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Arts in education and organizational culture

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Arts in education and organizational culture

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ARTS IN EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

by

Ann M. Chavez

____________________________________________________________

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

December 2010

Copyright 2010 Ann M. Chavez

ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
"True happiness... is not attained through self-gratification, but
through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” Helen Keller

My purpose is education. Inspired by Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller, I
answered the calling and became a teacher. That calling continues to evolve and I
am currently following the call to lead. I believe that leadership makes the
difference and that quality leadership is essential for quality public education. My
studies at the University of Southern California have confirmed and helped to define
quality leadership for me as a practitioner. I am thankful for the comprehensive
education and the encouragement to think outside the box to be a leader that USC
has provided. I appreciate the skill and experience that each professor brought to the
program and the many colleagues who shared their experiences and ideas along the
way. I am also thankful to some specific people whose support and encouragement
allowed me to succeed.
I must begin with my gratitude and thanks to my parents to whom I am
eternally grateful for everything they have given me. Andy and Pamela Chavez,
have taught me the importance of education, the value of hard work, and the love of
family. Their ability to look to the positive, always celebrate what you can do, and
always make the most of what life gives you has always been my inspiration. A
special thanks and love to, Christopher, my brother. He always reminds me to smile
and enjoy the little joys in life each day.

iii
Heart-felt thanks and sincere gratitude to Dr. Stu Gothold. Dr. Gothold has
been the core of my program at USC. He is an inspirational leader and role model.
He taught me that it is ok to be a jack-of-all-trades if you are a great leader.
Leadership, relationships, and understanding people are what it is all about. His
wisdom, warmth, and guidance will forever be appreciated.
My gratitude and respect to Dr. Dennis Hocevar. He taught me to be a
researcher and provided the methodology skills I needed to succeed in completing
this dissertation. His expertise, humor, and caring ways in the classroom were
greatly appreciated, especially during statistics! Thank you for joining my
committee and seeing me through.
To Dr. Irv Howard, my endless thanks and appreciation for your time and
guidance in this dissertation process. You bring an expertise in the arts and in
middle school needs to the committee. I have great respect and admiration for the
many contributions and support you have provided children and public education in
your career. I am honored to have you on my committee.
Thank you to my school families along the way that have provided support,
laughter, and helped me grow as a teacher and a leader. Special love and
appreciation to, Susan McDonald, you have been my mentor and friend since my
first day in the classroom. Your knowledge of what’s good for kids has and
continues to be my bar for excellence. I’ve learned so much from you and will be
forever grateful. You are an inspiration - both teacher and friend.

iv
Now to my partner in crime, Dr. Shawn K. Smith. You became my colleague
by chance and you are my friend by choice. I will always cherish our late night
drives home from USC, arguing and debating the latest trend or need in education.
You always push me to look at things a different way and to think outside the box
and for that I am truly grateful. It has helped me become a better leader. We often
disagree about the path but we never disagree about the goal – student success. I
look forward to our many years ahead of collaboration on serving students and
always assuring the arts are included. Near or far you will always be that phone call
when I need to vent, laugh, cry, ask for advice, and celebrate. You always call me
the mentor, but I have learned more from you than you will ever know- Thank you
for being my friend and my mentor.
And lastly to my best friend, Jacki Blake, we met in 6
th
grade and have been
connected heart and soul ever since. Thank you for the support and encouragement
to complete this dissertation. I am proud to be your friend and will forever be
grateful for all you do for me. I finally finished!
Fight on!

v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………...ii
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………...vi
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study…………………………………………… ...1
Chapter 2: Review of the Literature……………………………………………. ...9
Chapter 3: Research Methodology……………………………………………. ...32
Table 1: Interview Data Collection…………………………………………. ...36
Chapter 4: Findings……………………………………………………………....41
Chapter 5: Analysis and Discussion…………………………………………... ...66
References……………………………………………………………………….. ...75
Appendices
Appendix A: Conceptual Framework……………………………………… ...78
Appendix B: Critical Aspects of Research Question 1…………………….....79
Appendix C: Critical Aspects of Research Question 2……………………. ...80
Appendix D: Critical Aspects of Research Question 3……………………. ...81
Appendix E: Principal Interview Questions……………………………….. ...85
Appendix F: Parent Focus Group Interview Questions…………………… ...86
Appendix G: Student Interview Questions………………………………… ...87
Appendix H: Staff Interview Questions…………………………………… ...88
Appendix I: Criteria for School Selection………………………………… ...89
Appendix J: Observation Summary Form………………………………… ...90

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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this case study was to describe organizational culture in a
school that has successfully implemented the arts in education and has high student
achievement. This study was a parallel dissertation in which two independent
researchers studied the statement problem. The subject of this case study was a
middle school in Southern California that had successfully demonstrated increased
student achievement as measured by the Academic Performance Index and had arts
in education present. A thorough description of this organizational culture was
documented and findings are included in this study.

1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
According to Berger, (1977), “Seeing comes before words. The child looks
and recognizes before it can speak. But there is another sense in which seeing comes
before words. It is seeing which establishes our place in the surrounding world; we
explain that world with words but words can never undo the fact that we are
surrounded by it. The relation between what we see and what we know is never
settled.” The way we see things is affected by what we know and what we believe.
The way in which we interpret the world begins with sight – viewing and
interpreting the world around us.
This interpretation continues throughout our lives and evolves as we add
language and experiences, values, and beliefs to our reservoir of resources and
thought. This interpretation and understanding of the world around us is built on
aesthetics- what we see and what it means to us. For some this is a simplistic
definition of “Art”.
This leads one to the question, “What place, role, or foundation do the arts
play in public education?” Are there schools successfully implementing arts in
education in which the arts are not a “program” or thing you go somewhere and “do”
once a week, but the arts are simply part of everything they do. It is a part of the
underlining culture of what is important to that school and community. It is a
common language used throughout the campus and a common understanding that
appears seamless and natural. If so then one must question – how was/is this

2
achieved? Does the school have to be an “Arts” school, such as a focus school or
charter within a public school district to be successful in arts education? Can any
and all schools achieve this? Is it important? Should the arts be viewed as an
essential part of human development and one of the forms of intelligence? How do
educational policy and learning theorists view it currently and historically? These
many questions are the foundation of this study.
Historically the public school educational focus has been on science and
math, as we struggle to keep up with our European counterparts in these areas.
Aesthetics has been devalued and concrete, scientific thought encouraged. The value
of visual and spatial intelligence is essential to success in the areas of science and
mathematics and is only developed when addressed throughout the curriculum. One
must ask themselves, how can we separate these needs and what must be lost by
isolating them in development?
Elementary and middle schools nationwide and particularly in California
today are faced with decreasing budgets and high stakes accountability for test scores
in reading and mathematics. This has forced schools to make decisions that have led
to the loss of arts programs to free up resources. Although policy exists and calls for
it, historically, the Arts have not been part of the core curriculum in public education
at the elementary and middle school levels. Arts have been seen as a “program” and
can therefore be eliminated. The researchers find this to be the fundamental problem
with arts in education today. The perspective and understanding of the arts and its
fundamental role in human development and human intelligence must be examined

3
and incorporated if found to be valid and necessary. To achieve this end, research
must prove with data that can be measured through test scores, that the arts are
essential and lead to improved student achievement. To do this we must first find
schools that are successfully implementing arts in education and have high student
achievement and study their success.
Problem Statement
Research in arts in education lacks descriptions of school culture in schools
that offer strong arts in education. Research to date has not questioned how the arts
impact the culture of an organization. In a time of increased accountability on test
scores and public and policy emphasis on reading and math specifically, the arts are
often overlooked or eliminated due to lack of fiscal and time resources. There are
schools despite this trend that are maintaining an arts programs. How do they do
this? How does it affect school culture?
Background of the Study
Rarely are the arts in education part of the core curriculum on the elementary
and middle school levels. However, some schools have resisted this movement, yet
descriptions of these schools fail to exist as well. Educational leaders wanting to
include the arts in education lack an appropriate model. This is a significant problem
for the arts in education.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this case study is to describe organizational culture in a
successful public school offering arts in education. This leads to the design of the

4
study. The study is a parallel dissertation in which two independent researchers each
selected a school that met the established criteria for high student achievement and
successful implementation of arts in education. Researchers used the same
methodology and sought to draw conclusions that will contribute to educational
practice and policy at all levels. After much discussion and debate the researchers
narrowed the study to what they see as the starting point to developing further the
success of quality arts in education. This study is a traditional qualitative study of an
organization’s culture and what about it has lead to success in arts in education.
Significance of the Study
This study is a traditional qualitative study of an organization’s culture and
what about it has lead to success in arts in education. The researchers hope is that in
seeking to understand what makes these schools work and “how they do things” it
will provide knowledge to share with the academic community and provide insight
that can lead to both replication and documentation on the importance of arts in
education. These case studies tell the story of arts in education and organizational
culture in two schools in California. From these studies the researchers hope that
collaboration on common themes that emerge will unveil new knowledge to share
with academic and educational communities.
Exploratory Questions
1. What policies are in place at the school?
2. What arts in education programs are in place at the school?
3. What is the organizational culture of the school?

5
Definition of Terms
Good research design requires researchers to define terms so that readers can
understand their precise meaning. Creswell (2003, p. 143) states “…in formal
research, students must be precise in how they use language and terms. The need to
ground thoughts in authoritative definitions constitutes good science.”
For this study, the researchers reviewed the literature and came to consensus
on the definitions that will be applied. For the purpose of this dissertation the
definitions of Wallas (1931), Grombach (1972), Garnder (1994), Eisner (1998),
Cropley (2001), and Greene (2001) will be applied as follows:
Aesthetics. Experiences associated with reflective and conscious encounters
with the arts.
Aesthetic Education. An intentional undertaking designed to nurture
appreciative, reflective, cultural, and participatory engagements with the arts.
Art. Artistic communication…(a) has no specific time reference for
appropriate decoding, (b) is displayed for decoding by unspecified individual people,
(c) is regarded as different from objects or events as they naturally occur, and (d) is
an object of leisure, not related to the survival or physical well-being of the decoder.
Arts in Education. Exploration of different mediums within the arts. The
visual arts, performing arts, music, and dance will be the focus for the purpose of this
study.
Artistic Process. The process culminating in artistic production and
comprehension involves up to four roles or modes of participation and a work of

6
art…the creator or artist is an individual who has gained sufficient skill in the use of
a medium to be able to communicate through the creation of a symbolic object…the
audience member is one whose feeling life is affected when he encounters a work of
art…the connoisseur or critic must communicate his reactions and evaluations to
other individuals…the final participant in the artistic process, the performer, is an
individual who transmits a work created by an artist to a larger audience.
Cognitive Development. The ability to enhance the process of storing,
retrieving, transforming, and using information.
Creativity. A cluster of psychological factors within individual people that
gives them the capacity or potential to produce products with properties that depart
from the familiar.
Creative Process. (1) preparation, where the idea for the work is identified;
(2) incubation, where the mind is playing with the work, while the unconscious mind
is sorting ideas; (3) illumination, where the creator becomes aware of how the
elements will fit together; (4) verification, where final details are checked out and
assured.
Disciplined Based Art Education. A comprehensive, sequential approach to
instruction and learning in which art and artworks are studied through four
foundational disciplines that contribute to the creation and appreciation of art: art
history, criticism, aesthetics and production.
Educational Policy. A set of ideas reflecting certain values and beliefs that
are created to guide decision making in the field of education.

7
Policy. A set of ideas reflecting certain values and beliefs that are created to
guide decision making.
Organization of the Study
Chapter 1 of the study has presented the introduction, the statement of the
problem, the background of the study, the purpose of the study, the significance of
the study, the questions to be answered, the theoretical framework, and the
definitions of term.
Chapter 2 is a review of relevant literature. It addresses the following topics:
The Impact of the Arts on Student Learning, The Arts and Student Achievement, and
The Arts in Public Education Today.
Chapter 3 presents the methodology used in the study, including the
researcher’s reasons for interest in the study and relevant background; the
participants in the study; the selection process and rationale; the research design; and
the procedures used.
Chapter 4 presents the findings of the study.
Chapter 5 presents analysis, discussion, the significance of the study,
implications for practice, as well as conclusions and recommendations.
Limitations of the Study
When a single case study is conducted, the researcher’s ability to generalize
about the results is limited. Although two individual case studies are being conducted
to search for common themes, the ability to generalize is still limited to what is
found in these two particular schools. The study had a small sample of schools to

8
select from, as very few met the criteria set forth. This study will be limited to a
brief period of time and may not reflect the long term culture and characteristics that
the researchers will encounter.
Delimitations of the Study
This study has been designed with a specific purpose and narrow topic to
provide for a thick description that will lead to valuable information. The selection
of the schools for this study was not random, but purposeful with clear requirements,
to lead to maximized data collections and results. Instrumentation was also
delimited to focus specifically on the aspects of arts in education and school culture.

9
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Literature was reviewed on arts in education from the inception of public
education in the United States to present. Landmark studies were identified and
attention was given to empirical studies conducted over the past 10 years. The
following electronic databases were searched as follows: Arts and Humanities Index
and Educational Resource Information Clearinghouse. The keywords utilized were:
art, arts ed, art and edu, creati, culture, art and IQ. In addition, a hand search of 10
educational journals was conducted. Bibliographies from relevant articles were also
identified and researched. Only studies that were empirical in research design have
been cited.
Key questions the researcher posed before the thorough literature search
were: What is the history of the arts in American schooling? Can the arts contribute
to student achievement, extended thinking, and creativity? Are there organizational
descriptions of schools that include the arts in education? Are there defined
organizational characteristics that impact the culture of the school when the arts in
education are present? How does organizational culture impact students? Can culture
have an impact on the mind of a student? Can the arts contribute to that? While not
all of these questions will be answered by this study, it is the aim of this research to
seek answers to some of them.

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The History of the Arts in Education and the Changing Role Public Schools have
Played in American Society
From the beginning the arts were a part of the public school experience. In
some cases it was merely a daily song that students participated in most likely of a
patriotic or religious nature or maybe it was the choral reading done within the daily
classroom routine, or it was in the study of works of art and art history. The “it”
being referred to here is the arts in varied forms and levels. Historically, the Arts
were for the elite, privileged, or talented only and access to arts education at a
specialized level or even consistent level was limited. As the role of the arts and its
various forms evolved with the needs of society, access and arts within public
education molded to respond to these needs. Access and presence of the arts was
and is influenced by class, gender, and general societal status (Efland, 1990). Art was
seen in two realms: art for industry vocation or innovation and art for artistic
expression.
The quest for universal literacy in the 1800’s lead to the introduction of art
and music in public education. The Arts were seen as something everyone must
understand and have instruction in to achieve moral, social, and academic literacy.
The great educational leaders of the 1800’s, such as Mann, Fowle, Pestalozzi, and
Smith advocated for arts in the public school and access for all students. The
movement led to the opening of a school specifically to train teachers in the arts –
not artists but teachers. There was no school like it and the idea was very
progressive at the time. The “Normal Art School” opened in 1873.

11
In the 1900’s, America had become a world power and the industrial
revolution was unfolding. According to Wygant (1993) the population grew sixty
percent and optimism was abounding. The progressive movement expanded the
responsibilities of the schools. Pragmatist, John Dewey, claimed that the truth of an
idea could only be found in its results. This experimental focus in the age of
innocence affected the role of schools and its curriculum. What was the status of
Arts Education? In 1914, a national survey showed that art was a required course in
thirteen states and strong programs existed in most other states. The American
Federation of the Arts was founded in 1909 through the National Academy of Art.
The objectives of this organization were diverse, but second on the list was
“promotion of art in public schools.” Through the 1920’s we saw strong support for
the arts and expansion in the art curriculum beyond drawing and appreciation study.
School Arts Magazine evolved from the Applied Arts Book, and offered year long
curriculum plans for each grade level. In the area of research, leading psychologists
were encouraging study of instruction of drawing for young children, to seek
effective teaching methods to meet the national demand for efficiency, drawings
main purpose at the time.
The National Education Association’s (NEA) Cardinal Principles of
Secondary Education established the common curriculum that every student required
for the responsibilities of adulthood and democracy (Wygant, 1993). This plan was
practical, and emphasized main stream curriculum with observable objectives. The
federal government was providing regular funding for industrial education, and the

12
Progressive Education Association continued to push for free thought, creative
expression, and the need for the arts in quest of intellectual and cultural
development. Although the drawing stages of child development were still used for
evaluation, the arts were losing momentum with the close of the industrial
revolution. The Progressive movement and school of thought was never broad or
uniform within education but its advocates kept it alive and the arts alive in public
school.
Review of art education in the thirties reflects many examples of the
influence of external forces. Economic and social conditions gave importance to the
curriculum being taught and it aligned more so now with the progressive movement.
The leading ideas in art education in the 1930’s were: emphasis on the common uses
of art in the home and community, the creative artist as a model for a more open plan
of art activities, and rather than a set of graded series of lessons, the correlation of art
with other subjects. Appreciation of various mediums was also encouraged. This
was a period where school art was influenced greatly by the conditions of society
and the consolidation of the progressivist educational theories and methods (Efland,
1990).
The rise of professional organizations to promote arts education was seen in
the thirties as well. The National Association for Art Education formed in 1935 as
an outgrowth of the Federal Council on Art Education. Leaders of the NEA, who
have a Department of Art Education did not want to join forces and the NEA’s voice
for the arts was not strong enough for rival groups. The idea of educational

13
professionals belonging to two groups and one that was “all art” was a new and
explosive concept. The first organization died out and NEA remained strong. This
clash did eventually lead to the formation of the National Art Education Association
(NAEA) in 1947. This organization continues to be the prominent national
professional organization for educators of the arts and advocates of arts in education.
This group and others gave strong impetus to the concept of arts as a necessity to
educational thinking and the “artist-teacher” concept. They brought strength and
depth to the National and international conferences being held, and broadened the
perception of the United States both in arts in education and the arts for cultural and
aesthetic history.
The political and social context of society continue to guide the development
of school curriculum and the arts in education into the 1950’s. In 1955, President
Eisenhower stated in his State of the Union Address, “In the advancement of the
various activities which make our civilization endure and flourish, the Federal
government should do more to give official recognition of the importance of the arts
and other cultural activities” (The National Endowment of the Arts, 2000). Although
attempts to establish federal support for the arts had been proposed as early as 1826,
with many proposals along the way, it took until 1958 for established public law to
be signed in regards to the arts. President Eisenhower signed P.L. 85-874 to
establish a national cultural center for the performing arts. The intellectual currents
of the 1950’s found literature, music, drama, and dance as an upper middle class
cultural experience and the beginnings of abstract expressionism and a need for

14
individuality was emerging. According to Wygant (1993), by the end of the decade,
societies’ discontent with the status quo was evident and was being expressed
through the arts in all forms. Art educators were aware of the social conditions and
the need for creative expression and this created a path for arts in education to have a
rise once again in necessity. Programs continued to vary greatly across the states,
and federal support continued to grow and become more organized in efforts and in
sharing the message.
“I look forward to an America which will steadily raise the standards of
artistic accomplishment and which will steadily enlarge cultural opportunities for all
our citizens.” These words were spoken in a 1963 address by President Kennedy, an
advocate for the arts and preservation of American history and culture. Just over a
year later, President Lyndon B. Johnson renamed the National Cultural Center, the
John F. Kennedy Center for the performing Arts and designated it as Kennedy’s
official memorial in Washington. In April of 1965 Johnson swore in the members of
the National Council on the Arts. This was followed by the National Foundation on
the Arts and Humanities Act, P.L. 89-209. The arts, their importance, and necessity
to both the growth and preservation of our culture were clear on the federal level.
“Art is a nation’s most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal
ourselves, and to others, the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where
there is no vision, the people perish.” President Johnson’s words and actions lead to
development for the arts and stronger communication between agencies all working

15
towards similar goals. In the interest of arts education in public schools, the NEA
and NAEA were and are advocates and leaders.
By the 1970’s the budget for the NEA had grown from 2.7 million in 1966 to
over 80 million. The number of local art agencies has grown form 150 to 2,000.
The Endowment was flourishing and some would say the arts were flourishing as the
opportunities for all people to experience and participate in the arts had grown
tremendously. The literature does not show that same level of growth within the
public schools offerings and development of the arts as a core program is not
evident. It was not until 1985 that the National Council on the Arts presented data
and a concept paper stating support for the arts as a basic part of the curriculum
kindergarten through high school. It also encouraged artists in residence programs.
This focus on public education continued from the NEA with specific grants being
offered and promotion of the programs given special attention. Forty-two states
applied for support and participation in the Arts in Schools Basic Education Grants
(The National Endowment of the Arts, 2000).
The 1990’s brought to fruition a goal of many educators, artists, and leaders:
National Standards for Arts Education. The arts were among the first disciplines to
develop educational standards as part of the Goals 2000 education reform. The
Planning process for Goals 2000 began in the summer of 1994. Although the
nineties saw budget cuts to the endowment, as they restructured and focused efforts,
education remained a priority. Grant programs and departments were narrowed from
17 to 4, with “Education and Access” as the 3
rd
category. In 1996 they launched their

16
interactive website, expanding the communication and access of materials, links, and
arts information. Grants and program opportunities provided by the federal
government were consolidated during the nineties, but they were made more
accessible and grew in numbers, with a focus to reach rural communities.
In 2000, the Mars Millennium Project brought together the U.S. Department
of Education, NASA, and the J. Paul Getty Trust to bring students k-12, artists, and
scientists together to design model communities for life on Mars in the year 2030. A
re-birth of support for Disciplined Based Arts education programs is evident, even in
this decade of technological explosion. The No Child Left Behind Act, although
focused on student achievement in reading and mathematics, contains an article that
clearly outlines the purpose and key requirements of arts in education (United states
Department of Education, 2004). Support, collaboration, and funding all seem
present at the national level and the American spirit appears to thrive and desire the
arts in all arenas and formats and by all people. So, one must ask then what is
happening at the state and local levels and how is this reaching the classrooms of
public schools?
State and Local Policy on Arts in Education
For the purpose of this paper State and Local will refer to California and Los
Angeles County. California has been on the forefront of the arts in education. The
California Department of Education (CDE) had developed and adopted frameworks
for the Visual and Performing Arts for kindergarten through grade 12 by 1982 (VPA
Frameworks). This document set forth, what all students should know and

17
understand about the arts at each grade level, detailing experiences necessary for
growth and development (California Department of Education, 1982). By 1985, The
CDE released its policy on arts in education with a declaration that “the arts are an
integral part of the basic education for all students in grades k through 12”
(California Department of Education, 1985).
The California State Board of Education showed a strong interest in
understanding the arts and its purpose in the basic curriculum, but the question
remained, how was this going to reach the classrooms? An Arts Task force was
created with the goal of not only updating the frameworks but to study
implementation in schools and the success of programs being offered and the
direction needed to move more schools in line with the state framework. Arts Work:
A Call for Arts Education for all California Students was published in 1997
(California Department of Education, 1997). Five recommendations were the result:
(1)Literacy in and Through the Arts, (2) Standards and Assessment, (3) Preparation
for Careers, (4) Access for All Students, and (5) Support for Arts Programs. This list
of recommendations represented some of the obstacles that were keeping the goal
and desire for the arts from being reality in all classrooms or even a majority of
classrooms. Why are programs so varied and limited in offerings? Why aren’t
districts adopting and purchasing curriculum that meets the standards? Just as they
do at the National Level, California and Los Angeles County have a variety of
professional and private organizations that supports arts in education. It is often
these organizations that support and find success in implementing school programs.

18
In 2002, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted Arts for All: Los
Angeles County Blueprint for Arts Education. The Arts for All initiative created a
series of policy changes that led to creating a sequential, K-12 Arts Education
curriculum plan for LA County public schools. Arts for All case studies share new
insights on how to make arts education a reality in the classroom.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Schools are another option for students in
the United State to access the arts. IB schools were developed in 1968 in Geneva,
Switzerland. IB schools programs seek to provide an international education and
emphasize critical thinking, understanding culture, history, and the arts. IB schools
were developed in the United States in 1971 and continue to develop and offer arts
education programs. “It is most gratifying that Arts for All continues to move
forward despite challenges of declining enrollment and California’s budget crisis,”
said Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of
Supervisors. “The initiative is a massive effort to effect long-term change and I
salute the school districts that have made the commitment to make arts education
available to all their students.” But these efforts are reaching only a few of the
schools when looking statewide. How then do we reach a level at which all students
have access and a standard level of arts in education? Is this possible?
It appears that the desire and need are present at the national, state, and local
levels but history shows that the implementation has always run in to obstacles,
usually financial. The ten year span of budget crisis’ in California has led to cuts
across education and specifically in the arts. Initiatives intended for arts reform and

19
programming have been eliminated over this past year. The wave of accountability
that has taken over education has greatly affected the arts. The need for strong test
scores in Reading and Mathematics has overshadowed any and all other disciplines.
Will this era of data and standardized test destroy the momentum of the arts and
creativity in public school classrooms? The literature shows that the arts have been
fundamental to humans and human development since the beginning of man. The
challenge is not to find funding, or create an understanding and need within the
community, but rather to seek better ways to incorporate the arts so they are not an
expendable “program” within education. Researchers and educators with a passion
for the arts will assure that they never die and with hope and perseverance, they will
find ways to implement arts to reach all children.
The Arts and Student Achievement
The above mentioned studies looked at the arts and its correlation to learning,
creativity, and the idea of transfer. This reviewer found that little exists in the
literature that can specifically correlate the arts and student achievement. Student
Achievement for the purpose of this paper will be defined through the accountability
models driven by national and state mandates. Today strong student achievement is
measured by performance on nationally normed tests in the areas of Reading,
Language, Spelling, and Mathematics as well as achievement on state standards tests
like those recently developed and administered here in California. The Chicago Arts
Partnerships in Education (CAPE) project is a landmark example of improved
student achievement related to the arts.

20
In 1999, The UCLA Graduate School of Education released a summary on
the project (Catterall & Waldorf, 1999). The project was founded in 1992 with the
goal to increase funding and availability of the arts in Chicago Public Schools.
Through teacher-artist partnerships, they were charged with planning integrated
instruction of the visual arts with academic subjects. The summary study evaluated
the following areas: student outcomes, curriculum, conditions for growth, and
partnerships for the arts.
The study compared scores on reading and math assessments administered by
the district. In 52 comparisons, the CAPE schools always out performed the Non-
CAPE schools in both reading and math assessments. Significant gains were noted
in math scores, Catterall and Waldorf (1999) finding that forty percent of students in
CAPE schools were at or above grade level compared to the average of twenty eight
percent prior to the introduction of CAPE. Although this summary appears to
indicate a direct link to the arts and student achievement, criticism on the design and
uncontrollable factors of the study leave it inconclusive.
Winner and Cooper (2000) also sought to find studies that claimed links
between the arts and student achievement. They conducted a comprehensive review
of the literature and found only 31 studies that met their criteria for inclusion. They
conducted a meta-analysis of these studies and concluded that an association
between the arts and achievement existed but that it was not a statistically significant
link. They also suggest that positive results in test scores may be attributed to the
Hawthorne effect, the energizing affect of any new program or component to a

21
setting. They further suggest that studies should include a control group that
includes a new program other than the arts, to provide a more valid comparison.
Other critics suggest that the excitement presented by the arts is an incentive for
student attendance and that attendance alone will boost academic scores (Murfee
1993; Aschbacher & Herman 1991).
One begins to ask, do the arts only create side effects? Are these “side”
effects essential to learning and development? Is there not value in creativity alone?
David Perkins (1994) believes that for transfer to occur it must be explicitly taught.
The connection of the arts and other academic subjects is present but transfer only
occurs when students are taught specifically to apply it to new knowledge acquired
in other disciplines. Is this the only way it works? Can this skill be taught and
become a habit and or a part of a student’s thinking repertoire, used when called
upon by the learner? These questions confirm what Winner and Cooper (2000)
stated in their study, “…researchers have focused too narrowly on test scores and
grades as outcomes. Researchers need to begin to look at transfer outcomes that,
while more relevant, are certainly going to be more difficult to measure.”
The Impact of the Arts on Extended Thinking and Creativity
In 1999, a study was conducted by the Center for Arts Education Research at
Teacher’s College Columbia University to examine artistic experiences of children
and its effects on learning (Burton, Horowitz, & Abeles, 1999). This study sought to
answer the following questions: What is arts learning? Does it extend to learning in
other school subjects? What conditions in schools support this learning? (Burton, et

22
al., 1999) designed a study that included 2000 pupils grades four through eight at
twenty eight different schools in four different states (New York, Connecticut,
Virginia, and South Carolina).
After visiting the schools and developing a sense of how the arts are taught,
twelve schools were selected for data collection, and four for in depth case studies
(Burton, et al., 1999) determined that the arts are taught in many different ways.
Some schools integrated the arts into the curriculum through a disciplined based
approach, others taught individual arts skills in isolation, and others were found to be
limited or they varied greatly in the consistency of the arts instruction being offered.
They also found that arts can be taught by general classroom teachers, specialist
teachers, or external artists and performers. This study narrowed down schools and
looked only at those who had varied approaches to teaching the arts and had arts
education in both visual and performing arts to offer students. The study was
designed to look at a broad spectrum of arts learning and not any one specific
discipline. The study identified “arts rich” schools and “arts poor” schools based on
the amount of in-school arts instruction students received and data from both types of
school was collected for comparison.
Standardized and informal measures were used to collect data. The following
standardized measures were used: Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, Self-
Description Questionnaire, and the School-Level Environment Questionnaire. The
team also developed and administered a Teacher Perception Scale and Student Arts
Background Questionnaire. To complete the picture and capture a deeper context of

23
arts learning, interviews with administrators, teachers, and specialists, were
conducted. Observations, document reviews, and artwork analysis was also part of
the studies methodology.
This landmark study drew conclusions in four distinct categories: (1)
Students ability to perform on measure of creativity, (2) the relationship of the arts to
other curriculum disciplines, (3) student and teacher self efficacy concepts in
academics, teaching, and learning, and (4) how school climate affects the success of
the arts. The data indicates that students in “arts rich” public schools performed
better on all measures of creativity administered than those students at “arts poor”
schools. Concepts measured were: creativity, fluency, originality, elaboration, and
resistance to closure (Burton et al., 1999). Other studies, (Dillard 1982), (Howell
1990), and (Luftig 1993) using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking also found
that students in strong arts programs scored higher than students who were not in arts
programs. These studies found correlational results but not causal effects.
The study, (Burton et al., 1999) also indicated that students and teachers in
“arts rich” schools presented a more positive profile about self concept in all areas.
Students perceived themselves with higher ability, as a learner, to perform on both
arts and academic tasks. They also perceived their teachers to view them as more
capable learners than those students in arts poor schools who were given the same
inventories. All of these data findings were validated by the observations and
interviews conducted in the study (Burton et al., 1999).

24
The study (Burton et al., 1999) concluded that schools with strong arts
programs each had supportive, knowledgeable administrators in the area of arts
education. They found that principals in arts rich schools encouraged teachers to
take risks, learn new skills, and be innovative in teaching strategies and curriculum
development. The study also found that teachers were skilled and confident in their
pedagogy and that collaboration was strong amongst the culture. The study also
stated that teachers understood and saw the abilities in their pupils and encouraged
development in all areas, at all levels more consistently than teachers in “arts poor”
schools (Burton et al., 1999)
Researchers over time have struggled with the concept of transfer and how
the arts “connect” to academic standards and learning. Catterall (2002), defines
transfer, when learning in one context assists learning in a different context. Burton,
et al. (1999) suggests that the idea of a linear connection in which one leads to the
other is too simplistic a description for the “connection” between the arts and other
disciplines. They further state that learning in the arts is complex and multi-
dimensional and how these concepts relate to higher order thinking used in other
disciplines is also complex and multi-dimensional. They found that the following
skills were consistently revealed in the study and may lend to transfer: the ability:
to take multiple perspectives, to layer relationships, and to construct and express
meaning in unified forms of representation. Burton, Horowitz, and Abeles (1999)
argue that these skills should be and often are exercised across all knowledge

25
domains. They also stress the importance of arts instruction to be systematic and
consistent for elementary and secondary school children if transfer is being achieved.
This concept of transfer has also been defined by experts as “extended
thinking”. Researchers describe extended thinking as the ability to think beyond the
linear and use critical thinking skills on the higher order levels. Other studies on
this concept have suggested that the arts contribute to a student’s ability to problem
solve and use spatial temporal reasoning (Wolf 1999; Rauscher & Shaw, 1993). A
meta-analysis of empirical studies correlating arts study and creative thinking was
published in 2000. According to Moga, Berger, Hetland, and Winner (2000), there is
a significant association between arts study and performance on standardized
measures of creative thinking. In this meta-analysis, very few studies met the criteria
of the filtering process and therefore the small sample size does not allow for
evidence of a causal effect.
Due to the varied elements and inconsistency of arts programs in public
education and the lack of standardized instruments to measure the transfer effect of
the arts to other disciplines, there are many critics of the literature and its claims.
Factors that affect the validity of studies and cause critics to question claims are
often cited as: demographics, cultural and socioeconomic differences, motivation,
teacher training, cultural backgrounds, etc. The critics point out that often a control
group is not included in the design of the study, and if they are included, they are
often not a true control group. It appears that the ability to design and conduct a

26
valid, scientific study leading to causal effects in arts education continues to be the
challenge of researchers and educational leaders.
Organizational Culture
Organizational culture has its roots in anthropology. Anthropology is the
science (logos) of man (anthro) and is occupied with the idea of describing,
analyzing, and comparing the physical, social, psychological, and linguistic aspects
of human behaviors as they manifest themselves in different cultural patterns (Pai &
Adler, 2001).
As the study of anthropology began to branch out into the different
subdivisions of academic disciplines, cultural anthropology emerged as a distinct and
separate field of research. Here, cultural patterns were studied and complex systems
of human behaviors were organized to represent people’s attempts to solve problems
arising out of nature and human beings associations with each other (Pai & Adler,
2001).
As cultural anthropology staked its claim in academia, others in the field
began to explore the idea that organizations, especially those in the corporate sector,
may have a distinct and separate culture as well. Early cultural theory definitions
were used to more insightfully describe the corporate culture. Pai & Adler (2001)
reference and define culture as a “pattern of knowledge, skills, behaviors, attitudes,
and beliefs, as well as material artifacts produced by a human society and transmitted
from one generation to another.” Others like Clifford Geertz (1973) argue that:
“Culture is best seen not as complexes of concrete behavior patterns- customs,

27
usages, traditions, habit clusters- as has been the case up to now, but as a set of
control mechanisms- plans, recipes, rules, instructions- for governing of behavior.”
Deal and Kennedy (1982) argue that culture is “the way we do things around here.”
Kilmann (1985) contends that organizational culture is the social fabric that moves
people to act. These theories, each with their own assumptions about the way in
which organizations function, have surfaced as a way of thinking about and trying to
understand organizations.
This view, that organizations function with a distinct culture, is in stark
contrast to “modern” structural and systems theories of organizations. Early theories
of organizations began with the primary questions of how best to formally manage
organizations so they meet their desired goals of production, with emphasis on
efficiency and productivity (Shafritz & Ott, 2001). Now, as new theories on
organizations emerge, organizational culture theories reject assumptions of “modern”
structural theories and make basic assumptions that the behaviors of members of
organizations impact decisions. These behaviors, beliefs, and values of members of
the organization are thought to further influence the organizational environment,
which in essence produces organizational culture (Shafritz & Ott, 2001; Deal &
Kennedy, 1982; Kilman, 1985; Denison, 1990).
The literature over the last fifteen years (Barley, Meyer, & Gash, 1998;
Bolman & Deal, 1997; Martin, 1991; Ott, 1989) has yielded various approaches to
studying culture. In fact, Schein (1993) compiled a list of concepts associated with
describing culture as a phenomena: (a) observed behavioral regularities when people

28
interact, (b) group norms, (c) espoused values, (d) formal philosophy, (e) rules of the
game, (f) climate, (g) embedded skills, (h) habits of thinking and mental modes, (i)
shared meanings, and (j) metaphors and symbols. All of these categories relate to
culture, but it is only when they are grouped together and analyzed in relation to one
another that Schein (1993) argues the word culture is derived.
Essentially, one can argue that culture may in fact be a control standard that
assists in assigning meaning and values to ideas, events, and behaviors. Pai and
Adler (2001) further go on to point out that symboling, or the process by which
people bestow meanings on objects and events within a culture can have major
implications.
Bolman and Deal (1997) dedicate an entire frame in their book Reframing
Organizations to symbols within organizations. While these authors will agree it is
not just this frame (in fact they offer four different frames) that embodies culture, it
is an important aspect of culture: “Symbols embody and express an organization’s
culture—the interwoven patterns of beliefs, values, practices, and artifacts that define
for members who they are and how they are to do things (p.219).” Others in the field
have given strong evidence of symbols as powerful agents within organizational
culture (Kotter & Heskett, 1972; Collins & Possas, 1994; Ortner, 1973; Clark, 1975).
Bolman & Deal (1997) further expand their understanding of organizations
beyond symbols and include a cadre of principles associated with organizations. In
their work they offer support for organizations as: complex, surprising, deceptive,
and ambiguous places.

29
According to Pai and Adler (2001) as important as culture is to society,
understanding culture does not allow us to understand every detail about a particular
group. However, Kluckhohn (1968) points out that, “Culture is like a map. A map
isn’t a territory but an abstract description of trends towards uniformity in the words,
deeds, and artifacts of a human group.” Schein (1993) argues that understanding
culture is only helpful when researchers use it as a tool to better understand the
hidden and complex systems of organizational life. Basically, if you know and
understand a culture you will know your way around in the life of a society, a group,
or an organization.
Conclusions
It is clear from the literature that there is some association between the arts,
cognition, creativity, and student achievement. However, the research available is
not statistically significant to draw broad conclusions about the arts in education.
From practitioners’ perspective, it is difficult to find any that conclude the arts are
harmful to students. In fact, most give personal testimony that the arts provided
increased motivation to learn, made learning more enjoyable, and produced more
divergent thinking during classroom instruction.
A review of the literature also indicates a lack of narrative descriptions on
schools and their arts in education programs. Some literature hinted that there have
been a few schools resisting the urge to cut the arts from their curriculum, but
knowledge of what these organizations looked like was scant.

30
A review of organizational culture provided insight into the historical
progression of how groups function and gave useful tools to analyze and describe
these groups. The literature review left the researcher with several unanswered
questions and assisted at developing the framework and research design for this
study. Key questions derived after the thorough literature search are: Are there
defined organizational characteristics that impact the culture of the school when the
arts in education are present? How does organizational culture impact students? Can
culture have an impact on the mind of a student? Can the arts contribute to that?
While not all of these questions will be answered by this study, it is the aim of this
research to seek answers to some of them.
The trends and themes in arts in education are as varied as the arts
themselves. Are arts in education about well rounded human development? Are arts
in education about intelligence? Are arts in education about the development of
creative abilities? Are arts in education about critical thinking? The literature shows
that arts in education is about all of these themes and many more. The complexity of
the arts leads to difficulty in measuring its success and therefore inhibits the ability
to validate the need for arts in education. A concept or attribute touched on in all of
studies cited in this paper is that of school culture and how it relates to arts in
education. This relationship or theme that emerged in each study, leads to further
questions such as: Does school culture affect the success of arts in education within
the school and community? Do the arts affect school culture and how? Is there a
symbiotic relationship to arts and culture and which comes first if either? How do

31
educators create a culture that supports the arts in education and can that be
replicated? Research to date would suggest that further study of the school culture
and arts education is needed. To create an understanding of the relationship between
culture and arts in education, the study of school culture and leadership, in schools
offering strong arts in education, is required.

32
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter includes the research questions and a description of the research
methodology. The latter includes the sampling procedure and population,
instrumentation, and procedures for data collection and analysis.
Participants
For this study, schools in California were reviewed and selected based on
two criteria. First, the presence of an established, successful, ongoing arts program
that meets the definition of arts in education referenced above. Success was
determined based on state recognition for arts education. For the purpose of this
study, the “Bravo Award of Excellence” and the state “Distinguished School of the
Arts Award” were used. This narrowed the field to only thirty-two schools. The
researchers then evaluated the schools based on the second criteria of strong student
achievement. This was established if the school had shown a positive gain on the
Academic Performance Index over an extended period of three or more years. From
this field schools were then reviewed by researchers based on: location,
demographics, grade level focus, and variation in arts programs, with attention to
creating a parallel study that would offer balance and variety. An elementary school
in Southern California and a middle school in Southern California were contacted by
electronic mail communication to request permission to conduct the study.
Permission was returned by both school principals and the researchers confirmed that
these schools would participate in the study (See Appendix I).

33
For this individual study, a middle school has been selected. In recent years,
the middle school received the California Department of Education’s Excellence in
Arts Award through the Distinguished Schools Awards Program. It has improved its
API score steadily from a score of 604 in 1999, when API scoring began, to a score
of 822 in 2009. It is one of 150 middle schools in a district of just over One hundred
thousand students and serving grades K through twelve. During the study year, the
school had an ethnic breakdown of 38% Hispanic, 44% White, 3% Asian, 0% Pacific
Islander, 13% African American, and 2% Filipino. The school had 17% ESL
students. No significant data was reported on socio-economic status or federal
assistance programs.
Design
The researchers met several times to develop the parameters of the study and
the tools to be used for data collection and observations. The two Researchers began
by designing a conceptual framework to reach the goal of describing school culture
in a public school that offers arts in education and has strong student achievement
(See Appendix A). In June 2004, the researchers traveled to New York City to
further develop and broaden their knowledge base on literature, policy, and national
foundations in arts education. Researchers visited New York University and
Columbia University, as both Universities have arts in education degree programs.
Rockefeller Center was also a focus of the visit. Researchers sought access to
faculty research and publications, libraries, and bookstores in an ongoing effort to
review literature and history of arts in education. The visit provided excellent

34
resources in arts education programs, historical perspective on their development
nationally, and motivation for the researchers.
In the quest to explain the phenomena of arts in education in a school where
there is evidence of strong student achievement, the researchers determined that
conducting individual studies that yield detailed descriptions of the phenomena being
produced, would be most beneficial and reach the goals set forth. Using identical
methods and evaluation tools the two studies can be analyzed for salient themes and
patterns within the organizational cultures.
Procedures
Instrumentation
After discussing the literature relevant to the arts in education, school
leadership, and school culture the researchers determined that Bolman and Deal’s,
Reframing Organizations, (2003) provided an appropriate model to examine and
explain the phenomena within this study. The four Frames used by Bolman and Deal
provided the lenses through which we studied the organization, or school in these
cases. The researchers then used the Structural, Symbolic, Political, and Human
Resource Frames to organize and explain the data collected. In final meetings, the
researchers developed three specific questions to answer the statement problem:
what does school culture look like in schools that offer strong arts in education and
have high student achievement.

35
The questions that emerged and were agreed upon are:
1. What policies are in place at the school?
2. What arts in education programs are in place at the school?
3. What is the organizational culture of the school?
The research team then discussed and developed instrumentation for each question,
studying various sources on qualitative methods. Detailed descriptions are discussed
in the next section.
Data Collection
The conceptual framework (Appendix A) was used by the researchers as the
guideline and order in which data would be collected. The research began with a
collection of school documents to be studied and analyzed. Following the document
collection, four site visitations were conducted. Participant Observations took place
and researchers used an Observation Contact Summary Form adapted from Gall,
Gall, & Borg (2003, p. 451) (see Appendix J). The researcher also tape recorded
comments and information through out the observation process to be used along with
field notes during analysis.
Following observations, individual interviews and focus group interviews
were conducted with members of the school community. They included
administrators, teachers, classified staff, specialists, parents and students (see
Appendices E-H). Interviews and Focus Groups were organized by Job-alike and/or
by roles within the school community. Interview and Focus Group participants were
selected randomly and represented varied points of view from each group. Each

36
researcher worked with the school Principal to determine a process and outline for
selection procedures. It was essential to assure that a true sampling of as many
aspects of the school community were represented. Through the observation and
interview process, the researcher determined if and when to further delve into topics
and or peoples perspectives. Additional observations and interviews were set up as
the story unfolded. This process allowed the researchers to get under the skin of the
organization and assisted in leading to a Thick description of the organization.
Interviews were tape recorded and permission was requested of the participants. The
respective school district forms and policy were used to guide this process. The
following guidelines were used for the Interview data collection:

Table 1: Interview Data Collection

Job/Role Participants Process
Number of
Interviews
Leadership
/Administration
Principal 1 to 1
(follow ups as
needed)
1
Staff Teachers- department
representation (8)
Specialists- all
Classified (2)
Focus Group
(follow ups as
needed)
1
Students 6-8 grade – 8-10 students each
group
Focus Group
(follow ups as
needed)
3
Parents By grade level – random
selection with varied
representation
Focus Group
(follow ups as
needed)
3
TOTAL 8

37
See Appendices C and D for further outline of data collection related to the research
questions.
Validity and Reliability
Validity and reliability in this study begins with the researcher’s
philosophical belief in the value of qualitative inquiry. This belief is explained by
Patton (2002, p. 553) as a fundamental appreciation of naturalistic inquiry,
qualitative methods, inductive analysis, purposeful sampling, and holistic thinking.
Patton further discusses that any meaningful, credible, and scientifically supported
findings require the researcher to adopt a stance of neutrality with regard to the
phenomena being studied. Although the researcher is personally engaged in the
topic of study, she entered the research arena with no predetermined results to
support but rather sought to understand the phenomena as it unfolds (Patton, 2002).
Neutrality does not support detachment, and Patton (2002) expresses that this
is what makes qualitative studies a special contribution to the field, as it is often
human beings being studied by human beings. The Verstehen premise asserts that
human beings must be studied and understood in a different manner than any other
phenomena or subject. Verstehen looks at the ability of humans to empathize and
provide introspection to the qualitative study. Stated by Meyers (1981) in Patton
(2002, p. 53), “In qualitative study, both Verstehen and empathy are an attempt to
‘crack the code’ of the culture, that is, detect the categories into which a culture
codes actions and thought…” This is what the researches attempted to do in this
study. Further the researcher used the following methods to ensure reliable and valid

38
data collection and reporting: (a) systematic data collection procedures as discussed,
(b) triangulation through the multiple data sources presented, and (c) balanced and
complete interpretation and reporting. Interviews will follow the code of ethics and
design and analysis guidelines set forth by Kvale (1996).
Data Analysis
In Qualitative research, when data collection ends and where analysis begins
is unclear. The emergent nature of naturalistic inquiry allows for ideas and direction
for analysis to surface during fieldwork. Patterns and themes may begin to take
shape along the way. Ideas for how to make sense of the data that emerge during the
fieldwork constitutes the beginning of analysis (Patton, 2002, p. 436). When formal
data collection has ended the final analysis will begin and researchers will seek to
provide a thick description of the school culture in the studied schools. Patton (2002,
p. 437, 503) describes thick description as the foundation for qualitative analysis in
which the reader is taken into the setting being described, it goes beyond fact and
surface appearances, it provides detail, context, emotion, history, and webs of social
relationships. He further states that a thick description sets up and makes
interpretation possible. Bolman and Deal’s (1997) four frames will be used to
organize the data collected and describe the organizational culture. This was done
within the salient themes that emerged through the research process. Researchers
determined that a framework to guide the overall process from the beginning was
essential. The four frames have distinct identified properties of organizations that
are universal and will assure that a thick description of the organization is being

39
addressed throughout the process. Bolman describes the “frames” as views or
organization that provide an umbrella for much of the existing theory and research
on organizations. The following identified properties within each frame were used to
guide and organize the data collected in this study.
1. A structural frame that emphasizes goals, roles, formal relationships, and
the rational side of organization.
• goals
• specialized roles
• formal relationships
• division of labor
• rules, policies, procedures
• hierarchies
2. A human resource frame that emphasizes needs, attitudes, skills and the
human side of organizations.
• relationships
• human needs
• motivation
• socialization
• personal attributes

40
3. A political frame that examines power, conflict, and coalitions among
those who have vested interests to protect and advance within a context of
scarce resources.
• power, conflict
• bargaining, negotiation
• coalitions
4. A symbolic frame that explores how organizations create meaning and
belief through symbols -- including myths, rituals, and ceremonies.
• rituals, ceremonies, social norms
• stories
• heroes
• traditions

In summary, researchers triangulated the data collection, and then sought to
provide a thick, rich description of the statement of the problem. The triangulation
helped the researcher validate the findings in Chapter Four. When a key finding was
found through a document it was followed up with an observation or interview
validation. The researcher uses story telling as a reporting style. The information
was then analyzed using the Four Frames Model and reported as such.

41
CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS
In Chapter 4, information gathered and compiled from the Southern
California middle school selected for this case study is presented. Information was
analyzed to gain a greater understanding of the school’s programs and policies, the
school’s arts in education programs, and the culture of the school. The data included
interviews with focus groups from various members of the school community:
parents, teachers, specialists, classified staff, principal, and students. Observations
performed at the school site and a review of organizational documents provided
additional data.
Shared stories from members of the school community were also used as
data. The researcher looked for key factors and salient themes that contributed to the
success of the school, the arts in education, and the culture of the organization.
The researcher identified three questions that guided the case study and that
focused on: a) programs and policies, b) arts in education, c) and elements of the
school culture that defined “how we do things around here.” The data is organized
around those three areas and presented by telling the story of the organization as if
one were walking the day to day path of a member of this school community.
Programs and Policy at the School Site
Research question number one asked, “What programs and policies are in
place at the school site?” Document review provided the primary source of

42
information. Focus groups and observations supported the data gathered from the
documents.
As one enters this school for the first time, it is immediately clear that this is
not an ordinary middle school. The school entrance and adjoining halls are filled
with awards, pictures and art work emphasizing the purpose and programs of this
school. This middle school serves grades 6-8 and has an enrollment of over 2,200
students. It is ethnically diverse with high populations of Hispanic and African
American students. Document review indicates that every student at this school has
chosen to attend this school. For many it is their neighborhood or home school and
for others it is not and they travel to have the opportunity to participate in this
school’s programs. All students make a choice to attend this Magnet School for
Multimedia and Performing Arts. This is a public school in a large public school
district that has chosen to build an academic program around the visual, multimedia,
and performing arts. The school is organized into five academies: Civics,
Humanities, Math/Robotics, Performing Arts, and Science.
This school was not always a thriving magnet program. Understanding the
history behind its transformation is vital to understanding and appreciating the school
culture and success. As one walks the campus you can observe students
meticulously tending the rose gardens or practicing contemporary dance in the state
of the art theater, or painting a mural on a wall and you would never know the
violent history of this school campus. In the early 1990’s a student was gunned
down outside the school and died. In the months that followed the killing, two

43
female students were assaulted on their way to school, and a student from the school
killed a man in the neighborhood a block from campus. Following these incidents
many students and faculty left the school and many safety and racial issues were
brought to the surface for all to examine. The school district and community
advocated to close the school. One man saw a community in need, and he had a
vision for what the school could be, if given a chance. Following those violent
incidents, he advocated to keep the school open and to make changes. That man had
been serving as Assistant Principal and when the district decided to keep the school
open, he was appointed Principal. He was given a chance to create his dream school.
One of the first things he did when he took over as Principal of this school was to
address the poor physical conditions of the campus. He enlisted students to help
build trophy cases, planters, and over 150 benches. They tiled the bathrooms and
they planted roses. “The district wanted $11,000.00 dollars to do that,” stated the
principal during my visit, as he pointed to bank after bank of multicolored lockers.
With a cadre of parents and a few thousand dollars it was done in one Saturday. The
physical transformation of the campus sparked a sense of ownership and
responsibility that spilled over into all areas. Over time, they have built a butterfly
sanctuary, a turtle pond, and an outdoor performance area. An Interview with the
principal revealed that his goal is for every student to find something that interests
them and keeps them coming to school and involved in learning, whether it be
music, theater, dance, science, technology, humanities, or robotics. The principal
stated, “It makes a real difference for so many kids—the arts. It keeps them

44
connected and you do not have the same discipline problems you typically see in
middle school. You use the energy this age has and make something wonderful of
it.”
Document review revealed the many awards that this school has received in
the years since those horrible events and loss of life occurred. The school is one of
two of the district’s 150 middle schools that were identified as a California
Distinguished School. It is one of five schools in the district recognized by the
California League of Middle Schools that year. It is the only middle school in the
district and one of only 32 in the state to have surpassed its API goals in every
subgroup over a 5 year period. It is one of 6 schools selected to work with the
University of Southern California School of Cinema and Literacy. It is the only
school in the state of California that has been designated as a Middle School
Demonstration Site in the areas of English, Mathematics, and Performing Arts.
Furthermore it is one of five schools in the nation to be awarded the Green Flag for
school safety. Most recently it was recognized by the Los Angeles Music Center as
a BRAVO Award Nominee. It was also selected as a, “Schools to Watch,” the year
prior to the study. “Schools to Watch” is part of a nineteen state recognition and
school improvement program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate
Middle-Grades Reform. Schools selected for this distinction exemplify the criteria
for a high-performing middle school as defined by the National Forum to Accelerate
Middle Grades Reform, and reflect the principles of Taking Center Stage: A
Commitment to Standards-Based Education for California's Middle Grade Students.

45
Also noteworthy in understanding the policies of this school was the
following list of identified goals for the current school year:
1. Become a middle school charter school.
2. Become the only Title 1 schools in the state where over 50% of the
students exceed the California State Standards in math and English.
3. Close the main office and have all personnel working directly with
teachers and students between the hours of 8am and 3pm.
4. Do whatever is necessary to make certain that one-hundred percent of the
eighth grade students graduate.
5. Develop a senior high school performing arts charter school off campus.
6. Millikan Middle School winning the Music Center's Bravo Award.
7. Raise $800,000 through grants and contributions.
8. Maintain a full time nurse, psychologist, four counselors, one media
technician, one library aide, two adult aides.
9. All teachers differentiate instruction to meet needs of all the students.
10. Use technology more effectively as a tool for collaboration among
students.
11. Improve school web page. Develop teacher’s web pages that include class
rules, grades and course of study for each class.
12. Involve parents to a much greater degree than in the past.
13. Make certain that the needs of all students are met.
14. Continue to improve the physical plant.

46
15. Continue to make Millikan Middle School more inviting and more
pleasing.
16. Create three mutually exclusive centers composed of 750 students per
school. The first school would be one composed of the performing arts
magnet and performing arts academy. The second would be a school
composed of the humanities academy and the technology academy. The
third would be a school composed of the math and science academies.
Each school would be run by an administrator and a counselor. Teachers
would be responsible for setting the objectives and programming for all
students.
Along with this list of clearly defined goals, the Researcher also found clear
information regarding school behavior expectations, discipline policies, and school
procedures located in the school handbook. Document review also yielded results
that showed a fully implemented Standards Based Instructional program.
Information on standards and curriculum alignment is available in hard copy or on
the school’s website.
The Researcher found Goal number three to be unique and difficult to
accomplish in a typical school. School visits and observations found that this goal
was being implemented daily. Upon arriving at the school office, the researcher
noticed the large sign hanging near the Principal’s office. It stated: “Principal’s
Office Closed 7:30am-3:00pm. Principal is assisting students and teachers during the
instructional day. Principal appointments begin at 3:30pm or a walking conference

47
can be scheduled during the day. Please see office staff to schedule an
appointment.”
The Principal finds it very simple, stating, “The Principal’s office is closed
while school is in session, what would I do in an office all day, gotta be where the
learning is taking place.” The Principal and other out of classroom certificated staff
are directly assisting teachers and students in the classroom during the school day.
Clear guidelines are provided on how to make an appointment with the Principal.
Classroom visits and walking conferences with the principal are encouraged to
parents. Campus tours are given by the Principal every Thursday at 8am, for parents,
community, and prospective students. Office staff indicated that tours happen every
week and that there is always someone who shows up. They further confirmed that
the principal conducts tours regardless of size, for one person or for twenty people.
Review of Achievement data revealed consistent growth in API scores. The
Academic Performance Index is a measurement used in California to assess and
monitor academic performance and progress in public schools. API growth targets
are aligned with No Child Left Behind Federal Legislation. API scores range from a
low of 200 to a high of 1000. This score includes state assessment data, attendance
rates, graduation rates, as well as subgroup target growth requirements. API is based
on an improvement model and is used to measure the academic growth of a school or
district. The middle school in this study had an API score of 604 in 1999, the first
year the index was used. The school continues to have steady growth and has met
growth targets every year through 2009. It currently has an API score of 846. The

48
State Board of Education in California has set a target of 800 to which all schools
should aspire. This school has exceeded this target and therefore demonstrates high
academic achievement.
Arts in Education Programs
Research question number two asked, “What arts in education programs are
in place at this school site?” Document review provided the primary source of
information. Focus groups and observations supported the data gathered from the
documents.
A careful review of existing school documents, combined with observations
and focus group discussions revealed that exploration in the arts is at the heart of the
school’s programs. The school offers programs in Performing Arts Theater, Art,
Music, Dance, Drama, Media, and Computers. The magnet program allows students
to devote 3 hours a day to their identified specialty. The remainder of the school day
is utilized to teach core academic content. Students may choose to participate in the
Performing Arts Magnet or Performing Arts Academy.
The Magnet program offers exceptional training in the disciplines of drama,
dance, vocal and instrumental music within the context of a challenging academic
atmosphere. The emphasis is on exposing the student to the arts so that the artist can
emerge. It is a well rounded, experience-based, three-year program, representing
varied arts disciplines and it incorporates the richness and diversity of the local area.
The program also has a challenging and engaging standard-based instructional
program that attempts to integrate the arts across all curricular areas.

49
Performing arts classes are a combination of instruction in technique and
history coupled with performance opportunities. Highlights of the program include:
physical education with a dance emphasis, an introductory arts elective wheel,
beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes in drama, film, orchestra, concert
band, vocal music and Afro-Caribbean percussion. The musical theatre and costume
design classes are unique and culminate in participation in major productions and
statewide competitions.
The Millikan Performing Arts Academy is also an option for students and
provides a rigorous course of performing arts study, focused on one specific art form.
Others may choose the Technology program that focuses on multimedia, video
production, and robotics. Students in each program have the opportunity to explore
various content areas and to add additional skill sets to their school program.
Art
The researcher was able to spend extensive time observing in the visual arts,
music, and dance classes. The researcher’s first day was spent in the Art Teacher’s
classroom. The school has one teacher who addresses all of the visual arts. Her art
program is designed to build skills and knowledge over the three years of middle
school. Documents provided by the teacher revealed the course content, objectives,
and student expectations. In the 6th grade Exploratory Art class, students start off
learning about static, dynamic, curvilinear, and symmetrical design. These students
then learn the difference between collage and mosaic, how to draw the human hand
and a simple still life, and how to mix tints, tones, shades, and complimentary colors,

50
all done through a variety of projects. They also explore sculpture through a clay
and/or collage project.
The 7th/8th grade General Art students then build on what they learned in 6th
grade Exploratory Art class, starting off with a name design layout and or tile design,
which incorporates static, dynamic, curvilinear, and symmetrical design into a name
layout project, which now incorporates the combining of these concepts (static into
static curvilinear) with color balance, both in black and white and in color, and
deliberately placed visual passages. These students learn the structure of the human
face, how to draw portraits, and how to do contour and still life drawings. They
complete a fantasy collage and apply the color mixing techniques they learned in 6th
grade to an original painting completed in this class.
The 8th grade Advanced Art students carry the concepts they learned in their
previous classes to an extreme, creating an advanced design layout of twelve
independent squares, which are connected through visual passages and color balance.
These students learn the entire structure of the human body and draw the human
skeleton, figure studies, and a self portrait. These students also do mixed medium,
acrylic, collage, and sculpture projects.
It was clear to the observer that the art teacher possessed artistic skills as well
as the skill and knowledge to teach art. Her ability to break down and teach the
technical aspects of her program all while encouraging and developing the creativity
in each individual student was noted by the researcher.

51
Music
The music programs at this school consists of chorale, instrumental, strings
and percussion options. Document review yielded information about each program.
Both Magnet and Academy students are exposed to various music elements.
Students in the Performing Art Academy select a music focus and participate in
classes accordingly. The researcher attended music classes across the spectrum and
each were found to be unique and engaging to students. A student in the 6
th
grade
chorale class stated, “This class is why I come to school, I can’t let down my section.
It makes everything else easier.” The researcher also attended an Afro-Caribbean
percussion class. This class had two special education students participating. Focus
group discussion with teachers and observation indicated that special education
students were integrated in all classes at this school. Document review indicates that
accommodations are provided for students with disabilities and special education
students are able to fully access the curriculum in all programs.
Dance
The school dance program also offers a variety and choices for students.
Documentation revealed courses designed to meet state standards in the Performing
Arts for dance. Standards were not only referenced in the course description, but
were also displayed on posters hung on the dance studio walls. Dancers are exposed
to a variety of art forms. The researcher observed a lesson in folk dance. The
teacher presented the history of the art of folk dancing. Students then were taught
the basic folk dancing steps and performed in small groups. This was the

52
introductory lesson of five that would take place on folk dancing. The teacher
expressed that understanding the art form through its history is essential to the
quality of the performance.
Theater
The theater production department develops the drama courses. Magnet
students have a three-tiered course offering in drama across the grade levels that
introduces them to the basic elements of acting and performing. Academy students
may choose drama as a focus. The Theater Department coordinates with both the
music, media, and dance departments in putting on frequent concerts, performances,
and productions that involve anywhere from two to all three of the disciplines
working together. The school puts on a fall and spring musical production each year.
The researcher was able to attend the fall production of “The Wiz”.
Technology
The arts are also defined at this school through Media and Computer
Sciences. The school also offers Mathematics and Robotics as a focus. The
researcher had limited exposure to these programs. The researcher observed in a
computer science course for 6
th
graders. Students were all working independently.
When asked about their work, they showed the researcher their Technology Passport.
Documentation indicated and teacher interview confirmed the purpose of the
Technology Passport. The teacher had defined a set of skills that students needed to
display they knew how to do with proficiency. Students received a rubric indicating
levels of proficiency. Each student chose from a suggested list or designed their own

53
projects they would complete to demonstrate each skill. The teacher graded and
stamped off the student’s passport as they completed their projects. The same skill
could be demonstrated a variety of ways, based all on student choice. This class
structure, project based choices, and assessments supports the school goal of
providing differentiation for all students. Documentation also indicates video,
editing, and sound technology class offerings.
School Culture
“The arts become an integral part in defining school culture”
Research question number three asked, “What is the culture of the school?”
For the purpose of this question the research findings were divided into separate
lenses with which to view and describe the phenomena of organizational culture. The
following lenses were applied: structural frame, human resources frame, political
frame, and symbolic frame. Document review provided the primary source of
information. Focus groups and observations supported the data gathered from the
documents.
Leadership & the Political Arena
A school that both the staff and district was ready to give up on has become a
flourishing campus with high academic achievement and parts in education. The
political frame examines power, conflict, and coalition among those who have vested
interests to protect and advance within the context of scarce resources (Bolman &
Deal, 2003).

54
The leader of this school had a clear vision for arts in education programs. A
review of the School Accountability Report Card provided the researcher with an
understanding of the leadership at the school. Other school literature, documents,
and portfolios supported these findings. The principal has been at this school for 20
years and has over 35 years of experience in public education. Other leadership
roles/teams include: Assistant Principal, Attendance Dean, Dean of Discipline,
Subject and Grade Level Lead Teachers, Counselors, English Language Advisory
Committee, Compensatory Education Advisory Committee, GATE Committee,
School Site Council, and Parent Teacher Association.
The principal values collaboration with all stakeholders in the school and the
community and insists that the number one attribute of this school is collaboration.
He defines his role as a problem solver. In interviews, the Principal indicated several
times that working with artists can be challenging and that you have to appreciate
what they have to offer and be very accommodating to make things work together in
a school setting. He attributes the schools success and progress to the amount of
collaboration and communication that happens regularly among all staff. In my
role,” he says, “I believe support is so important. I do whatever I can to support their
efforts in the classroom.” He also believes that every leader has to, “walk the talk
and set an example to be successful.”
Teacher interviews validated the principal’s leadership style and his
commitment to collaboration. One teacher stated, “He listens to our ideas.” Another
teacher shared, “He asks us to come up with solutions when there is a problem on

55
campus.” Additional teacher comments validated the principal’s focus on teaching
and learning. When asked about teacher collaboration, one teacher shared, “We plan
together across disciplines and communicate to make sure students are doing well in
all subjects.” Teachers appeared to attribute the school’s success to the focus on
student success and collaboration.
Documentation revealed that the principal values both collaboration and
innovation. The school brochure states that the principal defines his role in the
following statement: “As educational leaders, we must create an environment where
tools and strategies such as technology, arts, and multimedia work hand in hand with
the academic core subjects to create opportunities for students to be successful and
excel in both their intelligence and their talents.” Under the principals leadership,
this middle school was recognized as a California Distinguished School several years
in a row, received the Governor's Performance Award, became one of the top ten
schools in the country to watch, and became a California school demonstration site
in the areas of Mathematics, English and the Performing Arts.
The principal, himself, has been recognized by the California Legislative
Assembly for “Unparalleled Leadership and Vision”, the County of Los Angeles as
“Administrator of the Year”, the City of Los Angeles for “Excellence in Education,”
and the California Department of Education for “Extraordinary Direction,
Leadership and Innovation as Principal”.
Collaboration extends beyond the school campus and into the local
community as well as the larger arts community within Southern California. The

56
principal involved the local neighborhood and business community in the
rejuvenation of the school. The community’s desire to improve the safety of their
neighborhood, coupled with the principal’s leadership, became a driving force in
creating a better school. The principal’s vision and dedication to create a place
where students could be safe, learn academics, and explore their talents and interests
inspired people who had at one time given up on the school and wanted to see it
closed. Documentation revealed that several community meetings were held and
that they provided the opportunity for the community to be heard and be involved in
the creation of the Arts Magnet. Campus improvement work days with involvement
and donations from hundreds of parents, neighbors, and local community businesses
resulted in a clean campus, painted lockers, new benches, a butterfly garden, turtle
pond and new outdoor student commons. The pride that all staff and students have
in the school campus is evident in how they talk about the facility and in how they
continue to take care of the facility.
A review of school documents and focus group interviews reveal that the
principal acts as an advocate for the arts in the political arena. The Principal had a
savvy and relentless approach to securing donations and funding for the schools
programs and needs. Documents indicate that he pursued and regularly secured
grant funding, private donations, corporate donations, as well as employing parent
and student fundraising. The year of the study, the school goals included raising
$800,000.00 dollars through grants and donations. The Researcher was unable to
determine if this goal was met during the year of the study.

57
The Principal also sought community connections and formed partnerships
with local arts entities. The Disney Concert Hall and the University of Southern
California are among those school partnerships. He was also politically savvy in
sharing the goals and successes of the school along the way. This principal has the
ability to convey stories to larger audiences based on identity. It was often reported
and confirmed through existing school documents that this leader told the story of
the arts at this school. The identity of this elementary school as well as the people
associated with this organization formed for two very specific reasons: (a) the arts in
education and (b) the leader’s ability to tell the story of the arts and form an identity
around this theme to larger audiences. The leader began by clearly communicating
this identity to the members of the organization. Shared stories, a clear focus,
continuous attention, and sustained effort facilitated this identity formation. The
leader then set out to accomplish a larger task, formation of identity to an even larger
audience: the general public. Public events became the primary vehicle for sharing
this story. Document review reveals this principal as either a keynote speaker or an
agenda item at numerous events: school board meetings, community rallies, arts
conferences, arts in education symposiums, and city council meetings. There were
even site visitations to showcase this identity. The Principal sought a myriad of
national consortiums within the arts to help build and validate this identity. His
ability to effectively communicate this story and identity is a key factor in the
school’s success.

58
Organizational Structure
The structural frame emphasizes goals, roles, formal relationships, and the
rational side of the organization. The organizational structure at this school provides
the framework for everything that happens. The school clearly states its goals and
mission and describes itself as a place where all students succeed. Job roles are
established and defined based on the goals and vision of the school. Organizational
charts indicate members’ responsibilities and include the various leadership teams at
the school. The documentation is organized around instructional content areas and
include flow charts that focus all staff at all levels on student support. This includes
paraprofessionals and classified staff.
Coordination and control of efforts in support of the goals and mission of the
school are organized by the principal. This direction creates an environment where
there is a sustained, maximum energy level moving towards the long term vision of
the organization. Teachers understand well their role and also the role the arts play in
their daily instruction. Grade Level teams are formed around content and grade level
of students. Evidence is strong that teams meet regularly to discuss student progress,
curriculum mapping, and instructional strategies. Grade Level Teams have a
designated Lead Teacher with outlined and clearly defined responsibilities.
Responsibilities include: recording data and meeting minutes, principal leadership
meetings, collecting and organizing work samples, and coordination of
responsibilities within the team. Document review and focus group interviews

59
provided support for this finding. There are numerous examples of dated meeting
minutes, agendas, and recorded reflections.
Leadership and authority is decentralized at this school. While the guiding
force behind the arts focus comes from the principal, there is a complex system of an
array of leadership opportunities for all staff members. Evidence shows strong
support that decisions are made using a collaborative model. Focus group interviews
and document review indicate that there is a high level of discussion before decisions
are made. All members of the organization have opportunity to give input and
feedback. A continuous flow of information between grade level teams, support
specialists, and the principal is well documented.
This school has a sequential curriculum for the visual arts, music, theatre, and
dance. The curriculum follows the California Visual and Performing Arts
frameworks and is often integrated into other subject areas. Assessment has taken on
many forms at this school. A Program Quality Review, School Improvement Plan,
and regular reflection and discussion around improvement are evident in both
document review and interviews.
Structurally, it was not difficult visiting or collecting documents from this
school. School documents and website both share that visitors are always welcome
and encouraged. There was a consistent method for checking into the school office,
and everyone seemed to be following the same guidelines: a signature on the sign-in
page, an indication of where you are going on campus and how long you expect to be
there. The School Accountability Report Card, School Improvement Plan, Arts

60
Portfolios, previous award applications, parent/child handbooks, faculty/staff
handbook, and financial documents were all neatly organized with either the school
secretary or the principal and easily accessible to the researcher.
Human Resources
The human resources frame emphasizes needs, attitudes, skills, and the
human side of the organization. A review of the School Accountability Report Card
has a section dedicated to professional development. The report mentions that the
district provides three paid professional development days annually for teachers,
administrators, and staff in the areas of curriculum, technology, special education,
and teaching strategies and methodologies. The principal confirmed that these days
are planned and implemented by the leadership team at the school and are based on
the schools identified goals for that year. As a Charter School, they have the
autonomy to plan and execute their professional development days based on their
school improvement plan. The School Improvement Plan indicated staff
development focused on specific art content areas as well as grade level articulation,
curriculum integration, differentiating for students, and using technology for staff
and student collaboration. Further review of this document listed several other
opportunities for training. The school plan budgets money to allow teachers to seek
and petition to attend content area specific offerings in the art specialty. It also has
provisions that allow teachers to seek local artists as mentors, and as classroom guest
teachers or speakers.

61
The principal’s vision required that he maintain or obtain staff that possessed
both an expertise in and dedication to the arts. It also required staff to be willing to
teach at a school with a history of failure and violence. The vision and leadership
provided by the principal encouraged teachers to stay and attracted talent to join the
faculty. Information gleaned from interviews reveals the principal’s role in shaping
the arts focus at this school. The principal believes, “the arts are essential to student
learning and give students a reason to come to school.” The principal shows
expertise in instructional strategies, educational pedagogy, and curriculum within
and beyond the arts. He also displayed a relentless focus on students and instruction.
The researcher shadowed the principal for a day. Observation revealed that he was
out on campus from the morning bell until the closing bell. He spent his day in
classrooms and out on campus interacting with students and staff.
It was evident throughout interviews, observations, and documentation that
he had created a culture that focused on students and the learning taking place in
every classroom. He had clearly defined the roles of the office staff and support
administration staff. This provided him with time to focus on being an instructional
leader. The principal stated, “How can I expect them to be focused on instruction if
I’m not? I refuse to let all the other stuff get in the way.” The principal’s motto is
“lead by example.” Staff and student interviews confirmed that this was the daily
behavior of the principal and not a result of having a visitor on campus. The
researcher noted that the principal interacted with students as he walked campus
during passing periods. He always used the student’s name and made personal

62
connections in conversations that reflected that knew his students and cared about
each one of them as individuals. He had similar conversations with staff.
Everywhere he went and no matter what staff member he was talking to he found a
way to discuss and emphasize teaching and learning. It was sincere and connected
every time. This ability or skill is very purposeful and specific in plan and is a key
contributor to school success.
Principal interview validated the importance of staff collaboration. The
Principal emphasized that for this school to be successful it is essential that all staff
share the same philosophy about educating students. “Our goals state that we will
have 100% of 8
th
graders graduating and that takes everyone working together across
disciplines to help students achieve and know that they can achieve no matter what
their situation or life is like at home.” He also indicated that for teachers to do this,
he had to provide them with the training, support and empowerment needed to reach
this goal. The Principal also stated that all staff meetings are professional
development. He further stated that they are always about teaching learning and the
activities and discussion always focus on student success. The principal further
confirmed that it is essential to get the right people on the bus and that he has worked
very hard to have the staff he has in place.
Documentation, focus group interviews and principal interview helped
triangulate the data. In an interview with classroom teachers, many teachers
commented on the arts training they’ve received. “We’re so lucky to have a principal
that supports the arts in every way,” stated one teacher. Another teacher stated, “We

63
are able to stay current on our art form and bring updated techniques and options to
our students. You need that with middle school kids.” Another shared, “We are
respected as teachers and artists.”
Symbolic Frame
The symbolic frame explores how organizations create meaning and beliefs
through symbols, rituals, ceremonies, and traditions. The school facilities reflect a
deep appreciation for the arts. The campus appearance and aesthetics were the first
things the Principal embarked on changing when he became the school leader. He
involved the community, students, and staff thus beginning the legacy of pride that
now exists for this campus. General clean up, landscape, and fresh paint started the
movement. Over time they painted the student lockers that line each outdoor
hallway with bright alternating color patterns. They have added student created
murals, a rose garden, turtle pond, butterfly garden, and an 8
th
grade commons.
These are all student maintained and each is seen as ongoing work of art. The
campus as a whole is an ongoing evolving work of art. It was also important to have
the proper classroom facilities. Art rooms, dance studios, music rooms, theater
rooms, computer and technology labs, all had to be added to the existing school
footprint. This was accomplished a little at a time with district funds, grants, and
community donations. The researcher found that the facilities within each art
discipline as well as all classrooms were very well maintained and often reflected
new equipment. The campus common areas were beautiful and inviting and

64
reflected pride and purpose. The facility upgrades and additions greatly added to the
school culture for students, staff, and parents.
As the researcher walked the campus she noticed that it is filled with display
cases of student art work, sculptures, and projects. Picture displays and photo books
reveal the many casts of musicals, plays, dance recitals, music performances,
technology showcases, art shows, and robotics competitions that have taken place
over the years. It was clear to the researcher that symbols, ceremonies and rituals
within the arts provided educational opportunities, entertainment, and meaning for
this community of learners. A review of school documents noted that annually
children participate in fall and spring musicals, chorale and instrumental
performances, dance recitals and art shows. These performances generate large
audiences made up of parents, students, and community members. Observations by
the researcher confirmed this finding. The researcher attended the Fall Musical
performance of The Wiz. The researcher also observed a variety of practices and
prep sessions for chorale and instrumental musical performances. These ceremonies
seemed to confirm their place in the arts community.
Other ceremonies included during the school year provided opportunities for
parents to view student created art. Back to School Night, a yearly ritual is a night
where parents come to the school, take campus tours and listen to the teachers talk
about the upcoming year. Most teachers spend a large portion of their talk time on
the philosophy of an arts based education program. At the end of every school year
parents enjoy Open House. This yearly ritual showcases the work of students in all

65
subjects and highlighted the work within the arts. Document review and focus group
interviews confirmed all of these ceremonies and rituals.

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CHAPTER 5
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
The purpose of this case study is to describe organizational culture in a
successful public school offering arts in education. The study is a parallel
dissertation in which two independent researchers each selected a school that met the
established criteria for high student achievement and successful implementation of
arts in education. Researchers used the same methodology and sought to draw
conclusions that will contribute to educational practice and policy at all levels.
After much discussion and debate the researchers narrowed the study to what they
see as the starting point to developing further the success of quality arts in education.
This study is a traditional qualitative study of an organization’s culture and what
about it has lead to success in arts in education.
Conclusions
Conclusions from this case study have been well documented throughout the
findings presented in Chapter 4. This chapter will interpret those conclusions and
indicate significance to broader implications for school leaders, researchers, and
policy makers in education. This study looked carefully at the culture of the school
and what about that culture lead to its success. Then it looked deeper to determine
what lead to that school culture. The key findings in this study all stem from strong
leadership.
The principal’s leadership in the arts was a central component to the success
of this school. Key findings indicate that this leader displayed very specific traits

67
which contributed to the implementation of the arts as a core part of the curriculum.
The following presented as salient themes within the research findings:
1. The leader had a clear vision for the schools arts in education program.
2. The leader showed expertise and skill in connecting with people and
motivating people.
3. The leader was relentless in his pursuit of clearly identified goals.
4. The leader was politically savvy and advocated for his vision in the
political arena.
5. The leader had the ability to convey his vision and connect it to a larger
audience.
It was evident throughout this case study that the principal of this school took
a very active role in its arts education focus. His vision allowed the school to remain
open at a time when most stakeholders wanted to see it closed. He pursued creating
a better school through the addition of an arts focus. This principal had a deep
appreciation and understanding for how the arts could affect learning and the school
culture. He also possessed a keen understanding of the middle school student and
needs for developing adolescent minds.
When he put these two needs together he had a very powerful vision for his
school. He then communicated that vision to others and through a relentless pursuit
of this vision he reached success. The researcher believes this success is a direct
result of the principal’s ability to connect and relate to people. He knew the
importance of building relationships and making personal connections to everyone

68
involved in the organization. This leadership style was natural to his personality, yet
he was very savvy in knowing how to use this style to motivate people and get
results. During visits the researcher heard the same message being spoken over and
over from the principal as he interacted with students, staff, parents, and community
members. His language and message focused on teaching and learning and student
success. It was clear that failure was not an option for anyone involved in this
school.
The leader’s political savvy also provided a pathway to success. It allowed
him to fundraise and communicate the school identity to the larger audience. This
skill set was essential in successfully funding and creating such a school in the public
system. This savvy was also reflected in his hiring practices. He knew he had to get
the right people and he pursued this task with passion. He also did not hesitate to
remove people that were not aligned to the school’s vision. This is not always an
easy task in public school systems. He was persistent and intentional in all of his
human resources decisions.
The research in organizational theory suggests that human behavior impacts
decisions. It is these behaviors, beliefs, and values of members of an organization
that are thought to influence and produce organizational culture. In describing
organizational culture as a phenomena the literature review yielded several concepts
that researchers should consider in observation. Bolman and Deal’s (2003) four
frames, used for understanding and defining organizations, was used to organize the
observations within this study. The concepts of each frame: structural, human

69
resources, political, and symbolic, appeared regularly throughout the findings of this
study.
The organizational structure for this school had a focus on arts in education.
This frame is defined through rules, roles, goals, policies, environment, division of
labor, and activities of the organization.
1. This school had clearly defined goals focused on arts in education as a
core foundation of the school’s curriculum.
2. The school had an arts curriculum based in standards and integrated
across the content areas.
3. Staff member’s roles were clearly defined and aligned to the collective
goals.
4. The school’s activities clearly aligned with the collective goals of the
organization.
The human resource practices at this school aligned with the goals in arts education
and student academic success. This frame is defined through needs, relationships,
skills, the fit between people and the organization.
1. This leader recruited and hired staff that was committed to the vision of
the school.
2. This leader valued collaboration and involved all stakeholders in the
process of restructuring this school.
3. The leader made personal connections with people.
4. The leader made professional development a priority.

70
5. The leader maintained a focus on student success and communicated that
message to everyone involved with the school every chance he could.
6. The political frame was essential in advocating for the arts in education.
The political frame is defined by power, conflict, negotiation, coalition
building, and allocation of limited resources.
7. The leader shared his vision with the larger audience of the community
and arts world.
8. The leader relentlessly pursued funding sources and donations.
9. The leader created community partnerships to support the vision of the
school.
The symbolic aspects of this school reflected the vision for arts in education. The
symbolic frame is defined by rituals, ceremonies, telling the stories of the
organization, understanding the heroes and heroines, and promoting a common
vision through the meaning of events and symbols.
1. The leader created a facility that reflected a deep appreciation for the arts
and aesthetics.
2. The leader created shared meaning and a common language for the school
vision for arts in education.
3. Ceremonies and rituals within the arts provided educational opportunities
and entertainment for the students, teachers, and community members.

71
Significance of the Study
Students educated without access to the arts in education may lack aesthetic
understanding and critical thinking skills necessary for student achievement.
Designing research that can quantify the affect of the arts on student achievement
and thinking has proven difficult and is often abandoned. This case study provides
an in-depth description of the organizational culture of a successful public school
with arts in education. Common characteristics and salient themes have been
reported to assist other schools wishing to provide aesthetic understanding and
critical thinking through the arts, as part of a student’s education. This case study
told the story of arts in education and the culture of the school. The researcher
contends that the arts led to the culture of the school and that the culture of the
school led to a successful arts implementation. The two are connected and
understanding both is essential to recreating this type of success. This new
knowledge will be shared through scholarly talks and potential publications with
both the academic community and the educational community.
Collaboration on common themes will continue with the other case study that
was conducted in a Southern California elementary school. The researchers who
conducted this parallel dissertation are currently working together to implement arts
in education standards based programs in Chicago Public Schools. The insight
gained from descriptions from these studies is guiding their leadership choices and
implementation strategy.

72
Implications for Practice
The relationship among school programs and policies and arts in education
must be linked to affect student achievement and the culture of the school. Policy
makers and District Level Personnel need to consider how leadership within the arts
can have a profound impact on school culture and student learning. If arts in
education are to be implemented successfully, value needs to be placed on the
connection to the core curriculum. In this study, the school built its program and
core values around the arts. The arts are not a program at this school, the arts are the
program. When the arts are not dispensable within the school plan, the path and the
focus can remain clear and steady. It is important to note that this school was built
from the ground up around the arts. Many schools look to add the arts to an existing
program. The Researcher believes both are attainable goals but have different
implications for implementation and practice.
Other key factors emerged that led to successful implementation of the arts in
education at this school and should be noted by practitioners. A leader who is
politically savvy is extremely helpful in creating community connections and
securing funding. Resources to support the arts are essential for success. Also
essential is a staff committed to the school vision and ongoing, comprehensive
professional development. In addition the programs at this school were built on
standards in the arts and in all other curricular content areas. A critical component of
implementation was having a core administrative staff that understood well student
programming and options within the middle school concept.

73
Finally, it is necessary to point out the planning and goal setting that this staff
engaged in throughout the implementation and evaluation process. This school staff
set clear goals and then aligned all of their actions and resources to those goals.
Planning with the end goal in mind and being relentless in the pursuit of that end was
a key factor in this schools success. Practitioners seeking to create arts in education
should employ these strategies in their pursuit.
Recommendations
Further studies involving more schools that have successfully implemented
arts in education need to be conducted. A larger population sample will allow
researchers to generalize about the findings and results.
The continued study of arts in education and the culture of schools should
also be designed. The arts may impact other areas of the school community and more
research may impact and guide educational practice.
Leadership within the arts should also be further studied. Characteristics of
successful leaders within the arts should be examined and documented. Studying the
educational background and past life experiences of these leaders would be a
valuable document for professional leadership preparation programs.
A review of recent literature unveiled continued publications on why the arts
are important, as well as documenting their continued omission from public schools.
What still does not exist in the literature, is enough clear descriptions of successful
implementation of arts in education. Also still missing from the literature is

74
documentation on the leadership skills and steps that have lead to successful
implementations of arts in education.
The challenge of measuring the impact of creativity and critical thinking on
learning through the arts must not be overlooked by educational leaders or in the
pursuit of research. Study of the arts was a foundation of a public school education.
Our history and culture are defined by the arts and their impact on society and
development are immeasurable. The researcher would contend that it is essential for
schools to find a way to assure that students can learn through and explore the arts.
Students of today must be able to think creatively to compete for the jobs of today.
The arts play a role in a child’s development, regardless of specific skill in the arts
and or choice to have future involvement in the arts. The arts are a part of our
development and any student deprived of the arts is deprived of complete
development of mind and understanding of the world around them. The arts bring
people together and define the world around us. As educational leaders it is essential
that we include the arts in standards based education. As researchers, it is essential
we continue to research around arts in education to better understand its affect on
student learning and building a creative capable work force for the future.

75
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Berger, J. (1977). Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin Books.

Bolman, L., Deal, T. (2003). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and
Leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Burton, J., Horowitz, R., Abeles, H. (1999). Learning In and Through the Arts:
Curriculum Implications. In Edward B. Fiske (Ed.), Champions of Change-
The Impact of the Arts on Learning (pp. 35-46). Washington, D.C.: Arts
Education Partnership.

California Department of Education (1982). Visual and Performing Arts Framework
for California Public Schools. Retrieved July 7, 2004 from the World Wide
Web: http://www.cde.ca.gov

California Department of Education (1987). Arts Work: A Call for Arts Education
for all California Students. Retrieved July 7, 2004 from the World Wide
Web: http://www.cde.ca.gov

California State Board of Education (1985). Arts in Education Policy. Retrieved July
7, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cde.ca.gov

Catterall J., Waldorf L. (1999). Chicago Arts Partnership in Education Summary
Evaluation. In E. Fiske (Ed.), Champions of Change The impact of the Arts
on Learning (pp. 47-62). Washington, D.C.: Arts Education Partnership.

Catterall, J. (2002). The Arts and the Transfer of Learning. In R. Deasy (Ed.),
Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social
Development (pp. 151-157). Washington, D.C.: Arts Education Partnership.

Creswell, J. (2003). Reasearch Design Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods
Approaches. Thousan Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

Cropley, A. (2001). Creativity in Education and Learning. London: Kopen Page.

Dillard, G., “The Effect of a Fine Arts Program on Intelligence, Achievement,
Creativity, and Personality Test Scores of Young Gifted and Talented
Students” (Doctoral diss., East Tennessee State University, 1982).

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Efland, Arthur D. (1990). A History of Art Education. New York: Teacher's College
Press.

Eisner, Elliot W. (1998). The Kind of Schools We Need, Personal Essays.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Eisner, E. (1988). The Role of Disciplined -Based Art Education in America's
Schools. Los Angeles, Ca.: J. Paul Getty Trust.

Gall, M., Gall, J., Borg, W. (2003). Educational Research An introduction. New
York: Allyn and Bacon.

Gardner, H. (1994). The Arts and Human Development. New York: Basic Books.

Greene, M. (2001). Variations on a Blue Guitar. New York: Teachers College Press.

Grombach, E. (1972). The Story of Art. Oxford: Phaidon Press.

Howell, C., “The Relationship between Arts Education and Creativity among High
School Students” (Ph.D. diss., University of Northern Colorado, 1990)

Kvale, S. (1996). Interviews An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing.
Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

Leithwood, K., Jantzi, D., Steinbach, R. (1999). Culture, Strucre, Policy, and
Community Relationships. In (Ed.), Changing Leadership for Changing
Times (pp. 83-96). Maidenhead, Philadelphia: Open University Press.

Luftig, R. The Schooled Mind: Do the Arts Make a Difference? (Oxford, Ohio:
Center for Human Development, Learning, and Teaching, Miami University
1993).

Moga, E., Burger K., Hetland L., Winner E. (2000). Does Studying the Arts
Engender Creative Thinking? Evidence for Near but Not Far Transfer.
Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 34(Nos. 3-4), 92-103.

Murfee, E., The Value of the Arts (President’s Committee on the Arts and
Humanities, National Endowment of the Arts, 1993).

National Center For Education Statistics (June 2002). Arts Education in Public
Elementary and Secondary Schools. Retrieved July 6, 2004 from the World
Wide Web: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/frss/publications/2002131.

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Patton, M. (2002). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (3rd ed.). Thousand
Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

Perkins, D., The Intelligent Eye: Learning to Think by Looking At Art (Santa
Monica, Ca.: Getty Center for Education in the Arts, 1994).

Rauscher, F., Shaw, G. (1993). Music and Spatial Task Performance. Nature, 365,
611.

San Mateo-Foster City School District (2003). Bayside Middle School
Accountability Report Card. Retrieved July 11, 2004 from the World Wide
Web: http://www.smfc.k12.ca.us/bayside/

The National Endowment of the Arts (2000). A Brief Chronology of federal Support
for the Arts. Retrieved July 11, 2004 from the World Wide Web:
http://www.arts.endow.gov

U.S. Department of Education Office of the Under Secretary (2004). No Child Left
Behind Desktop Reference. Retrieved July 6,2004 from the World Wide
Web: http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/nclbreference/page.html.

Wallas, G. (1931). The Art of Thought. New York: Hardcourt Brace.

Winner E., Cooper M. (2000). Mute Those Claims: No Evidence (Yet) for a Causal
Link between Arts Study and Academic Achievement. Journal of Aesthetic
Education, Vol. 34(Nos.3-4), 11-75.

Wolf, D., (1999). "Why the Arts Matter in Education or Just What do Children Learn
When They Create an Opera?". In E. Fiske (Ed.), Champions of Change: The
Impact of the Arts on Learning (pp. 92-98). Washington, D.C.: Arts
Education Partnership.

Wygant F. (1993). School Art in American Culture 1920-1970. Cincinnati, Ohio:
Interwood Press.

78
APPENDIX A
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Data Collection

Documents

Observations

Interviews

Structural Human Resources Political Symbolic

Culture of the School

Arts Education Programs

Policies Governing School

79
APPENDIX B
Critical Aspects of Research Question 1
Research
Questions Data Needs Data Sources Instrumentation
What policies and
programs are in
place at the school
site?
How does the
school run?
Mission Statement DR
What values and
beliefs do they
follow?
Budget DR
Is there a shared
vision?
School Based
Literature
DR
Do they meet the
state and national
standards for the
arts and student
achievement?
Curricular
Programs
DR, OB
Does the budget
support their
goals?
School Based
Plans
DR
What are the
political and
community factors
present?
California State
Standards
DR
District
Standardized
Testing
DR
Parent Support
Groups' Literature
DR
Parent Support
Groups' Budgets
DR
DR = Document Review
OB = Observation
IN = Interview/focus Group

80
APPENDIX C
Critical Aspects of Research Question 2
Research
Questions Data Needs Data Sources Instrumentation
What arts in
education
programs are in
place?
What values and
beliefs do they
promote for arts in
education?
Curriculum
Guides
DR
Is there a shared
vision for the arts
program?
School Literature DR, OB
What specific arts
are addressed and
how?
Teacher Lesson
Plans
DR, OB
How often do
students
participate and
how are students
selected?
Website DR
How are students
evaluated in the
arts?
Staff OB, IN
Who teaches the
arts?
Students OB, IN
What teaching
strategies are used
and are there
common practices
within the school?
Parents OB, IN
DR = Document Review
OB = Observation
IN = Interview/focus Group

81
APPENDIX D
Critical Aspects of Research Question 3
Research
Question Data Needs Data Sources Instrumentation
What is the
culture of the
school?
4 Frames
Structural
What procedures are in
place that guide the
culture of the school?
School Based
Literature
DR
What are the rules,
policies?
Organizational
Charts
DR
How are job roles
defined?
Leadership/Grade
Level Teams
DR, OB, IN
How are responsibilities
allocated?
Structure of day,
Schedules
DR, OB
Who are the Leaders -
formal and informal?

What are the stated goals
of the organization? Who
determines them?

How are decisions made?
What evaluation
processes are in place for
the organization and how
are they carried out?

How are meetings
scheduled and how often?

Etc...

82

Research
Question Data Needs Data Sources Instrumentation
What is the
culture of the
school?
4 Frames
Political
What values and beliefs
do they promote for arts
in education?
School
Modernization Bond
DR, IN
Who are the
stakeholders?
Parent Groups
(Official and
Unofficial)
IN, OB
How does budget affect
the process?
District Office DR, OB, IN
Are there limited
resources, and if so what?
How are they addressed?
School Board DR, IN
How is power allocated at
the school at all levels?
Staff DR, OB, IN
How do the teachers
union and classified
union play a part in
school culture?
Parents DR, OB, IN
Are there any coalitions
that exist? Is there a
balance of power - is this
perceived or reality?
Students DR, OB, IN
What are the key symbols
of power within the
organization?

Where are people
physically located and
does the allocation of
space needs fit with the
distribution of power?

Who ends meetings or
conversations? Etc...

83

Research
Question Data Needs Data Sources Instrumentation
What is the
culture of the
school?
4 Frames
Symbolic
What are the rituals and
ceremonies celebrated at
these schools?
School Calendar DR
What symbols are present
and how do they affect
the culture (positive and
negative)?
Ceremonies DR, OB, IN
Who are the heroes and
heroines? Do people
know who they are? Are
they appointed, and how?
Are they officially
celebrated?
Rituals DR, OB, IN
What stories are told?
Are they told across the
culture? Who are the
story tellers? What are
the stories about?
Facilities/
Architecture
DR, OB, IN
How well known and
active is the informal
network?
Assemblies DR, OB, IN
Who are the priests and
priestesses?
History DR, OB, IN
What metaphors do you
frequently encounter in
everyday language?
Interior/ Exterior
School Environment
DR, OB, IN
How does the physical
environment affect the
setting? How do you
feel? What is on the
walls? Does architecture
make a difference? Etc...

84

Research
Question Data Needs Data Sources Instrumentation
What is the
culture of the
school?
4 Frames
Human Resources
What is the diversity of
employees? Employee
needs?
Full Time
Employees
DR, OB, IN
How do people feel about
their work? What seems
to motivate them?
Staff Roles DR, OB, IN
Do people socialize
outside the workplace?
Student/Teacher
Ratio
DR, OB, IN
What kinds of training
and education are
provided or supported?
Specialist Positions DR, OB, IN
Do people feel able to
influence their work and
larger organizational
issues?
Collaboration
Models
DR, OB, IN
Do informal clicks seem
to exist?
Staff Development DR, OB, IN
What are the personal
attributes that add to this
culture?
Staff DR, OB, IN
How do people handle
conflict? Etc...
Students DR, OB, IN
Parents DR, OB, IN
DR = Document Review
OB = Observation
IN = Interview/focus Group

85
APPENDIX E
PRINCIPAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. How would you describe your school to someone who knows nothing about it?

2. What are two outstanding features of your school?

3. Define your role as principal.

4. What are two of your most prominent leadership attributes?

5. Please talk a little about your philosophy in regard to educational leadership.

6. What is your role as an instructional leader?

7. How do the arts in education fit into that?

8. In what ways do the arts contribute to student learning?

9. What is your vision for the school? Is that a shared building vision or your
personal vision?

10. Is there a school motto or slogan that everyone in your school and community
knows?

11. How would your staff describe your leadership style?

12. What are two things you would change about your school?

13. Are there some barriers or roadblocks that inhibit improvement in your school? If
so, what are they?

14. Who else in your school provides leadership? In what sense or capacity?

15. Describe a particular ritual or ceremony at this school that is unique.

16. What role do politics play in regards to your extensive offerings of the arts in
education? How do you fit into that situation?

(Adopted from Reed & Roberts, 1998, p.41)

86
APPENDIX F
PARENT FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Describe this school.

2. What makes this school unique or special?

3. Does this school offer arts education programs after school? If so, what?

4. Do you believe the arts in education are an important part of the educational
curriculum?

5. Do you think your child will be more knowledgeable about the arts and culture
than someone who attended a different school? If so, why? Is that a value to you?
If yes, why?

6. Are there specific ceremonies or rituals within this school that stand out?
Describe them.

7. Does your child enjoy art? Does art motivate them in other subjects?

8. What role do the arts in education play in regards to the facilities of this school?
Do the arts in education provide aesthetic beauty to the school? If so, how?

9. What role do politics play with regards to the arts in education?

10. Is there anything else I should know about this school with regards to the arts in
education?

87
APPENDIX G
STUDENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is art?

2. Is art important to you? If so, why?

3. Have you ever been to an art museum?

4. When you study the arts do you learn things about yourself you didn’t know?

5. How are the arts part of your education?

6. Tell me about the arts here at this school?

7. Is it important to you to express yourself through the arts?

8. What do you learn when you study the arts?

9. Do the arts help you learn in other subjects?

10. What makes this school unique or special?

11. Are the arts a part of your community? Is so, how?

12. Describe the image. Where might one see this image? What do you see?

88
APPENDIX H
STAFF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Describe this school.

2. What makes this school a unique place to be apart of?

3. What role do the arts play in education here?

4. Do you believe the arts in education contribute to human development and
intelligence?

5. Are the arts in education essential for students?

6. Approximately how much time do you spend each week discussing works of art,
art concepts, aesthetics, and art history?

7. Approximately how much time do students spend each week engaged in art
production (music, dance, theatre, art)?

8. From your perspective, do the arts in education provide critical thinking
experiences for your students? If so, how?

9. How are the arts integrated into other academic disciplines?

10. Do you see a transfer of learning in the arts into learning in other academic
disciplines?

11. Do the arts in education provide increased motivation for students to learn?

12. What is difficult about teaching the arts in education?

13. Is there anything else I should know about with regards to the arts in education?

89
APPENDIX I
CRITERIA FOR SCHOOL SELECTION
Elementary
Grades K-5
Middle School
Grades 6-8
Bravo Award Distinguished School Award
Bravo Award Nominee
Net Gain +75 Net Gain +118
2003 API Growth
935 (+40)
2003 API Growth
722 (+27)
2002 API Base
895
2002 API Base
695
2002 API Growth
906 (+8)
2002 API Growth
703 (+32)
2001 API Base
898
2001 API Base
671
2001 API Growth
908 (-1)
2001 API Growth
668 (+25)
2000 API Base
909
2000 API Base
643
2000 API Growth
909 (+28)
2000 API Growth
643 (+41)
1999 API Base
881
1999 API Base
604

90
APPENDIX J
OBSERVATION SUMMARY FORM

Type of contact: _______________ Date: ___________ Site:______________
Who; What Group
Coder: ___________________________ Date Coded: _______________

Page in Field Notes Salient Points Themes

• Field Notes Attached

Adapted From: Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003, p.451

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The purpose of this case study was to describe organizational culture in a school that has successfully implemented the arts in education and has high student achievement. This study was a parallel dissertation in which two independent researchers studied the statement problem. The subject of this case study was a middle school in Southern California that had successfully demonstrated increased student achievement as measured by the Academic Performance Index and had arts in education present. A thorough description of this organizational culture was documented and findings are included in this study.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Chavez, Ann M. (author)

Core Title Arts in education and organizational culture

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 08/14/2010

Defense Date 07/08/2010

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag arts education,arts education and leadership,change process in schools,K-12 leadership,OAI-PMH Harvest,principal leadership,school leaders,school leadership,school reform

Place Name California (states)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Gothold, Stuart E. (committee chair), Hocevar, Dennis J. (committee member), Howard, Irv (committee member)

Creator Email annchavez.edconsult@gmail.com,annchavez33@yahoo.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3402

Unique identifier UC1105288

Identifier etd-Chavez-4015 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-385286 (legacy record id),usctheses-m3402 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Chavez-4015.pdf

Dmrecord 385286

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Chavez, Ann M.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu