The last few years of educational reform have placed a dramatic emphasis on student and teacher accountability in math and reading to the point of eliminating core classes in the arts for K-12 students. This course will explore historical and current trends in the arts in urban education (using New York City as a case study), and their place in an agenda of greater educational change. Through study of inter-disciplinary understandings of imagination, creativity, and innovation, we will consider implications for teaching, learning, and program development in a world where arts education should be afforded to every student. This course will also examine how cultural arts organizations such as museums, studio centers, theatres and music facilities interact with schools and other institutions. Goals Upon successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate an understanding of: Core historical and contemporary influences on theoretical and applied approaches to the arts in education. The place of the arts in school change. The interdisciplinary nature of learning in and through the arts. Pragmatic approaches to working with the arts in education.