Arts Integration

Casey Elementary School has been an Arts Access school for nearly 20 years. In 1999, Casey became the first school in the Jackson Public School District to become a Whole School Model. The Whole Schools Initiative is a school improvement effort promoted by the Mississippi Arts Commission to incorporate the arts fully into all aspects of a school's curriculum.

The Arts Access Program emphasizes the integration of visual and performing arts into all aspects of a school's curriculum. Increased test scores, as well as the development of self-esteem, are all nationally proven benefits of such a program. There are forms of art that are adaptable to all core curriculum be it math, science, language arts, or physical education. The goal of Arts Access is not to develop performing artists but rather to enrich and enhance the academic learning of all students in all subject areas.

Goals of the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Whole School Initiative