NYCPS Arts Office
The mission of the NYCPS Arts Office is to ensure equitable access to diverse, comprehensive, and high-quality arts learning to support the arts aspirations and potential of all NYCPS students. Because the arts are core to student learning and development, the Arts Office is committed to expanding access to arts education for all students across all schools. We enable rigorous school leadership development and immersive teacher support to enrich student growth.
New York State Education Department (NYSED) Arts Requirements and Guidelines
The New York State Education Department's (NYSED) Instructional Requirements for the Arts outline the continuum of educational experiences students need for their academic and social development. All New York City public schools are expected to meet the NYSED Instructional Requirements for the Arts as outlined below. These requirements are included in each school's Annual Compliance Review.
PRE-K - Kindergarten:
City and State Requirements and Guidelines: Each school operating a pre-kindergarten or kindergarten program shall establish and provide an educational program based on and adapted to the ages, interests, and needs of the children. Learning experiences in such programs shall include dance, music, theater, and visual arts.
GRADES 1-3:
NYSED Requirements: During grades 1–3, all students shall receive instruction that is designed to facilitate their attainment of the New York State elementary learning standards in the arts, including dance, music, theater, and visual arts.
NYSED Guidelines: In grades 1–3, 20 percent of the weekly time spent in school should be allocated to dance, music, theater, and visual arts. In New York City, this is the equivalent of approximately 101 hours throughout the entire school year equally allocated among dance, music, theater, and visual arts.
GRADES 4-6:
NYSED Requirements: In grades 4–6, all students shall receive instruction that is designed to facilitate their attainment of the New York State intermediate learning standards in the arts, including dance, music, theater, and visual arts.
NYSED Guidelines: In grades 4–6,10 percent of the weekly time spent in school should be allocated to dance, music, theater, and visual arts. In New York City, this is the equivalent of approximately 93 hours throughout the entire school year, equally allocated among dance, music, theater, and visual arts.
GRADES 7-8:
NYSED Requirements: Except as otherwise provided herein, all students shall be provided instruction designed to enable them to achieve by the end of grade 8 New York State intermediate learning standards in the arts, including one half-unit of study in the visual arts and one half-unit of study in music. In New York City, one half-unit is the equivalent of approximately 55 hours of instruction by a certified arts teacher. In ongoing collaboration with the New York State Education Department, a variance for middle schools was approved, allowing New York City public schools to meet the arts instructional requirement through any two of the four art forms by certified arts teachers in grades 7 and 8. In addition to music and visual arts, middle school students may now fulfill the arts instructional requirements in any two of the four art forms.
GRADES 9-12:
NYSED Requirements: New York State graduation requirements for the arts include one unit in the arts (dance, theater, visual arts, and/or music). One unit is defined as 180 minutes per week throughout the school year, or the equivalent. In New York City, two credits are the equivalent of one unit.
NYSED Guidelines: A public school district shall offer students the opportunity to complete a three- or five-unit sequence in the arts (dance, music, theater, or visual arts).
Measuring Access to Arts Education in NYCPS
The NYCPS Arts Office collects and analyzes arts education data each year to measure how schools are meeting the NYSED arts education requirements, and to understand the availability and delivery of arts instruction across the system more broadly. The Office gathers data from multiple sources – including budget reports, arts course offerings, teacher assignments, and self-reported data from schools’ ArtsCount Survey – to paint a holistic picture of arts education provision across the system. This data helps the Arts Office identify gaps, support schools and teachers, and ensure that all students have equitable access to quality arts education.
Annual Arts in Schools Report
Under the leadership of the Chancellor, New York City has continued to make the arts a priority for all its public schools. The arts enrich our children's lives and learning, and all students deserve the opportunity to experience a rich arts education. This focus on the arts began in 2004 with the introduction of the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts, a curriculum framework for what students should know, understand, and be able to achieve in dance, media arts, music, theater and visual arts. Building on this work, the first Arts in Schools Report was published in March 2008.
The annual Arts in Schools Report shows us where we are and makes clear what we must do to provide quality arts education for every NYC public school student. These reports help school administrators, teachers, families, and students understand how their schools are providing equitable access to a diverse, comprehensive, and high-quality arts learning experience.
This information is available at the school level, district level, and for the entire school system. Annual Arts in Schools Reports are listed below and include the district-level report. To find individual school-level reports, please visit a school’s NYCPS information page; click “Reports”; and scroll to “Arts.”
System-Wide Report
The Annual Arts in Schools Report includes data about arts teachers, arts budgeting, space for the arts, partnerships with arts and cultural organizations, and parent involvement for elementary, middle, and high schools. The first Annual Arts in Schools Report was published in March 2008. These reports help school administrators, parents, and students understand how their schools are progressing towards offering universal arts education to all students.
Annual Arts in Schools Reports are listed below.
School Year 2023-24
School Year 2022-23
School Year 2021-22
School Year 2020-21:
School Year 2019-20:
School Year 2018-19:
School Year 2017-18:
School Year 2016-17:
Raw Data
To view raw data for the Annual Arts in Schools Report, please visit the Open Data Portal.