Building arts education policy using the tools of out-of-school time youth arts organizations

With the rise of COVID-19 and growing awareness racial injustice, last few years have been exceptionally tumultuous for our systems education their stakeholders. But scholars critical traditional paradigms schooling accountability argued that these crises kindle opportunities profound change. Gloria Ladson-Billings, who has long an approach to embraces cultural epistemological diversity, called a “hard re-set” in urged stakeholders fundamentally reconsider kind human beings we want nurture. reset mind, turned attention studying out-of-school-time (OST) arts learning environments. The arts—dance, theater, music, visual arts, digital design arts—offer us way reimagine what good teaching look like how environments work all young people, perhaps particularly most vulnerable youth. In this article, draw on findings from national qualitative study out-of-school time community youth organizations. We offer policy recommendations school improvement four major categories: (1) Focus assets; (2) Expand beyond program-centric model funding design; (3) Support creative professionals; (4) Rethink implementation assessment systems. Within each category, make specific various affect policy—arts leadership, funders makers, researchers.