Standards and Soft Skills: Where are the Arts?

Building on the Education Week article discussed in yesterday's post:

Where are the arts? I think we should consider the possibility that high-quality instruction in the arts is a good way in itself to develop 21st century skills or at least that state standards for the fine arts are a good starting point for thinking about how to ensure that students develop their creative and critical thinking skills. Sure, making and performing art is not the only way to develop creativity and may even be ineffective with some students—but certainly, the arts are one of the most promising avenues to developing innovative thinkers and globally aware citizens. My view is that learning to practice an art is a form of literacy like learning to read and write. The arts are a way to acquire and convey information and ideas.