor, education, health, and other systems that work for, instead of against, women of color, which is long overdue

University Assessment Services, Annual Report, March 18, 2020

Annual Report from University Assessment Services, Illinois State University. March 18, 2020.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/uasar/1019/thumbnail.jp

Grading the Performance of a Legislator

The case is made that Rep Robert Kastenmeier should be honored as a distinguished public servant. His record reflects both a concern for the public interest and a sensitivity to the needs of special interest groups