LAC 28:LI.101. Introduction

A. The arts―dance, music, theatre arts, and visual arts, are fundamental to the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of Louisiana students in the twenty-first century. The arts draw on a range of intelligence, aesthetics, and learning styles not addressed in most educational environments. B. Students of the arts are encouraged to use their imaginations, to develop personal discipline, and to find multiple solutions to problems. They learn to respond to events and experiences with confidence and to communicate their feelings and viewpoints through appropriate creative outlets. C. Business demands workers who possess an ability to communicate, to be flexible, and to diagnose problems and find creative solutions. The arts preceded speech as man's first language; they assisted in the development of the skills of communication and the integration of basic skills of reading, writing, science, and mathematics. These skills help students shape their lives, their communities, and their nation. The arts make all subjects come alive. D. The Louisiana Arts Content Standards bring together the basic content of the four disciplines of dance, music, theatre arts, and visual arts, into one common set of standards essential for a comprehensive arts education. The twenty-first century, the age of information, requires more from the next generation of students. The relevance of education in a rapidly changing society will depend on converging the aims of education and the workforce for well-rounded, educated students who will be productive members of society. The arts will assist in the achievement of these aims with the implementation of these rigorous and challenging content standards.