Arts education broadens horizons: Pateros School District / Washington.

Pateros School District, a small rural district in north central Washington, is working with a regional arts group in an indirect approach to improving student achievement.

By increasing access to arts education, the community and schools are increasing students' understanding of other cultures. The Methow Arts Alliance, in partnership with the school district and community, is bringing experiences to a small community that are typically available only to students in larger urban areas.

The alliance is a consortium of regional partners supported partly by a grant from the Washington State Arts Commission. The group's main purpose is to place artists in classrooms where they help students produce public art for permanent display. Students are also working with performing artists provided through the alliance.

Pateros, named the Washington state school district winner in the 2008 National Civic Star Award competition for its arts education initiative, is a K-12 district of 280 students. All students attend classes on the same campus, with only the music room and agricultural shop areas separated from the main school building.

The small setting keeps students among their peers, where they typically encourage and support each other. While the situation provides a positive learning environment, it has the potential for preventing exposure to a variety of cultural activities. By working with the Methow Arts Alliance, the school district is working to broaden students' horizons.

The alliance strives to integrate the arts with a variety of curricular areas. Since the school district and alliance joined forces, students have made stained-glass window installations, a large glass mosaic, fabric banners and a wall mural for the elementary wing of the school. Students have also enjoyed performances by native American storytellers, various musicians and dancers.

Activities are suggested by students, teachers and artists in residence with the schools.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

While other factors may be involved, during the past four years since the arts program began, fewer instances of bullying have been recorded. Observers believe this has resulted at least partly because students are gaining an understanding of other cultures.

Since the program began, students at Pateros School have increased their scores on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. Reading scores for fourth-grade students have risen from 56 percent in 2002 to 95 percent in 2006. Seventh-grade reading scores rose from 46 percent to 61 percent, and tenth-grade scores climbed from 48 percent to 92 percent.

Both the alliance and school district are eager to continue the partnership that began four years ago.

For more information, contact Superintendent Lawrence Keller at Pateros School District, P.O. Box 98, Pateros, WA 98834, or call [phone]. Keller's e-mail address is [e-mail].