Advocacy Efforts of NAfME and Partners Pay Off with Pivotal Milestone for Arts Education

Advocacy Efforts Pay Off with Pivotal Milestone for Arts Education

By Zachary Keita, NAfME Advocacy and Public Policy Communications Manager

After years of advocacy from the arts education community, multiple meetings with U.S. Department of Education (ED) officials, and bipartisan support from Congress, music and arts educators now have long-needed guidance to help them access resources for their programs. On October 2, ED sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to state education agencies detailing how federal funds can be used to support music and arts education across the United States.

With the passage of the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, Congress enumerated music and the arts as part of a well-rounded education, opening pathways for dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts programs to secure federal funds that had been previously inaccessible. Federal funds helped to increase the availability of arts programs in schools, but due to a combination of factors—including a lack of guidance—a significant number of students across the country continue to lack access to in-school arts education. In the 2023 survey of federal funds that NAfME conducts in collaboration with partner arts organizations, 27% of respondents reported not receiving any funds for their program, with the main cause being a lack of awareness on what/how federal programs can be used to support music or arts education.

While the law was clear about the inclusion of music and the arts as part of a well-rounded education, ED did not provide substantive guidance to states and districts on how federal funds could be used to support those programs. With the release of ED’s ”Dear Colleague” letter, arts educators across the country will no longer have to wonder if federal funds can be used to support their programs. The letter from Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten shares examples from the field. Programs such as Title I will be used to close the gap in access to arts education faced by students in low-income areas, while programs such as Title II and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will provide educators professional learning opportunities to better support students with disabilities and diverse student populations.

Tips for Using ED’s Guidance

1. Share the Letter to Chief State School Officers on Arts Education directly with your principal and district leaders as it represents a significant victory for funding opportunities in music and arts education.
2. Read the 2023 Federal Funds Impact Survey and the NAfME Opportunity to Learn Standards to document your music education program needs and to identify ways that federal funding can be used to support your program.
3. Develop a proposal for school leaders on Title I funds and how support for music learning can help students meet academic standards.
   • For more information on Title I funding, access NAfME’s Title I and Arts Education: Allowable Uses, and Title I: How Funding Works
4. Advocate for music-specific professional development for educators in your district using Title II or IV funds.
   • For more information on Title II and IV funding, access NAfME’s Title II: How Funding Works and Title IV-A Toolkit.
5. Build or leverage partnerships with staff, parents, and community organizations to develop a stronger support system for students to access music in schools.
   • Use the NAfME Local Advocacy Action Plan to develop a vision and action steps for lasting collective impact.
6. Read NAfME’s ESSA Implementation Toolkit for more information on how federal programs such as Title I, II, and IV-A can be used to support your music/arts program.

The release of ED’s guidance marks an inflection point for music education advocates and highlights the current administration’s commitment to advancing music and the arts for every child. We encourage our members to strike while the iron is hot! Using ED’s Letter to Chief State School Officers on Arts Education, in combination with NAfME resources provided in this article, now is the time to begin discussions with peers and program coordinators and develop plans for accessing federal funds for the 2025–26 school year.

Photo above: © Ashlee Wilcox Photography, LLC