The Arts Advantage in Chicago Public Schools: Connectedness, Wellbeing, and Academic Achievement

The arts matter on their own, and they also matter for student success.  Many people across the district share this belief but do not have the data.

This study, The Arts Advantage in Chicago Public Schools: Connectedness, Wellbeing, and Academic Achievement, shows that the arts are correlated with better student outcomes across the district, including chronic absenteeism, attendance, test scores, and postsecondary success. 

CPS elementary schools with higher access to the arts saw, on average:

• • 70% higher rates of students scoring at or above proficiency on IAR Math exam
  • 30% higher rates of students scoring at or above proficiency on IAR ELA exam

CPS high schools with higher access to the arts saw, on average: 

• • 11 percentage point lower chronic absenteeism rates
  • 11 percentage point higher attendance rates
  • 20 percentage point higher college enrollment rates
  • 30% higher rates of students remaining in college after their first year of enrollment

Ingenuity analyzed comprehensive data from 100% of 645 CPS schools that submitted arts education data last year through the Creative Schools Certification, alongside CPS metrics. While access to arts education is closely correlated with access to opportunity and resources, arts access remains a statistically significant predictor of the above outcomes after controlling for opportunity-related factors.