Last Wednesday, Illinois made history, becoming the first state in the nation to include the arts as a distinct, weighted indicator of K-12 success in its school accountability system. The arts – dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts – now stand alongside subjects such as math and science in how the state measures the impact of every public school in Illinois. In its board meeting, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) unanimously voted to approve State Superintendent Carmen Ayala’s recommendation for the arts indicator in Illinois’ Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan. Starting with the 2022-23 School Year, the indicator will equal five percent of every school’s total score. It will consider student participation in arts courses, quality of instruction, and student voice.