Articles

Partnerships between schools and the professional arts sector have been found to play an important role in deepening students' engagement with learning. As well as developing knowledge that is directly relevant to the arts, schools-arts partnerships promote students' social learning, personalised learning, and creativity. National and international research into school-arts partnerships has been examined by Arts Victoria and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The results of the research were published in 2010 in the report Partnerships between Schools and the Professional Arts Sector. This year Arts Victoria has published a second report documenting a further stage of research: Partnerships between Schools and the Professional Arts Sector: Evaluation of Impact on Student Outcomes. This report evaluates the impact of school-arts partnerships on five student outcomes linked to the Prep to Year 10 Victorian Curriculum known as the Victorian Essential Learning Standards. These outcomes are student engagement, student voice, social learning, creativity and the development of arts-related knowledge and skills. The report then discusses the characteristics of effective school-arts partnerships, and implications for future programs and practices. The current article summarises key elements of the report.