An arts education task force was set up in North Carolina to identify critical issues related to arts education and to make recommendations for improving the public school programs. Fourteen recommendations are documented including that: (1) the Department of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education and the North Carolina General Assembly be committed to ensuring that the Basic Education Program, including the K-12 discipline-based arts education curriculum, be continued; (2) a unit of credit in arts education be required of all students for graduation from high school and for entrance to all component institutions of the North Carolina University system; (3) the Department of Public Instruction undertake a detailed study to determine the appropriateness of facilities currently used for arts education instruction; and (4) arts education be recognized and encouraged as a viable option to actively engage students at risk in their education and to decrease the number of dropouts. The reasoning behind each recommendation is discussed in detail and the document concludes with several appendices including a comparison table with graduation requirements in the arts in other states. (KM)