Arts Education Policy Review

ISSN: 1063-2913 (Print) 1940-4395 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vaep20

The development of STEAM educational policy

to promote student creativity and social
empowerment

Babette Allina

To cite this article: Babette Allina (2017): The development of STEAM educational policy
to promote student creativity and social empowerment, Arts Education Policy Review, DOI:
10.1080/10632913.2017.1296392

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2017.1296392

Published online: 25 Aug 2017.

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 ARTS EDUCATION POLICY REVIEW
https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2017.1296392

The development of STEAM educational policy to promote student creativity and

social empowerment
Babette Allina
Government Relations and External Affairs, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
The Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) movement argues that Creativity; education policy;
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broad-based education that promotes creativity recognizes student learning diversity, increases STEAM
student engagement and can potentially enhance Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) learning by embracing cross-cutting translational skills common to STEM and
arts and design disciplines. This article describes and discusses the advocacy strategy designed at
Rhode Island School of Design to promote STEAM education policy. Recommendations presented
include (a) recognition of the arts (and design) as core subjects alongside STEM; (b) addressing
issues of equity/resources to deliver arts education; (c) calling for research into potential outcomes
of STEAM educational models; and (d) funding for professional development and latitude for
teachers to explore interdisciplinary learning.

Introduction RISD faculty members and students and other sup-

porters of the STEAM movement (K–12 teachers, indus-
The purpose of this article is to explain the development
try leaders, advocates for arts education, and policy
of K–20 education policy directed toward a broader edu-
makers) argued that an educational model for promoting
cational model that includes arts and design alongside
STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering and creativity and recognizing student learning diversity
mathematics, also known as “STEAM,” that occurred at could increase student engagement and potentially
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). The article first enhance STEM learning by embracing cross-cutting
outlines the conceptual argument for exploring and rais- translational skills common to STEM, and arts and
ing awareness for the relationship of arts and design and design disciplines. An example of this is the joining of
STEM disciplines with relevant examples of governmen- art and technology—historically, technological discover-
tal committees and political goals. Next, the article will ies had led to innovation; RISD proposed that the
describe how RISD worked with the U.S. House of Rep- humanization and creative application of technology, as
resentatives to introduce STEAM legislation and form a with product and systems development, is of equal
STEAM Caucus. The article will conclude with recom- importance (Bright, 2016). As translational disciplines
mendations for further research and refinement of that bridge the generation of new knowledge and its
STEAM policy. application, art and design would contribute to innova-
RISD developed an advocacy platform to make the tion and economic competitiveness in the way that
case for creativity in the context of the 2008 economic STEM fields had done so in the past.
crisis and a national focus on STEM subjects as a means STEAM at RISD began as a high concept, low-to–no-
to ensure U.S. economic competitiveness, by adding an cost initiative to justify creativity. Students graduating
“A” to STEM to equal STEAM. At RISD, the STEAM from RISD were finding meaningful work; excelling in
idea was a reflection of student interest and their desire traditional arts practices or applying their training in non-
to see themselves in the world as creative agents (Pease, traditional fields (e.g., Airbnb; Rhode Island School of
2013). At the national level, the STEAM idea paralleled Design, 2016; Kamen & Maeda, 2012). RISD’s leadership
the objectives for public/private investments in STEM, recognized that demonstrating the value of art and design
among them, to develop a more diverse, innovative education at the national level would influence the
workforce (The White House, 2009). breadth of educational opportunities provided to students

CONTACT Babette Allina [email protected] Government Relations and External Affairs, Rhode Island School of Design, 2 College Street, Providence, RI
02903, USA.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
 2 B. ALLINA

and help prepare them for an increasingly complex world globalization on U.S. economic competitiveness—partic-
(Maeda, 2013). RISD set out to promote STEAM educa- ularly in the fields of science and technology. Emphasis
tion policy by: (a) forming a community—the STEAM was placed on [STEM] job creation resulting from “…
movement (on campus and with external partners) and the nation’s need for clean, affordable, and reliable
(b) informing education policy at the state and national energy.” The National Research Council (NRC)’s find-
levels. STEAM policy formation efforts reflected a call ings were published as “Rising Above the Gathering
from industry for creative, critical thinkers, in much the Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter
same way that STEM policy promoted an educational Economic Future” (2007) and included recommenda-
model that promised to yield a technically savvy, research tions for increased investments in K–20 STEM education
driven workforce (National Science Foundation, Com- and in academic research—the latter being a magnet for
mittee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineer- industry (National Academy of Sciences, National Acad-
ing, 2012; Lichtenberg, Woock, & Wright, 2008). emy of Engineering, & Institute of Medicine, 2007).
“The vision of STEM is complexity, but it’s not the 2010. The National Education Association (NEA)/
practice of STEM education. Science is creative and National Science Foundation (NSF) established a joint
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analytic” (Storksdeick, 2011). Policy briefings con- committee “… to identify synergies and foster collabora-
vened by RISD in cooperation with members of Con- tions across and between constituencies and develop a
gress raised questions about the intention of STEAM set of actionable areas of mutual interest: inquiry, collab-
policy (e.g., was it to improve science education or oration, funding opportunities, lifelong learning, and
raise the “A” to the same level as the other subjects innovation that are recognized by both the National Sci-
in STEM?) Educators asked, would students benefit ence Foundation and the National Endowment for the
from creative practice, [common to the arts and sci- Arts.” The committee’s output included recommenda-
ences]? While the question for policy makers became, tions for investments in “STEAM” research (Harrell &
would STEM C A (STEAM) enhance STEM learning Harrell, 2010).
and lead to innovation? RISD students explored 2011. The Office of Science and Technology Policy
whether the studio experience with its culture of mak- (OSTP) inventoried federal investments in STEM educa-
ing and critique cultivates creativity and encourages tion in order to establish “clear national goals for federal
risk taking and entrepreneurial thinking (Somerson & science and technology investments in a broad array of
Hermano, 2013). Could STEM C A (STEAM) educa- areas spanning virtually all the mission areas of the exec-
tion better prepare students for a changing world? utive branch” (National Science and Technology Coun-
cil, 2011). Support for STEM programs could be traced
to the COMPETES Act of 2010—and became a potential
History of STEAM policy
avenue for STEAM authorization.
The following sample of early governmental and other 2012–2015. The NSF/NEA join committee’s work was
committees and reports that contributed to the devel- further explored by the NSF-funded SEAD: Network for
opment of STEM—and later STEAM—illustrates the Sciences, Engineering, Arts, and Design—a research col-
convergence of interests that could potentially be real- laborative focused on the intersections of arts and sci-
ized through a broader or integrative educational ence. SEAD formed a working group tasked with, among
model. other things, examining “roadblocks to improve collabo-
2003. A study published by the National Academies ration between science and engineering and arts and
on the intersection of art, design, and technology, enti- design,” and building on the work of “Beyond Creativity”
tled: “Beyond Productivity: Information, Technology, to develop a “meta analysis” of white papers on arts/sci-
Innovation and Creativity” (2003) explored interdisci- ence collaborations over the past 10 years, an important
plinary collaboration between IT and creative practices resource for STEAM advocates (Sciences, Engineering,
in arts and design (ITCP) as a way to increase productiv- Arts, and Design, 2012). These studies, along with many
ity and accelerate innovation. “… creative practices— others, led to policy discussions about enhancing or
practices of inquiry and production that seek more than innovating STEM education and research.
routine outputs and aim instead for innovative and crea-
tive results—can be encouraged and supported in some
Political goals of STEAM policy
very concrete and specific ways” (National Research
Council, 2003). The Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and
2007. Members of the U.S. Senate, concerned with Engineering (CEOSE) in 1998 first articulated the need
national “prosperity, health and security,” called on the to increase attention to STEM education and research
National Academies to address the impact of integration, and address “broader impacts” in research
 ARTS EDUCATION POLICY REVIEW 3

and discovery in order to build an innovative workforce (CBO) estimates that a .1 percent increase in GDP will
and resilient economy. Advising the NSF: “In order to produce a cumulative deficit reduction of $63 billion
maintain its global leadership, America must ensure [all] over 5 years. How do we get a one-tenth of 1 percent
our citizens can meet the demands of a more scientifi- increase in GDP growth? We can do it by increasing
cally—and technologically—centered world,” including labor quality, by capital deepening, or by innovation”
“… fostering the national science and engineering work- (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2012).
force more broadly” (National Science Foundation Tim Brown, chief executive officer of IDEO, a well-
[NSF] Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science known design consultancy firm, provided a view of inno-
and Engineering (CEOSE), 2012). vation beyond productivity, relating it to critical or
STEAM supporters, among them Americans for the design thinking as a means to address global challenges:
Arts, the Arts Education Partnership (AEP), and the “No matter where we look, we see problems that can
National Association for Music Education recognized the only be solved through innovation: unaffordable or
tremendous opportunity to improve student outcomes unavailable health care … energy usage that outpaces the
through a broader educational model that includes the planet’s ability to support it, education systems that fail
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arts. At its 2014 annual meeting, AEP identified “… pri- many students. … These problems all have people at
orities driving state action for ensuring all students are their heart. They require a human centered, creative,
prepared for success in college, careers, and citizenship— iterative, and practical approach to finding the best ideas
all of which have implications for the arts: (1) increasing and ultimate solutions” (Brown, 2008).
expectations through improved standards, assessment, Both the arts and STEM sectors understood the
and accountability systems, (2) preparing and supporting opportunities presented by collaboration across disci-
educators to promote excellence in instruction, and (3) plines, particularly with regard to problem solving. But
leveraging innovations in the teaching and learning envi- despite the broad dialogue on innovation, at the start of
ronment to improve outcomes for all” (Arts Education RISD’s involvement with STEAM, there was little mea-
Partnership [AEP], 2014). surable evidence to support the idea that STEM C Arts
The overarching goal of STEAM, as with the national and other subjects would increase twenty-first-century
focus on STEM, became, “to increase U.S. competitive- workforce preparedness. RISD sought supporting data
ness and future economic prosperity.” House Resolution that would have policy implications for STEAM, and, in
51, introduced for the third consecutive year in May 2015 order to respond to a recurring question from policy
by Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI) “[Expresses] the makers—would adding the “A” enhance STEM?
sense of the House of Representatives that adding art and The acronym STEAM, referring to STEM plus Arts
design into Federal programs that target the Science, education, possibly first appeared in 2009 in a public
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) statement published by the Florida Alliance for Arts Edu-
fields encourages innovation and economic growth in the cation linked to academic achievement relative to the suc-
United States” (Langevin, 2015). cess of the state’s economic “roadmap”: Expanding
And as with STEM, this would be attained by increas- Education from STEM to STEAM Preparing Florida’s Stu-
ing student engagement and persistence across all sectors dents to Thrive in the 21st Century: “The creative, innova-
of the population, and by graduating a generation better tive workers sought in the Roadmap for Florida’s Future,
prepared to succeed in work and life. Therefore, the pol- will not move to Florida and will not stay in Florida if
icy objectives for RISD’s leadership of STEAM were to: they cannot educate their children in high-quality public
1. Transform research policy to place Art C Design at schools.” Further, it acknowledged the arts as a needed
the center of STEM component in public education: "The strong positive cor-
2. Encourage the integration of Art C Design in K–20 relation between arts credits and overall academic perfor-
education mance is irrefutable corroboration of national studies-
3. Influence employers to hire artists and designers to students with more arts education perform better in all
drive innovation academic areas. … A balanced curriculum that educates
the whole child combines the arts and STEM and produ-
ces STEAM” (Florida Department of Education, 2009).
STEAM policy context
Rebecca Blank, serving as Acting Secretary of the U.S.
Increase STEM degree attainment through STEAM
Department of Commerce, in her remarks at the Forum
education
for the Future of Higher Education, made the case for a
national innovation strategy including investments in More recently, studies published by the National Endow-
education infrastructure: “The Consumer Budget Office ment for the Arts (Catterall, Dumais, & Hampden-
 4 B. ALLINA

Thompson, 2012) and the President’s Committee on the second, more recent study from MSU linked arts partici-
Arts and the Humanities (PCAH, 2011) found significant pation with “creative capital” (innovation): “In sum, indi-
relationships between arts engagement and academic viduals who produce creative capital as adults are much
achievement, including advanced degree attainment (in more likely to be involved in a sustained manner with
any field), findings relevant to addressing the CEOSE one or more crafts or arts such as music composition,
mandate to broaden the S&T workforce. “… arts- dance, or photography…findings suggest that long-term
engaged low-income students are more likely than their experience with the creative process in arts and crafts
non-arts-engaged peers to have attended and done well may enhance creative potential in science and technology”
in college, build careers, volunteered in their communi- (LaMore et al., 2013). In both cases, the studies imply a
ties and participated in the political process by voting. correlation between arts engagement and creative think-
The conclusion of these recent studies is that on average, ing in the sciences.
arts-engaged low-income students tend to perform more
like higher-income students in the many types of com-
Investing in skills needed for twenty-first-century
parisons that the studies track.”
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jobs and industries

If arts education correlates to increased student
engagement, a much earlier study commissioned by the The aforementioned studies supported the call from
National Endowment for the Arts that documented a industry for creativity in the workforce, and aligned with
decline in public arts education Arts Education in Amer- funded research on twenty-first-century workforce com-
ica: What the Declines Mean for Arts Participation has petencies. In 2006, The Conference Board, Corporate
implications for engaging the population at large. It Voices for Working Families, Partnership for 21st Cen-
showed a steady decline in funding for arts education tury Skills, and the Society for Human Resource Manage-
between 1967–1984, in particular for African American ment published a survey of employers to help define the
and Hispanic populations: “In 2008, all 18- to 24-year- “skills gap.” It defined critical thinking as the ability to
olds, no matter what their socioeconomic status as chil- “demonstrate originality, inventiveness in work, commu-
dren, were less likely to have had a childhood arts educa- nicate new ideas to others; integrate knowledge across
tion than the 18- to 24-year-olds of 1982 … the decline of disciplines.” Nearly three fourths of respondents (73.6%)
childhood arts education among white children is rela- expect creativity/innovation to “increase in importance”
tively insignificant, while the declines for African Ameri- for future graduates, placing it in the top five of all skills
can and Hispanic children are quite substantial, 49 in this category (Casner-Lotto & Barrington, 2006,
percent for African American and 40 percent for Hispanic p. 50). P21 is a membership network of private sector
children” (Rabkin & Hedberg, 2011). As discussed, the and education partners. In 2016, it helped re-establish
idea behind STEM was to increase the pool of students the U.S. House Caucus for 21st Century Skills.
advancing into fields that had historically led to innova- In 2009, The Conference Board partnered with Ameri-
tion. Therefore, if arts education has proven to increase cans for the Arts to survey educators and executives and
academic achievement among targeted populations, then gauge their alignment on the needs of the twenty-first-cen-
a decline in arts education for those populations could tury workforce: “Ninety-seven percent of employers agreed
have negative implications for STEM achievement. that creativity is of increasing importance in the workplace.
… Eighty-five per-cent of employers concerned with hir-
ing creative people say they can’t find the applicants they
Studies connecting STEAM to future economies
seek” (Lichtenberg, Woock, & Wright, 2008).
The implications of arts engagement for STEM outcomes Industry’s interest in the value of creativity was evident
were examined in two recent studies conducted by in ongoing studies looking at workforce competencies,
researchers at Michigan State University. The first, a study among them IBM on organizational creativity (IBM Insti-
authored by Robert Root-Bernstein, was consistent with tute for Business Value, 2010) and more recently, Adobe
findings of the NEA and PCAH studies (Root-Bernstein on “the value of creativity in education and impact on
et al., 2008). “Nobel laureates [in the sciences] were signif- career outcomes” (Adobe Systems Incorporated, 2012).
icantly more likely to engage in arts and crafts avocations The STEAM idea resonated in contemporary research
than Royal Society and National Academy of Sciences on the topic of workforce competencies as well—a 2012
members, who were in turn significantly more likely than NRC report focused on “interdisciplinary approaches to
Sigma XI members and the U.S. public. … The utility of learning.” It “… profiles a growing interest among busi-
arts and crafts training for scientists may have important ness, political, and educational leaders in promoting
public policy and educational implications in light of the ‘deeper’ learning through the acquisition of skills such as
marginalization of these subjects in most curricula.” A problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. It
 ARTS EDUCATION POLICY REVIEW 5

places special emphasis on the cultivation of cognitive In 2011, RISD began by working at the local level with
and meta-cognitive skills, among which creativity and the State Science and Technology Advisory Council
innovation are expressly noted. Together these skills are (STAC). It intended to identify and influence state inno-
characterized as workforce-related competences critical vation or economic development plans that called for
to achieving a more productive and sustainable U.S. investments in STEM to include art and design. The idea
economy” (National Research Council, 2012). of integrating arts and design in STEM research was
An NSF-funded study published at the time of this tested by adding “design” to the state’s Science and Tech-
writing found a significant increase in creative problem nology Plan—including eligibility requirements and
solving and collaboration among the high school and review criteria that allowed artists and designers to
early career test groups exposed to creative practices “… respond to state seed funding for S&T research. STAC
to test the idea that integrating the arts into STEM-related required research partnerships involving at least two
innovation training would result in enhanced creative institutions—emphasizing cross- disciplinary collabora-
thinking skills, more extensive collaboration, more robust tion (thought to be a beneficial trait for problem solving).
innovation processes and improved innovation” (Seifter, Prior to the policy shift, only a few RISD faculty had
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Haley Goldman, Yalowitz, & Wilcox, 2016, p. 4). This applied for funding, none were successful, and one
research presents a hypothesis that would be potentially served as a consultant to a project at Brown University.
of interest to industry leaders and policy makers seeking After the change, arts and design faculty sought partner-
an innovative workforce—can creativity be cultivated or ships with colleagues in STEM practices at other institu-
learned? tions and two were awarded research grants in 2015.
Leveraging its work at the state level as a foundation
for federal support, RISD went on to work with the U.S.
Strategic planning of STEAM policy
House to introduce the House STEAM Resolution by
RISD’s efforts to make the case for creativity in educa- Representative Jim Langevin (cited above), and to form
tion, research, and industry started with a 4-year strategy the U.S. House STEAM Caucus, established and
to seed the idea of STEAM into U.S. policy within these co-chaired by Representative Suzanne Bonamici
areas. The strategy was designed to incrementally build a (D-OR). A petition was created by an alumna and cir-
community of practitioners, advocates, and followers, culated widely through RISD’s community. It included
not just as a means to create momentum, but also to over 4,000 signatures calling for members of Congress
build a sustainable network of practitioners. This cohort to join the Caucus. RISD hosted the launch of the
represented the “grassroots” component to the success of Congressional STEAM Caucus on Valentine’s Day,
STEAM. On the policy side, RISD developed tools to February 14, 2013, and additional Congressional brief-
communicate the idea of STEAM, acted as a convener, ings in cooperation with the STEAM Caucus—in par-
and identified potential vehicles to actualize policy ticular focused on industry’s call for creativity in the
though top-down decision making. workforce and the generation of intellectual property.
The Office of Government Relations, which included a Finally, RISD designed the STEAM Map—an advocacy
cohort of undergraduate student research fellows, was tool intended to facilitate interaction among STEAM
tasked with issues of community and government rela- supporters and demonstrate the growth of the STEAM
tions including the STEAM initiative. The students were education movement (Rhode Island School of Design,
interested in how STEAM policy might broaden their par- 2014).
ticipation in nontraditional fields. They articulated a con-
nection to the methodologies of RISD studio practice and Metrics
the flexible thinking it cultivated. They participated in the
design of communications tools, public forums on the RISD proposed two principal measurements to determine
Hill, and at conferences such as SXSWEdu. They called the outcomes of its efforts to promote STEAM policy: (a)
themselves the JL (in deference to the Justice League or State-by-State policy shifts, including State district repre-
The League of Justice) (D. C. Comics, n.d.). In 2012, they sentation on the STEAM Caucus and (b) Federal policy
formed the STEAM Club, and shortly thereafter, in part- to enable or fund STEAM education and research.
nership with students at Brown University, established a
STEAM Club at Brown. RISD STEAM subsequently
Methodology
developed a template for other schools to establish
STEAM Clubs on their own campuses. There are now RISD’s strategy employed a set of tools, many designed
Clubs at Brown, Boston University, Harvard, MIT, RISD, by students in the Office of Government Relations, to
Rutgers, The New School, and Yale (“STEAM”, n.d.). communicate the idea of STEAM:
 6 B. ALLINA

A diagram of the potential influences and tensions Education to Economy,” and included Dr. Rosemarie
between government and private funding of Truglio, senior vice president of Education and Research,
research/discovery (legitimacy); grass roots activism Sesame Workshop; Jon Perera, vice president, Adobe
(authentic practice); and top-down policy that led Education; Matt Goldman, co-founder, Blue Man Group
to innovation—the “innovation landscape,” and Blue School; and Ainissa Ramirez, science evangelist,

The STEM to STEAM website was developed as a Yale University.
broader advocacy tool,

A menu of options created to involve various con-
stituents in the STEAM advocacy movement,
Catalysts of the STEAM movement

“Proof points” for STEAM (e.g., mapping arts and
design–based industries and STEAM educational Understanding that public/private partnerships and
institutions within Congressional districts), and investments in STEAM would lend legitimacy to the

The online STEAM Map designed to show growing STEAM movement, RISD began by researching the dis-
grass roots support for STEAM and facilitate inter- tribution of past funding, and identifying funding oppor-
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action among practitioners. tunities within federal agencies that could include arts
and design, focusing on STEM education and research
within the directorates of the NSF. At the time, RISD
Finding voice
was the only art and design school in a lead position in
RISD identified emerging STEAM-like programming the NSF, EPSCoR program (Experimental Program to
and in many cases formed partnerships with organiza- Stimulate Competitive Research). In 2011, RISD was
tions such as Sesame Street (STEAM curriculum), the awarded an NSF grant for a 2-day workshop focused on
Royal College (NSF workshop), AEP (presented during STEAM pedagogy (Rosen & Smith, 2011). Other notable
annual meeting), Creative Mornings (hosted a global research funding of STEAM-like programs included the
STEAM month), PBS Learning Media (developed an NSF Virtual Exchange for Science, Engineering, Arts,
online STEAM curriculum), Tribeca Film Festival’s Dis- and Design (XSEAD) and Network for Sciences, Engi-
ruptive Innovation Awards (awarded for STEAM), the neering, Arts, and Design (NSEAD) groups; the U.S.
Cultural Learning Alliance, UK (white paper), the Nerve Department of Education i3 grant program, and NSF’s
Centre, N. Ireland, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America informal learning innovations in STEM education. The
Big Think (white paper), and the Design Education Coa- Drew Charter School received $1 million through Geor-
lition, among others. gia’s Race to the Top grant—the first public school RISD
Messaging and media coverage were major drivers of could identify that promoted STEAM pedagogy.
the conversation around STEAM. RISD generated the Direct investments in STEAM education demon-
content for numerous articles, presentations, interviews strated industry’s interest in enhancing STEM educa-
and publications, including the STEAM issue of tion—Qualcomm ($20 million to Berkeley’s College of
ARCADE magazine, edited by a RISD student, and Engineering “for the purpose of expanding art and
founder of the RISD STEAM Club, Sarah Pease. The design in engineering education”), Texas Instruments
issue was introduced by RISD’s president, John Maeda, ($10 million to the Plano Independent School District)
and included articles by RISD faculty and administrators and Ovation Television ($80k across eight K–12 public
and many of RISD’s partner organizations. schools).
RISD graphic design students associated with the RISD did its part to advance the national dialogue for
STEAM movement received a critique from AIGA exec- STEAM innovation in corporate circles (Fast Company,
utive director Ric Grefe. AIGA, the Professional Associa- MediaCat, GBN, Google, others). Students in the Office
tion for Design, is an organization that has a long history of Government Relations researched STEAM driven
of marrying the arts with issues of government policy industries and developed regional maps to show those
(AIGA, the Professional Association for Design, n.d.). who might have a stake in STEAM education, as well as
The visit included Ainissa Ramirez, “science evangelist” creative educational models within Congressional
(Yale), and a representative from Proctor and Gamble. districts. In addition to serving as a communications
The discussion focused on communication strategies for tools for Congressional briefings and presentations, the
social change and implications for industry as beneficia- mapping yielded information relevant to the political
ries of this work (Rhode Island School of Design, 2012). strategy—for example, “Washington state ranks #1 in
In 2012 and again in 2013, RISD participated in concentration of STEM related jobs”—key person to per-
SXSWEdu to promote STEAM. In 2013, the panel was suade: Senator XXX, making evident the opportunities
called: “S T E M to S T E A M: Full Circle from for industry/education partnerships.
 ARTS EDUCATION POLICY REVIEW 7

The call from industry for creative capital, and the “Rhode Island has a long and storied history of innova-
growing grassroots network of STEAM practitioners tion, entrepreneurship, and the application of new tech-
supported a policy framework of interest to Rhode Island nologies in industry. The far reach of today’s global
legislators (Jim Langevin was then serving on the Career economy means Rhode Island must stay on the cutting
and Technical Education Caucus) and brought the con- edge of innovation. Maintaining this goal requires pub-
versation to Washington. Langevin first introduced H. lic-private partnerships and collaboration between every
Res. 1702 at a Congressional briefing co-hosted by RISD, level of government and across many policy areas—
and again in two consecutive sessions of Congress—H. including, education and workforce training—particu-
Res. 319 (112th Congress) and H.Res. 51 (113th larly in the STEAM fields; research and development;
Congress). small business incubation; technology transfer; and the
In September 2011, RISD hosted a second briefing in acceleration of entrepreneurial ventures” (Cicilline,
co-operation with Representative Langevin at the Rhode 2013).
Island Foundation, Providence for members of the The following year, Senator Jack Reed brought NEA
Rhode Island education and business communities. The Chairman Jane Chu to RISD to learn more about
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Providence Journal coverage of the event, “Marking RI’s STEAM. The NEA is a leading organization in the collec-
commitment to STEAM” stated: “Art and Design tion and generation of arts education research.
matter.” At the federal level, there was (and is) concern
Shortly thereafter, Representative Suzanne Bonamici about U.S. competitiveness and loss of jobs. STEAM
recognized the opportunities STEAM presented to was the intellectual capital that could get us there.
schools and businesses like the creative industries in her RISD responded by hosting an industry briefing in
home state of Oregon (e.g., Nike). RISD worked with cooperation with the House STEAM Caucus, then in
Bonamici and RI Representatives Langevin and Cicilline its second year of activity. Representatives from The
to research and coordinate data points and to help to Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, and Intel spoke
communicate the idea of STEAM. RISD presidents John about the need for creative talent and intellectual cap-
Maeda and later Rosanne Somerson served as spokesper- ital—the reasons they supported the idea of STEAM
sons for arts and design education at numerous public education. The briefing was also the launch of the
forums. Concurrently, RISD drafted authorization lan- STEAM Map—a tool designed by RISD to facilitate
guage to propose the establishment of an inter-agency interaction among the grassroots STEAM network,
advisory panel. industry, and policy makers, and to show the growth
In 2012, RISD successfully sought funding for arts and of the movement.
design students to intern in government and nongovern-
mental organization settings, demonstrating the ability
Findings: Best practices of STEAM initiatives
of artists and designers to problem solve and to collabo-
rate across disciplines. The program, Maharam STEAM Educators in K–12 settings began to collaborate on
Fellows, is now in its sixth year—revealing important methodologies to deliver STEAM and Arts subjects to
insights into workforce competencies specific to arts and meet national standards (core curricula). Classroom
design education. practice revealed attributes common to successful
On February 14, 2013, RISD hosted the launch of the STEAM programs (formal and informal). A math
bi-partisan STEAM Caucus together with the Caucus co- teacher and an art teacher in the Fairfax County
chairs. Within six months, over 50 members of the U.S. school district modeled STEAM and the results were
House had become members, some also serving on the seeded into over 100 classrooms in Virginia (Watson
STEM and/or Arts Caucus, which allowed some coordi- & Watson, 2013).
nation of legislative activities. RISD alumna Meghan Ovation Television, through its innOVation grants
Reilly initiated a petition to capture support from RISD’s program funded 8 out of 53 STEAM school applicants,
community of practitioners. The petition directed atten- and through the review process identified “award pro-
tion to the Caucus and carried over 4,000 signatures. gram best practices.”
Also in 2013, U.S. Representative David N. Cicilline High Quality STEAM Education:
brought then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to RISD. The
Incorporates the expertise of both STEM and arts
purpose of the visit was to learn about the work taking educators to create an authentic interdisciplinary
place at the intersection of technology, innovation, and experience for students: co-teaching model/co-plan-
entrepreneurship in Rhode Island, particularly STEAM ning is strong and replicable;
and to hear from stakeholders about how the federal gov-
Is thoroughly planned, including the identification
ernment might help support and advance this work. of state or national standards in each subject area,
 8 B. ALLINA

balancing standards offered from each subject Supporters of this concept cite its importance as an
equally; investment in innovation through research and

Borrows from scientific method, the iterative artistic development, and a way to improve the competi-
and creative processes, and artistic production and tiveness of the United States.
exhibition as critical milestones in the experience; Def. 3. When used in this title, the term STEAM Edu-

Has the buy-in of school administrators; cation refers to the following definition, unless the con-

Leverages local artists, artisans, scientists, area non- text indicates other meaning:
profits and other experts, as appropriate;
A model for education, which evolved from the con-

Is well documented through photography, lesson cept of STEM Education (see Definition 2). The
plans, and other means, as a method of advocacy model focuses on improved teaching of (1) Science,
and to ensure partnership longevity for STEAM as a (2) Technology, (3) Engineering, (4) Arts, and (5)
new instructional method; Mathematics in K–12 education. Advocates for

Has a tangible outcome, such as an artistic product, STEAM Education, in the context of advocacy for
scientific experiment, architectural or design specs, STEM education, argue that studying STEM sub-
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or other artifacts; jects alone is not sufficient. Supporters of this con-

Allows students to direct their own learning cept cite (4) Arts as having benefits in mental
through experimentation, positioning teachers as health, thinking processes, and creativity to validate
guides and personalizing learning; this assertion.”

Leverages real-world connections wherever possible In 2016, the STEAM movement realized the outcome
and highlights the nexus of career and technical of its efforts. STEAM Caucus co-chair Suzanne Bonamici
education and the arts; successfully introduced authorization language during

Includes built-in, tailored assessments that help stu- the reauthorization of ESEA, now, ESSA:
dents and teachers understand what students have
learned and what they have not; (vi) integrating other academic subjects, including the
arts into STEM programs to increase participation in

Includes solid, clear, and well-constructed rubrics STEM, improve attainment of STEM related skills, and
that integrate the arts. promote well-rounded education. (Alexander, 2015, p.
As grassroots support of the STEAM idea continued 178)
to grow among educators worldwide, education
researchers began turning their attention to the potential Inclusion of arts and other subjects in federal STEM
of STEAM. In parallel, STEAM advocates began to focus programs represented the legislative success sought by the
on specific policy implications. Discussions among edu- STEAM movement. RISD was also able to measure state
cation researchers, policy makers, and educators con- by state policy shifts with the onboarding of members of
vened by RISD and in some instances in cooperation the STEAM Caucus, and legislative activity at the state
with the House STEAM Caucus, began to identify level in Rhode Island, Washington State, and Maryland.
opportunities for specific policy actions.
Taking into account the policy implications of
Implications for future STEAM policy
STEAM, one of the first activities of the STEAM Caucus
was to draft a legislative definition of STEAM: A concern shared by the multiple constituencies that
“Def. 1: When used in this title, the acronym STEAM promoted STEAM is the ability to prepare students for
refers to the following academic and professional disci- the twenty-first-century workforce, and increase student
plines unless the context indicates other meaning, in this engagement, thereby broadening participation of women
order: and minorities in STEM disciplines. STEAM has raised
(1) Science important issues for education and workforce develop-
(2) Technology ment—is it a model that will help attract women and
(3) Engineering other minorities into STEM fields? What additional
(4) Arts research is needed to inform policy? What are the addi-
(5) Mathematics tional investment opportunities for government and the
Def. 2. When used in this title, STEM Education refers private sector?
to the following definition, unless the context indicates H.R. 1898 was introduced during the 2015 re-authori-
other meaning: zation of the Competes Act—Sec. 204., National

A model for education which focuses on improved Research Council Report on STEAM education. “(3)
teaching of (1) Science, (2) Technology, (3) Engi- STEAM, which is the integration of arts and design,
neering, and (5) Mathematics in K–12 education. broadly defined, into Federal STEM programming,
 ARTS EDUCATION POLICY REVIEW 9

research, and innovation activities, is a method-validated school districts to support CTE programs that integrate
approach to maintaining the competitiveness of the arts and design skills.”
United States in both workforce and innovation and to Finally, the new NSF funded study referenced earlier
increasing and broadening students’ engagement in the concludes that arts education has a significant impact on
STEM fields.” Among the NRC recommendations for emotional intelligence, innovation, and collaboration
further action: (competencies that improve STEM outcomes). “Arts-

STEAM should be recognized as providing value to Based Learning Helped Adolescents Apply STEM Learn-
STEM research and education programs across Fed- ing to Their Everyday Lives”: “High school students
eral agencies, without supplanting the focus on the experiencing arts-based learning rated the transferability
traditional STEM disciplines; of lessons from the challenge to current and future aca-

Federal agencies should work cooperatively on demic work, home life and extracurricular activities signif-
interdisciplinary initiatives to support the integra- icantly higher than did the control group. The effect was
tion of arts and design into STEM, and current very large; the difference ranged as much as two points”
interdisciplinary programs should be strengthened; (Seifter et al., 2016, p. 52).
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Federal agencies should allow for STEAM activities

under current and future grant-making and other
activities. Refinement of STEAM policy
These discussions continue to evolve. The STEAM
Relevance of STEAM policy movement successfully influenced education policy,
resulting in federal authorization language for STEAM
Looking ahead, there are several opportunities to Education. The STEAM Caucus now boasts 85 members
advance STEAM education. Americans for the Arts, from 31 jurisdictions. Focused on K–12 education,
often in the lead on issues of arts education, identified among the recommendations being discussed for refine-
the necessity to facilitate implementation of the new law ment of STEAM policy are to:
at the state level (Americans for the Arts, 2015). In other
Recognize the arts (and design) as core subjects
words, what are the next steps for implementation at the alongside S.T.E. & M.,
state level? An article in the Huffington Post titled
Implement federal policy at the state level,
“STEAM Is Here—To Get into Schools Will Take a Little
Address issues of equity/resources to deliver arts
Longer” offers an example of local reform through the education,
California Alliance for the Arts:
Call for additional research into potential outcomes
Last year, after over two years of effort, this special com- of STEAM educational models to demonstrate the
mittee published the ‘Blueprint for Creative Schools’ and concept, and
the special committee in turn formed a task force called
Fund professional development and latitude for
CREATE CA to pursue and implement the recommen- teachers to explore interdisciplinary learning.
dations of the blueprint. The CREATE CA (for ‘Core
Reforms Engaging Arts to Educate’) effort involves the
California Alliance for Arts Education (CAAE), the Cali-
fornia County Superintendents Educational Services
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