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What does your kid know about art?

Posted at 3:45 PM on June 15, 2009 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Education

A new report suggests that arts and music education in 8th grade classrooms has not imroved over the last decade, and that the kids in those classrooms leave with a mediocre knowledge of the arts.

The most startling findings? The number of students reporting they went on an art-related field trip in the last year dropped ~~six percent~~ six percentage points, to just 16 percent. And just half of students quizzed recognized the solo instrument in "Rhapsody in Blue" as a clarinet. You can read more about the findings of the study here.

So what does your kid know about the arts? Is he or she getting that education in the public school classroom, or elsewhere? When was the last time your kid went on a field trip to a museum, or a theater, or a concert?

MPR Photo/Tom Weber