Teachers Area


Addressing the Need For Arts in Education

The Rochester City School District and many of its families face difficult challenges. According to 2000 census data, out of America's 245 largest districts, Rochester had the 11th highest child poverty rate, with 38% of its children ages 0-17 living below the poverty line. Studies have shown that children engaged in the arts attain higher levels of academic achievement, specifically children that come from disadvantaged circumstances. Rochester Children’s Theatre seeks to offer students in disadvantaged school districts the same opportunities offered to those in more affluent districts.

The arts are critical to education and learning:

• "During the past quarter century, literally thousands of school-based programs have demonstrated beyond question that the arts can not only bring coherence to our fragmented academic world, but through the arts, students’ performance in other academic disciplines can be enhanced as well." Ernest L. Boyer, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
• The arts are a strong component in the adoption of interdisciplinary curriculum by elementary schools. Beginning programs in the early years build relationships with parents and community organizations which are important to sustaining students’ support for a comprehensive arts education.
• Students with high levels of art participation outperform “arts-poor” students in virtually every area of academics including math and reading. Studies show that a significant relationship between school arts programs and creative, cognitive, and personal competencies is needed for academic success. Department of Education National Educational Longitudinal Survey database of 25,000 students demonstrates that students with high levels of art participation out perform “arts-poor” students in virtually every area of academics.
  

Rochester Children’s Theatre provides students and teachers with access to the arts. Our programs enhance, reinforce, and strengthen lesson plans while supporting NYS learning standards in several subject areas.

Rochester Children’s Theatre’s (RCT) dedicated educational agenda continues to thrive because of high-quality programming procedures and standards that include:

• RCT productions are chosen to enhance NYS learning standards for the arts, language, and history:
• Standard 1: Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Arts
• Standard 2: Knowing and Using Arts Resources
• Standard 3: Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art
• Standard 4: Understanding the Cultural Contributions of the Arts
• Standard 5: Language for Literary Response and Expression
• Advance study guides offer teachers the opportunity to preview the material, construct lesson plans, and prepare their students for the production.
• Materials are chosen which promote spontaneity, self-expression and self-esteem, and stimulate creativity while tying the production’s subject matter into class curriculum.
• Pre and post-production classroom activities are chosen which cultivate imagination, flexible thinking, and the desire to learn.
• Social issues chosen for study guides explore the issue of respect for the different ways people think, work and express themselves, as well as respect for fellow classmates.
• Emphasis is placed on building a value system which promotes self-discipline and responsibility, and how individual effort yields inspiration and enjoyment of learning.