This book examines the place of the arts in the schools and how to establish that place. The document makes the case for the role of the visual arts, music, dance, drama, architecture, and aesthetics in educating boys and girls while simultaneously using the arts as a vehicle for school renewal. A special focus of the book is the rational for, and the development and progress of, the Arts in General Education (AGE) programs and the role of New York's JDR 3rd Fund AGE Program Partnership in acting as a catalyst for school districts from New York City to Seattle to come together for mutual support and accomplishment in the arts in the schools movement. Chapters include: (1) "Setting the Stage"; (2) "From Rhetoric to Reality: Local School Districts Build a Model for Change through the Arts"; (3) "A Closer Look: School Development and a Rationale for the Arts in Education"; (4) "How to Build Districtwide and School-based AGE Programs: Guidelines and Strategies"; (5) "Networking and Collaboration: A Strategic Design for Change"; (6) "A Day in the Life of an AGE Demonstration School: P.S. 152 Brooklyn"; (7) "Who Shall Teach the Arts: Guidelines and Criteria for Classroom Teachers, Arts Specialists, and Artists"; (8) "Pieces of the Puzzle: Potential Sources of Leadership, Advocacy, and Support"; (9) "Support Systems: What We Have and What We Need"; and (10) "In Conclusion." Twenty-four exhibits are included and four appendices provide: (1) an interpretive chronology of major events in the arts in education; (2) a summary response to the questionnaire used for this study; (3) New York State's Arts in Education Program guidelines; and (4) a bibliography. (LBG)