Fulfilling the Promise of the Arts
Over the past decade, CPS has become a national model in broadening student access to the arts. Today, more students are enrolled in schools with certified arts educators, instruction in multiple art forms, and enriching partnerships with cultural institutions than ever before. But access alone is not enough. A student’s zip code, background, or school type should never determine the depth, relevance, or rigor of their arts education. To fulfill the full promise of the arts, every student must experience high-quality, standards-aligned, and culturally responsive instruction that cultivates creativity, agency, and voice.
Building on the progress made since CPS adopted its first-ever Arts Education Plan in 2012, this new iteration marks a pivotal evolution: from expanding access alone to an intentional and urgent commitment to both access and quality.
Our Goals
The Arts Education Plan 2.0: Cultivating Creativity lays the foundation for a new era of equity and excellence in CPS arts education, centered around two goals aligned with the structure of the Creative School Certification (CSC):
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Access to Arts Education
Every student will have equitable access to sequential, developmentally appropriate arts instruction delivered by certified educators across a range of disciplines. The plan prioritizes improvements in staffing, instructional time, arts course offerings, teacher recruitment and retention, school conditions, access to facilities and resources, and partnerships targeted to areas of greatest need.
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High-Quality Arts Education
CPS will define, support, and scale high-quality instruction in the arts—grounded in rigorous curricula, meaningful assessments, effective instructional models, and sustained professional learning. This goal also underscores the importance of arts partnerships and introduces a new approach to measuring instructional quality through systems of data and research, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with student needs.
Advancing Equity in Arts
A key shift in this plan is the recognition that what CPS has historically labeled as “quality” within the Creative Schools Certification has, in practice, been more accurately tied to access—focusing on inputs like staffing, minutes, and materials. This plan separates those access conditions from the core of instruction, and sets forth a clear framework to measure and support quality through five foundational levers:
- Comprehensive arts curriculum
- Instructional approaches
- Professional learning
- Arts partnerships
- Strengthening data systems
This approach is guided by a simple but powerful thesis: True equity in arts education requires that both access and quality be prioritized. Access alone does not ensure students receive enriching, transformative experiences. Just as quality without access creates exclusivity, access without quality risks superficial engagement. By advancing both, CPS ensures that arts education becomes a vehicle for self-expression, academic achievement, and social-emotional development—empowering students to thrive as artists, critical thinkers, and leaders in their communities and beyond.
Partnering With Our Community
The CPS Arts Education Plan 2.0: Cultivating Creativity calls on the collective strength of our city arts education sector—educators, families, school leaders, cultural institutions, teaching artists, civic leaders, and philanthropic partners—to realize this vision. Together, we will ensure that every CPS student has the opportunity to engage deeply with the arts, not as an enrichment, but as a vital part of a well-rounded education and a foundation for a creative, just, and inspired future.