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A case study: a school's commitment to retaining the arts
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A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
1
A CASE STUDY:
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
by
Cecilia Pak
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
May 2013
Copyright 2013 Cecilia Pak
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
2
Acknowledgements
First I’d like to express my utmost appreciation and gratitude to my family and friends
who supported me through these past several years of my doctoral studies. I’d like to thank my
Dad who never gives up on me and always put my needs before anything else, every day of my
life. I thank my Mom, who always believes that I will be anything and everything I want to be. I
am grateful for my Grandma who has always been there with unconditional love and always has
the perfect words of encouragement. They have guided me and served as the best role models
anyone could ever have. They have taught me how to be passionate, how to be strong, and how
to stand up for the things I believe in. They have instilled in me the importance of education, the
importance of teaching and being a lifelong learner as they have been. My parents have taught
me to be strong and persevere in my endeavors. Their tireless support and encouragement is
why I am here today and I owe them all my accomplishments.
I thank my two older sisters, Eunha and Eun Byul, who were there for me every step of
the way; you are “the wind beneath my wings”. I want to thank them for being a shoulder to
lean on and for their words of wisdom in times of need. I thank them for the endless phone
conversations and talks across the miles after my move here to USC where it seemed worlds
away. Thank you for making me feel at home even when I’m so far away. I thank them for
never letting me give up my dreams and believing in me to always accomplish my goals. I thank
my little brother, Eddie, for being there to laugh with after a hard day and being there to
encourage me to be the best role model I can be. I thank him for his support and the confidence
that he has in me that I will succeed.
I’d like to thank the love of life, Matthew, who has always been there for me when I was
feeling overwhelmed and always made me feel like I could do anything. His endless support and
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
3
countless nights of being there encouraging me to push through chapter after chapter and edit
after edit. Thank you for being the person that makes me want to be better. Thank you for
believing in me and helping me stay focused when I sometimes lost sight of my goals. You’re
my rock.
I would like to thank Dr. Stuart Gothold for believing in me and helping me through
every step of this dissertation. His dependability and unfailing support will always be
appreciated. Thank you for being such an inspiration to me and the whole group. I’d like to
thank “Team Gothold”, Tamar, Juanita, and Priscilla. The best group I could have had and
more! We were truly a team and this team effort paid off. Thank you for answering all my
questions, I know I had many. I would also like to thank Dr. Dennis Hocevar and Dr. Michael
Escalante, my dissertation committee members for their dedication and time.
I would also like to thank the entire case study school and the participating members of
this study. This study wouldn’t have been possible without them. I am grateful for their
willingness to engage in my study and accommodate all my needs. Those members of the school
with such passion for the arts and the passion for their students are what every child needs as role
models and teachers.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
4
Table of Contents
List of Tables 6
List of Figures 7
Abstract 8
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 9
Statement of the Problem 11
Purpose of the Study 12
Research Questions 12
Significance of the Study 12
Assumptions 13
Limitations 14
Delimitations 14
Definition of Terms 15
Organization of the Study 17
Chapter Two: Literature Review 19
Background on Arts Education 19
Effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on Arts Education 20
Funding for Arts Education 22
Equal Access to Arts Education 24
Research on Arts Education 26
Policy Support for the Arts 27
Teacher Preparation 29
Benefits of Arts Education 30
Cognitive Development 31
Social-Emotional Development and Self Expression 32
Engagement and Motivation 34
Promising Practices 36
Curriculum and Instruction 37
Policy on Arts 40
Funding and Sustainability 40
Partnerships in the Community 42
Conclusion 43
Chapter Three: Methodology 44
Summary of Research Design 44
Sample and Population 49
Instrumentation 51
Data Collection 53
Data Analysis 54
Chapter Four: Results 57
Background of Mark Twin Visual Performing Arts Magnet School 57
Participants 60
Summary of Data Collection 62
The Initial Visits 63
Observations and Interviews 66
Findings and Discussions 67
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
5
First Research Questions:
Why are the arts important to the students in this school? 67
Second Research Questions:
How are resources for the arts addressed in the single school wide action plan? 71
Third Research Questions:
How has the school retained the arts as a priority (Impetus)? 78
Fourth Research Question:
What is the (perceived) impact of the arts on the life of the school,
which includes the culture and the academic achievements? 84
Emergent Themes 92
Strong Leadership Support for the Arts 93
Longstanding Traditions and Passion for the Arts 94
Community and Parent Involvement 94
Collaboration 95
Summary 96
Chapter Five: Discussion 99
Purpose, Significance, and Methodology of the Study 99
Conclusions 101
Recommendations for Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School 104
Recommendations for Further Research 106
References 109
Appendix A 112
Appendix B 113
Appendix C 115
Appendix D 117
Appendix E 119
Appendix F 120
Appendix G 124
Appendix H 126
Appendix I 127
Appendix J 128
Appendix K 129
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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List of Tables
Table 1: API Score Over Six Years 50
Table 2: Educator Experience 61
Table 3: Survey Results for Research Question One 67
Table 4: Survey Results for Research Question Two 72
Table 5: Survey Results for Research Question Three 79
Table 6: Survey Results for Research Question Four 88
Table 7: API Scores Over Six Years 91
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
7
List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Model Used for the Case Study 48
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Abstract
Recently California’s public schools have narrowed the curriculum due to a focus on mandated
accountability measures and budget constraints. As a result, arts education seems to be one of
the major areas that has been neglected. The purpose of the study was to examine a school that
has maintained arts education as a priority within their instructional time, while managing other
demands that have emerged from the mandated accountability measures and budget constraints.
This study will examine why are the arts important to the students, how is funding for the arts
addressed, how the school has retained the arts as a priority, and what is the impact the arts has
on academic achievement and the culture of the school. The research design of this study was a
qualitative case study of a high performing arts magnet school in an urban area. A multi-method
approach using qualitative research methods of data collection was used for this case study.
Triangulation of the data from documents reviews; surveys, interviews, and observation were
used to increase the validity and the reliability of this study. Four major themes emerged from
this study. Strong leadership support for the arts, a longstanding tradition and passion for the
arts, strong community support and parental involvement, and collaboration within the school
and with outside stakeholders were all indicators of a shared commitment to the arts and the
students. The four themes identified all tied in together and intertwined to create the culture of
the school showing their dedication and passion for the arts and educating their students
effectively through the arts.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
9
Chapter One: Overview of the Study
Arts education is the study and expression of art forms including visual and performing
arts. Seidel (2001) posits that not only do the arts express feelings and emotions; they cultivate a
powerful channel for making connections. The arts also promote new ways of understanding
and developing critical thinking skills (Seidel, 2001). Learning through the different disciplines
of art can enhance cognitive skills and capacities (Burton, Horowitz, & Abeles, 2000). Sadly,
notwithstanding the many benefits of art, there are threats to visual and performing arts programs
in schools and they are in need of support.
Due to the implementation of policies connected to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Act of 2001, there have been increased measures of accountability on districts, schools,
administrators, and teachers leading to pressures that have affected decisions to reduce or
eliminate art programs in schools. Efforts to close the achievement gap and the measures of
accountability have increased in schools putting more pressure on high stakes testing. In recent
years, arts education has taken a backseat to subject areas being tested in the high stakes testing,
mandated by states to determine student achievement and measure school performance.
Arts education has been challenged to prove its worth in the academic day. Often times,
it is expected to be proven through improvement of test scores related to art instruction, however,
the benefits of art should not be based solely on its support for the generative subjects (Baker,
2011). The arts and the participation in the arts foster a learning of many other human, social
development, and communication skills essential for students. Other positive outcomes of arts
education often go without recognition due to an overemphasis on subjects that are being tested.
There is a need for educators, policy makers, and other stakeholders to recognize the value of
arts education as a way for students to open up their perspectives, engage in their senses, and
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
10
learn through a new way to see the world around them and access new knowledge (Heilig, Cole,
& Aguilar, 2010).
The narrowing of the curriculum in many school districts has left more and more students
with minimal access to arts education. The reform in schools to increase instructional time in
subjects such as math, reading, and science has pushed arts education into the shadows or almost
completely out of the curriculum. Access to the arts for students, especially in schools with a
high population of at-risk students, is being compromised by high demands of accountability and
mandates to increase instructional time in tested subject areas. Policies such as the NCLB
intended for improvements in English language arts and mathematics has resulted in leaving
many students with little or no access to arts education. Schools struggling to meet AYP are
more likely to reduce time in arts education (Baker, 2011).
There are large gaps of knowledge and literature that support how the arts benefit
children in learning. Additionally, there is a lack of research in education around the benefits of
arts education as a standalone subject. Several different factors explain the limited research in
arts education. Lack of funding for research in arts education presents itself as one of the
concerns. The lack of actual arts education instruction in schools can also be a factor in the
limited opportunities for research to be conducted (Seidel, 2001). The complexity of research for
arts education also works as an obstacle for researchers. Seidel (2001) calls attention to the
disconnect between practitioners and researchers as a factor in the scarce amount of research in
arts education. A critical issue is the separation of the arts and education at universities and other
higher learning institutions. Opportunities for research are hindered by the divide of these two
areas of study, making it more difficult for development of skilled researcher in arts education
(Seidel, 2001).
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
11
Budget constraints have forced districts and schools to shift budget allocations in ways
that have not been favorable to the arts. Pressures on increasing test scores, increased
accountability measures, budget constraints, and meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals
are some of the factors that schools have been faced with. In addition to the lack of research,
budget constraints also contribute to the narrowing of school curriculum have had a negative
impact on the arts in many schools.
Statement of the Problem
Recently California’s public schools have narrowed the curriculum due to a focus on
mandated accountability measures and budget constraints. As a result, arts education seems to
be one of the major curriculum areas that has been neglected. The No Child Left Behind act of
2001 has impacted arts education in addition to other subject areas that are not formally tested in
the high stakes testing mandates. The curriculum focus has shifted heavily to areas such as
reading, math, and science (Chapman, 2007).
Studies exist providing evidence of the benefits of arts education. They have not been
enough to convince policy and decision makers to support arts education in schools. The lack of
empirical evidence supporting the benefits of arts education affect policy decisions that may
work as a catalyst in diminishing the arts within the school curriculum. More research looking at
the incentives and reasons to promote arts education is needed to support the increase and
retention of arts education programs. Acknowledgments of the contribution that arts education
has on student learning are dismal. Lack of research and support for arts education remains
problematic especially in struggling schools with a high at-risk population of students.
Policy work needs to strive on filling the gaps that exist in research mainly in the areas of
visual and performing arts. More research on the actual academic effectiveness of reallocating
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
12
time to increased English language arts and mathematics away from areas such as the arts is
needed before those actions take place (Baker, 2011).
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to examine a school that has maintained arts education as a
priority within their instructional time, while managing other demands that have emerged from
mandated accountability measures and budget constraints.
Research Questions
The study was guided by the following research questions:
1. Why are the arts important to the students in this school?
2. How are resources for the arts addressed in the single school wide action plan?
3. How has the school retained the arts as a priority? (Impetus)
4. What is the (perceived) impact of the arts on the life of the school, which includes the
culture and the academic achievements?
Significance of the Study
The results and findings from this study may be used to validate the promising practices
related to arts education that practitioners could utilize in many ways. This study may help
teachers gain insight into the importance of arts education and how to keep arts education alive
in schools. In addition, practitioners can use the findings in this study to better understand the
many benefits of arts education. It can also shed light on the issues around cutting arts education
programs from schools and how to combat those obstacles. Moreover, this study could serve as
a driving force for practitioners to advocate for the arts in their educational setting.
Administrators might be able to use the findings in this study to better understand teacher
perceptions of arts education and school culture in order to facilitate an increase of arts education
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
13
in their schools. Administrators can also use the findings to further examine the role of arts
education in student achievement and student development to utilize as a means to improve
student learning. This study can help and guide administrators to create a vision and mission for
their schools to retain the arts as a priority. This study can further show the importance of
building partnerships and how school arts education programs can survive and be strengthened
within the limited funding that schools receive.
Furthermore, policy makers can use this study and the findings to drive policies that
promote best practices in schools for arts education. As they determine the value of the arts in
student achievement and in producing good citizens, it can lead to a positive influence for
decisions related to arts education. In addition, policy implications of this study could include a
shift in decision making to be based on examining the benefits of arts education and educating
the whole child and not solely for educational purposes of academic improvement in English
language arts and mathematics.
Researchers may benefit from using this case study as a model to replicate a case study at
another school in order to conduct further research that confirms the findings of this study. This
study may substantiate the need for further research to explore the benefits of arts education and
to shed light on the importance of arts education research for scholars.
Assumptions
1. Participants being interviewed and surveyed have knowledge about the school’s culture
and are aware of student perceptions about arts education.
2. All data collected are accurately represented.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
14
Limitations
Due to the design of the study, there were various limitations to this study. The following
listed are the limitations of this study:
1. The participants for the interviews were limited to the staff at a single school.
2. The duration of the study was brief and limited to several school site visits.
3. Participation was voluntary and not all requests for interviews, observations, are survey
responses were fulfilled.
4. The candidness of the observations was restricted.
5. The interpretations of the findings were solely of the researcher.
6. The truthfulness of the participants during interviews and surveys may perhaps be
difficult to validate.
Delimitations
This study was conducted with the following delimitations:
1. A single school was used as a case study.
2. The criteria for school selection were based on the decisions of the thematic group.
3. The researcher chose school site visiting days.
4. The participants in this study were not randomly selected.
5. The participants were limited to the number of participants chosen for this study.
6. Student perceptions may not be accurately represented due to the fact that they were not
participants in this study and students’ perceptions were portrayed through the teacher’s
perception of what they believed.
7. The generalizability of the findings is limited to the school of this study or other schools
with similar qualities.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Definition of Terms
Academic Performance Index (API): The cornerstone of California’s Public Schools
Accountability Act of 1999. The API measures the academic performance and the growth of
schools on a variety of academic measures.
Achievement Gap: Disparities in student achievement between different groups of students
identified by their gender, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity.
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP): Progress of a school on statewide tests in which the scores are
disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, English proficiency, special
education, and several other factors (Chapman, 2007). The AYP targets include: participation
rate on statewide tests, proficiency on the statewide tests in English language arts and
mathematics, the school’s API, and the graduation rate for schools with high school seniors.
Arts Integration: An instructional strategy used to bring in arts to the school day through cross-
curricular connections. Curriculum is designed to also make conceptual connections between art
and another subject (Rabkin & Redmond, 2006).
At-risk students: Students who are failing or have an academic disadvantage due to different
factors are characterized as at-risk students. Some factors in determining or labeling students as
an at-risk student may include: low socioeconomic status, minority students, students with a
history of truancy problems, family problems, or self esteem issues, and other factors that may
hinder their success in school.
Common Core State Standards: Standards in education for reading language arts and math that
describe what students should be able to do and know. The idea is for states to adopt a uniform
set of standards so students across the nation are learning consistently in every school.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
16
High stakes testing: State mandated test that have implications on school and teacher
accountability. They are standardized test given in schools, which include high school exit
exams, in which scores are used to determine school ranking and academic performance of a
school.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Program: The International Baccalaureate Program is an
educational curriculum designed for students of ages 3-19 by the International Baccalaureate
non-profit organization. The program goals are to develop intellectual, personal, emotional and
social skills of students through four different programs to prepare them for being a part of the
globalizing world.
Magnet school: A magnet schools refers to a public school with specialized courses or
curriculum. They receive additional funding in order to support their specialized area. Magnet
schools offer a choice for students to attend school outside of their “zoned” area and they may
offer diversity to school populations by bringing in students from outside areas. A focus of the
magnet can be a subject, topic area or a specialized instructional approach. Many magnet
schools may have an application process with selection criteria for students to attend their
program.
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB): In 2001, under the Bush administration, this reform was
enacted with a primary goal to close the achievement gap. Under this law all students were to be
“proficient” on the standardized state mandated tests by 2013. The guiding principles of the
NCLB were to give more power to parents and get them more involved, increase accountability
measures for student learning and the results, emphasize what works, and increase flexibility and
give more power to the state and districts.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Performing Arts: Performing arts refer to the art form in which one uses their body or language
for expression including, but not limited to dance, music, and drama.
Professional Development: Professional development refers to the training and development of
skills and knowledge of teachers in their pedagogy. Activities are designed to improve the
professional growth of teachers.
Proposition 13: A tax reform to reduce property taxes on homes, businesses, and farms. This tax
reform limited the property tax increase to no more than 2% a year. The new law placed a big
constraint on education funding for California.
Visual Arts: Visual arts include the arts that are visual in nature including, but not limited to
drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, and design.
Organization of the Study
Chapter One gives an overview of the background of the problem as well as the statement
of the problem for this study. Assumptions, limitations, and delimitations of the study are also
indicated in this section. Important terms used in this study are listed and defined in chapter one.
Chapter Two gives an overview and a literature review of the current research related to
the topics of retaining arts education and the importance of arts education. A connection to the
importance of the literature for this study is made.
Chapter Three provides the methodology used in this study. It also presents the rationale
behind the methods used and justification for the use of a qualitative case study. It provides an
explanation of the instrumentation that was used for this study. The process in which the data
was collected is discussed as well as the data analysis methods used. This chapter also provides
the theoretical framework that was used for conducting this study.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Chapter Four reports the findings of this study by research question. This includes the
discussion section on my reflections of the findings. This chapter also explores my personal
insights into the issue related to the findings of this study. The conclusion of this chapter
includes the themes that emerged from the findings of the study.
Chapter Five summarizes the study and discusses the conclusions of the study. This
chapter provides my discussion of the implications that this study may have on different groups
by focus. This section is the conclusion of the study with References and Appendices to follow.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Chapter Two: Literature Review
In an era of new accountability measures and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the
arts have been an area of instruction that has received less funding and unequal access under the
high stakes testing policies. Arts education is not being viewed as an essential part of the
curriculum but rather as an elective or extracurricular course. Time in arts education is being cut
in elementary schools and requirements for art classes in middle school and secondary school are
being challenged. Funding is being shifted in school districts from arts programs to areas of
study that are being tested in the high stakes testing. Equal access for arts education is not
available for all students and especially for students in at-risk schools where the curriculum focus
is narrowing to reading and math as a measure to meet Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) and test
standards.
Background on Arts Education
The visual arts, drama, dance, and music are separate disciplines in arts education.
Although they are often used under one umbrella term of arts education, each separate discipline
in the arts has a different contribution to the development and education of students. Research on
the visual arts seems to draw on philosophical thinking as well as conceptual frameworks from
other disciplines. They address multiculturalism and diversity more than other subject areas.
Additionally, a strong connection with interdisciplinary teaching exists through the arts.
Throughout history, arts education has not always held a consistent place as one of the
fundamentals of education. The role of arts education throughout history has fluctuated in its
popularity in education (Gullatt, 2007). Some believe that arts education is an integral part of
curriculum and some do not believe it to be significant for student learning and academic
achievement. Although many do perceive the arts to be a very important part of a child’s
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
20
education, it has still remained a low priority in many schools, especially in the era of high stakes
testing with a greater focus on English language arts and mathematics. In surveys and polls of
public views on the importance of the arts, results show that they often view the arts as an
essential part of students learning. However, this is not reflected in the curriculum or the
decisions made by schools districts on the amount of time allocated for instruction in the arts. At
the expense of arts education, other core subjects are being given priority (Heilig, Cole, &
Aguilar, 2010).
The first launch of Sputnik in 1957 started the movement of the arts being neglected as an
essential part of the curriculum. This historical event prompted a greater focus on mathematics
and science in education. The views on the importance of education became consumed with
mathematics and science; and arts education was pushed into the shadows. Arts education has
since then been struggling to keep its place in school’s curriculum. Looking at how art may be
viewed in comparison to other subject areas such as science; the components of the arts do not
match the conventional expectations of education. For example, science is considered
dependable, cognitive, teachable, testable, and useful. Art is not considered to be dependable, it
is emotional, requires talent, matters of preference, and is considered to be ornamental (Eisner,
2002).
Effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on Arts Education
Another major event that affected the role of art education in today’s curriculum in
schools is the No Child Left behind Act of 2001. Although the intentions of this act were not to
undermine learning in the arts, due to the increasing accountability measures and pressure on
schools generated by this act, arts began to take a back seat in the curriculum of many districts
and schools.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Under the No Child Left Behind testing mandates, the states require tests in grades 3-8 in
both English language arts and mathematics. This requirement has narrowed the curriculum in
many schools and increased test driven instruction. The demands of NCLB have shifted school
curriculum to meet the needs of the new accountability measures with pressures to meet
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals. With a changing focus in classroom instruction, art
programs started to see an increasing numbers of cuts and the quality of arts education started to
decline. Although the NCLB includes the arts as a core subject, the real focus of the act was on
reading, mathematics, and science (Chapman, 2007).
The increased accountability on districts, schools, administrators, teachers, and students
to meet AYP has pressured schools to be more test-driven. Test-driven instruction also includes
test taking skills and strategy instruction, which can take away from instructional time of other
subjects, most likely to be a subject like the arts. Because the standardized tests do not include
the arts, schools started to lose focus on the arts (Slavkin & Crespin, 2000). Test taking
strategies are being taught in schools, particularly in schools that have been identified for
improvement under the NCLB. The same schools that need the arts and can benefit from the
outcomes of arts education the most are cutting resources and time in the arts for students. In a
study by the Center on Education Policy (McMurrer, 2007), districts were surveyed about the
focus of instruction in their classrooms. Survey results showed that around 29% of the districts
reported using strategies for improvement on test taking to help with student achievement.
Although it was the least used strategy by districts to help schools with achievement, the survey
was given to district level administrators and the views of the teachers were not explored
(McMurrer, 2007).
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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As a result of the NCLB mandates, school instructional time of arts education has
decreased in some schools and allocation of time for arts instruction are being shifted to other
subjects. Schools are increasing the instructional time for reading and mathematics; and teaching
to the test is increasingly becoming a topic of debate. Subjects tested under the NCLB demands
are taking precedence in classrooms. Due to high stakes testing, subject areas that are not being
tested are losing priority in school instruction and curriculum planning. The Center for
Education Policy (McMurrer, 2007) surveyed a random sample of 491 school districts with a
return from 349 school districts in a study of the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act. In
addition, the study included case studies from 13 school districts. Key findings from this study
indicated that about 62% of the elementary schools reported on increased instructional time in
English language arts and mathematics. For middle schools in the districts surveyed, they
reported a 20% increase. A 43% increase in instructional minutes dedicated to English language
arts and mathematics was reported. With this increase in instructional time to English language
arts and mathematics, 44% of the districts also reported cutting time in other subject areas such
as art and music in elementary schools. The increases of English language arts on average were
up to an extra 30 minutes a day and about 18 minutes per day in mathematics.
Funding for Arts Education
In 1978 after Proposition 13 was passed, districts such as Los Angeles Unified School
District (LAUSD) lost funding. As a result over time, programs in the arts were cut or reduced
and were not given consideration as a priority. Following this event, schools received less
funding and additional cuts were made in the districts. By the mid 1990’s the arts were
considered to be electives in middle and high schools and losing its place in the curriculum in
elementary schools (Slavkin & Crespin, 2000). Efforts to bring the arts back into the district
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
23
began soon after; however, the growing pressures of accountability and standardized tests with
the passing of the NCLB started another shift back in the wrong direction.
After the NCLB of 2001, as the focus of the school curriculum continued to shift to
English language arts and mathematics and subjects being tested on the state mandated tests,
funding also shifted. Arts programs lost funding and sustainability in schools with increased
cuts. The 2007 Bush plan for reauthorization of the NCLB cut funding for arts education
programs such as Art in Education. Among the programs that were “proven ineffective” and
recommended to be cut from the president’s budget for 2007 was the Art in Education at thirty
five million dollars (Chapman, 2007). Quality art programs being cut due to funding shed some
light on the situation and the level of priority the arts were given in districts and schools. It is
important to look at schools with successful programs to look at strategies and best practices of
those programs in sustaining a good arts program to support student learning.
Funding for arts education programs and courses are losing ground in schools. Focus of
district and school budgets are on subject areas that are being tested. Allocation of positions for
art teachers is also being affected. Funding and allocation of school budgets on positions are
different for school districts. In an investigational study conducted by Wilkins, Graham, Parker,
Westfall, Fraser, & Tembo (2003), they found that Virginia provides funding for a certain
number of personnel and they are generally not specific to a subject. Districts have the decision-
making authority to allocate the funding to classes and subjects. This leaves much of the
decision to districts on time allocated to the arts, which results in an inconsistency across the
state. Allowing districts across the state to allocate their time and funds to positions they feel are
more important could also affect equal access for students. Especially under the pressures of
meeting AYP and test standards, even if school leaders and decision makers feel that the arts are
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a priority, they might choose to make cuts in the arts because it is not an area that they are held
accountable for in student achievement.
Equal Access to Arts Education
Access to the arts in schools include available coursework or classes in the arts, access to
levels or sequences of art classes, availability of school sponsored arts activities, and arts related
field trips. In addition, access to quality resources should be a consideration. Quality resources
include art teachers who are highly qualified and certified, classrooms and adequate space for
learning in the arts, art programs and partnerships, and funds to support these resources (Israel,
2009). Unequal access includes less highly qualified teachers to teach in art programs. Some
schools have no certified art teachers on staff at all. Often times drama tends to be taught by
teachers who are not certified art teachers but instead by general education or English teachers
(Bresler, 1998).
Unequal access to arts education in schools with higher at-risk populations and lower
graduation rates has been reported. A study that investigated graduation rates and involvement
in the arts in New York City found that unequal access to the arts exists in schools with higher
population of lower socioeconomic status. They also had a higher percentage of Black and
Latino students in those schools with unequal access to the arts. Schools in New York City, with
the lowest rates of graduation, students have the least amount of arts education opportunities.
Schools with the lowest number of graduation rates in New York City also had the fewest
number of rooms dedicated to the arts and the smallest amount of resources for arts education.
Findings showed that schools with lower graduation rates could potentially see the most benefits
and arts education could have the most impact on student achievement (Israel, 2009). Analysis
of an investigation on student achievement and the non-art outcomes of their involvement in the
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25
arts confirmed that students with the lowest socioeconomic status and the most at-risk students
showed the most gains with participation in the arts (Catterall, Chapleau, & Iwanaga, 1999).
Involvement in the arts varies by social economic status and students of low
socioeconomic status are often being denied access to arts education for several reasons. There
is limited funding and resources for poor students and for at-risk schools to provide a rich arts
program. In schools with parents of high socioeconomic status, they are more likely to raise
more money for the resources to support arts programs. In schools with lower socioeconomic
status, they tend to lack those resources or even the level of parental involvement needed to fund
additional art programs. The disparity of what is offered in schools due to funding is ultimately a
factor in unequal access for all students (Israel, 2009).
Funding and allocation of funds are often used in different areas other than arts education
in schools where the academic improvement needs of students are in math and reading or areas
being tested. Students do not receive the same access to arts education also due to the factor that
arts education requirements and policy in arts education may vary in districts and schools.
Policy changes could play an important role in given equal access to all students in arts
education. Findings in elementary schools showed that more districts with at least one school
identified for improvement (78%) than without any schools being restructured under the NCLB
(57%) reported greater proportions of decrease in instructional time for art and music with an
increase in time for English language arts and math. Seventy six percent for urban schools had
an increase in ELA/math vs. 54% for rural districts (McMurrer, 2007).
Baker (2011) conducted a study examining 37, 222 eighth grade students and their test
scores for those students in music/visual arts against students who were not enrolled in
music/visual arts classes. Equal access to arts education was not being afforded to all students.
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Baker (2011) mentioned in the study that state law in Louisiana requires 60 minutes each of both
performance education and arts education instruction per week. However, there was an
exception to this requirement under the premise that students are not up to par in English and/or
math and have low scores on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) test. In
which case, administrators were allowed to exempt those students from arts education in order to
spend more instructional time with English and mathematics. Only about 2% of the population
in Baker’s (2011) study received the required amount of music and visual arts education, as the
Louisiana state statute required (Baker, 2011). Findings in Baker’s (2011) study indicated that
not all diverse learners were given equal opportunities to fully develop the skills acquired
through arts education. Arts education could be a key factor in improving these schools where
the arts are not provided with equal access for students.
Research in Arts Education
Many studies have suggested the positive outcomes of learning in and through the arts.
Many theorists and researcher have recognized the many benefits of arts education and how it
affects student learning. However, there has been much debate about correlations between the
arts and student achievement. Lack of arts-based research and policy support for arts education
may be contributing factors in the gap between research, policy, and actual practice of arts
education. A major disconnect and lack of collaboration between researchers and practitioners in
arts education has significant implications in education. Teachers often don’t keep up with
current research or keep up with new articles. There is not much discussion on the implications
of research among teachers or practitioners. Research and reflection is not a general practice for
teachers and current research articles or journals are not readily available to teachers within
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schools. Administration and school leaders are also often not exposed to the existing research on
arts education (Bresler, 1998).
Lack of research of benefits of each separate art disciplines such as visual arts,
performance arts, and music; also play a factor in the inadequacy of research in arts education.
Art is often looked at as one subject area and the separate disciplines of art are not given the
appropriate amount of recognition as a contributing factor to the development of different skills
for students. Each discipline of art can promote different benefits and skills (Bresler, 1998).
Further research and studies are needed in the specific outcomes and benefits of each area of art.
Areas of research especially in the art disciplines of drama and dance are lacking, further
widening the gap between research and practice (Bresler, 1998). Lack of research on the
benefits of arts education creates a challenge for arts education to be recognized as an essential
part of student learning. Justification on the importance of art in order for it to be perceived as
an important part of student’s education needs more conclusive studies with empirical evidence.
Policy Support for the Arts
Seidel (2001) discussed three major obstacles in art education research. First, opening up
communication between educators in the K-12 setting, higher education, artists, as well as with
researcher and policy makers is important to arts education (Seidel, 2001). Seidel (2001)
believed the separation of arts and education in higher education institutions left arts education
research in an area of deficiency. This creates a lack of policy support as well as a lack of
research with the disconnect between the two disciplines. Arts education research needs to be
supported by both the arts and by education in order to have stronger research. Second, there is a
lack of communication between higher education and K-12 practitioners of information and
research. This creates a barrier in the important practice of teachers carrying out and helping
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with research. Third, traditional support for research of arts education is lacking. (Seidel, 2001)
Lack of policy support could also be a result from lack of empirical evidence to support the
claims of research in arts education.
There are many studies on effectiveness of arts education on the impact of student
achievement; however, many studies look at the test scores to determine effectiveness. Test
scores are mostly reading and math. Studies that do not support the idea that arts education is a
factor in higher student achievement can negatively affect policy in education. In a study by
Wilkins, et al. (2003) of the time allocated to art, music, and physical education, they suggested
that there was no significant relationship between less time in the arts and PE to higher test
scores. However, a lack of more research and empirical evidence like this study that supports the
importance and effectiveness of arts education on student achievement is largely a factor in
policy changes or lack of policy support on arts education.
In the State of Louisiana, policy allows for students who are at risk to be exempted from
arts education or other courses in order to complete more courses in Math and English, which are
subjects of focus on high stakes testing (Baker, 2011). However, policies such as this one
conflict with the state’s constitution where it states that a goal for the education system is to give
all students an equal opportunity to develop to their fullest potential. Policy disconnects such as
this one occur in many states and need further research and action taken upon. Research
supporting the idea that at-risk students can benefit from arts education should provide enough
evidence to keep and bring arts education into schools as a core subject area. Policy changes are
needed to facilitate changes in schools to support and increase arts education.
Literature and studies on the effects of visual arts are very limited; most combine all the
arts and also look at arts integration into other subject areas rather than arts education as a
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standalone subject. Studies such as this one may influence future policy decisions, however,
more research is needed (Baker, 2011 p.21). It is important to note that policy decisions should
not be made solely on finding how the arts benefit test scores in other subject areas but how the
arts benefit and enhance student learning. Non-academic benefits of arts education can also
contribute to positive outcomes in student development and overall education.
Teacher Preparation
Having certified art teachers on staff is a big indicator of a school on its priority in
teaching the arts. Certified art teachers give the expertise and knowledge to create a community
of learners that value the arts. In NYSED, high schools and middle schools require that art
teachers should be certified in art instruction (Israel, 2009). Certified art teachers can also serve
as instructional leaders for arts integration and strategies supported by the arts to be used in
general education. In New York City schools, high schools with top graduation rates had 40%
more art teachers who were certified than the bottom schools in graduation rates (Israel, 2009).
Most California teacher certification programs give only a limited exposure to the arts
and many elementary school teachers are not equipped to teach the arts to their students
(Brouillette, 2010). Most teachers with certifications have little or no background in the arts.
They lack the training to utilize instructional practices that include strategies in arts education. A
challenge that many small schools face is having the resources to support a full time art program
or art teacher (Israel, 2009).
Professional development and training for art teachers is an area that is not a priority in
many schools. The allocation of funds to support professional development in the arts is not a
focus of many schools. In addition, professional development and training for classroom
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teachers and other teachers to enhance art integration for other subject areas is also not given
priority.
Art instruction through interdisciplinary or integrated instruction could be an effective
strategy, however, it is important to ensure that teachers are certified to teach art and that
teachers have the proper training necessary to teach arts effectively (Israel, 2009). Working in
collaboration with the art teacher is another resource. Engaging artist and teachers in inquiry
about the links in learning in the arts and in other disciplines was mentioned as a quality of good
arts education (Rabkin & Redmond, 2006).
When students have teachers who collaborate with other arts providers and integrate the
arts, they are more likely to have higher expression, risk-taking, imagination, creativity, and
cooperative learning scores. This study also showed that the benefits and positive effects of
learning in the arts can be improved with some other variables: administrative support, arts
integration in classes, innovative and dedicated teachers, and collaboration between classroom
teachers and art specialists (Burton, Horowitz, & Abeles, 2000).
Benefits of Arts Education
Research has shown that arts education enhances student learning and achievement and
other important areas including cognitive development, self-expression, student engagement,
motivation, and social-emotional development. In addition, studies have shown the benefits of
arts education into other disciplines due to enhancement and development of critical thinking and
higher order thinking skills. Many of these skills and developmental aspects of students can be
attributed and linked to arts education. Each discipline in the arts has something different to
contribute in the student’s development and education. Burton, Horowitz, & Abeles (2000)
found that learning in the arts yield positive outcomes in student learning. Some of the outcomes
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31
mentioned include, the ability to think with more imagination and creativity, added fluency and
focused perception, and persistence and risk raking in tasks. Students can gain a sense of
ownership in their learning through the arts (Burton et al., 2000).
Cognitive Development
Learning in the arts can enhance student development of the brain and cognitive
processes. Richards (2003) pointed out that the connections between the elements in art and
reading reinforce cognitive skills. When learning through the arts, readers are practicing to take
the abstract concepts in reading and change them into concrete ones. Arts literacy strategies to
help students in academic achievement in reading are related to applying the arts. In reading, the
arts provide the students with the ability to empathize, understand, and build meaning in what
they are reading (Richards, 2003). Learning to interpret the arts establishes a foundation, at a
young age, for higher-level thinking (Bugbee, 2008).
Using the National Educational Longitudinal Study that followed more than 25,000
secondary school students for the duration of 10 years and looked at their involvement in the
arts, they found a positive trend between music and math and between theatre and human
development. Catterall (1999) suggested students who learn in the arts have an increase in their
academic achievement. They also reported that whatever improvements and gains students have
made up to grades 8 through 10 will stay with them and persist to the 12
th
grade. (Catterall,
Chapleau & Iwanaga, 1999).
Creativity and student ability to be more innovative have been linked to hands-on arts
activity opportunities given to students. An avenue for innovation and practice with building
their creativity skills open up for students through engaging in activities and making direct
connections (Richards, 2003). Starting at a young age, improved imagination and creativity are
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
32
linked to art interpretation skills (Bugbee, 2008). Freedman (2000) believed that art helps people
to be creative, find new ways in thinking of old and new things, and enable us to think. In
learning through the arts, development of higher order thinking skills and creative thinking skills
are also followed by other skills such as: persistence and taking risks as well as positive
perceptions and taking ownership of learning. Self-efficacy in subjects at school such as reading
and math are also increased with arts education (Burton, et al., 2000).
A study from Teacher College, Columbia University by Burton, Horowitz, & Abeles
(2000) looked into the implications of arts learning on cognitive capacities. They examined the
effects of arts learning on other disciplines. The focus was mostly on the relationship in learning
with arts and the transfer of learning skills into other subject areas. Surveys were conducted on
student perceptions and teacher perceptions as a part of the research design for this study.
Although this study does not claim that there is clear evidence of the effects of transfer, it does
offer suggestions that a relationship does exist between learning in the arts education and other
disciplines.
Social-Emotional Development and Self Expression
In a review of research on the perceptions of elementary teachers on how the art help
student social and emotional development, Brouillette (2010) presents evidence that the arts
enhances and develops students. Particularly in the performing arts, there is a presence of
emotional development through self-expression and interactions. Interpersonal and intrapersonal
interactions in arts activities affect the student’s development socially and emotionally.
Brouillette (2010) also mentions the gaps in knowing how the interactions affect student’s social
development but some more insight is given through interviewing and following up with
teachers on their perceptions.
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Social and emotional development includes a child experiences and interactions in
relationships with others. Their ability to persist in activities and their ability to ask for help and
build relationships are affected by the child’s social and emotional skills. They begin at an early
age to build the skills they need to interact with others and connect with others through social
interactions. This kind of human development is important for students to participate in
effectively in activities at school. This kind of healthy social and emotional development could
contribute to their academic achievement. The arts provide an arena for children to develop their
social needs through task that are often group oriented (Brouillette, 2010).
Self-expression is another area of development that can be linked to learning in the arts.
Student involvement in music, drama, dance, and the visual arts can also develop student’s
ability for self-expression. Student’s ability to be more expressive is increased through dance
and dramatic play. The arts also provide an important outlet for self-expression for English
language learners (ELL) in the classroom. Through interactions with others and through drama,
ELLs can gain skills in language as well as culture (Brouillette, 2010). Using other ways for
self-expression beside a written language is beneficial for diverse learners. Teaching through the
arts creates a culturally responsive environment for many students. Culturally responsive
teaching can increase student sense of self worth and self-identity. Through the arts, teachers
can create classroom environments where students can feel accepted and development positive
social and emotional skills.
When teachers in the study by Brouillette (2010) were asked about classroom culture and
the non-academic effects of art based teaching in their classes, they were quick to mention the
pro-social behaviors of their students related to the techniques being use in the arts. The teachers
mentioned improved communication skills as one of the behaviors. According to Burton et al.
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34
(2000), student participation in drama can be associated increased ability to understand others
and increased collaborative skills. The arts often include activities that are engaging in group
activities such as dancing, singing, sharing, and taking turns (Brouillette, 2010). These
experiences contribute to students developing a sense of community with their peers as well as
skills on getting along with other and cooperative learning skills.
One perspective is that arts education is significant to a student’s foundation of learning
about the world and their social life (Freedman, 2000). The arts teaches students how to act
when there are no rules involved, it teaches them how to rely on their feelings. Art teaches
students how to pay close attention to the nuances in life and how to react to their own choices
and consequences (Eisner, 2002). Studying in the arts gives students a development of skills and
abilities that do not have a formula or measurement of outcomes, Eisner (2002) calls this
“qualitative intelligence.”
Engagement and Motivation
School dropout rates are at high proportions. In addition, students are not graduating
from high school on time. Although there is not one answer or single risk factor for student
dropouts, there are several reasons to be considered. Risk factors can also build over time
(Charmaraman & Hall, 2011). The reasons students drop out or don’t finish high school are
varied and one of the reasons includes lack of interest in school and their classes. They are not
engaged or motivated. Students have cited opportunities to be involved in the arts as a reason for
staying in school (Israel, 2009). The arts keep students interested in staying in school and
making their way to graduation (Israel, 2009). Education in the arts has also been linked to
higher rates of attendance as well as higher rates of graduation.
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Implementing strategies and interventions for students at risk of not graduating are not
sufficient. Addressing the dropout issue of student should be proactive about engaging the
students. It is important to consider the benefits of arts education when addressing the issue of
high school dropouts. The schools with the most access to arts education have the highest rates
of graduation (Israel, 2009).
Schools with strong art programs have reported decreased rates of dropout. In a study
looking at New York City High School dropout rates, the findings suggested that arts education
played a role in students staying in schools and also in student graduating on time. High schools
with the top third graduation rates had 40 % more space and resources dedicated to art classes.
They also had 25% more partnerships with art organizations. Schools with higher graduation
rates had raised more funds to support art programs. High schools with the top third graduation
rates also had about 35% more students with art courses and more opportunities to be involved in
art performances, activities, museum exhibits, or other art activities than with the bottom third
schools (Israel, 2009). The findings from this study suggested that access to arts education can
be critical to improving graduation rates and could be a strategy for struggling students and
schools to improve.
Student engagement and motivation are important factors to student achievement. Studies
have found that student engagement and motivation have increased with art programs. Students
are more actively engaged in their learning through the arts. Because students are also more
actively involved in arts education, they experience a more engaging understanding of their
learning (Gullatt, 2007).
Standardized testing and the focus of schools to improve test scores may have school
programs narrowing the curriculum and cutting art programs. However, as mentioned in a study
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36
by Wilkins, et al. (2003), there is no reason to believe that there is a significance of allocating
less time in the curriculum to the arts would increase student success in standardized tests.
Moreover, the study revealed a positive trend that suggested that schools with specialist and
instruction for art, music, and physical education may do better on the standardized tests.
Findings from a study by Baker (2011) showed those students who were enrolled in
music classes scored higher on their tests in English and math than students who were not.
Benefits of music are linked to benefits in math achievement (Southgate & Roscigno, 2009). In
an analysis of how music involvement impacts academic achievement, participation in music
classes is associated with higher student achievement. Additional considerations should be made
such as student’s music involvement related to their cultural capital. Students and their
backgrounds such as gender and socioeconomic status play a role in the outcomes, which is an
area that needs further study (Southgate & Roscigno, 2009).
In looking at school culture and climate as factors of student engagement and motivation
for student achievement, they seem to be positively related. According to the survey results in a
study by Burton et al. (2000), teachers in the classroom who integrated arts into their instruction
and worked with art specialists in their school had an increased rate of job satisfaction. With
teacher satisfaction, they were also more likely to be innovative in their classroom as well as
having good relationships with their students. The nature of teacher relationships with students
builds the school culture and climate of the classroom. Many teachers ascribed their positive
teacher practices and relationships with their students to the arts programs (Burton et al., 2000).
Promising Practices
There have been many innovative strategies to increase and maintain funding, gain policy
support, sustain programs and partnerships in arts education, however, there is a continuing need
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37
to educate the public and policymakers to delve deeper into examining the existing flaws in
retaining arts education. Promising curricular practices in maintaining arts education include
specialized programs and arts integrated curriculum and instruction.
Curriculum and Instruction
Availability of courses in the arts should be expanded in schools and students should
have an opportunity to take more classes in art beyond the number of courses required for
graduation. Increasing the number of required courses for graduation should also be considered
(Israel, 2009). Magnet arts programs and other kinds of art enrichment programs offered in
schools have been proven to enhance student learning and support learning through the arts.
Evidence from several studies mentioned here support some promising practices that schools can
integrate into their programs.
A program such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program promotes and supports
learning in and through the arts. A study looking at the experiences of an IB dance program
students found that there were positive benefits. Some of the themes that came from this study
were self, growth, interpersonal growth, understanding of dance, and understanding of the
connections with dance and other content areas. The IB dance program in this study extended
over a two-year period. They focused on many aspects of dance such as dance making, world
dance, and performance. Research and writing in dance was a part of the curriculum. Students
worked alone and in groups collaboratively to choreograph dance and they also worked with
professional dancers for modern dance. Students researched and wrote about the history of
dance in addition to studying different forms of dance. They worked with professional and
artists at their school site as well as off site. Students were evaluated based on their performance
and they participated in public performances and concerts (Minton & Hofmeister, 2010).
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Although much of their learning was performance based and they had many experiences
being involved in dance and working with others and in groups, they also had an extensive
amount of written work that they completed. Many of their experiences and performances were
related to written work. Whether it is research or descriptions about their dance moves or they
were writing about the history of their dance, there was a component of their experience in which
they were writing. Students were also involved in many discussions and analysis of their work.
This was an important area of study where students gain skills in working collaboratively and
being creative. Students taught each other as well and shared with each other their techniques
and movements (Minton & Hofmeister, 2010).
Students in this study were interviewed and many of them stated that the classes made
them feel more self confident and outgoing. Another important area of growth through this
program that students mentioned was self-expression. Through observation, the author noted
that students wrote in journals and to reflect on their own creative process. Students were also
observed self-analyzing and evaluate each other’s actions and movements. Through various
activities in the program students also connected their experiences to other life experiences.
They made cross-curricular connections and cross cultural connections as well (Minton &
Hofmeister, 2010).
IB programs such as the IB dance program are only offered in IB schools, however,
looking at and integrating their practices into regular schools programs could be beneficial to
students. Looking at the research and the outcomes of programs like the IB dance program,
taking some of their components into other high schools would be a promising practice to follow.
The skills identified in this study should be explored further on its transferability into other
content areas.
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Examining the successes of magnet programs that support the arts and provide students
with an enrichment of arts demonstrate another promising means to retain art education.
Findings from a summative evaluation of the Creative & Performing Arts Program in Maryland
supported that the results of an enhanced art curriculum are positive. The Creative & Performing
Arts Program was a magnet program and attracts students from the whole district giving the
program a diverse population. Students who received instruction in this program as a part of
their curriculum had higher test scores in the Maryland School Assessment. Students
participating in this program also had lower rates of absences. Magnet programs such as this one
also reduced racial and economic homogeneity of the school. They also attracted motivated and
high performing students to the school while increasing the options for students to participate in
an art program. The CPA was created as an innovative way to improve the academic
achievement in their school. The program provided more in depth instruction on the art
disciplines. Students had more opportunities to choose from eight disciplines within the arts.
Students must be admitted into the program through an application and audition, additional to
meeting certain criteria. Student must also maintain a level of GPA and attendance rate (Keane,
2010).
Arts integration can be engaging and can benefits many students. Teaching through the
arts and incorporating art in teaching other content areas to engage students and improve
academic achievement can be a key instructional strategy. Arts integration brings arts into the
schools through connections across the curriculum. In arts integrated classrooms, student
experience more meaningful connections with their emotions and work in school (Rabkin &
Redmond, 2006).
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Policy on Arts Education
Recommendations from a study by the Center for Education Policy (McMurrer, 2007)
included staggering the requirement for standardized test to include testing in subject areas other
than reading and math. Another recommendation included state curriculum guidelines to support
adequate time for art and music. Including art assessment and standards on the national level
with policy support is another area to consider (McMurrer, 2007).
Israel (2009) recommended increasing minimum requirement to three art courses. Cities
should require all school to provide students in schools with enough space for art instruction.
Regulations should include intervention programs for schools out of compliance with the state
requirements and investigations of high schools to ensure compliance with graduation
requirements should be made. Israel (2009) suggested that policies to ensure equal access to all
schools and students should be implemented. In national studies, findings showed that at-risk
students cited their interest and participation in the arts as their main reason for staying in school.
Increasing their access to arts programs and more art classes would improve at-risk student
engagement (Israel, 2009).
Brouilette’s (2010) study of teacher perceptions and outcomes of arts education asserted
that professional development facilitated concept and skill development in arts instruction.
Concept and skill development for teachers is a key component to successful arts instruction.
Policy needs to support the idea of including teacher candidate training in teaching art-based
strategies.
Funding and Sustainability
Recommendation by the Center for Education Policy (McMurrer, 2007) included
providing federal funding to increase the research on best practices such as more integration of
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41
subject areas to enrich the curriculum. They also recommended using title I and II funds to train
teacher in this area (McMurrer, 2007). Israel (2009) suggested that accountability for spending
on funds dedicated to arts education should be made stronger. Raising funds and gaining support
from outside of the school was mentioned as a characteristic of good programs (Rabkin &
Redmond, 2006)
Parent Advocacy is an important area in sustaining arts programs and it is often
overlooked. Until parents take a more active role in advocating for the arts, it will continue to
play minor part in the curriculum of many schools (Gullatt, 2007). It is important for parents to
continuously bring attention and demands for the arts to get increased funding and support and a
bigger role in the daily instruction of students. Often times the ability for schools to gain extra
funds from external sources are the parents. The amount of money raised by from external
sources for schools may reflect the level of parental involvement. (Israel, 2009).
In order to maintain current and future arts education programs protect existing funding is
an essential part of ensuring the sustainability. Advocacy from school and district leaders play
an important role in keeping the arts. Principals of schools should include plans for school wide
implementation of arts integration through multiple disciplines of arts education (Rabkin
&Redmond, 2006). Implementation and supports for a comprehensive arts program in schools
must have the support of good leaders (Slavkin & Crespin, 2000). Principals can advocate for
flexible arts programming and integration of the arts in the general classroom. Schools that have
this kind of support from administration and teacher commitment to the arts opens up the
opportunities for students to be involved in an enriched art programs (Burton, Horowitz, &
Abeles, 2000).
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Educating the public about arts education and its benefits is another issue that plays a role
in the sustainability of the arts. Building bridges between practitioners and researchers can
presents a strategy that can extend existing and future research into classrooms where students
can benefit from. The North Dakota Study Group and Dialogue in Methods Education where
groups hold annual meetings of informal conversation and presentations to build connection
between practitioners and researchers demonstrated some best practices in arts education
(Bresler, 1998).
Israel (2009), stressed that every school should have at least one certified art teacher.
Cities should offer monetary incentives to keep certified art teachers in high-needs schools.
Smilan & Miraglia (2009) identified a need for highly qualified teachers and art educators
promoting and leading an art-integrated curriculum. Access to professional development is
essential in maintaining highly qualified teachers in arts instruction. They should also support
and increase strategies for art teachers and artist in small high schools. Districts should make
available programs to certificate non-art teachers in the different disciplines within arts education
and motivated art teachers to influence the school culture and shape school curriculum for art-
based learning in schools. Artists should be compensated to work with teachers and partnerships
with schools (Rabkin & Redmond, 2006).
Partnerships in the Community
Art enrichment programs that offer arts education to students is another area to consider
as a best practice in retention of arts education. Partnerships between schools and organizations
bring opportunities for students to learn in the arts and also in other content areas. When outside
partners collaborate with schools to bring in programs, they can contribute to enhancing student
learning and enriching the curriculum. Successful partnerships and programs can bring in other
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community sources and help the schools stay connected with the community (Israel, 2009).
Linking learning with communities and working together with the community to provide arts
education to students is a promising way to provide new opportunities and options for students.
Rabkin & Redmond (2006) suggested that some of the best program draw on the communities
for resources and build partnerships with art organizations.
Partnerships with businesses and organizations in the community allow more funds for
schools in arts education from an outside source. Partnerships with outside sources construct
innovative ways to create or retain arts programs in schools (Heilig, Cole, & Aguilar, 2010).
Conclusion
The existing research in arts education shows the need for policy support as well as
further research to strengthen the empirical evidence on the benefits of arts education. The
benefits of arts education have shown correlations with many positive outcomes in education to
bring about the need for further investigations into the effect of arts education and how arts
education can be utilized to foster growth and achievement of students. Looking at the benefits
of the separate disciplines in art and investigating each separate areas of arts education could
convey the importance of arts education in facilitating positive development of student in
academics as well as in non academic areas. Sustainability of existing programs is an important
area of focus in retaining arts education in schools. More research and studies on the best
practices in arts education could strengthen the role of the discipline and give arts education a
solid position in the curriculum. This qualitative case study on a school recognized for
sustaining a strong arts program in the school curriculum may help shed some light on the
promising practices to retain the arts.
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Chapter Three: Methodology
The purpose of this study was to examine a school that has maintained arts education as a
priority within their instructional time, while managing other demands that have emerged from
mandated accountability measures and budget constraints. The following are the research
questions that guided this study:
1. Why are the arts important to the students in this school?
2. How are resources for the arts addressed in the single school wide action plan?
3. How has the school retained the arts as a priority? (Impetus)
4. What is the (perceived) impact of the arts on the life of the school, which includes the
culture and the academic achievements?
Summary of Research Design
The research design of this study was a qualitative case study of a high performing arts
magnet school in an urban area. A high performing school dedicated to the arts was selected for
this study. A school was determined as high performing by its academic performance index
(API) and school ranking.
Qualitative research methods of data collection were used for this case study. A multi-
method approach was used in collecting the data for this study. Triangulation of the data from
this study was used to increase the validity and the reliability of the data for this study. This case
study involved on site school visits as well as document reviews of resources via the Internet.
A case study shall shed light on a certain phenomenon and can be used as an example of
the broader phenomenon (Gall, Gall, &Borg, 2003). This case study of the school selected can
be used as an example of the constructive effects of arts education in improving student learning.
Four characteristics of a case study listed by Gall, Gall, & Borg (2003) are: the study of
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phenomena, and in depth study of a case, and the study in its natural context, and study of the
perspectives of the participants related to the phenomena. A case study method was chosen for
this study because it allowed for an in-depth study of the school involved in this research. Patton
(2002) stated that the process of the analysis would result in the actual case study. This kind of
study required a specific way of collecting and analyzing data, which included a review of
documents, surveys, interviews, and observations.
A unique design of University of Southern California’s doctorate program in Education
allows for thematic group dissertations. The thematic dissertation groups, chosen by the
researcher, shared a common research theme and area of interest to study. The researchers
worked together on some components of the study and worked individually on the rest of the
study. In the selected thematic group, each member conducted research as a case study at
different school sites. We worked collaboratively to design the study and the four member of our
group worked together to create instruments for data collection. As a team, we created
instruments for the survey, interviews, and observation protocols. We also worked together to
determine which documents would be relevant for review and analysis. Two members chose to
do their study at a high school and myself and one other member conducted research at an
elementary school. The thematic group worked together on instrumentation of data collection
methods but studies were conducted individually at each of the researcher’s school sites. Each
case study was conducted individually and only data collection methods were shared.
Initially a document review was conducted to collect some general and specific
information about the school. Relevant documents were reviewed and used for collecting data
about the school. The document review included:
• handbooks (student, parent, staff),
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46
• master school calendar,
• daily schedules,
• school plan,
• student work,
• school site council notes,
• department meeting notes,
• curriculum guides (K-5),
• school policies, and
• the SARC- School Accountability Report Card.
The school website provided many of the documents or links to the documents selected for
review.
A survey was given to the staff that attended a monthly staff meeting. The survey used
was designed collaboratively with other thematic group members conducting research at primary
and secondary schools. Surveys were given to staff about their perceptions and beliefs about arts
education in their school.
Interviews of individual staff members were conducted. Interviews were given to
selected staff members based on their positions at the school in addition to the document review,
observations, and survey results. The interviews were intended to collect data on the perceptions
and beliefs of the teachers and the administration of the case study school. Field observations
were conducted throughout the study.
The multi-method qualitative approach to this study was appropriate in order to
triangulate the data to strengthen the findings from the study. Gall, Gall, & Borg (2003) stated
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that using multiple methods of data collection when studying a phenomenon enhances the
validity of the findings in the case study.
Our thematic group designed the conceptual framework for this study collaboratively
(Figure 1). It was designed to show the outside influences and the factors in improving student
learning. It shows the relationship of the different influences on student learning and it also
demonstrates what place arts education has in the cycle. The outside influences on student
learning include globalization, national state and district funding and influences, equity and
access for urban school, as well as accountability. The inside factors that play a role in
improved student learning are pre-service and in-service teacher development, leadership, school
culture, and curriculum and instruction. Arts education is linked in the area of curriculum and
instruction.
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Figure 1. Conceptual Model Used for the Case Study
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Sample and Population
Our thematic group collaboratively came up with a shared set of criteria for the school
site selection. The criteria for the school that was selected for the study included the school’s
stated commitment to arts education, their broad arts curriculum, financial support, recognition
for excellence in arts education, and how they have maintained and strengthened the arts in their
school post No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
The study sample population was a public elementary school located in Southern
California that is actively committed to retaining arts education in the face of high stakes testing
and the No Child Left Behind Act. Despite the current fiscal crisis in public education, this
school has managed to thrive with a rich arts program serving a diverse community. In addition,
the site has been awarded prestigious awards based on their arts program and has partnerships
within the arts community. This school has been recognized for their excellence in arts
education. A letter for recruitment was sent to the principal of the elementary school in request
for the school’s participation in the study. A recruitment letter (Appendix A) was used for this
study. I met with the school principal and gave her my research proposal. The school’s
participation was then approved by the superintendant of the district to proceed with the study at
the school site.
The school that was selected for this case study was Mark Twain (a fictitious name)
Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School in Southern California. Mark Twain has maintained
and continues to strengthen their arts program. Their mission statement is the following:
Mark Twain Elementary School staff, administrators, parents, and community members
share the responsibility for and are committed to creating a safe, stimulating academic
environment. The integration of arts across our curriculum empowers all students to
reach their full cognitive, creative, and social potential. Twain's dynamic educational
program fosters cooperative and independent learning as well as critical thinking skills to
promote a life-long love of learning and respect for all.
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The school’s mission statement illustrated their commitment to the arts. The school has a
magnet program for the arts; this description gives an overview of the program:
Along with a rigorous academic program, Twain offers dance, theatre, music, and visual
art experiences to all students both as independent classes and as interdisciplinary
subjects woven into core content areas: Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social
Studies. Integration of the arts provides students with opportunities to excel and thrive as
creative, flexible thinkers ready to meet the demands of the 21st century.
Funding for the school includes a share of a federal grant awarded to their school district,
designating the school as a visual and performing arts magnet school. This school has been
recognized for excellence in arts education by awards such as this one. The school supports a
curriculum that covers a broad area of arts. Dance, music, theater, and visual arts are represented
in the school’s curriculum and content standards. In addition to the instruction of the individual
art disciplines, integration of the arts across the curriculum is also Mark Twain’s mission.
The school has demonstrated a high level of performance with an overall Academic Performance
Index (API) of 866 for the 2010-2011 school year. Although the score shows a 4-point drop
from the previous year, the score exceeds the state average of 807 and county average of 802.
The API for the 2011-2012 school year showed a 19-point increase to 885. In addition, the
school is ranked 8 out of 10 compared to all other California elementary schools. The API
similar school ranking is a 6 out of 10. The school has also shown an increase in their API score
in the past years. Table 1 shows their continuous improvement in the previous years.
Table 1
API Scores Over Six Years
2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012
API score 819 827 851 870 866 885
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Participants for the interview were selected based on their position at the school. General
classroom teachers, art teachers, department leaders, and administration leaders were selected for
an interview. Classrooms observed were the classrooms of teachers chosen for the interview.
Observation days of the school environment were randomly selected. Observations of classroom
instruction were arranged with the teachers prior to the classroom visits. Observations for school
performances and school events were chosen from the master school calendar of events.
Any issue of sampling could be due to the purposeful sampling of the participants in this
study. The participants were purposefully selected depending on their role at the school.
Participants being interviewed and observed were chosen based on their positions at the school.
The surveys were administered to all the staff members present at a school wide staff meeting.
Instrumentation
Survey questions were created in collaboration with the thematic dissertation group. One
survey was designed for the elementary schools and a different version for the high schools. The
surveys were later modified to fit both populations and all group members used the same surveys
(Appendix D). The questions for the survey were based on relevance to the research questions of
the study. The survey used a four point Likert scale to assess the participants’ perceptions and
views about different areas of arts education in their school. The four point Likert scale used the
following statements: strongly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree. The survey
consisted of a total of 24 questions in three sections: curricular elements, organizational
structure, and school culture.
A standardized open-ended interview was created in combination with an interview
guide. The interview guide was created to stay on topic and for consistency with the questions
for all the participants that were interviewed. Twenty-four questions that were relevant to all the
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positions being interviewed were asked. The interviews were incorporated with a variety of
question types including questions about experiences, opinions, feelings, knowledge, and
background questions. The questions were aimed at answering the main research questions of
this study. The interview protocol was intended to collect data on the perceptions of the
interviewee in relation to the research questions of the study. For the interview protocol
(Appendix E), Creswell’s (2009) suggestions for an interview protocol were utilized. This
protocol had the follow components: opening statements for the interview, the research
questions, probes and transitions for the interview, and a space for recording notes. In this
interview protocol, space was also reserved for reflective notes (Appendix F).
For the observations a protocol was developed that was appropriate for observation
purposes (Appendix H ). A lined sheet with stamps for time incorporated in on every few lines
or so was developed to consistently mark the time during observation (Appendix G). A dual
sided sheet was created to write descriptive notes of what was observed and a side for reflective
notes. Descriptive notes were strictly for a thick and rich description of what was observed. The
other side was used for reflective notes that included interpretations and personal notes or
reminders. A blank space was set aside for any drawings or mapping that would be appropriate
with the observation.
Instrumentation of data collection methods were intentionally chosen in order to
triangulate the data with multiple methods to address the research questions stated for this study.
Triangulation of the data with multiple methods of data collection strengthened the findings of
this study.
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Data Collection
Documents were reviewed through several different resources from the document review
checklist (Appendix A). Some documents were obtained for review through the school website
and district websites. Access to other documents was granted with permission of the principal at
the school site. Student, parent, and staff handbooks were reviewed. The curriculum guides and
content standards for K-5 were reviewed. The school’s master calendar and schedule were
reviewed. The school plan and improvement plan were other documents that were evaluated.
Meeting agendas and notes were included in the document review process.
The survey was administered to the staff of the school during a staff meeting (Appendix
D). In addition to a letter to the staff (Appendix C), a brief introduction of myself and the
purpose for the study was presented. The survey directions and overview of the survey were
explained to the staff and surveys were distributed. Staff members completed the survey and
turned them in as they left the staff meeting. The surveys were numbered for later use and
analysis.
Interviews were conducted on an individual basis. Classroom teachers, arts education
teachers, administrators, and department leaders were interviewed for inquiry into the focus of
this case study (Appendix E). The interviews lasted about 30-45 minutes. The settings of the
interviews were the teachers’ classrooms or the administrator’s office. Meetings were set up
with the interview participants before or after school when there were minimal distractions. An
audio recording was made in addition to handwritten notes. Handwritten notes were used as a
backup method in case the audio device failed or if unexpected difficulties occurred with using
the device. Reflective notes were also taken during the interview to record and thoughts or
questions to address (Appendix F). In addition to the paper and pencil interview instrument, the
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interview was recorded using an iPad. Consent of the participant was granted before the audio
taping of the interview.
Patton (2002) mentioned that a big part of observation is learning to concentrate while
observing. In order to limit distractions, an effort was made to arrive and start immediately by
familiarizing myself with the room or environment then mapping out the setting before any
students arrived. In order to focus on the research question during the observations, the
dissertation group developed a list of question to guide our observations (Appendix H). An
observation schedule with stated purpose also helped guide the observation process and organize
the data (Appendix I).
Observations of the school, general education classroom and arts education classrooms
were conducted. Meetings were observed as well as other school functions and extracurricular
activities such as assemblies, after school activities, and school wide performances. Observations
of the professional development for teachers at the school were conducted. Field notes were
taken during all observations (Appendix G). Photographs were also taken to capture images of
classrooms and the school environment for analysis.
One of the limitations of the data collection for this study was that the study was limited
to a single school site. The data collection and study was over a brief period of time with limited
number of school site visits. Another limitation was that participants in the study were not
chosen using random sampling.
Data Analysis
Patton (2002) also mentioned that there is no formula for transforming data into the
findings and also mentioned that the reason or purpose for the analysis should guide your
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analysis. During the analysis of the data, the research questions were constantly referred to as a
guide.
The process of data analysis that was followed was based on the steps discussed by
Creswell (2009):
Step 1 Organize and prepare data
Step 2 Read the data
Step 3 Coding
Step 4 Generate themes
Step 5 Determine how to represent themes
Step 6 Interpretations
In step one, all data collected was organized by methods used and also by research
questions. Copies of all the data was made to keep an original copy and a set was used to
highlight and write notes on. The data and notes were coded by common themes that occurred
within the data. Narratives for themes were written to represent different findings and the
narratives helped formulate interpretations of the data.
In analyzing the data for the interviews, a chart was set up with research questions for the
rows and impact on the arts for the columns. The columns in the chart included positive impact,
negative impact, or no impact on arts in the school. The data was separated based on how the
response could be related to the impact of the arts program in the school. This was the approach
taken for coding the data in order to identify themes from the findings. As themes started to
emerge, the data was color-coded according to the themes. Some of the responses had an impact
on the arts in a positive or a negative way and some of the responses were not directly related to
the arts in the school in any way. The data analysis process also involved interpreting some of
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the meaning of the data. In addition, comparisons were made of the data from different data
collection methods to confirm some of the findings. Triangulation of the data sources supported
the validity of the findings and justified the themes that emerged.
Patton (2002) states that thick and rich descriptions are important in qualitative data
analysis. A great effort was made through field notes to provide thick and rich descriptions of
the observations for data analysis. Problems with data analysis included the assumption that my
interpretations were correct and accurate. Assumptions were also made that the data provided
for analysis provided the most thick and rich descriptions possible.
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Chapter Four: Results
The purpose of this study was to examine a school that has maintained arts education as a
priority within their instructional time, while managing other demands that have emerged from
mandated accountability measures and budget constraints. In this chapter, the findings from the
case study of Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School are presented and
discussed. The data collection in this study was guided by the following research questions:
1. Why are the arts important to the students in this school?
2. How are resources for the arts addressed in the single school wide action plan?
3. How has the school retained the arts as a priority? (Impetus)
4. What is the (perceived) impact of the arts on the life of the school, which includes the
culture and the academic achievements?
The criteria for the school that was selected for this case study included the school’s
stated commitment to arts education, their broad arts curriculum, financial support, recognition
for excellence in arts education, and how they have maintained and strengthened the arts in their
school post No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
The data collected was primarily qualitative. Document reviews, observations and
interviews were used to collect the qualitative data. Some quantitative data was collected
through the survey given to the staff of Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School.
The data from document review, observations, interview, and the survey were triangulated to
validate the findings of this case study (Appendix J).
Background of Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School
The school community lies between the San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Valley in
Southern California. This city is home to some major media companies and a significant Eastern
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European immigrant subgroup. Most important to this study, it is home to Mark Twain Visual
and Performing Arts school where art becomes an authentic learning experience in the lives of
many young children through the daily arts instruction happening at their school. The passion of
the arts is transformed into a way of life at this school and their efforts continue to grow in
keeping the arts alive through the hard times with budgets cuts and mandates to cut art programs.
The Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts School has only been an arts magnet school
for two and a half years but has a strong standing tradition of supporting the arts and arts
programs. In 1991, parents of the school formed the “Make Twain Special” foundation to raise
funds for programs in the school with a focus mainly on visual and performing arts programs.
The following description of the foundation is provided on the school’s website:
MTS (Make Twain Special) Foundation is a non-profit community group formed by the
parents and community members at Twain to spearhead major fundraising efforts for the
school. The Foundation has done many exciting things in the past few years. Our biggest
endeavor has been to support arts instruction during the school day for all students K-5.
This foundation has been an integral part of the school culture and support for the arts and
culture of the school in retaining the art.
In 2010, Mark Twain was awarded a 2.4 million dollar federal grant along with two other
schools in the district to become a visual and performing arts magnet school. This 2.4 million
dollar grant was awarded to support the existing art program as well as to expand the art program
at Mark Twain over a three-year period. This money has been used to provide training and
classes for teachers in art integration and to bring in professional artists to teach in the school.
This grant has also been used for the school to fund partnerships with outside art organizations
such as a major studio, the Art Armory, and the Music Center.
Mark Twain has students from many different international backgrounds. The student
population is 2% African American, 24% Asian, 11% Hispanic or Latino, and 61% White.
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Although the school is 61% white, English-language learners comprise 51% of the student
population at this school. The language most spoken at home of students at this school is
Armenian. The student enrollment at Mark Twain is 964 with a grade range of K-5.
Mark Twain has been recognized as a California Distinguished School in 2002.
Additionally, in 2005 and 2011 they were awarded as a Title I Achieving School. Listed are
some of the pride points highlighted on the district website for Mark Twain Visual and
Performing Arts Magnet:
• Focus on high expectations and achievement for all students
• Emphasis on a standards-based instructional program throughout the school day
• Outstanding parent involvement through an active PTA and MKS "Make Keppel
Special" foundation
• Campus is kept clean and supports student learning
• Experienced staff - Many hold advanced degrees
• iMac lab equipped with 37 computers
• Award winning Drill Team
• Emphasis on Visual and Performing Arts through recorder lessons, art, and music classes
• Mandatory school uniforms since 1999 to promote an academic atmosphere and
emphasize student safety
• Chorus and Orchestra Program
• Enrichment classes for GATE students
• Child Development and RAP programs provide before and after school childcare
The recognition of several different areas of art is emphasized and it shows that arts have an
important place in this school. Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School’s
mission states:
Mark Twain Elementary School staff, administrators, parents, and community members
share the responsibility for and are committed to creating a safe, stimulating academic
environment. The integration of the arts across our curriculum empowers all students to
reach their full cognitive, creative, and social potential. Twain’s dynamic educational
program fosters cooperative and independent learning as well as critical thinking skills to
promote a life-long love of learning and respect for all.
This mission also shows the school’s dedication to provide an arts rich program to students at the
school. This mission is posted in the main entrance to the school as well as on their web page.
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This mission of the school is clearly demonstrated in many different areas of the school that will
be discussed in the findings of this case study.
Mark Twain is an arts magnet where the approach for student learning is often through
the arts or through arts integrated lessons. The school’s website illustrates the arts magnet
program with this description:
Along with a rigorous academic program, Twain offers dance, theatre, music, and visual
art experiences to all students both as independent classes and as interdisciplinary
subjects woven into core content areas: Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social
Studies. Integration of the arts provides students with opportunities to excel and thrive as
creative, flexible thinkers ready to meet the demands of the 21st century.
It is important to note that the school has a visual and performing arts magnet options as well as
a visual and performing arts FLAG (Foreign Language Academies of Glendale) program option
for Korean immersion. In conjunction with the arts magnet program, the school offers this
language program option:
Along with the Arts Program described above Twain also offers the FLAG Korean or
Korean Dual Language 50/50 Model Program option, which can be selected for those
who want a bilingual Korean/English Program. FLAG students participate in the Arts
Program while dividing their instructional day in Korean (50%) and English (50%).
Participants
The participants in this study were staff and related stakeholders of the case study school.
The surveys were completed by faculty, which includes administration, classroom teachers,
teacher specialist, artists, resource teachers, and partnership contacts. The individuals
interviewed were chosen based on their position or roles at the case study school and their
participation was voluntary. Interviews were requested for a second grade teacher, a fourth
grade teacher, choral music teach (also the teacher specialist), visual arts teacher (artist), arts
magnet coordinator, art media coach, assistant principal, principal, and an arts program
partnership contact. The interview with the art media coach and fourth grade teacher were not
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61
completed due to scheduling issues. Observations of the classrooms for a second grade teacher,
a fourth grade teacher, the choral music teacher, and the visual arts teacher were conducted
during instruction with students present. The triangulation matrix shows the instrumentation
utilized to gather data from each participant in the study (Appendix K).
Experiences of the participants ranged from one to ten or more years. Participants of the
survey were asked to indicate the number of years of experience on the survey. The table below
represents the experience of the survey participants.
Table 2
Educator Experience
Number of Years of Experience Number of Teachers
0-4 years experience 8
5-10 years 4
10+ years 29
The principal of this school that was interviewed was in her first year as principal of this
school. However, she has been in and out of this school holding different positions over the
years and felt she has a strong existing relationship with the community and knowledge about the
culture of the school. The assistant principal started as a teacher and moved to Mark Twain as a
teacher for three years and continued as a teacher specialist for 7 years. This is her 18
th
year as
an educator. The arts magnet coordinator started working in her position when the magnet grant
first started. Her previous experience was as a classroom teacher for 9 years. She has a visual
arts background from her undergraduate studies. The visual arts teacher interviewed was in her
5
th
years as the visual arts teacher at Mark Twain and is also the parent to former students of the
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school. She worked with her children’s classes every Friday. Later the foundation created the
position from the some funds and opened up the classroom for an artist to teach the visual arts
class through the magnet funding, she came on full time. In her sixteenth year of teaching at
Mark Twain, the second grade teacher also went to school in the district. This year was the first
year of the choral music teacher as a full time teacher at Mark Twain and as a teacher specialist.
She has been teaching for 16 years between general education and choral music. The partnership
contact from art armory that was interviewed for this study is the director of professional
development at the armory center for the arts for 17 years and was a teaching artist in the
classroom for 7 years. She started working with the Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts
School three years ago after she was approached by the former principal to create an innovative
model for the school to integrate the arts into every subject area.
Summary of Data Collection
The school website and the district website were carefully evaluated for initial data
collection. The school accountability report card (SARC) was reviewed for data to determine the
school’s eligibility for the criteria of the case study. The school’s master calendar and parent
handbook contained essential data about the events during and after school. This document were
obtained from the school website and also later given in hard copy form by the principal. The
master calendar and parent handbook were essentially one document that was given out to all
parents.
Prior to visiting the school site, some research was conducted on the school and the
district’s website for some information regarding the school. The school website had various
resources about the school’s program. The website had information about fundraisers and
campaigns for raising money for the school’s arts program. The importance of art education for
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63
Mark Twain was evident through the school’s website. The school’s engagement in arts related
activities were spread out throughout the website. One thing that stuck out immediately was a
You Tube video made featuring students for their “Campaign for Excellence” which was a
fundraising effort by the PTA and school. The video was very well put together and it portrayed
many different art disciplines even just in that six-minute video. It gave some background
information about the school and the art magnet program that started in 2010 through a grant.
The Initial Visits
As I walked toward the school for my initial visit with the school principal, the school’s
banner outside read, “California Distinguished School.” Another big banner read, “Make Twain
Special, Every Drop Counts” with a paint bucket tallying the amount of money raised.
Another posted hanging read “Academic Excellence through the Arts” with the words “visual
arts”, “dance”, “drama”, and “music” surrounding the phrase. The initial visit with the principal
was in spring of 2012 to discuss the parameters of the study. She was very enthusiastic about the
topic of my study and was very willing and helpful about the school participation in the study.
She stated that she just needed to get permission from the district before we proceeded with the
study and asked me to draft a letter for the district addressed to her (Appendix B). Assuming
that the district permission would be granted we went forth with planning the next couple visits.
The principal invited me to the first faculty meeting in the fall semester to introduce the study
and conduct the staff surveys. She also offered to have a substitute release day for teachers to
participate in interviews. After the meeting, the proposal for the study was sent in order for her
to forward to the district superintendent for approval as well as a draft of the survey to be
distributed to staff. There was a high level of support from the principal and she welcomed the
study into her school.
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The summer after the initial visit with the principal I contacted her about attending the
faculty meeting in the fall, she informed me of her new position elsewhere and passed along the
contact information for the new principal. I contacted the new principal about the study and she
was also very willing to help and participate in the study. She extended an invitation for me to
attend the faculty meeting in late September to start data collection and discuss with her the rest
of the study.
“I am a triangle 1, 2, 3. I am a triangle 1, 2, 3… I am a triangle, I have three sides… A
young student sings as he is walking out of the building. On my site visit to the after school
faculty meeting, walking into the building while children were being dismissed, I notice a very
young child that I observe to be in kindergarten or so singing a song as he left the school.
Immediately, I am reminded of the songs I was taught by a teacher in first grade. It was a song
about short and long vowels. It was song I used to remember the different between the two
vowel sounds as a kid. I still remember it to this day and I also taught it to my students as a
second grade teacher. I think about how much information I have learned through songs in
school and how I remember them still. I am reminded of the importance of the arts in school.
The faculty meeting begins with a discussion of year one and year two overviews
followed by year three “where we are headed”. The arts magnet coordinator starts the meeting
with the discussion of the magnet program funds and the existing programs. She discusses some
funding opportunities for future arts programs. Then they move on to discuss grade level
collaboration meetings for arts integration. Fifteen minutes into the faculty meeting and
everything discussed has been related to the arts. “Arts enhances critical thinking and
involvement in the arts improves intellectual thinking” principal states. The meeting so far really
portrays the school’s involvement in the arts, if not, at the least the principal’s role as a leader to
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advocate for the arts as a positive aspect of learning. The agenda of the staff meeting included:
an update from the magnet coordinator about the arts grant, Title I funding, focus on results talk,
professional development on building relationships with students, upcoming events, and my
presentation on the research I will be doing at the school.
My presentation to the group at the end of the meeting lasted about 10 minutes and the
staff received a letter with a brief introduction of the research and researcher in addition to the
intent to conduct a case study at their school (Appendix C). The letter also stated the purpose of
the study and what the participation in the study might entail for the staff. Researcher’s contact
information was given for any further questions about the study. Surveys were completed and
returned by 41 staff members out of the 47 that attended the meeting. Two teachers left the
meeting before it was over and didn’t receive a survey. The remaining four surveys were not
returned. The survey results represented 91% of the faculty given surveys at the meeting, which
included two participants from the administration team, 35 classroom teachers, three resource
teachers, and one teacher specialist.
Following the faculty meeting I met with the principal to discuss the details of the study
and the site visits to the school. She extended the invitation for me to join any school event,
meeting, or classroom observation with prior notice. She shared her background and experiences
as well as her passion for the arts. She briefly described some of the partnerships the school has
with art organizations in addition to the arts program within the school. She also discussed some
of the many art related upcoming events at the school to attend. I shared with her the list of
documents I would like to review for the study, which included:
• handbooks (student, parent, staff),
• master school calendar,
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66
• daily schedules,
• school plan,
• student work,
• school site council notes,
• department meeting notes,
• curriculum guides (K-5),
• school policies, and
• the SARC- School Accountability Report Card.
She was able to provide me with all of these resources to add to my document review.
Observations and Interviews
School site visits for interviews were scheduled before school hours as well as during
teacher’s planning time. Most teachers were very flexible with their schedules and the
interviews and observations were completed within a month and a half period.
Observations were scheduled based on teacher schedules and general school observations
were conducted before, during, and after school hours. Observations included walking around
the building to examine at student work displayed on the walls, as well as to observe the general
décor of school building. An observation of a school wide performance was very revealing
about the culture of the school. Observation of the faculty meeting, Make Twain Special
Foundation meeting, PTA meeting, and two grade level collaboration meetings provided
insightful data about the school. Observations of instruction in a second grade class during a
reading block, fourth grade class during their math block, a choral music lesson, and an art
lesson produced valuable data to triangulate with data interviews to confirm the presence of art
integration and arts instruction happening at the school.
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Interviews were conducted in 30-45 minute block in the month of October and
November. Interviews were conducted with a second grade classroom teacher, the choral music
teacher, a Twain artist, magnet site specialist, principal, and assistant principal, as well as a
partnership contact with the Art Armory. Interviews with the teachers were conducted in their
classroom during a time when students were not present. For the administration, the interviews
were conducted in their offices. The partnership contact interview was conducted in the staff
lounge. There were minimal distraction for all interviews and all interviews were voice recorded
with consent of the participant.
Findings and Discussion
First Research Question: Why are the arts important to the students in this school?
In order to address the question of why the arts are important to the students in the
school, results from the surveys and interviews were triangulated with data from observations to
confirm and validate the findings of this research questions. The following table shows the
survey questions that addressed research question one:
Table 3
Survey Results for Research Question One
Survey Question Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
16. Teachers advocate for the arts. 16 22 2 0
17. Parents advocate for the arts. 16 25 0 0
21. Students develop an appreciation
for the arts.
18 23 0 0
22. Arts instruction develops student
creativity.
31 10 0 0
23. Arts instruction develops student
self-expression.
32 9 0 0
24. Arts instruction leads to an increase
in student engagement and
participation.
32 9 0 0
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When asked about the parents advocating for the arts, 100% of the surveyed either
indicated that they “strongly agree” or “agree”. During the observations at a PTA meeting, a
note was made of the parents voting to donate PTA fundraiser money to the MTS foundation to
support the arts. One of the PTA sponsored programs on the agenda at the PTA meeting was a
program titled “Reflections”. This program invites students to celebrate their creativity through
the arts. The purpose of this program was to recognize and explore different art forms including:
visual arts, literature, music composition, photography, dance, and video/film. This program had
no limitations on the number of entries for students or on the approaches to express their artistic
talent. Parents came together to advocate for arts related activities for the students to participate
in.
Survey question 21 asked about the student development of the appreciation for the arts
and 100% of the participants surveyed answered that they “strongly agree” or “agree” with the
statement. In an interview with a second grade teacher, when she was asked “why the arts are
important to her students and how she is carrying out this importance,” she shared this following
story that a parent told her, “I had a parent tell me one day they were sitting at the Dr. office and
the child said, mom are these O’Keefe paintings? And someone over heard and was like oh my
goodness!” The teacher emphasized the importance of art appreciation and how she felt that
developing and appreciation for the arts was something she encourages and tried to teach her
students. She went on to add:
I always felt that art is that they can take for what it is and they can just use and I love
that they are able to talk about art pieces and name artists and so on. It is a skill beyond
addition/subtraction.
According to the survey, 92.7% of the surveyed staff “strongly agree” or “agree” that teachers
advocate for the arts. The teacher displayed many pieces of art and paintings in her classroom.
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An observation was made of her classroom that was filled with many colorful drawings and
artwork by students as well as notable pieces by famous artists such as Picasso and Matisse.
The role that arts education plays in developing a whole child is another area that was
discussed by the participants interviewed. During an interview when asked why the arts are
important to the students in this school, the principal’s response was the following, “As we look
more and more into it. We can really see what a positive effect it has on students. Also, not only
just academically but socially and emotionally too.” The principal suggested that the benefits of
the arts address several different areas in a child’s development. The principal’s response in her
interview supported the idea of developing a whole child and how arts contribute to several
different areas including creativity and building self esteem and confidence:
You have that kid who is really got a lot of strength in a certain kind of are of the arts, but
maybe not as strong in academics to start with, it builds their self esteem and it improves
their creativity and performance everywhere. So we really started to see how great it was
and it was something that we always had. We are hoping to create a complete child
instead of a little academic robot.
Survey question 22 addresses the idea of students developing creativity through the arts
and 100% of the participants “strongly agree” or “agree” with that statement. The assistant
principal of the school was asked why the arts are important to the students in this school and
this was her response:
From what I have personally observed is the fact that kids the then have an alternative to
representing their thoughts and to put a voice to those thoughts or a look that is different
than the usual pen and pencil assessment or even a project that they may be doing. This
takes it a step further for them and for those who are more just more kinetic or more
vocal this is another way for them to show us what they know, what they have learned, it
has developed a huge sense of self esteem, more confidence in everything. In speaking in
front of the public, their peers, or in trying something new. It reassures them that there
are multiple ways to learn and be assessed.
A school partnership contact that was interviewed stated the following and also mentioned
development of creativity:
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I think that for the sake of giving kids a more hands on approach to learning and applying
what it is to what you know and creatively problem solve. Think outside the box. Time
management. Another way of applying their knowledge of a particular subject in a hands-
on way.
The visual arts teacher in her interview stated the following about why the arts are important to
the students in this school:
They really get to know themselves, we do this project where they create monsters based
on what make them special and unique so it doesn’t have to look like you but they use
self-reflection and self-thinking. It enhances their ability to be imaginative and creative
with what they have to work with.
The survey shows that 78% of the faculty surveyed “strongly agree” and 12% “agree”
that arts instruction develops student self-expression and also lead to an increase in student
engagement and participation. The choral music teacher (also a teacher specialist) in her
interview mentions the importance of art in a child’s education:
I think that art are not just important but they are the most vital aspect of a child’s
education. I mean I have taught in other school where there has not been and arts focus
and we’ve had just little arts thing here and there but I know that my kids fully grasp a
concept when we’ve integrated or attached an art to it and taught it through and art. I
know that they get a lasting impression that they are not ever going to forget because
there was an art attached to it. Not to mention the 21
st
century skills that are attached to it
now that we are headed to the common core.
The arts magnet coordinator also emphasizes the importance of art education for students in the
school:
How art enriches teaching in general. We are forty-two percent title I, so almost half our
students don’t have experience of the arts outside of the school day because our parents
can’t afford the specialized classes or art experiences. And then on the flip side we do
have some wealthier families who are involved in the industry. So I think it’s very
validating for the kids to see this is where a lot of these artists came from. Like in
elementary school they liked to draw or they like to sing and now they are voice actors.
You know just sort of see the seeds for that.
She also agrees that arts education increases student engagement and participation where
students are more likely to take risks and participate:
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I think it’s been great to build that community at our school you know we do
performances for each other. Especially with the drama and improvisation classes, the
kids are coming out of their boxes more, so it’s just been really to see their self esteem
grow and their confidence. See them take risks and of the arts brings in cultural
sensitivity as well and seeing the passion from all the people.
When discussing the school performance with the assistant principal she stated:
We have so many performances in art where every child is included. It’s not just the kids
who excel in singing or drama or dance. Every child has an opportunity and everyone
participated in that final performance after an art unit.
A school performance of first and second graders included every first and second grade student o
stage and each student had a part of singing, acting, or dancing in the performance. Students
were all in costume. The program for the performance titles “American Folk: Folk Music, Folk
Tales, Fairy Tales and Fables of the American West,” included each class and all student names.
The students were engaged in the performance and showed enthusiasm during the show.
Second Research Question: How are the resources for the arts addressed in the single
school wide action plan?
The second research question addresses the issue of funding and how the resources are
addressed to support the arts in the school. The following table shows the survey question that
addressed research question two:
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Table 4
Survey Results for Research Question Two
Survey Question Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
5. My school has sufficient resources for
the arts.
12 23 5 1
7. My school has partnerships with
outside arts organizations.
25 14 1 0
8. Despite of budget cuts, the arts have
remained a priority in funding at my
school-site.
32 8 1 0
9. My school receives external funding
for the arts.
28 12 0 1
11. Teachers are provided professional
development opportunities for
instruction in the arts.
35 6 0 0
15.Teachers have voice in funding
allocation for the arts
6 21 8 3
18. The arts are included in
extracurricular activities within and
outside of the school day.
14 25 1 0
19. The arts receive adequate community
support.
7 28 5 0
The second grade teacher explained where she gets funds or resources for her art
instruction in her interview response:
For my own classroom we can ask our secretaries to order us supplies. It has to be
reasonable but she will order me what we need in art supplies. Every month I do a
newsletter and I put on their what we need and most of the time the parents will send it
in. one of the fundraiser that we do at our school is the read-a-thon and whatever we raise
comes to each classroom and I spend that money on supplies. I’ve used it before for art
supplies, whatever we raise.
The survey shows that 29.2% strongly agree that the school has sufficient resources for the arts
and 56.1% agree that the school has sufficient resources for the arts. In addition, 14.6% either
disagree or strongly disagree with the statement that their school has sufficient resources for the
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73
arts. The assistant principal mentioned another resource for art supplies, “The Glendale
Educational Foundation has been donating money to every school for our art supplies.”
During the observation in the visual arts classroom, a note was made that the classroom
was filled with art supplies. The lesson that the kindergarten class was learning was making a
clay pumpkin. This involved the student’s use of clay and paint. The teacher described the
process to the students and had all the necessary materials for her lesson. She later noted in her
interview that materials were always provided by the school or by the parents. In the last part of
her lesson she introduced the kiln, an oven to heat the clay, to her students. She took the students
over to another room behind her classroom where the school had two kilns. This was a big
resource for the art teacher to use for projects with the students.
The assistant principal’s response when asked about how much of the school budget goes
to the arts was the following:
There are two main places one is the magnet program but that will be over. It last for
three or four years if it gets extended. We just found out that we can carry over some of
the money to a fourth year. After that all that money goes away so after that our main
source will be our foundation, our educational foundation which this year the goal is to
raise $100,000 in preparation for needing to continue some of these programs beyond the
magnet money. The school budget as we know it generally has no money for the arts but
the MTS foundation spends about forty to fifty percent on the arts.
The assistant provided an insightful interview where she provided details about the magnet grant
and some of the other funding sources for the arts.
Creative fundraisers, if we reach $50,000 on our goal. Every child is asked to donate
whatever they can $1-$100, anything at all. I’m going to do something crazy. It is what
the kids have been told. So I’m getting ready for that bucket of slime or whatever the kids
want me to do. Kids are getting very involved and asking their parents, did you give your
money because I want to see Mrs. Asst Principal doing _____. So it’s been a great
communication to the parents but also getting through to the kids about fundraising.
During the PTA meeting, the parents discussed the Harvest Festival as a fundraiser to raise
money for the MTS Foundation. In addition to events, such as the Harvest Festival, the parents
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at the PTA discussed the Lexus car wash fundraiser, and a Barnes and Noble night where
proceeds would all be donated to the foundation to support the arts.
According to the results, 97.5% of the staff “strongly agree” or “agree” that the school
receives external funding for the arts. The arts magnet funding is 2.4 million dollars for a three-
year period, which is funded by a federal grant for arts magnet school to start up art programs.
The principal in her interview gave more detailed information about how the magnet grant funds
are used:
The entire magnet budget is spent on the arts either directly or indirectly. Paying for the
partnership with armory or music center, paying for our art teacher, paying for materials
for the arts, paying for training, of the teachers, or technology. It pays for technology,
which is a little more indirect, but arts media is also one of our emphases. It’s what the
kids are going to have to do. They have to have that arts media piece. It also pays for
people who support the arts, like the magnet coordinator. It’s a hefty amount of money
for the year, several hundred thousand dollars.
The school uses their magnet grant money as well as funds from the MTS foundation to fund the
partnerships they have with outside art organizations. The assistant principal speaks to explain
some of those existing outside partnerships and how they are helping to retain the arts:
We have partnered with Disney tunes studios. They are donating time, not money but
time. Disney has a volunteer program and this particular section of the Disney is called
Disney Tunes and they have come and donate their time. They have come and painted
murals, they are willing to work in our garden. They have come to our Harvest Festival
with games; they created these games and volunteered their time to be in charge of these
games. The Harvest Festival is an event to raise money for the MTS. They have come to
career day to talk about their arts related jobs and that type of thing.
Throughout the building, observations were made of student work displayed in the hallways but
in addition to student work, the walls were covered in artwork. At the end of each stairwell there
are murals painted throughout the building with different themes.
The assistant principal discusses how the community supports the school in continuing
the arts program:
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We also are trying to reach out to the community and through inviting them in and
showing them this is what we are doing here, this is how successful the kids are because
the arts are being continued and incorporated throughout the school. So community
partnerships and the main foundation are our main sources for art education.
She gives some details about an event they will be holding later on in the year that raises
significant amount of money for the art programs:
We are having a dinner, a silent auction, we are going to invite community leaders,
school leaders, business leaders, and families in the community to show them what we
are about and important it is to spread the arts education and continue this work.
The support of the community is not only something the school expects but also they work to
earn the support of the community by showing them the importance of what they are achieving
through the arts by inviting them to the school functions and events.
During the PTA meeting, the president recognized a real estate agent from the
community who had no children attending the school but who has decided to sponsor the Harvest
Festival with a generous donation. They also mentioned that the local ABC news channel would
be announcing the event one their evening news to promote the event to the community. During
the MTS meeting, a guest speaker presented a charity outreach program. An owner of a catering
company wanted to formalize a relationship with the school to be an official sponsor for the
Silent Auction event later in the year. They agreed to provide the school with 2% of their
proceeds for any event booked that mentioned the school with a program code. They also
offered the school a 10% discount for any events they hosted with their company.
According to survey results, 66% of the surveyed staff “strongly agree” or “agree” that
the teachers have a voice in funding allocations for the arts while 27% either “strongly disagree”
or “disagree”. The second grade teacher in her interview responded to the question “how are
budget decisions arrived?”:
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We don’t really have much say in how the money is spent. I think it was already decided
when the grant was put in. We have a say in what they are going to do with us but not
who is going to come in to help with art instruction. We have more of an option on how
things are handled in our classroom to fit our teaching style.
When asked about how budget decisions are made regarding the Make Twain Special funds, the
principal gave this response:
Representatives from the school site represent the school at the MTS meetings. It’s a
pretty joint operation. They need our input to know what our school needs.
Principal regarding the magnet budget- the school site council makes recommendation.
We also have full staff discussion and we have narrower discussion with the leadership
teams. We also have a VAPA committee and media team that are in this discussion.
Parents, community members, and school representative are present at each meeting to determine
how funds will be spent. An official voting process for MTS board members and meeting
attendees is in place to make these decisions. The principal or another member of the
administration team attends each MTS meeting where decisions are made about how the
foundation money is spent. The principal represents the school and serves as the voice for
teachers. There is a proposal form for requesting use of MTS funds and the members of the
board vote on approving the funds. During an MKS board member meeting, the voting process
for a couple of proposals was observed. One of the proposals was for an iPad for the
intervention teacher. She requested an iPad for use during one-on-one lessons with the students
to utilize some of the apps for enrichment of arts related lessons. This iPad would also be used
for one-on-one reading lessons with students. The principal would read the proposal with details
on how it would be used, by who it would be use, what groups of students would benefit, and
why it is necessary. The board would then vote; in this case the proposal was accepted. Another
proposal was for a grant to fund four teachers to attend a conference on Art technology. This
proposal was not accepted but was sent back to the staff with some additional questions. The
questions posed asked how all students would benefit if only four teachers attended the
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conference. They wanted a commitment from the four teachers chosen to attend the conference
to prepare a presentation for the rest of the staff after the conference so they can pass along the
knowledge and skill acquired at the conference.
Survey question 11 addressed professional development opportunities for teachers in arts
instruction and 100% strongly agreed or agreed that they were provided this opportunity. More
evidence of this was provided by the partnership contact with the art armory. She explained her
role at the school through the partnership:
I work with teachers with a more infused arts integration approach where the arts are
truly tied into everything. My goal is to change the teacher’s way of thinking about art
integration.
An observation of a second grade level collaboration meeting gave strong evidence of outside
partnerships with art organization being utilized for professional development opportunities for
the teacher in the school. During this meeting the partnership contact form the Art Armory
worked with the second grade team to brainstorm art project ideas. Then they took those ideas
and the Art Armory artist discussed several different approaches. She discussed taking the
project and aligning it with their subject matter standards. They shared strategies and ideas on
how to connect the activity to the reading standards in this meeting. The meeting was led by the
Art Armory contact but the teacher worked with her collaboratively to create project ideas for
lesson.
Support from the arts media coach was also observed at a school wide performance. She
supported the teacher and choral music teacher through the use of technology and was
recognized at the end of the performance as the main media coordinator for the performance in
addition to the fifth grade students who were recognized for helping with the media coach.
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The arts magnet coordinator also offered modeling and training to the teachers. When asked
about the professional development offered to teacher and her involvement in the process she
replied with this answer, “I’m a behind the scenes kind of person but I make sure I have an
opportunity to model with the students and help the teacher facilitate and bring the arts into the
school.” The teacher specialist (also the choral music teacher) works with teacher to make
connections between art standards and the teacher’s core subject standards. She commented on
her role with working with the teacher:
I come from a classroom teacher perspective and I know the standards are so important
so I really try to meet the standards and demonstrate for teachers how to tie it in to their
classrooms.
Intervention teachers are also utilized to offer classroom teachers professional development time.
The Make Twain Special funds are used to provide salary for an intervention teacher who pulls
students for instruction for blocks of time while the teacher meets with partnership contact or
other teachers to plan arts integrated lessons.
Third Research Question: How has the school retained the arts as a priority (Impetus)?
The following table shows the survey questions that addressed the research question of
how the school has retained the arts as priority:
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Table 5
Survey Results for Research Question Three
Survey Question Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
1. My instruction addresses the arts standards. 10 29 0 0
2. The arts are integrated into other subject
areas.
17 24 0 0
3. Time in the arts has decreased after NCLB. 5 14 14 5
4. Arts instruction occurs throughout the day. 11 27 3 0
8. Despite budget cuts, the arts have remained
a priority in funding at my school-site.
32 8 1 0
10. There is administrative support for arts
instruction.
36 5 0 0
12. Teachers collaborate with arts specialists. 33 8 0 0
13. Teachers collaborate to establish strategies
for arts integration.
29 11 1 0
14. Teachers are confident in providing
instruction in the arts.
5 33 2 0
16. Teachers advocate for the arts. 16 22 2 0
17. Parents advocate for the arts. 16 25 0 0
18. The arts are included in extracurricular
activities within and outside of the school
day.
14 25 1 0
20. Field trips are related to the arts. 10 30 1 0
Out of the surveyed staff, 95.1% responded with strongly agree or agree the arts are
included in extracurricular activities within and outside of the school day. This was evident in
the interviews, observation, survey results, and document review. The evaluation of the master
school calendar also confirmed the major events related to the arts mentioned by many of the
participants in their interviews:
• Block pARTy,
• Drill Team Christmas Parade,
• Twain Choral Concert Sing-a-long,
• Drill Team Revue, and
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80
• MTS Rockin’ the Arts Show.
In school arts related performances and events:
• Choo Suhk performance,
• PTA Reflections contest,
• Choral and Drama performance 1
st
and 2
nd
grade,
• Choral and Drama performance 3
rd
and 4
th
grade,
• Orchestra morning assembly,
• Orchestra afternoon assembly,
• Mark Twain Art Day, and
• Children’s Day program.
The many arts related events and performances are in addition to arts related fundraisers and the
arts instruction that student receive in the visual arts, drama, music, and dance, along with all arts
integrated classes.
The principal emphasized in her interview that the parents of the school are really
dedicated to the arts and she continues on to explain some ways that the parents contribute:
The MTS- they are determined to continue the arts. They are very dedicated to the arts;
their goal is to raise money for the arts. They really want to raise $100, 000. It’s all
spearheaded by parent, which is amazing. They also do a lot of fundraiser. There's a
Harvest festival, Rockin' for the Arts, the kids get put into rock bands and perform and
raise money. PTA also does a car wash fundraiser and a silent auction with donated
items.
Fundraising for the arts was a priority for many of the PTA sponsored events throughout the
year. The findings were consistent with the observations of the PTA meeting and MTS meeting
where parents discussed their objectives and goals for fundraising and when they discussed
school volunteer hours. The chorus teacher, in her interview, spoke of the level of parent
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81
involvement in the school that has not seen in her experience as an educator at various different
schools:
We also have a lot of other parent ran events that are not just fundraisers that are arts
related. We have a Block party that’s all three schools. We also have an arts day and we
have visiting artists and some parent come in to talk about their arts related careers.
The student work displayed on the walls outside of classrooms, in the classrooms, and
throughout the entire school serve as evidence of the arts integrated lesson in the classes. The
walls of the school show that arts instruction occurs in one way or another throughout the day in
different subject areas. The staff response to survey question 4, “arts instruction occurs
throughout the day” was 93% “strongly agree” or “agree.” For the question 3 stating, “the arts
are integrated into other subject areas,” 100% of the staff “strongly agree” or “agree” with this
statement. The second grade teacher was asked about arts instruction in her class and this was a
part of her response:
Even before the grant I always tried to integrate art into the classroom. We would learn
about teach about an artist and we would do a project based on this artist and everything I
teach in second grade is a building block for the next grade level up. I think as individual
we are more drawn to specific arts just whatever we feel more comfortable with. I like
teaching visual arts. I used to work with another teacher across the hall who wasn’t
comfortable with teaching visual arts but she on the other hand has a musical background
so we would work with each other and sometimes even switch to make sure the students
received instruction in both areas.
The collaboration of administration, teachers, specialist, artist and partnerships as well as
with parents is evident at this school. Teachers collaborate with arts specialists and outside
partnership professional development team for providing students with arts instruction. The
second grade teacher in her interview talks about the role of the artist in their collaboration:
The time with the artist has changed where before they were actually coming in and
working with the class and now they are working more with the teachers and coming into
our meetings instead.
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The fourth grade collaboration meeting observation provided confirmation of the collaboration
of artists and teachers for planning and for arts instruction. This meeting included the fourth
grade team of teachers, the magnet coordinator, teacher specialist (choral music teacher), and the
Armory Arts Center partnership contact. They discussed student work, plans for the next project
for using integers in math for a weaving project using coordinate points on a graph. This
meeting illustrated the effectiveness of the collaboration to integrate the arts. The Armory Arts
Center partnership contact talked about her role in collaboration and working with the teachers:
I’m training the classroom teachers as well as the teaching artists to be able to create
curriculum that’s going to be directed implemented in the classroom that does this
crossover. Every single teacher gets professional development to provide students with an
arts experience.
The choral music teacher talked about the collaboration among the teachers of the different art
disciplines:
I know that for our performance all the art teachers work together and collaborate to
share ideas. Like for our last performance all the art teacher contributed and work on
things together.
Survey question 8 asked, “Despite budget cuts, the arts have remained a priority in
funding at my school-site”. 98% of the staff surveyed responded with “strongly agree” or
“agree” with that statement. When asked specifically in the interview about the amount of time
dedicated to the arts instruction and what kinds of change she has noticed, the assistant principal
very confidently responded with this:
The amount of time spent on the arts has absolutely increased in the last several years. I
think it started with the dream of our former principal of making this school an arts
magnet.
The second grade teacher’s response when she was asked about any change in the amount of
time dedicated to the arts in the last five years, her response was:
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I would say increased about 20, 25, maybe up to 30 percent. It’s the actual physical out of
classroom time for the arts that has increase. Arts integration in my class has always been
there, at least I tried but now I have more support.
The decision made by administration on the number of positions allocated to arts related
positions demonstrated the priority that arts has in the school. The specifically arts related
positions at Mark Twain include: the arts magnet coordinator, art/media coach, chorus teacher
(teacher specialist), orchestra teacher, dance/drill team teacher, visual arts teacher, K-2 drama
teacher, and the improvisation teacher. This is in addition to all classroom teachers who
integrate arts into their daily instruction.
The support of the administration team for teachers to integrate the arts into other subject
areas as well as to teach the arts for art sake is an essential piece of retaining the arts. In the
interview with the second grade teacher, she was asked about her perception of the support
received by administration in arts instruction and this is how she responded:
I feel more than supported. The principal last year who was here for 11 years, she’s the
one who pretty much got us this grant, this was her dream for this school. The arts. So
she was very supportive. Our new principal is also very supportive.
The staff’s response to survey question 10 stating, “there is administrative support for arts
instruction” was 100% “strongly agree” or “agree.” The principal’s discussion about how she
supports art instruction for teachers was the following statement:
I think that it’s really important integrate the arts. It’s okay if they are pulled out for the
arts and I think it’s my role to comfort the teachers. Be the person to create the structure
and environment so the teachers have the opportunity to work together talk to each other,
problem-solve together, and kind of emphasize that collaborative environment. It won’t
work if they are doing it in isolation. I think it’s the most important part of my job. Also,
my leadership team is super important in supporting the arts.
In observations of the school performance, faculty meeting, PTA meeting, MTS meeting, and
collaboration meetings, administration was present and involved in each event. The Facebook
page with pictures of school events and activities also serves as evidence of the presence that the
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administration has in school functions. The passion of the administration for the arts in also
evident in the role they play to support and advocate for the arts.
The school compact drafted by the school site council includes a pledge of the teachers
to: integrate the arts into classroom activities. The school compact also includes as a part of the
student pledge to: work to develop my artistic talents and appreciate the arts. The parent pledge
on the school compact states: encourage my child to appreciate and learn about the arts and also,
to ATTEND Parent’ Night, conferences, Open House, and other school events. This school
compact was drafted by the school site council, which is made up of parents, administration, and
teachers at the school. The school’s commitment to the arts as a priority was evident through
documents such as the school compact.
The staff’s responses to the survey, data from interviews and the observations made all
speak to the way of life at this school and the priority that they have given to retaining the arts.
The arts related events and the way that the school strives to integrate arts into all areas of the
school indicates the strong level of commitment needed for sustaining programs that may not
have the financial support of districts.
Fourth Research Question: What is the (perceived) impact of the arts on the life of the
school, which includes the culture and the academic achievements?
Pictures say a thousand words… the Facebook page created for Mark Twain Visual and
Performing Arts School really speaks to the culture of the school. The Facebook page is full of
pictures that depict the arts as priority for this school. Pictures posted of events are mostly
pictures that are arts related. The first and second grade performance pictures are posted with
images of “behind the scenes” and students during the performance on stage. Photos from
fundraisers that are raising money for supporting the arts program are also posted on this page.
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Some pictures are highlighting classes and the activities they did in class. One set of pictures is a
second grade class with an art project for a social studies lesson where they made teepees out of
crafts. Video clips of the kids news channel hosted by Mark Twain students is also posted on
this Facebook page. The assembly for the former principal thanking her for all her hard work
and dedication to the arts, especially with the arts magnet grant is posted on the wall. Video
clips from the assembly where she was presented with student artwork that include portraits that
students drew of her are posted. The page also includes general school announcements about
upcoming events such as the PTA art contest “Reflections”. Updates on the MTS Campaign for
Excellence are also posted. People are leaving comments on the page about the photos, and also
leaning comments thanking the school for events and their hard work.
The observation data revealed many things about the culture of the school. The
observation of the building alone was a testimony of the school’s arts as a priority. Artwork
infused the hallways with decorations, murals, paintings, and drawings. The student work
displayed ranges from art projects about integers and graphing to place value sculptures. The
creativity of the art project and how they are related to other subject areas really shows the
dedication of teacher in the school to integrate the arts. Each classroom doorway is decorated
with student work based on a theme for the class. For example, one of the classroom themes was
“lights, camera, and action” and the whole class bulletins boards and decoration inside and
outside the class are presented with a film making themes, whether it is social studies or math, or
science. It is a really colorful and imaginative way to decorate the class. The time and dedication
of the teacher in keeping up with posting student work and decorating bulletin boards and
displayed really shows their passion to the arts.
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The murals on the walls throughout the school, painted by the Disney Tunes volunteers
and Mark Twain artists fill the hallways of the school. The murals ate themed with topics such
as poetry to the four seasons. The murals also encourage reading and the arts as well as other
subject areas. Even the lost and found has its own mural. The outside of the building is
decorated with mosaic tiling. The bungalows outside that are the overflow classroom are also
painted with murals and decoration of the arts.
In the interview with the assistant principal, she really is passionate when she described
some of the events at the school and how the arts are recognized to spread appreciation for arts in
the community:
We have Arts Day; last year we did it three times. But this year we are going to do it
once where all of our work we have done throughout the year will be displayed and that’s
going to be the biggest. We are planning to invite people outside of our school. We are
going to invite the community to also come and share their talent. They might come in
and share something about photography or drawing or whatever. This way they can come
and see how eager the kids are and they can become vested in our purpose.
We have a block party in March, where all the three schools in the area come together
and we are proud of art. It’s a fundraiser for the arts also but it’s mostly the showcasing
of our art. The whole street is closed off and everyone comes, the community. We have a
block party with the A-R-T in party in capital letters to emphasize art. There are booths
with food, arts and crafts, and performances on a stage.
This really demonstrates the culture of school and how they make an effort to spread art
appreciation in the community not just the school. It really shows their dedication to the arts on
many different levels. The parents also show an enthusiasm for the arts and the school’s
commitment to the arts. They show support for the arts in different ways that contribute to the
culture of the school. The second grade teacher talked about one way that parent get involve
during the school year:
Our parents came in on arts day and they would share certain art skills. They get to share
their art. The different art pieces are hung up. Art showcase is what it’s called. All the art
teachers also present something. Students have performances for the parents too.
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The principal in her interview mentioned more evidence of parents advocating for the arts as she
discussed how important the parents are to the school culture with their support for the programs
the school is trying to maintain:
The parent population was so important because they were very motivated to raise money
for these artists to come in. That part really helped.
The partnership contact mentioned that this school is very unique and that their dedication to the
arts is obvious throughout the school, she added:
They have art hanging all over the school, hallways and in every classroom, all over. I’ve
never seen so much artwork in a school being hung. They have a dedicated art classroom,
art teachers, and art just permeates all of the learning that occurs.
The enthusiasm of the participants in the interviews to share their thoughts about the arts
program at their school also served as evidence of the school culture and feelings about art. The
staff survey provided valuable information about the attitudes of the teachers and administrators
about arts education and the culture of their school. The following table shows the survey
question that addressed research question four:
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Table 6
Survey Results for Research Question Four
Survey Question Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
1. My instruction addresses the arts
standards.
10 29 0 0
2. The arts are integrated into other
subject areas.
17 24 0 0
6. Instruction in arts education
enhances a well-rounded
education.
33 8 0 0
12. Teachers collaborate with arts
specialists.
33 8 0 0
13. Teachers collaborate to establish
strategies for arts integration.
29 11 1 0
14. Teachers are confident in providing
instruction in the arts.
5 33 2 0
16. Teachers advocate for the arts. 16 22 2 0
17. Parents advocate for the arts. 16 25 0 0
18. The arts are included in
extracurricular activities within
and outside of the school day.
14 25 1 0
20. Field trips are related to the arts. 10 30 1 0
21. Students develop an appreciation
for the arts.
18 23 0 0
22. Arts instruction develops student
creativity.
31 10 0 0
23. Arts instruction develops student
self-expression.
32 9 0 0
24. Arts instruction leads to an increase
in student engagement and
participation.
32 9 0 0
Data from interviews and observation provided many opportunities for triangulation of the data
with more detailed information to confirm the findings from the staff survey. Many responses
from the interviews provided explanations and a greater description to assess the level of
dedication and the attitudes of the participants about arts education in the school. The impact of
the arts on the culture of the school is revealed through the responses of the participants
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interviewed. The principal remarked that “we’ve made a commitment to the arts, this is what we
believe and this is what we’re going to stick with.” The passion and support of the leadership in
keeping the arts as the center of the school’s focus is apparent. The principal of the school
explains the importance of the arts to the parents of the school and goes on to explain how the
passion for the arts became a part of the school culture:
Even before we became a magnet arts were a very big part of the school and that’s
actually one of the reasons why we pursued the arts magnet grant. A large part of that is
because of our parent population. We live in an area that is near the studio, Disney
studios, all the studios, NBC, everything’s right here. So we’ve had parents who were
very into the arts to start with. So that’s where it sort of spurred from. So that’s sort of
our history that created this need for the arts, the passion got picked up by the teachers.
A second grade teacher’s response about how she addresses the arts standards in her
instruction revealed her plan on how she will continue the arts in her classroom:
For me it’s how do I go about incorporate lesson plans to include the arts. It can’t be
every story, so in our reading series one project per themes in our reading series. Per
chapter in our science. You know and as we feel more comfortable we will increase it in
our plans. Now that the magnet grant is going to end. We are more concerned with how
do we plan these things, we watch them teach but how are we supposed to do this by
ourselves. Our expertise is our standards but we don’t know the art standards as well but
we are feeling a little bit more comfortable with them now because we have been going
over them so much. But what’s nice is the art armory coming in is showing us how to
plan and the strategies not just the projects. They are teaching us how to make lesson
plans to incorporate both standards. Mine and the arts
Survey question one shows that 100% of the staff surveyed agrees that their instruction addresses
the arts standards. The principal spoke about the integration of the arts in the school and
mentioned this:
For the integration piece the teachers work with representative from the music center who
do drama and dance and the armory center for the visual arts piece. So the two
partnerships is where the teachers get the teacher training in the arts. That’s the part that’s
been really important with the magnet grant is that it funds the integration piece for the
teachers. It gives them all the training, the release time, the collaboration meetings and
time. That is the key to our school working. The problem is that the money is going away
but the parent foundation is determined to continue that piece and raise the money. Also,
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hopefully the teachers will be more confident and we will keep working on it. We will
find a way to keep it going and moving forward. That will be a goal.
Observations of the second grade and fourth grade collaboration meeting gave a clear picture of
the work the teachers at the school are participating in to collaborate with art specialist to provide
instruction that incorporates the arts in every subject. The assistant principal explained the
purpose of the art armory and music center partnership in relation to teachers at the school:
When it comes to the teaching artists coming in. We are partnered with the music center
and art armory. The goal was mostly to have the teachers learn how to incorporate the
arts so the teachers can take what they learn and apply throughout the rest. The artist that
we are partnered with now, who we will be losing once we are not a magnet school
anymore unless we can raise the money. They teach teachers how to use art in their
everyday lessons. The importance of the school artists, different than the teaching artists
coming in, is to do art for art sake so that the kids can experience all these fun things they
can do but they also support what the teachers are doing in the class.
A second grade teacher interviewed commented on the concerns that were shared by
some other teachers about student achievement when instructional time was increased with art
teachers. They had concerns about that caused a pushback from some of the teachers about arts
education. When she was asked, “What are some of the challenge you saw with the increased
arts instruction?” she responded:
I probably had to give up two-three hours instructional to arts teacher; they were with
dance teacher, or art teacher, drama teacher. We were very concerned last year because
sometimes we were very behind with our core subject areas but our test scores went up.
So we were like art works!
The assistant principal mentioned some of the challenges faced with the increases of
instructional time that students had with art teachers:
The buy-in from the teachers. What affect will taking away the minutes from the core
instruction and giving it to art, what will that do to our scores? It was a huge fear. We
just had to make it a clear goal that our goal was still to perform well in reading and
math. And that’s what we were doing; it was to support and enrich those subjects with the
use of the arts and to boost it, not to take away from it. Bare with us because research has
shown that in using the arts in the other subject it only will make things so much richer
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and better. When we got our API scores and we jumped 19 points. It was very validating
for the teachers.
The magnet coordinator when asked about the challenges of the push for increasing the arts, she
mentioned that the pushback from the teachers was based on some of the fears they had about
student achievement in core subjects:
For a while it was challenging because they didn’t believe that losing all that instructional
time to art would benefit. How can the kids do well? We hardly have time to teach. But I
think now they are seeing the huge benefits and appreciating it more.
The teachers started to see the benefits of arts instruction and it increased the support from
teachers for the arts programs.
The document review conducted in this case study revealed that the academic
achievement of the student in school according to the API scores show that the school is
consistently showing improvement. There was slight dip in the API score for 2010-2011 but not
s significant amount. The slight dip in their score was followed by an even bigger jump in their
API score than any other year. It is important to note that the school was awarded the arts
magnet grant in 2010, which was followed by the largest jump in API scores. The correlation
between arts instruction and academic achievements cannot be confirmed in this study; however,
it has been suggested in the interviews with the staff.
Table 7
API scores over six years
2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012
API score 819 827 851 870 866 885
During the PTA meeting, the principal gives and update for the school, included in her updates is
the progress of the students where she announces that, “72% of students are proficient in reading
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language arts and 81% are proficient in math.” The assistant principal pointed out the student’s
positive attitudes about learning that she believed were related to the arts, “I think art is just, I
don’t know it’s like it’s infusing kids with motivation showing them that learning could be fun. It
makes them happier and eager to come to school.” The visual arts teacher talks about her
understanding of some of the benefits of arts instruction:
As far as the testing, there are, especially at this age, brain connections that based on
what they are learning, there are connections that they make in their brain that help them
to solve math, science and all the things they are tested on.
The assistant principal’s response to the interview question, “Can you describe the influence of
art on student performance, including academic achievement, discipline, and attendance rates in
your school?” was the following:
Amazingly, I am actually in charge of discipline, for the most part and I’m the one who
keeps track of discipline and since I started, this is my third year. This year I hardly have
any referrals that come to my attention. Anything that does come to my attention is so
minute, small, you know just silliness. Not necessarily anything wrong, it’s been
amazing. I don’t know if its motivation but every time kids are engaged, in anything, they
are going to have a lot less time to think about anything naughty or not appropriate at
school. So I think their constant bombardment of art and things to do… everything
becomes fun.
Emergent Themes
This section will present the major themes that surfaced in the case study of this arts
magnet school. The major findings from an investigation of Mark Twain Visual and Performing
Arts Magnet School were categorized into four themes:
Theme 1 Strong leadership support for the arts
Theme 2 Longstanding traditions and passion for the arts
Theme 3 Community involvement Support and parent involvement
Theme 4 Collaboration
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The findings that shaped these four themes were a result of triangulation from the interviews,
observations, document reviews, and staff survey results.
Strong Leadership Support for the Arts
The findings from surveys, interviews and observations showed a strong support for the
arts from the leadership in this school. The leadership pursued the arts magnet several years ago
to continue and help the existing arts programs and to expand their programs. They also take
interest in establishing partnerships with outside organizations that not only builds relationships
with the community but also contributes to the culture of their school as a place for outside
community member to take a vested interest in. The leadership in this school shows strong
support for the teachers. There is evidence that they give teachers a voice about how the arts
influence their daily instruction and they also create a balance for teachers by giving them
support but also autonomy in their classes. A second grade teacher voiced her opinion about
this, “we are given a lot of autonomy and we have the option and opportunity to share with
others.”
The leadership advocates for art education from a personal passion for the arts but also
because they truly believe that in the benefits of arts education for the students. They maintain
and support teacher positions that are related to the arts, which is another big influence of the
leadership in this school that advocate for the arts. Positions such as the arts/media coach,
magnet coordinator, teacher specialist, and intervention teachers who all support the arts play a
vital role in keeping the arts alive and in the growth of the arts programs. Without the strong the
support of the leadership in this school to retain the arts, many of the current programs and
culture of the school to support the arts would not exist.
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Longstanding Traditions and Passion for the Arts
The school has had a long standing of traditions to support the arts. The visual arts
teacher commented about the arts as a priority in the school, “it’s just the way it has always
been.” Passion for the arts of the teachers, administration, parents, and the community is
apparent through the traditions that have been maintained as well as the visions for the future of
this school. Even before the arts magnet grant, the school’s commitment to the arts was
mentioned in several interviews. The MTS foundation was formed decades before the arts
magnet and they continue their efforts to raise money to support the arts. Their efforts now grow
even stronger as the arts magnet is going to end and this foundation seems to hold many
traditions of supporting the school and the arts.
The school building and the décor of the school show the passion for the arts. The
culture of the school as an arts integrated school shows in the display of student artwork all
through the building. The artwork ranges from student work to professional murals by
volunteers from an outside partnership with Disney Tunes Studio. In addition to the artwork and
student work displays the themes on the walls of the building are encouragement of reading and
math and other subject areas but mostly arts related and encourage the different art disciplines in
one way or another. The walk through the hallways of this school building gives the experience
of a true arts integrated school with a passion for the arts permeating throughout.
Community and Parent Involvement
Parent and community involvement was a valuable component of this case study school.
Parent involvement was a consistent topic that came up in interviews. Observations of events
and meeting had a heavy presence of parent influence as well as parent volunteers to support the
events. Parent involvement seemed to be the glue in areas where the school lacked or was weak.
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The community involved including community members that didn’t have children attending was
another factor in the school’s success with several of the programs they had during the year.
Even just the presence of community members and community leaders during school events and
function helped to encourage students and also raise funds to continue their efforts. The school
was not hesitant about reaching out to the community and the community was more than willing
in many ways to help through many different venues.
The result of this study revealed that community and parent involvement proved to be
more than just financial support but influence the culture of the school of arts education as a
priority for their students. The Block pARTy, Lexus car wash fundraiser, sponsorship of school
functions with financial support for the Harvest Festival, and other fundraiser events all without
the support from parent who spearheaded and organized event to community members who came
out to events would not have been successful. The PTA support and the MTS Campaign for
Excellence foundation are a vital part of the school culture and the school’s success in retaining
the arts programs.
Collaboration
As part of the findings of this study, another major theme that appeared was
collaboration. Collaboration of administrators, teachers, artists, parents, and community
members was determined to be a major component of this school that helped not only retain the
arts program but also help it to continue to grow. Collaboration through partnerships,
community volunteers, teachers working with other teachers and artists and the collaboration
with administrators proved to be a vital link in the school. Support from the teachers to the
administration to carry out their vision of arts integration throughout the school and the support
from administrator to the teachers in helping them to have the tools and resources necessary to
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integrate the arts and be successful, all included collaborative efforts. Collaboration on all levels
such as the working with parents and outside members of the community also proved to be a
major factor of their success in retaining the arts. Professional development of teachers in art
instruction was built on collaboration efforts of teachers with artist within the school and artist
from outside organizations. Grade level collaboration meeting included outside organization
artist, classroom teachers and administration all working together. Teachers met n vertical team
meeting to work to have consistency and continuity across the grade levels. The school artists
also joined efforts to share ideas, resources, funds, and to jointly help teachers with art
integration in the classroom.
Summary
Chapter Four gave a description of how this case study of a California public school
retaining the arts was conducted. The following four research questions were used to guide the
study:
1. Why are the arts important to the students in this school?
2. How are resources for the arts addressed in the single school wide action plan?
3. How has the school retained the arts as a priority? (Impetus)
4. What is the (perceived) impact of the arts on the life of the school, which includes the
culture and the academic achievements?
This study addressed these questions by collection of data through document reviews, a survey
of school faculty, interviews of teachers, administrators, and other staff, as well as observations
of the school and classrooms.
Mark Twain Visual and Performing Art Magnet school was chosen because it met the
criteria of determined by the thematic dissertation group for choosing a school retaining the arts
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and keeping arts education a priority in their schools. The school selected for this case study
includes a stated commitment to arts education in their mission statement, through their broad
arts curriculum, with financial support, and has been recognized for excellence in arts education.
They have maintained and strengthened the arts in their school post No Child Left Behind Act of
2001 through many different approaches.
The data gathered at the school site through multiple sources such as the review of
documents, surveys, interview, and observations allowed for triangulation to find that there were
several emerging themes. The trends in the data of this case study that surfaced show the
continued efforts of the school to retain the arts and keep arts education as a priority in their
school.
The dedication of the administrators, teachers, parents, and community to retain the
importance of art education was transparent throughout the study. The passion for the arts of the
stakeholders at this school was a reoccurring theme throughout the data collection. The
challenges that this school faces in retaining the arts seem to be a small obstacle that they are
confident in overcoming.
Although the school shows great dedication to retaining the art programs and arts in their
curriculum, the financial support to continue the program has been a concern for when the
federal arts magnet grant end. They have made great effort to address this issue before and are
anticipating some changes when the arts magnet is over. The arts as a priority will remain a goal
in the school but they are looking for other venues to raise funds to keep programs continuing to
support the arts education. The PTA supported arts foundation Make Twain Special has
increased their effort in anticipation of the cuts from the funding for the arts once the federal
grant is over.
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Students at Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts continue to learn thorough the
heavily arts integrated classrooms as well as the arts classes taught by professional artist. The
inclusion of arts for the sake of arts is a phenomenon at this school that is unique from many
other schools. The data revealed that the faculty and community members of this school possess
a high level of passion for the arts and are determined to keep their programs strong and
growing.
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Chapter Five: Discussion
Chapter One gives an overview of the background of the problem as well as the statement
of the problem for this study. Assumptions, limitations, and delimitations of the study are also
indicated in this section. Important terms used in this study are listed and defined in chapter one.
Chapter Two gives an overview and a literature review of the current research related to the
topics of retaining arts education and the importance of arts education. A connection to the
importance of the literature for this study is made. Chapter Three provides the methodology
used in this study. It also presents the rationale behind the methods used and justification for the
use of a qualitative case study and provides an explanation of the instrumentation that was used.
The process in which the data was collected is discussed as well as the data analysis methods
used. The theoretical framework that was used for conducting this study is also discussed.
Chapter Four reports the findings of this study by research question. This includes the discussion
section on my reflections of the findings. Chapter Five provides a summary of the study and
discusses the conclusions and recommendations based on the findings of the study.
Purpose, Significance, and Methodology of the Study
The purpose of this study was to examine a school that has maintained arts education as a
priority within their instructional time, while managing other demands that have emerged from
mandated accountability measures and budget constraints. Furthermore, this study sought to
explore the practices of a school that has been successful with retaining the arts. The case study
was guided by the following research questions:
1. Why are the arts important to the students in this school?
2. How are resources for the arts addressed in the single school wide action plan?
3. How has the school retained the arts as a priority? (Impetus)
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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4. What is the (perceived) impact of the arts on the life of the school, which includes the
culture and the academic achievements?
This chapter includes the review of the purpose of the study and the summary of the findings as
well as a conclusion of the study, which includes my recommendations and implications for the
school as well as recommendations for further research.
This study used a qualitative case study method to understand the qualities of a high
performing arts magnet school in an urban area that has effectively retained the arts in their
educational program and how they have used the arts to enhance student achievement and the
school’s morale. A case study method was chosen for this study because it allowed for an in-
depth study of the school involved in this research. Qualitative research methods of data
collection were used for this case study. A multi-method approach was used in collecting the
data for this study. Triangulation of the data from this study was used to increase the validity
and the reliability of the data for this study. This case study involved on site school visits as well
as document reviews of resources from the school and via the Internet.
The results and findings from this study may be used to validate the promising practices
related to arts education that practitioners could utilize in many ways. This study may help
teachers gain insight into the importance of arts education and how to keep arts education alive
in schools. In addition, practitioners can use the findings in this study to better understand the
many benefits of arts education. It can also shed light on the issue around cutting arts education
programs from schools and how to combat those obstacles. Moreover, this study could serve as
a driving force for practitioners to advocate for the arts in their educational setting.
Administrators might be able to use the findings in this study to better understand teacher
perceptions of arts education and school culture in order to facilitate an increase of arts education
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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in their schools. Administrators can also use the findings to further examine the role of arts
education in student achievement and student development to utilize as a means to improve
student learning. This study can help and guide administrators to create a vision and mission for
their schools to retain the arts as a priority. This study can further show the importance of
building partnerships and how school arts education programs can survive and be strengthened
within the limited funding that schools receive.
Furthermore, policy makers can use this study and the findings to drive policies that
promote best practices in schools for arts education. As they determine the value of the arts in
student achievement and in producing good citizens, it can lead to a positive influence for
decisions relating to arts education. In addition, policy implications of this study could include a
shift in decision making to be based on examining the benefits of arts education and educating
the whole child and not solely for educational purposes of academic improvement in English
language arts and mathematics.
Researchers may benefit from using this case study as a model to replicate a case study at
another school in order to conduct further research that confirms the findings of this study. This
study may substantiate the need for further research to explore the benefits of arts education and
to shed light on the importance of arts education research for scholars.
Conclusions
Themes emerged through the triangulation of the data collected in this study including
document reviews, observations, interviews, and a survey conducted with the staff of the school.
From the investigation of the data, four themes emerged. Strong leadership support for the arts
was evident in many aspects of the school. The history and culture of the school demonstrated a
longstanding tradition and passion for the arts. Community support and parental involvement
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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was visible in many school and after school events and programs. The presence of partnerships
with the outside community was a consistent theme that emerged in this study. Collaboration
within the school and with outside stakeholders was an indication of a shared commitment to the
arts and the students. The four themes identified all tie in together and intertwine to create the
culture of the school showing their dedication and passion for the arts and educating their
students effectively through the arts.
The strong leadership support for the arts was really a vital piece in this school’s ability
to sustain their arts programs and for the continuing growth of arts programs. Closely linked to
the importance of strong leadership support is the longstanding traditions and passion for the arts
that was evident and observable through the interviews, observations in the classrooms, and the
general school building and atmosphere. Looking at the history of the school and speaking with
the teachers and administrators really revealed the devotion to the arts. The history of the school
and the development of several programs in the school would not have been possible without the
passion for the arts of the school community. In addition to the passion for the arts from the
school community, the passion for the arts of individuals particularly in the leadership role
played an essential role in the school’s development as an arts magnet school.
Tying back to the importance of leadership support, the passion for the arts carried out by
the former principal into making the school an arts magnet was a fundamental piece to where the
school is headed now in arts education. As discussed in the literature from Chapter Two, teacher
preparation and professional development for arts education is not a priority in many schools, so
leadership support of the collaboration related to teaching the arts and the funds used to support
such training is an important contributor to the school’s success in their arts programs.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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The third theme that emerged to be evidence for this school’s success in the arts was the
community and parent involvement. The literature review reflects the importance of parent
involvement including community involvement. This school demonstrates their priority in
involving the community. The parents and community members of the school through their
dedication, volunteer time, and financial support to the arts and the school reciprocate this. In
the discussion in Chapter Two about partnerships in the community, the research suggests that
the best programs draw on the communities. This school has used outside sources for funding
and for innovative ways to sustain their art programs. In addition, they have a foundation that is
made up of teachers, administration, and mostly parents that support the school’s efforts to
continue to find ways to fund existing programs and to help the school grow with new programs
and partnerships. The efforts of this foundation have reached groundbreaking results for this
school in terms of the fundraising and also for gaining the support of the entire school and more.
The school and community’s enthusiasm for continuing to support the arts programs spreads to
new levels as they work to reach higher goals each year.
The fourth theme that emerged is the idea of collaboration and not just time or effort to
collaborate but learning how to be effective in collaboration. Despite what research says about
teacher professional development time given to providing teacher with development in teaching
the arts, this case study school has dedicated time for teachers to collaborate and learn from each
other, as well as other outside resources, about art integration and effectively teaching art with
new strategies. Collaboration is a very big component of their professional development plan for
the teachers in this school. Collaboration of teachers within grade levels, across grade level, with
art teachers, and with outside partnership contacts is a high priority.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Recommendations for Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School
Based on the findings of this case study, the following are my recommendations for the
school to focus on:
• outside partnerships,
• teacher collaboration,
• community ties,
• parental involvement, and
• success in art education-spreading awareness.
My recommendation is for the school to continue to strengthen and build partnerships
with outside organizations but also with universities and other higher education institutions to
gain support for students in the arts from art professionals. This will create opportunities for
teachers to receive professional development as well as opportunities for university scholars to
conduct research on the success of the school and effectiveness of arts education in relation to
academic achievement. The relationships they build with outside resources can be a promising
approach for this school to maintain and increase their funding for their arts programs once they
are no longer receiving the federal arts magnet grant that is due to expire next year.
Another recommendation I have for growth is to strengthen teacher collaboration efforts.
Teacher collaboration was observable as a priority in this case study school. The findings from
this study have shown that the school views collaboration of teachers, administration, and
parents, as well as with the rest of the community to be a priority. My suggestion is to continue
that practice and also to strengthen that area by not only providing the time for collaboration but
training and professional development on effective collaboration. Effective collaboration can
help build stronger relationships within the school and with the outside community including
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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policy makers, other educational institutions, art organizations, and other resources for funding
and support as well as for training and knowledge for arts education to grow.
Recommendations for further strengthening the ties with the surrounding community as
well as the community outside of the immediate school area are emphasized in this section. The
proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child” applies here. My twist on that proverb is “it takes a
village to educate a child”. The community support has demonstrated a tremendous contribution
to this school’s success and continued efforts will only make their success stronger.
The parental involvement and support was visible in my observation of the school events
after school performance. Their presence throughout the school and the constant mention of
strong parental support in interviews was evidence of the level of parental involvement as well.
I recommend to this school to continue to advocate for parental support and involvement in daily
school activities, after school programs, performances, and events. This participation and
involvement really seems to shape the culture of the school and the strong passion for the arts
that is unmistakable throughout. In addition to the parental support, the outside community
support was evident as an integral part for funding and for the growth of program.
One of the major areas that need to be addressed is spreading awareness to community on
the school success related to arts education. Emphasis on the school success could raise
awareness for other schools and for future parents to continue and support arts education.
Despite the success of the school, this school will be losing its art magnet grant next year and in
order to continue programs and get additional funding and I think it is imperative to show and
call attention to the school success through the arts to all stakeholders and decision makers, and
members who can influence policy as well as continue to advocate for the arts. One thing to note
is the school’s collaborative efforts with community leaders, which I view to be an extremely
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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critical piece to develop. It is recommended to continue to spread awareness of the school’s
success through the arts to gain support of those influential community leaders that can affect
policy changes for arts education. The school should continue to reach out to community leaders
to attend their events to gain appreciation of what they are doing with the arts and how it has
benefitted the students.
Recommendations for Further Research
My recommendations for further research in arts education include five different areas
that I believe need consideration:
• best practices and innovation;
• replication of this case study in similar schools;
• equal access to arts education;
• further investigation into effectiveness of art education; and
• bridging the gap between scholars and practitioners.
Further research in these areas will foster a community of learners to support arts education.
Best practices and innovative ways to retain the arts in schools must be explored to
reduce the effects of budget constraints on arts education. Retention and sustainability of
effective arts education programs through the budget crisis is imperative. Further research in
these areas can help schools to focus their time and efforts with approaches that have been
identified to be successful with other schools. Identifying the innovative ways to retain arts
education programs is especially important for schools that lack financial support and continue to
lose funding.
Additional research on similar schools can provide added confirmation to the conclusions
of this study. Replicating this study in similar schools would add more validity to such type of a
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
107
study as well as to link with current research. Providing research and data for schools to
implement similar arts education programs with high success rates in other schools can promote
schools to adopt new arts education programs.
Research is needed on how to give more access to students of arts programs that can
benefit their learning. Current research as mentioned in Chapter Two shows that there is unequal
access to arts education in schools with higher at-risk populations. The discussion of access in
Chapter Two mentioned that schools with lower socioeconomic status tended to lack resources
and parental involvement needed for funding art programs. Further research must be conducted
to alleviate this disparity and address the issue of access to the arts. Equal access for students to
arts education can help them acquire the benefits and skills that arts education provides for
students. This is an important area for research given that schools in need of arts education the
most to increase student achievement are the same schools that lack arts education and are
experiencing the most cuts in important arts programs.
The need for additional research on improving education through fostering the skills
related to educating student in and through the arts is urgent. More empirical evidence is needed
on the benefits of art education to advocate for policy support and the necessary changes in
school curriculum to support the arts. It is important to also visit the idea of how arts education
can be incorporated in the Common Core State Standards. Investigating ways to connect the
skills gained from arts education to the curriculum in English language arts and math standards
can increase support for arts education. However, it is important to keep in mind that arts
education should not be viewed as a supplement for those subject areas. The skills gained
through arts education are fundamental to in a child's learning and should be a standalone subject
and deserves that recognition.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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There is a major disconnect between art education majors and teacher education majors
in higher education. The existing gap between the two should be addressed through
collaboration and further research of how to alleviate this disparity. Art majors should be in
communication or collaboration with teacher education or schools of education. In training, art
teachers collaborating with the art department and education department can play an important
role, however, programs are lacking in that area. Bridging the gap between these two institutes
of education can help progress the effort to advance education towards the right path.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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References
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Burton, J.M., Horowitz, R., & Abeles, H. (2000). Learning in and Through the Arts: The
Question of Transfer. Studies in Art Education, 41(3), 228-257.
Brouillette, L. (2010). How the Arts Help Children to Create Healthy Social Scripts:
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Bugbee, K. (2008). Arts Education Benefits & Challeneges. Center for Policy Entrepreneurship,
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Catterall, J.S., Chapleau, R., & Iwanaga, J. (1999). Involvement in the Arts and Human
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Chapman, L. (2007). An Update in the No Child Left Behind and National Trend in
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Charmaraman, L., Hall, G. (2011) School Dropout Prevention: What arts-based community and
out-of-school-time programs can contribute. New Direction for Youth Development,
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Criswell, J. (2009). Research Design. Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods
Approaches (3
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Eisner, E. W. (2002). What can education learn from the arts about the practice of
education? Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 18(1), 4-16.
Freedman, K. (2000). Social Perspectives on Art Education: Teaching Visual Culture in a
Democracy. Studies in Art Education, 41(4), 314-329.
Gall, M. P., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2003). Educational Research- An Introduction
(7
th
ed.). Boston. Allyn & Bacon.
Gullatt, D. (2007). Research Links the Arts with Students Academic Gains. The
Educational Forum. 71(1), 211-220.
Heilig, J.V., Cole, H., & Aguilar, A. (2010). From Dewey to No Child Left Behind: The
Evolution and Devolution of Public Arts Education, Arts Education Policy Review,
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Israel, D. (2009). Staying in School: Arts Education and New York City High School
Graduation Rates. The Center for Arts Education, October 2009
Keane, C. P. (2010). Summative Evaluation of the Creative & Performing Arts Program
@Hyattsville MS.
McMurrer, J. (2007). Choices, Changes and Challenges: Curriculum and Instruction in
the NCLB Era, From the Capital to the Classroom: Year 5 of the No Child Left
Behind Act. Washington, DC: Center on Education Policy.
Minton, S.C., Hofmeister, J. (2010). International Baccalaureate Dance Program
Learning Skills for Life in the 21
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Century. Journal of Dance Education, 10(3),
67-76.
Patton, M.Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3
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Rabkin, N., Redmond, R., (2006). The Arts Make a Difference. The Journal of Arts
Management, Law, and Society, 36(1), 25-32.
Richards, A.G., (2003). Arts and Academic Achievement in Reading: Functions and
Implications. Art Education, 56(6), 19-23.
Seidel, K. (2001). Many Issues, Few Answers-The Role of Research in K-12 Arts
Education. Arts Education Policy Review, 103(2), 19-22.
Slavkin, M. & Crespin, L. (2000). Rebuilding the Arts Education in Urban Schools:
Issues and Challenges. Art Education Policy Review, 101(4), 20-24.
Smilan, C. & Miraglia M.K. (2009). Art teachers as leaders of authentic art integration. Art
Education, 62(6), 39-45.
Southgate, D.E., Roscigno, V.J. (2009). The Impact of Music on Childhood and
Adolescent Achievement. Social Science Quarterly, 90(1), 4-21.
Wilkins, J., Graham, G., Parker, S., Westfall, S., Fraser, W., & Tembo, M. (2003): Time
in the arts and physical education and school achievement. Journal of Curriculum
Studies, 35(6), 721-734.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Appendix A
Document Review Instrument
Document Review Checklist
Role of Arts present
− The master calendar
− Daily schedules
− School Site Plan
− School Accountability Report Card (SARC)
− Staff, parent, and student handbooks
− School site council minutes
− Departmental/grade level minutes
− School website
− Student portfolios
Funding
− List of faculty
− Fundraiser forms
− Grants
− Purchased resources
− Partnership forms
Perceived impact of arts education
− Attendance and dropout rates (pre- and post-implementation of arts programs)
− Discipline records (pre- and post-implementation of arts programs)
− Fieldtrips
− Lists of clubs/organizations at the school
− Faculty meeting notes
− School calendar
− Records of volunteers
Appendix B
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Recruitment Letter to Principal
April 16, 2012
Dear Dr. Marshall,
My name is Cecilia Pak and I am a doctoral student at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles working
towards an Ed.D in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Teacher Education in Multicultural Societies. I
am currently working on my dissertation and am looking for a school to examine as a case study, exemplifying some
of the best practices public schools that are actively committed in retaining arts education in the face of high stakes
testing and post No Child Left Behind. I would need to visit Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts Magnet
School for approximately 6 days this Fall - to survey and interview faculty and staff, to visit and observe classes,
and to understand the school culture. From this visit, I will then identify the best practices and the impact of arts
education on school culture. While this case study will form the basis for my dissertation at USC, it will also serve
as a model for other schools seeking to develop their own arts education program. A pseudonym will be used for
the school and the identity of all participants will remain anonymous. There will be no student involvement in this
study and the IRB process has been completed and approved.
Though the actual school visit would not occur until the Fall, I am in the process of finalizing my site selection. I
hope that you would be agreeable to allowing me to study at Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts Magnet
School. Attached are some additional details about the study. Thank you for your time and consideration and please
contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Cecilia E Pak
(301) 526-3265
pak.cecilia@gmail.com
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Purpose of the study:
The purpose of the study is to examine a school that has maintained arts education as a priority
within their instructional time, while managing other demands that have emerged from mandated
accountability measures and budget constraints.
Research Questions:
1. Why are the arts important to the students in this school?
2. How are resources for the arts addressed in the single school wide action plan?
3. How has the school retained the arts as a priority? (Impetus)
4. What is the (perceived) impact of the arts on the life of the school, which includes the
culture and the academic achievements?
Data collection methods:
Surveys
• staff
Observations
• school
• general education classrooms
• art classrooms
• school functions (i.e. assembly, after school activity, school performance)
• meetings
Document review
• handbooks (student, parent, staff)
• curriculum (K-6)
• master calendar
• school plan
• meeting notes
• school website
Interviews
• classroom teachers
• art teachers
• administrator
• partnership contact
Appendix C
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Recruitment Letter to Staff
September 20, 2012
Dear Mark Twain Faculty,
Hello, my name is Cecilia Pak and I am a doctoral student at the University of Southern
California working towards an Ed.D in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Teacher
Education in Multicultural Societies. I am currently working on my dissertation with three other
doctoral candidates to conduct case studies at the elementary and high school levels to examine
public schools that are actively committed to retaining arts education. We have chosen to
conduct our studies at schools exemplifying some of the best practices in retaining arts education
in the face of high stakes testing and post No Child Left Behind.
The purpose of the study is to examine how a school has maintained arts education as a priority
and learn how they have made it successful, while managing other demands that have emerged
from mandated accountability measures and budget constraints. The factors that are contributing
to your integration of the arts in your school practices and curriculum are of particular interest to
our case study and your participation would be extremely valuable to our research. However,
your participation is strictly voluntary. I will be interviewing and surveying participants that are
employees of this school. I will observe the general school environment, classroom
instruction, VAPA events, staff meetings, and leadership meetings. I will be looking for cultural
norms, practices, and programs that have assisted your school in thriving in the area of the arts.
Your participation may include:
• A 24 question survey
• Approximately 30-45 minute interview
• Observations of your classroom and lessons
While this case study will form the basis for my dissertation at USC, it will also serve as a model
for other schools seeking to develop their own arts education program. A pseudonym will be
used for the school and the identity of all participants will remain anonymous. I will be
unobtrusive to the learning environment and maintain confidentiality. There will be no direct
student involvement in this study and the IRB process has been completed and approved.
Thank you for your time and your participation in my study. Please contact me if you have any
questions about my research.
Sincerely,
Cecilia E Pak
(301)526-3265
pak.cecilia@gmail.com
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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School site: Mark Twain Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School
Purpose of the study:
The purpose of the study is to examine a school that has maintained arts education as a priority
within their instructional time, while managing other demands that have emerged from mandated
accountability measures and budget constraints.
Research Questions:
1. Why are the arts important to the students in this school?
2. How are resources for the arts addressed in the single school wide action plan?
3. How has the school retained the arts as a priority? (Impetus)
4. What is the (perceived) impact of the arts on the life of the school, which includes the
culture and the academic achievements?
Data collection methods:
Surveys
• staff
Observations
• school
• general education classrooms
• art classrooms
• school functions (i.e. assembly, after school activity, school performance)
• meetings
Document review
• handbooks (student, parent, staff)
• curriculum (K-6)
• master calendar
• school plan
• meeting notes
Interviews
• classroom teachers
• art teachers
• administrators
• arts coordinator/magnet coordinator
Appendix D
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Survey Instrument
How
is
arts
education
impacting
your
school?
Please
indicate
your
position:
___________
Teacher
___________
Administrator
___________
Other:
_______________________________________
(write
in
your
position)
Please
indicate
the
number
of
years
in
your
position:
___________
0-4
years
___________
5-10
years
___________
10+
years
Please
mark
the
appropriate
box
in
response
to
each
statement:
Curricular Elements
1.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
2. 1. My instruction addresses the arts standards.
3. 2. The arts are integrated into other subject
areas.
4.
5. 3. Time in the arts has decreased after NCLB.
6. 4. Arts instruction occurs throughout the day.
7. 5. My school has sufficient resources for the
arts.
8. 6. Instruction in arts education enhances a well-
9. rounded education.
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
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Organizational Structure
Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
7. My school has partnerships with outside arts
organizations.
Please give any details:
______________________________________
8. Despite budget cuts, the arts have remained a
priority in
funding
at
my
school-‐site.
9. My school receives external funding for the
arts.
10. There is administrative support for arts
instruction.
11. Teachers are provided professional
development opportunities for instruction in
the arts.
12. Teachers collaborate with arts specialists.
13. Teachers collaborate to establish strategies
for arts integration.
14. Teachers are confident in providing arts
instruction.
15. Teachers have a voice in funding allocation
for the arts.
School Culture Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
16. Teachers advocate for the arts.
17. Parents advocate for the arts.
18. The arts are included in extracurricular
activities within and outside of the school
day.
19. The arts receive adequate community
support.
20. Field trips are related to the arts.
21. Students develop an appreciation for the arts.
22.
Arts instruction develops student creativity.
23. Arts instruction develops student self-
expression.
24. Arts instruction leads to an increase in
student engagement and participation.
Thank you for completing this survey. Please add any additional comments:
______________________________________________________________________________
Appendix E
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Interview Protocol
Participant date Participant date
Principal
Oct 30
2:00pm
Assistant Principal
Oct 24
1:45pm
Magnet Site Specialist
Nov 16
2:30pm
Teacher Specialist/Chorus
Teacher
Nov 13
10:40am
Teacher, Second Grade
Oct 24
2:30pm
Artist-Visual Arts
Nov 2
9:30am
Partnership Contact
Nov 5
1:45pm
Research Question 1: Why are the arts important to the students in this school? (What’s going
on?)
• Why are the arts important to the students in this school?
• How are you carrying out this importance?
Research Question 2: How are resources for the arts addressed in the single school wide action
plan?
• Where do you get the funding for the arts?
• Are there any fundraisers for arts programs? If so can you describe them?
• How are funds distributed among the arts programs?
• What percentage of the school budget goes to the arts?
• How are budget decisions arrived?
Research Question 3: How has the school retained the arts as a priority (Impetus)?
• Have the number of minutes spent on arts instruction/arts courses offered increased or
decreased in the last five years? If so, why?
• What are the biggest challenges you find in supporting your arts programs? How have
these challenges been dealt with?
• How does your school show appreciation and recognition for the arts?
• Do you look to the community to support your arts programs? If so, how?
• Do you have any partners that assist in maintaining the arts?
Research Question 4: What is the perceived impact of arts on the life of the school which
includes the culture and the academic achievements?
• How does the role of the art teacher influence school culture?
• What kind of participation does the school have in community events related to the arts?
• Can you describe the influence of arts education on student performance, including
academic achievement, discipline, and attendance rates?
• How do you believe students perceive arts education on campus? Teachers?
Administrators/counselors?
Appendix F
Interview Instrument
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120
Brief introduction of myself
Brief introduction for participants
This interview may last about thirty to forty-five minutes
“Before we start this interview, may I have your consent to record this interview?”
Questions Reflective notes
1. RQ 1 Why are the arts important to the students in
this school? (What’s going on?)
• Why are the arts important to the students in this
school?
• How are you carrying out this importance?
RQ 2 How are resources for the arts addressed in the
single school wide action plan?
• Where do you get the funding for the arts?
• Are there any fundraisers for arts programs? If
so can you describe them?
• How are funds distributed among the arts
programs?
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
121
• What percentage of the school budget goes to
the arts?
• How are budget decisions arrived?
RQ 3 How has the school retained the arts as a priority
(Impetus)?
• Have the number of minutes spent on arts
instruction/arts courses offered increased or
decreased in the last five years? If so, why?
• What are the biggest challenges you find in
supporting your arts programs? How have these
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
122
challenges been dealt with?
• How does your school show appreciation and
recognition for the arts?
• Do you look to the community to support your
arts programs? If so, how?
• Do you have any partners that assist in
maintaining the arts?
RQ 4 What is the perceived impact of arts on the life of
the school which includes the culture and the academic
achievements?
• How does the role of the art teacher influence
school culture?
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
123
• What kind of participation does the school have
in community events related to the arts?
• Can you describe the influence of arts education
on student performance, including academic
achievement, discipline, and attendance rates?
• How do you believe students perceive arts
education on campus? Teachers?
Administrators/counselors?
• Is there anything you think I left out that is
pertinent to this topic that you think we should
add?
Appendix G
Observation Instrument
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
124
Observation
Date:____________________________
Event:___________________________________________________
Descriptive Reflective
Time:____________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Time:____________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Time:____________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Blank page for floor plan/map
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
125
Appendix H
Observation Protocol
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
126
OBSERVATIONS
Research
Question
What
to
Observe
RQ
1
• Priority of arts to the
students
• Are the goals/standards posted?
• Student work exhibited throughout the school
• Students demonstrate high levels of self
expression and creativity
• Student attendance rate at art functions
• Student engagement during arts instruction/
active participation
RQ
2
• Resources
• What type of resources do you see in the
classroom/school and how they are being used?
• Are art resources readily available for everyone?
• Are the resources adequate/up to date?
RQ
3
• Extra-curricular activities
• Who is participating? What
are
the
options?
RQ
3
• Instructional strategies -
through observations you
can observe creativity,
innovation, communication,
critical thinking,
collaboration (4Cs),
problem solving, etc.
• Are projects related to the arts?
• Are the arts integrated into other subjects?
• Are specialists present for arts instruction?
• Classroom teacher collaborate with specialists
RQ
3
• Observing PD
• Collaboration among teachers during meetings
• Do PD topics address arts instruction?
RQ
4
• Culture & climate
• How do students walk into school?
• What do transitions look like?
• Interactions between
students/faculty/staff/parents
• Are parents on campus?
If
so,
what
are
they
doing?
• What’s on the wall? – multicultural, college,
jobs, global
• Organizations (also RQ 3)/ Community (also
RQ
3)
• School traditions (also RQ 3)
• How are the front office/entrance/classrooms
organized?
• ASB- are student announcement highly visible?
• How are arts activities being promoted?
• Are teachers attending extracurricular activities?
• Art murals present around campus
• Student work vs. professional
Appendix
I
Observation Schedule
Name Who? What? When? Where? How long?
Faculty meeting Administration, Classroom School staff meeting Sept 20 Classroom 60 minutes
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
127
teachers, Teacher specialist,
resource teachers
to discuss goals for
the upcoming year
and to discuss status
of art magnet grant
1:00pm
PTA board
meeting
PTA board members,
principal
Meeting of PTA
board to discuss
upcoming fundraiser
and funds to raise for
the arts
Oct 9
6:30pm
Media
Center
60 minutes
MTS meeting
Principal, PTA members,
MTS members, parents
Meeting to discuss
fundraising,
allocation of money,
and community
partnership programs
Oct 9
7:30pm
Media
Center
60 minutes
Collaboration
meeting, grade 2
Second grade teachers, media
coach, art specialists,
partnership contact
Second grade reading
language art s lesson
planning integrating
art
Oct 11
12:10pm-
1:05pm
Second
grade
classroom
55 minutes
Collaboration
meeting, grade 4
Partnership contact, fourth
grade teachers, art magnet
coordinator, chorus teacher
Fourth grade and art
teachers collaboration
meeting planning for
art integrated math
lesson
Nov 5
12:30pm
Music
classroom
60 minutes
Art lesson
Art teacher, Korean
immersion kindergarten
teacher, kindergarten students
Kindergarten Korean
immersion class art
lesson on clay
sculptures
Nov 2
9:00am
Art
classroom
30 minutes
Choral lesson
Students, chorus teacher Choral lesson
preparing for school
wide performance
Nov 13
10:10am
Music
classroom
30 minutes
Second grade
class, reading LA
Second grade teacher, second
grade students
Reading language art
lesson
Nov 13
8:30am
Classroom 40 minutes
Fourth grade
class, math
Fourth grade teacher,
intervention teacher, fourth
grade students
Reading language
arts lesson, small
group, math lesson
Nov 13
9:10am
Classroom 40 minutes
School
performance
First and second grade
students, teachers,
administration, visual arts
teachers, music teachers,
drama teacher, media coach,
administrators, art magnet
coordinator, parents
First and second
grade level choral
and theatre
production
Nov 9
10:00am
High school
auditorium
60 minutes
School
environment
Administrators, teachers,
students, volunteers, office
staff, parents
School decorations Nov 13
9:45am
Throughout
the school
building
25 minutes
Appendix J
Data Source by Research Question Triangulation Matrix
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
128
Research Question
Appendix A:
Interview
Protocol
Appendix B:
Survey
Protocol
Appendix C:
Observation
Protocol
Appendix D:
Document
Analysis List
Why are the arts
important to the
students in this
school?
X
X
X
X
How are resources for
the arts addressed in
the single school wide
action plan?
X
X
X
X
How has the school
retained the arts as a
priority (Impetus)?
X
X
X
X
What is the perceived
impact of the arts on
the life of the school,
which includes the
culture and academic
achievements?
X
X
X
X
Appendix K
Triangulation Matrix
A SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THE ARTS
129
Open ended
interview
Survey with Likert
scale and open ended
question
Observation
Principal
X
X
X
Assistant
principal
X
X
Art magnet
coordinator
X
X
Teacher
specialist
X
X
X
Visual art
teacher
X
X
Second grade
teacher
X
X
X
Fourth grade
teacher
X
X
Partnership
contact
X
X
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
Recently California’s public schools have narrowed the curriculum due to a focus on mandated accountability measures and budget constraints. As a result, arts education seems to be one of the major areas that has been neglected. The purpose of the study was to examine a school that has maintained arts education as a priority within their instructional time, while managing other demands that have emerged from the mandated accountability measures and budget constraints. This study will examine why are the arts important to the students, how is funding for the arts addressed, how the school has retained the arts as a priority, and what is the impact the arts has on academic achievement and the culture of the school. The research design of this study was a qualitative case study of a high performing arts magnet school in an urban area. A multi-method approach using qualitative research methods of data collection was used for this case study. Triangulation of the data from documents reviews
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Arts in education and organizational culture
Asset Metadata
Creator
Pak, Cecilia
(author)
Core Title
A case study: a school's commitment to retaining the arts
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Education (Leadership)
Publication Date
04/26/2013
Defense Date
03/07/2013
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
art education,arts,magnet school,OAI-PMH Harvest,retaining art education,VAPA,visual and performing arts
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Gothold, Stuart E. (
committee chair
), Escalante, Michael F. (
committee member
), Hocevar, Dennis (
committee member
)
Creator Email
ceciliep@usc.edu,pak.cecilia@gmail.com
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Tags
art education
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retaining art education
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