"There is considerable controversy about how much emphasis our schools should place on the arts in the curriculum. With the focus today on testing and basic literacies, the arts do not have much of a presence. But this is short-sighted. It is well-established that academic performance is at its best when a child is in a positive mood. And we now know that the arts can be used to improve a child’s mood. Here are two powerful reasons why the arts should be included in the school day: the arts improve emotional functioning; and in so doing they can improve academic performance." — Jennifer Drake Jennifer Drake is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Brooklyn College, City University of New York. Her research focuses on the psychology of the arts.