Abstract
The project was an alternative culminating experience for a Master of Arts in Education: Curriculum and Instruction with an Elective Emphasis on the Arts in Education in the Department of Teacher Education. The project followed Pathway 5: Art educator as advocate and leader. This study sought to challenge the mandates of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), by examining if it created more equity in education, as its proponents claimed, or if it disproportionately affected poor and minority children by narrowing their education to only those subjects that are tested. The study was especially concerned with issues surrounding the elimination of arts education. Using the context of one California county, the study considered four schools, each serving a different demographic of students. Through the use of teacher surveys and interviews, the study compared the income level of these schools with the instructional minutes allocated to different subjects. The study also measured teachers’ opinions on aspects of NCLB and its effect on their schools, especially in regard to arts education. By every measure, the study found that the school serving the poorest children had the narrowest curriculum. Its students received the least exposure to the arts, science and social studies, while spending the most time on language arts and mathematics. This study provided evidence that while its stated goal is a quality education for all, NCLB actually exacerbates and perpetuates the inequities it claims to remedy.