State of the Arts 2023-24
The 12th annual State of the Arts (SOTA) Report – a powerful reflection of both remarkable progress and the opportunities that remain for arts education in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Over the past five years, arts education in CPS has been tested by profound challenges, including the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing effort to address systemic inequities. Through it all, the Creative Schools Certification (CSC) has remained a critical tool for shared measurement, tracking access to and quality of arts education in CPS.
In a historic milestone, 99% of all CPS schools – 640 out of 649 – submitted arts education data, providing the most comprehensive picture of arts education to date. Latest data from the 2023-24 school year reveal substantial gains, and the percentage of Excelling schools has surged, driven by increased investments in arts staffing and a district-wide commitment to prioritizing the arts.
Yet this report is more than a celebration – it is a call to action. For the first time, the report features an Advocating for Equity in Arts Education section, offering new analyses of CSC data through lenses of systemic disparities, including alongside the CPS Opportunity Index – an indicator that measures the level of opportunity for each CPS school.
Use the links below to view the State of the Arts Report, Dashboard, and Toolkit.
Additional Resources
Together, the SOTA Report, Dashboard, and Toolkit form a powerful trio of tools – built to inform, inspire, and ignite data-driven strategies and advocacy. The future of arts education will not be shaped by chance, but by collective action, advocacy, and investment. Together, we can ensure that every student, in every grade, in every CPS school experiences the transformative power of the arts.
