As part of the 2008 arts assessment, school principals were asked how often eighth-grade students receive arts instruction in school. The text of the actual question is below.
Percentage of students at grade 8, by school-reported frequency with which instruction in visual arts is available: 1997 and 2008
Percentage of students
How often does a typical eighth-grade student in your school receive instruction in visual arts?
1997
2008
Subject not offered
17
14
Less than once a week
5
10
Once or twice a week
25
30
At least 3 or 4 times a week
52
47
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. View complete data with standard errors.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1997 and 2008 Arts Assessments.
Findings
In 2008, forty-seven percent of eighth-graders were reported to be receiving instruction in visual arts at least 3 or 4 times a week compared to 52 percent in 1997.
