Some of the worst schools in America have been turned around by an arts programme mobilising stars like Elton John, Yo Yo Ma and Cameron Diaz to help failing pupils.
What makes the programme unusual, rather than just an exercise in celebrity, is that it has used the arts not as a pleasant add-on, but as means of driving achievement in the core subjects. An
independent study of the schools' results showed a 23% increase in maths scores and a 13% improvement in reading in only three years.
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