Core Principles

Arts Integration

There are several core principles that guide arts integration, ensuring it is effective and enriching. According to the National Art Education Association (NAEA), these principles include:

• Student-Centered Learning: Arts integration places students at the center of their learning, encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking. This approach promotes active engagement, where students are not only recipients of knowledge but also contributors to their learning environment.
• Interdisciplinary Connections: Arts integration creates meaningful links between subject areas, fostering holistic learning experiences. Students are encouraged to explore topics from multiple perspectives, which enhances their ability to synthesize information.
• Experiential Learning: The arts provide opportunities for students to engage in hands-on learning experiences that deepen understanding and foster lasting memories. Whether through visual arts, music, drama, or dance, the arts encourage students to experiment, explore, and reflect.
• Creativity as a Learning Tool: Creativity is central to arts integration, as it allows students to approach problems and concepts in novel ways. By engaging with the arts, students develop their ability to think outside the box and apply creative solutions to academic challenges (NAEYC, 2020).
• Active Engagement: Students are encouraged to actively participate in learning through creating, performing, and expressing themselves. This hands-on involvement deepens their understanding and retention of academic content.
• Collaboration: Arts integration fosters a collaborative environment where students work together to solve problems, create projects, and share ideas. This is particularly valuable for social development and teamwork.
• Cross-Curricular Learning: By integrating the arts into subjects like math, science, and social studies, students can make connections between different content areas and see the real-world applications of their knowledge.
• Creativity and Critical Thinking: The arts encourage students to think creatively and critically. This is particularly beneficial for developing problem-solving skills and exploring new ideas.

These principles lay the foundation for a curriculum that does not single out subjects but instead encourages interdisciplinary learning that mirrors real-world experiences (NAEYC, 2020).

Proposition 28

California’s Proposition 28, officially known as the Arts and Music in Schools – Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act, was approved by voters in November 2022. It mandates new, ongoing funding for arts education in all public K–12 schools (including charter schools), equal to at least 1% of the state and local revenues received under Proposition 98 in the prior fiscal year.

The funds, estimated between $800 million and $1 billion annually, are distributed based on two criteria:

• 70% by total student enrollment, and
• 30% by enrollment of economically disadvantaged students (BallotPedia, 2022)

Schools with 500 or more students must allocate ≥ 80% of Prop 28 funds to hire certificated or classified staff for arts instruction, while the remaining ≤ 20% can be used for professional development, supplies, partnerships—and no more than 1% for administrative costs (CreateCA, 2025)

To ensure accountability, local education agencies (LEAs) are required to:

1. Certify that funds are used to supplement, not replace, existing arts funding,
2. File annual board-approved expenditure and staffing reports, and
3. Allow state audits of Prop 28 spending (CreateCA, 2025)

In short, Prop 28 ensures steady, equitable investment in dance, music, theater, visual arts, and media arts across California’s public schools, supporting both instructional quality and systemwide transparency.

References

1. BallotPedia. (2022). California Proposition 28, Art and Music K-12 Education Funding Initiative. https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_28,_Art_and_Music_K-12_Education_Funding_Initiative_(2022)
2. CreateCA. (2025). Prop 28: What We Know (So Far) – UPDATED JUNE 2025. https://createca.org/prop-28-what-we-know-so-far/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
3. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2020). Creative expression and arts integration. https://www.naeyc.org/