Museums Say They're Making More Links to K-12

By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo

Museums large and small not only are expanding their educational programs, but also are beginning to design their guided field trips, traveling exhibits, and other offerings to fit the school curriculum, a survey has found.

While education has generally been a cornerstone of museum services, the survey conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an independent federal agency, concludes that museums are committing more staffing and money to serving school-age children than ever before. The 450 museums that responded to the survey, considered a representative national sample, report that they are more likely to collaborate with schools to meet curriculum standards than in the past.

"Museums are deepening their relationships with schools," Diane Frankel, the institute's director, said in an interview last week. "The results of this survey make clear that schools use museums as resources for...