Over the past four decades, the United States has lost its place as being a world leader in education. Once possessing some of the highest test scores in math, science, and literature, America currently fights to reacquire the scores it once had. The quality of this generation's education has now become one of the nation's most popular concerns. The government has taken drastic measures to improve these test scores and to prove to all Americans that this generation's education is, in fact, a grade A education. Measures taken to focus on mathematics, literature, and science have been made by cutting art programs completely out of schools. The board of education is lowering school budgets and striving for higher test scores. Nationwide, high schools and elementary schools are forced to balance the budget given to them for education and the art courses are often the first to be cut. This is because many believe that electives such as art have stolen from student's time in core subjects like math, science, and literature. While many agree that the arts play an important role in American education, the cost to maintain the arts throughout America occasionally exceed the expenses of core subjects like math, history, and literacy.
In "Exploding Parameters and an Expanded Embrace" by Steve Seidel, it is made evident that the field of art education has become increasingly popular outside of the school systems. Should schools that are faced with budget cuts continue to pay such a hefty expense for the education of a subject that is being taught in the community? How critical is the presence of art education in American school systems and what are the ramifications of cutting art out of school? According to observations in "Engaged, Successful Students" by researcher Lauren Stevenson in ArtsEdSearch, cutting art out of the school only caused more tension in the classroom.
