Most elementary teachers report that instructional time for arts education stayed about the same between the school years of 2004-05 and 2006-07, according to a report released last month by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Still, teachers at schools with higher percentages of minorities and those that have been identified as needing improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind Act were more likely to report a decrease in time spent on arts education in their schools.
Four percent of elementary teachers surveyed said arts education increased at their schools, and 7 percent reported a decline.