University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Arts in education and organizational culture: The impact of the arts on the culture of a school

(USC Thesis Other)

Arts in education and organizational culture: The impact of the arts on the culture of a school

PDF

Download

Open document

Flip pages

Download a page range

Download transcript

Copy asset link

Request this asset

Transcript (if available)

Content ARTS IN EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
THE IMPACT OF THE ARTS ON THE CULTURE OF A SCHOOL
by
Shawn Kevin Smith
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for The Degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
August 2005
Copyright 2005 Shawn Kevin. Smith
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
UMI Number: 3196894
INFORMATION TO USERS
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy
submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and
photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper
alignment can adversely affect reproduction.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript
and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized
copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.
®
UMI
UMI Microform 3196894
Copyright 2006 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company.
All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.
ProQuest Information and Learning Company
300 North Zeeb Road
P.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This dissertation reveals a small part of my experience at the University of
Southern California. We hear much these days about the overwhelming number of
constituencies educational leaders must please. No doubt the job is complex and
surprising- but it has its own rewards and satisfactions. As I approach completion
of this doctoral program I am grateful to many people, which along the way have
become instrumental in challenging my thoughts and shaping my mind.
This dissertation has been greatly improved by my biggest critic, my chair,
Dr. Gothold. His insights into the arts in education are unmatched. His ability to
grasp the dynamics of leadership and how leaders can influence the culture of
places where children can flourish is worth every dollar spent on a Trojan
education. Hopefully I’ll have a long career ahead in education. I will most
assuredly look back on my time spent on the campus of this university and define it
by the mentorship of my critic. Thank you Dr. Gothold.
To my colleague, my coach, and my lifelong friend I say thank you in all
the languages of the world. Ann Marie Chavez holds a special place in my heart.
We have come so far in this business together. One day, when we’re both
superintendents in far off places in this great country- we’ll continue the late night
phone conversations about policy and leadership, the early morning chats about the
politics that “just surfaced,” and finish it off with “how are we ever going to get
through this one” line. For some reason we do seem to get through it- and even
more rise to the top of it. In the midst of it all we still find the muster to say the arts
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
iii
are important, to still find the funding, and to impact the quality o f life for
our students. Thank you Ann Marie Chavez for more than you know.
To Dr. Howard- advocate for the world’s kids Caught in the Middle, Thank
you. You have been a guiding light in the world of education for me. Your
knowledge of what’s good for kids has been my bar of excellence. I’ve learned so
much for your expertise and will be forever grateful. Through my master’s degree
and now into my doctorate you have taught me to stand up for what I believe, not
to accept the status quo, and to push for a better world for children. Above all,
through this journey, we have found a friendship that will last a lifetime.
To Dr. Hocevar, professor, intellect, and balance. Thank you for agreeing to
add your expertise in educational research and rounding out my dissertation
committee. I am indebted to you for your time and talent. I truly appreciate your
wisdom in this study.
My greatest thanks are reserved for my family, Kevin and Cathy- my
parents, Shannon and Cory- my siblings. Without their unconditional love and
support this would not have been possible. They provided the foundation- the solid
rock and nucleus of the family unit. Forever grateful. Thank you.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements.................................................................................... ii
List of Tables ............................................................................................ v
Abstract ..................................................................................................... vi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY................................ 1
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .................................. 10
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY....................................... 36
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS ......................................................................... 47
CHAPTER 5: ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ...................................... 90
BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................................................................101
APPENDICES............................................................................................ 104
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
List of Tables
Table 1: Guidelines for Interview Data Collection
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
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 of the problem. This case studied an elementary
school in southern California that had successfully demonstrated increased student
achievement over the last four years as measured by the Academic Performance
Index and where the arts in education were present. A thorough description of this
organizational culture was documented and certain characteristics common to this
organizational culture were included in the findings.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
The role of the arts in American schooling has been diverse and inconsistent.
Theorists over the last 100 years have not only written about developmental stages in
childhood art, but also the impact the arts can have on cognition and other academic
disciplines.
Educational policy has long been dictated by reason. Curriculum in the western
world is driven by logical, scientific thought. The senses have been given minimal
time in the pursuit of reason. Policy in the field of education has passed over the arts
in an effort to boost mathematic and scientific thought. It was not until a strong
movement from arts advocates in the early 1990’s did American educational policy
begin to see the arts as a viable means to an end result in America 2000 (United States
Department of Education, 1991). The arts were briefly mentioned in this reform
document.
Human intelligence is displayed in the quality of what we are able to make or
do (Dewey, 1934). There is a misunderstanding among educational policy makers that
the arts do not contribute to human intelligence. Eisner (1998) believes there is a
massive misconception about the arts and human development. Policy makers send a
very clear picture to children about what is important in society. It is a direct link to
the time schools allot to different subjects within the school curriculum.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
2
American educational policy may be lacking an aesthetic focus. Why? In part,
it may be due to the misunderstanding of the role arts play in human development.
Beliefs about intelligence can sometimes set educational policy. Therefore, to
understand the broader problems about American educational policy and to
conceptualize the lack of the arts in education it is imperative to review some of the
misconceptions policy makers have about intelligence.
Eisner (1998) writes about flawed beliefs thought to influence the mind,
knowledge, and cognition. He identifies the following misconceptions that are shaping
American educational policy: (a) human conceptual thinking requires the use of
language, (b) sensory experience is low on the hierarchy of intellectual functioning,
(c) intelligence requires the use of logic, and (d) scientific reasoning is the only
legitimate way to generalize about the world. These flawed beliefs have influenced the
climate of American educational policy. Given this belief system, policy in the United
States creates schooled children with linear, sequential thinking. Therefore, the
schooled child is left with an understanding that the world functions in concrete,
scientific thought.
This type of policy is certainly not friendly to the arts. It devalues the arts as a
form of intelligence. Since the 1970’s scholars have tried to tie art with cognition.
Dorn (1999) believes early views on cognition and the arts were shaped by the Federal
Art Education Bureaucracy dating back to the 1960’s. After the launch of Sputnik, by
the Russians, educational policy in the United States shifted to reflect the new
mathematics and new sciences.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
3
Howard Gardner (1985) influenced the thinking of cognitive psychologists as
well. His theory on multiple forms of intelligence did much to rethink the early views
on human cognition. While his efforts were a major step forward for those concerned
with art in the educational curriculum, his forms of intelligence failed to mention a
visual intelligence. Spatial intelligence does relate to a part of visual understanding
however; references are made to the idea of visualizing the rotation of an object in
space. Arguments could be made for visual intelligence as its own body of knowledge.
In an era of increased accountability, most schools are faced with the problem
of raising student achievement in reading and mathematics. Time and resources are
limited and educational organizations are forced to make decisions regarding
programs and policy to increase academic achievement. The arts in education are
fighting for survival in school organizations.
All of this leaves one to begin questioning: What place, role, or foundation do
the arts play in public education?; Do we have evidence of schools successfully
implementing the arts in education in which the arts are an integral part of the central
aspects of the school environment, curriculum, and culture? ; Are there schools which
view the arts in education as an entity children must be exposed to more than a “once a
week lesson?; Do these schools have a common language throughout campus or a
“way of doing things” that seem a natural fit for the arts role in education? If we seek
understanding of these central questions and find our answers there must be a response
from the academic community to seek to describe this phenomena. These questions
and understanding will build the foundation for this research proposal.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
4
Problem Statement
The increase of public accountability in education has placed a strong
emphasis on reading and mathematics test scores. Educational leaders in local schools
are forced to make difficult decisions regarding how to allot their time and resources
in their effort to zap the achievement gap and show adequate yearly progress. Some
schools however are concluding that while boosting scores in reading and math is an
important goal, providing students with access to the arts is just as important. Studies
of how this can be done are simply unavailable. Furthermore, research within the arts
in education has failed to inquire about whether or not the arts can impact the culture
of the organization.
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 will be to describe organizational culture in
schools that have successfully implemented the arts in education and have high
student achievement. This study is a parallel dissertation in which two independent
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
5
researchers will study the statement of the problem. This case will study an elementary
school that has successfully demonstrated increased student achievement over the last
four years as measured by the Academic Performance Index and where the arts in
education are present. If a study of how this can be accomplished is documented then
certain characteristics common to this organizational culture may be replicated to
assist other schools in offering the arts in education while still increasing student
achievement.
Significance of the Study
Students educated without access to the arts in education may in fact lack
aesthetic understanding. Why do some schools value aesthetic education? If a
description of this organizational culture can be described, then researchers will be
able to document whether or not the arts had any impact on the culture of the school.
This is the first step in searching for unanswered questions about the arts in education
and the first step in providing answers for those concerned with educational policy.
These two case studies will tell the story of the arts in education and organizational
culture. From these studies researchers hope that collaboration on common themes
will emerge and will unveil new knowledge to share with both the academic
community and the educational community.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
6
Exploratory Questions
1. What programs and policies are in place in schools that provide the arts
in education and have high student achievement?
2. What arts in education programs are in place in schools that have been
recognized on the national or state level for their arts programs?
3. What is the organizational culture of the school?
Definition of Terms
Authors critical of the arts in education point out the need to define specific
terms used in research. Baker (2002) states that, “Defining terms for specific contexts
is critical to understanding the elements under examination, especially definitions of
what the authors mean by art.” (p. 145) For the purpose of this dissertation the
definitions of Wallas (1931), Grombach (1972), Gardner (1994), Eisner (1998),
Cropley (2001), and Greene (2001) will be applied.
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.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
7
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
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.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8
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.
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, and the definitions of terms.
Chapter 2 is a review of relevant literature. It addressed the following topics:
United States Arts in Education, A Theoretical Framework for the Trends in Arts in
Education, Arts in Education and Academic Achievement, Arts in Education and
Creativity, and Organizational Culture.
Chapter 3 presented 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 presented the findings of the study.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
9
Chapter 5 presented 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 were
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 select from, as very few met the criteria set forth. This study was 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 was designed with a specific purpose and narrow topic to provide
for a thick description that will lead to valuable information. 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.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
10
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
The following review synthesizes the literature on arts in education. Special
attention was given to empirical studies dating from 1995 to present. Two electronic
data bases were searched from their inception through 2004: Arts and Humanities
Index (1988-2004) and Educational Resource Information Clearinghouse (1950-2004).
The keywords utilized were: art, arts ed, art and edu, creati, culture, art and IQ. In
addition, a hand search of 10 educational journals from 1995-2004 was conducted.
Bibliographies from relevant articles were also identified and researched. Only studies
that were empirical in research design have been cited. Opinion essays are quoted, but
only for the purpose to reflect popular opinion from arts advocates or critics of the arts
in education.
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.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
11
United States Arts in Education
Since the onset of the 20th century, education in the United States has cycled
through die inclusion and exclusion of the arts in educational curricula. Strong
political voices have challenged the arts role in the national curriculum. Charles
Callahan Perkins, William Torrey Harris, and John Dewey have been successful
advocates for the arts in education in the political arena.
As early as the 1920’s, the Department of Superintendents of American
Association of School Administrators found the arts to be fundamental to the
schooling of American children. They concluded the arts were a valuable part of
educational curriculum.
While not specifically addressing the arts in education, the era of the 1930’s
did have indirect affects on the arts in schools. During die 1930’s the Works Progress
Administration (WPA) of the New Deal started to recognize artists. Intended to
generate work for unemployed artists, this program provided the means for public art
projects: sculptures, murals, and building designs. The WPA also provided resources
for documenting native artists, an art education program that sent professional artists
to culturally underprivileged regions of the country, traveling art exhibitions, and
community art centers which sponsored original works of art (O’Connor, 1972).
The 1960’s rejuvenated the arts when President John F. Kennedy took office.
His wife, Jacqueline, brought national attention to the arts when she renovated the
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
12
White House. Much of the renovation focus highlighted the different arts within the
White House including: paintings, furniture, and architecture. She provided American
people with a renewed sense of pride in the historic origins of American art (The Panel
on Arts, Education, and Americans 1977).
In 1965 President Johnson asked congress to establish the National Foundation
on the Arts and Humanities. Later that year, on September 15,1965 the House of
Representatives passed S. 1483. The Senate agreed the following day, establishing the
National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities (National Endowment for the Arts,
2000).
In 1970, the College Entrance Examination Board established three new
Advanced Placement Courses. This was the first time the arts were included for high
school seniors, essentially providing students college credit for arts courses taken in
high school. The following year the Harlem School of the Arts received funding from
the Endowment to assist with their community based programs. Then, in 1974 the
Endowment announced that the Artists-in-Schools Program had expanded to 1,750
artists working in the elementary and high schools (National Endowment for the Arts,
2000).
The 1970’s saw a number of different foundations publish and fund efforts in
the arts. Policy in arts education continued to evolve and surveys on the arts in
education over the past thirty years confirm this. In the 1974-1975 academic year the
National Assessment of Educational Progress conducted a survey on student art
achievement. This survey found that, of the 9-year-olds surveyed, “27 percent do not
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
13
think it is important for them to express themselves through art; 38 percent have never
been to an art museum; and 46 percent can offer no answer when asked, ‘why is art
important?,,, (Chapman, 1982, p.65).
By 1980, the Artists-in-Schools Program changed its name and evolved into
the Artists-in Education Program. This change expanded its endeavors to include not
only artists in schools but curriculum guides, learning projects, and assessment in the
arts. Three years later, in 1983, the chairman for the National Endowment for the Arts
announced his priority to create a curriculum-based, sequential arts in education
document. Regional meetings across the United States, including the J. Paul Getty
Trust occurred. It wasn’t until 1985 however that the National Council on the Arts
considered a paper proposing that arts education broaden the scope of the Artists-in-
Education Program to encourage the arts as a core part of the k-12 curriculum
(National Endowment for the Arts, 2000).
Wilson (1988) prepared a report for the National Endowment for the Arts. This
report found that in 1982 only 18 percent of school districts across the United States
had specific graduation requirements related to the fine arts. Efland (1990) noted that
by the end of the 1980’s this percentage increased to 36 percent. Clearly, educational
policy began to change by die end of the 1980’s.
In 1994 the arts were among the first disciplines to develop educational goals
and standards as part of the Goals 2000 reforms (National Endowment for the Arts,
2000). This became the National Standards for Arts Education. The focus centered on
what every young American should know and be able to do in dance, music, theatre,
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
14
and the visual arts. In 1996, the arts suffered a serious setback. The National
Endowment for the Arts saw its budget decrease by $63 million. As congress began to
balance the federal budget it became apparent artistic expression seemed to lose value.
Recent trends in the 1990’s suggest many policy makers still do not view art as a form
of human intelligence. These mid 1990 views of art and cognition are important to
understand the current problems facing American educational policy.
At the state level, specifically in California, leadership and policy in arts
education has been set by three distinct organizations: The California Department of
Education, The California Arts Project, and the California Arts Council- Arts in
Education. Each of these organizations has contributed to the arts role in education
both at the state level and outreaching to local California communities.
The California Department of Education has led the way towards educational
reform through the arts. In 1982 the Department of Education first published the
Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten
through Grade Twelve. Three years later the California State Board of Education
announced its policy on the arts in education declaring the arts to be “an integral part
of the basic education for all students in kindergarten through grade twelve”
(California Department of Education, 1996).
In the Winter of 1994 the State Board of Education again asked a team of
experts within the arts to revise the updated 1989 version. As well as updating the
framework the board sought inquiry and research in five key focus areas: assessment
in the arts, multicultural perspective, cognitive theory, curriculum integration, and
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
15
technology in arts education. In 1996 the California Department of Education adopted
this newly revised framework (California Department of Education, 1996).
In 1997, Delaine Eastin, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, put
together a task force on visual and performing arts education. This task force faced the
challenge of making sound recommendations on the arts in education concerning
planning and implementation of curricula and instruction in California public schools.
The recommendations from this task force were published in Arts Work: A Call for
Arts Education for All California Students (1997). The report also documented five
focus areas:
(1)
Literacy in and Through the Arts
(2)
Standards and Assessment
(3)
Preparation for Careers
(4)
Access for All Students
(5)
Support for Arts Programs
In 2001-2002 the California Arts Council expanded its arts in education
programs to assume a statewide leadership role in this area. Their mission: to bring
artists and community resources together in partnership with public schools to
promote the arts within education for all students was greatly aided by a $10 million
funding initiative. Funded by Governor Gray Davis and the legislature the California
Arts Council formed alliances and partnerships with the California Department of
Education, The California Arts Project, and the California PTA.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
16
Unfortunately, in 2003-2004 California faced a major budget deficit and the
recall of their governor. The California Arts Council’s budget was cut by 86%. Most
of their programs in turn were cut as well.
Instructionally, The California Arts Project focuses its mission on the depth
and breadth of classroom connections. The California Arts Project aims at deepening
teachers’ knowledge of dance, music, theatre, and visual art. As well, the project seeks
to develop instructional strategies to support the Visual and Performing Arts
Frameworks for California public schools.
At the local level, school districts began adopting the California Visual and
Performing Frameworks in 1997, one year after the release of the document from the
State Department of Education. Over the last five years school districts have tended to
follow the guidance and direction of the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
This organization has developed a number of different in-services on the arts in
education, as well as made available grant funding to implement programs. As well,
the Music Center of Los Angeles has their own Education Division which helps local
school districts with program development, artists-in-residence placement, and arts
related cultural events for students.
A Theoretical Framework for the Trends in Arts Education
The evolution of childhood art and the effect this debate has had on schooling
continue to evolve. The latter part of the twentieth century has seen the debate shift
from acknowledging childhood art to securing its place in the school curriculum.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
17
Efland (1990) argues that three intellectual frameworks have emerged over the past
century.
The first framework, or what Efland (1990) calls, “streams of influence”
(p.260) is the expressionist view of art education. This framework contends that the
primary focus of art in education is to nurture the imaginative life of children. By
giving children the ability to express themselves freely, to break free from the rules of
society, and to move away from social constraints was to allow the child the means to
be creative though self-expression.
Its impact on schools produced the “child centered school” or “alternative
schools” where children are free to reveal their emotions and feelings. Viktor
Lowenfeld’s (1947) theories best represent this framework and his documentation of
the stages of childhood art show the means of self expression desired in this type of
school. Using art as a vehicle for self-expression was essential in the child centered
school. It served a veiy distinct purpose; release the cognitive burdens, access the
unconscious mind, and together it will result in positive human development
(Lowenfeld, 1947).
The expressionist stream, however, places art education outside the lines of
cognition. It has a specific purpose in the educational setting; to teach strategies to
appreciate artistic objects. Siegesmund (1998) contends that this framework places art
as a separate, distinct, contained contribution to the development of the whole being.
He argues that this viewpoint uses art as a tool from which to draw upon when
navigating through the social contexts of this world.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
18
The second framework that Efland (1990) describes is the reconstructivist
stream. The principal belief is that the arts can transform society. Inherent in this
philosophy is the idea that curricula and pedagogy can be powerful agents in
transforming society. “Art education is a tool for historical and moral instruction
capable of transforming individuals and society” (Siegesmund, p.201, 1998).
The reconstructivist argues that the arts are the tools by which social change
occurs. Stuhr (1994) makes the claim that arts education should be a tool by which
students resist a homogeneous culture. Arts education becomes an opportunity for
individuals and groups to work together to promote cultural understanding and
awareness (Siegesmund, 1998).
Therefore, art education, within the reconstructivist stream, becomes an
instrument to conduct inquiry rather than a discipline itself. It is merely a tool to be
used across disciplines for the purpose of critical analysis (Eisner, 1998). Stuhr (1995)
argues that a reconstructivist arts education program, taught in an interdisciplinary
fashion, provides students an opportunity to create and interpret social, cultural, and
political conditions that are apart of life. This framework argues that arts education
provides significant contributions to the schooling of a child and encourages
connections across disciplines.
The third framework in art education that Efland (1990) describes is the
scientific rationalist framework. It is here that rationalists seek an empirical base for
arts education. Each of the disciplines recognized within a university has its own body
of knowledge. This body of knowledge is generated from empirically grounded
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
19
scientific research and each of the disciplines has a guided set of procedures from
which knowledge in the field is claimed.
Philosophically, Broudy (1987) makes an argument that aesthetics is an
essential part of cognition. It is a field of inquiry which enhances the body of
knowledge within arts education. Often times words cannot express meaning.
Expressing oneself requires the ability to use other forms of communication.
Therefore, as a form of inquiry, the arts are justified as a discipline within education.
Eisner (1994) believes the senses are part of the mind, and rightly have a place
in cognition. He argues that the role of the arts in education is to refine the senses. The
arts provide opportunities for students to expand their ability to express knowledge. As
presented in chapter one, the arts expand human intelligence. Through the arts, one is
able to express what we know and feel. Sensory experiences provide possibilities of
knowing the world.
Siegesmund (1998) compares the arts to literacy. Literacy is our ability to
encode and decode symbols, which once decoded provides access to ways of knowing.
It is the responsibility of educators to provide a curriculum that teaches students to
decode these symbols and therefore gives them access to these forms of knowing.
Similarly, an education that only focuses on one way of knowing is inadequate and
restrictive to a child. Providing experiences in the arts, which contribute to a student’s
ability to form meaning and different ways of knowing is essential to explore fields of
intellectual activity (Siegesmund, 1998).
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
20
Each of these frameworks has contributed to the recent trends in teaching and
learning within the arts in the last thirty years. While the frameworks branch off into
subsets of research, policy in die arts has emerged in three distinct directions.
The first trend, that learning through the arts or integrating the arts into the
core curriculum might somehow stimulate positive effects in academic studies. A
number of opinion essays have been written over the last three decades, Eisner (1998),
Fowler (1996), Hickman (2000), Gardner (1994), and Goodlad (1990) arguing for the
arts place in school. All conclude similar themes in their writings to include: (a) The
arts lead to greater self-confidence, (b) teach children perseverance, (c) set higher
standards for their work, (d) shape human form, (e) create meaning, and (f) develop
higher order thinking skills.
Empirical research studies over the past several decades have tried to make the
case that teaching through the arts can have positive implications for students as well.
Yet recent meta-analyses of these studies Winner and Cooper (2000) or Moga, Burger,
Hetland, and Winner (2000) have failed to show the link between teaching through the
arts and the themes written about by the likes of Eisner (1998), Gardner (1994), or
Goodlad (1990).
Recently, the move toward Disciplined Based Art Education (Eisner, 1990) has
become a popular trend within education. DBAE is a comprehensive approach to
instruction and learning within the visual arts. It is designed with the intent to provide
experiences primarily for K-12 students with art. The disciplines of knowledge form
different lenses with which to view, understand, and appreciate the work of art. These
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
21
perspectives or disciplines consist of- art-making, art criticism, art history, and
aesthetics. The foundation behind this philosophical approach is to teach
understanding of cultural and historical ties to the arts, respond to die master works,
make critical judgments and evaluations of these works, and then to produce art in
form with the study. The popular opinion essays emerging from academia seem to
convey the message that the arts should be held to specific standards, with outcome
generated assessment as other academic disciplines are. Disciplined Based Art
Education tried to answer that call.
The second trend, that the arts taught to mastery against a high standard as
part of the core curriculum contribute somehow to the cognitive development of the
child. This argument is markedly different than integrating the arts. Here, theorists and
practitioners observe that when arts education becomes comprehensive to the core
curriculum, with art classes progressing through distinct stages of artistic
development, students’ ability to master different forms of intelligence increases. Yet
the same meta-analyses of these claims Winner and Cooper (2000) and Moga, Burger,
Hetland, and Winner (2000) contest that a link between arts education and academic
achievement cannot be made.
The third trend, the notion that the arts transfer knowledge to other academic
areas, has been heavily written about and criticized. The last part of the twentieth
century has seen most advocates of arts education arguing that the arts provide critical
links to other academic areas. These advocates have concluded that one is able to
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
22
transfer the knowledge acquired within the arts to other parts of the core academic
curriculum.
For a better part of the last century cognitive psychologists have studied the
idea that learning in one setting has positive effects outside the dimensions of the
initial learning environment. The “Mozart Effect” study (1996) made the claim that
the arts transfer knowledge to other academic areas. This study suggested that
listening to Mozart boosted student test scores.
Arts in Education and Academic Achievement
In 1999, researchers from the Imagination Project at UCLA Graduate School
of Education and Information Studies released a summary and study of the Chicago
Arts Partnerships in Education. The Chicago Arts Partnership in Education (CAPE)
was founded in 1992 and aimed at granting more arts in the public schools. The
designed curriculum called for a teacher-artist partnership, where arts instructors
would plan arts lessons to be integrated into academic areas. The arts would be linked
to instructional goals in the core curriculum.
This study found that time of instruction spent on the four arts disciplines
varied greatly. 41 percent of program teaching time was devoted to the visual arts,
clearly outdistancing the theatre arts at 25 percent. As mentioned in the introduction of
this paper, the vast majority of empirical studies in arts education cite the visual arts as
receiving the most instructional time in school curricula, yet research in this area
appears to be scant.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
23
The CAPE project claims that students in CAPE schools showed positive
attitudes about the integration of the arts. In fact, 94 percent of elementary school
children answered that the arts lessons made learning fun. The study also compared
student achievement scores in reading and math on two different tests administered by
schools. The study compared 17 non-Cape schools chosen to replicate the CAPE
schools on measures of demographics and part performance. Although the gap
between non-CAPE and CAPE schools in testing was not statistically significant, a
trend began to emerge favoring schools that integrated the arts (Catterall and Waldorf,
1999).
52 comparisons were made between CAPE and non-CAPE schools. At no time
did a non-CAPE school outperform a CAPE school in measures concerning reading
and math. In fact, the study found that 25 reading test comparisons out of 40 increased
their lead over non-CAPE schools. Furthermore, in mathematics, before CAPE,
Chicago Public Schools averaged about 28 percent of students at or above grade level.
CAPE schools averaged 40 percent above grade level, and by 1998 60 percent of
CAPE 6th graders were at grade level in math (Catterall and Waldorf, 1999).
Critics of this study cite that the positive results may be due to the Hawthorne
effect, the energizing effect of any new program. Winner and Cooper (2000) also
suggest many studies in the arts may leave open the possibility of the Hawthorne
effect. They suggest studies attempting to show a transfer effect should include a
control group in which students are given another form of treatment besides the arts.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
24
The CAPE study leaves one to conclude the arts in education seems a positive effect
on student achievement, but hardly conclusive.
One study, by Richard Luftig, “The Schooled Mind: Do the Arts Make a
Difference?” has been cited by most arts advocates for providing valuable conclusions
that the arts boost academic achievement in reading and math. However, even some
arts advocates dispute this claim (Eisner, 1998) and (Winner and Cooper, 2000). This
study attempted to compare the SPECTRA+ arts program to a full control group
receiving no new treatment, and another control group which was introduced to a new
program involving parental involvement, flexible grouping, and cooperative learning.
This study is often described as showing a link between the arts and other academic
areas, although no statistically significant results were reported. However, on
measures of creativity, significant differences in favor of the experimental group were
noted ((Luftig, 1993).
Other studies over the last 10 years have also indicated that the arts boost
academic achievement. One study, “Eloquent Evidence: Arts at the Core of Learning”
(Murfee, 1995) claims students in the arts outperform their peers on the Scholastic
Assessment Test. However, critics often wonder if the academic background of the
arts students is the same as the non-arts students. Again, the British study (Spady,
1971) and the Dutch study (Glissman, 1967) would suggest that there may be cultural
implications to the arts. Are self-selected arts students in the United States higher
academic achievers than non-arts students, thus nullifying the claim that the arts boost
academic achievement? Does the educational system in the U.S. guide remedial
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
25
students to select non-arts classes? Do students seeking to enter a four-year college or
university select arts courses to boost the quality of their application? The Spady study
(1971) found that students in Britain who took a great deal of arts classes actually
performed worse on their academic exams than those who did not take as many arts
courses.
David Perkins (1994) argues that teaching the arts does indeed contribute to
the transfer effect in other academic areas, but only when there is explicit teaching for
transfer. His conclusions, that the arts can be used to foster thinking skills and provide
rich connections to other disciplines, only occur when students are taught to transfer
the newly acquired knowledge. Winner and Cooper (2000) also suggest the need for
teaching transfer. “In short, to find transfer, teachers need to teach for deep
understanding of the learning domain (in this case an art form), but also for transfer to
the new domain (in this case, an academic area) (p. 64).
Winner and Cooper (2000) conducted a comprehensive literature search for
studies investigating the link between the arts and student achievement. Their search
results yielded only 31 studies meeting their proposed criteria. From this result they
performed a meta-analyses of the experimental and correlational studies. Their
findings confirmed an association between the arts in education and student
achievement, however their conclusions did not yield statistically significant results to
link the arts and academics.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
26
Arts in Education and Creativity
Burton, Horowitz, and Abeles (1999) studied learning in and through the arts.
This study surveyed 2000 pupils attending public schools in grades 4-8. They claimed
a significant relationship between rich in-school arts programs and students’ ability to
think creatively, and cognitive and personal competencies needed for success in
academics (Burton, Horowitz, & Abeles, 1999).
Burton, et al (1999) identified “arts-rich” and “arts-poor” schools. They
identified that the arts are taught in a variety of ways: integration, mastery, or
disciplined-based, as well as a variety of configurations within the four disciplines.
The arts can be taught by different kinds of instructors: regular classroom teachers,
arts specialist teachers, or artists-in-residence. The study rejected a narrow focus of
one discipline, one specific type of instruction, with one specific instructor. By
including the diversity among instruction and art medium the study thought it could be
more reflective of a broad spectrum of learning.
Several measures were used to examine the outcomes of “arts-rich” and “arts-
poor” student performance. The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, the Self-
Description Questionnaire, and the School-Level Environment Questionnaire were all
used in this study. Other self-designed measures were used as well.
Burton, et al (1999) found a significant association between children in “arts-
rich” schools and creative thinking abilities. The researchers commented that, “As we
compared the experiences of children in the respective groups we saw immediately
that the high-arts group consistently outscored the low arts group on measures of
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
27
creative thinking” (Burton, et al, 1999, p.38). Furthermore, the researchers found
children in these “arts-rich” schools outperformed “arts-poor” students on measures of
creativity, fluency, originality, elaboration, and resistance to closure. The last is in
reference to the ability to keep open new possibilities.
The data from this study suggests students who are regularly associated with
the arts in school outperform their public school peers on measures of creativity. On
average, “arts-rich” students, in measures of high performance creativity, generally
outnumbered “arts-poor” students by a 15:1 ratio in creativity, fluency, originality,
elaboration, and resistance to closure. Researchers on this study also concluded that
there is significant empirical evidence to suggest that students associated with “arts-
poor” schools are less able to extend their thinking than their counterparts in “arts-
rich” schools. (Burton, et al, 1999)
Similarly, other studies seeking to measure extended thinking (Wolf, 1999),
(Fink, 1976), or (Vaughn and Winner, 2000) have concluded that the arts teach skills
beyond linear, sequential thinking. In fact, the arts have made the case for contributing
to students’ ability to problem-solve or think critically. Moreover, the arts have staked
claims in most of the theorized forms of human intelligence, including spatial-
temporal tasks (Hetland, 2000).
Unfortunately, there have been many critics of the literature, claiming too
many variables in most of the studies and lack of proper research design. Two
landmark studies that were pre-transfer theory made earlier claims that there may be
cultural implications as well (Spady, 1971) and (Glissman, 1967). These studies are
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
28
often cited as critics of the literature although they pre-date the current literature. The
Burtan, Horowitz, and Abeles study is not without its critics. “This study also found
that teachers in high arts schools were more open, flexible, knowledgeable, and
engaged in their own ongoing learning than were teachers in low arts schools”
(Burton, Horowitz & Abeles, p.45). This claim may cause critics to suggest that
students in high arts schools outperformed their low arts peers in measures of
creativity not because of a strong arts curriculum, but because of the innovation of
teachers.
Other correlational studies trying to measure creativity and the arts (Burgart,
1961), (Hamann, Bourassa, and Aderman, 1991), or (Howell, 1990) have made similar
claims. Burgart (1961) reports a correlation between the amount of arts classes taken
in college and creativity measured by the Visual Verbal Response Test, the Definitions
Test, and the Relationships Test. Hamann, Bourassa, and Aderman (1991) report a
correlation between amount of arts study in high school and creativity measured by the
Consequences Test. Finally, Howell (1990) reports a correlation between involvement
in the art in high school and creativity measured by the Torrance Test of Creative
Thinking.
A meta-analyses performed by Moga, Burger, Hetland, and Winner (2000)
found these findings indicate an association between studying the arts and
performance on creativity tests, but no causal conclusions can be drawn from this
because they are correlational.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
29
Experimental studies measuring the arts and creativity (Even, 1963) or
(Skipper, 1969) have also claimed a transfer of knowledge from learning in or through
the arts and creative thinking. Evan (1963) found that high school students who
attended four one day sessions of the visual arts scored higher on the Minnesota Tests
of Creative Thinking than students who attended four one day sessions of science and
students given no treatment. Skipper (1969) claims that girls who voluntarily enrolled
in an after school arts program scored higher on the Things Category Test than those
who did not enroll. The study also found that boys who enrolled scored higher on the
Apparatus Test than boys who did not enroll. However, both boys and girls scored no
higher on two other tests of creativity.
Two unpublished studies (Minton, 2000) and (Kim, 1998) sought to suggest a
relationship between dance instruction and creative thinking. Minton (2000) studied
high school students enrolled in a variety of dance classes for one semester with a
control group not enrolled in dance classes during that semester. The study
administered the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking and shows empirical support for
creative, divergent thinking. Critics of the arts research seem to agree this study is a
model for future research.
Kim (1998) also studied dance instruction and the transfer effect to creative
thinking and problem solving. The results from this study indicate that the type of
dance taught factors into students’ ability to improve in cognition. When students were
taught dance as a creative problem solving approach they made significant gains in
creative and critical thinking. When students were taught traditional dance they did not
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
30
make significant gains. Future research could emulate this study and compare
traditional dance instruction and creative dance instruction.
Again, these studies point to a link between arts study and creativity, but no
general conclusions can be made because the sample size is not significant enough.
Future research should investigate arts schools and their ability to attract
innovative teachers. Future research should also eliminate variables when hying to
measure the outcomes of a comprehensive arts education. For example, studying the
effect of one group of students, with one teacher, using one art medium over the
course of a year or two may eliminate some of the variables from this study. It is clear
these studies point to a link between the arts and creativity, but more studies are
needed in this area if educational policy is going to be altered.
Organizational Culture
There are a number of research studies that make the claim that school culture
directly impacts learning. The Fall/Winter 2004-2005 issue of UrbanEd focused on
learning, and discussed issues central to motivation, culture, and instruction. In two
separate articles, Professors Richard Clark and Robert Rueda framed their argument
for studying both individual and organizational culture as a catalyst to understanding
learning. Dr. Rueda maintained that researchers must consider key questions when
thinking about cultural models and settings for organizations: What are the typical and
characteristic activity settings in this organization? How are they structured? What are
the cultural models that characterize this organization?
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
31
Organizational culture has as its genesis a root 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 being’s 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,
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.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
32
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 “modem” 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 “modem”
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
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)
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
33
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 accordingly that culture may in fact be a control
standard that assists in assigning meaning and values to ideas, events, and behaviors.
Pai & 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 & 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.
According to Pai & Adler (2001) as important as culture is to society,
understanding culture does not allow us to understand every detail about a particular
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
34
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.
A review of organizational culture provided insight into the historical
progression of how groups function and gave useful tools to analyze and describe
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
35
these groups. The literature review left the researcher with several unanswered
questions and assisted at developing the framework for this study and research design.
Key questions after the thorough literature search were: 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.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
36
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this case study was to describe the organizational culture in a
southern California elementary school that offers the arts in education, and has strong
student achievement. This study was one of two case studies conducted in California.
The collective data assembled was used to determine whether certain characteristics
are common in the organizational culture of schools offering the arts in education can
be replicated in other educational settings.
In era of increased accountability, schools are being forced to make decisions
regarding educational policy and programs and more often than not the arts in
education are being cut. However, despite pressure from the general public, some
schools are keeping the arts in education and still raising student achievement.
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
This case study was conducted at an elementary school in southern California.
This school serves students in grades kindergarten through fifth grades. The student
body population is 590 of which 76.4% are identified as white or Caucasian, 10%
Asian, 9% Hispanic, and 4% other. Less than 4% of the student body is considered
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
37
Title One or on the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. There are 35 regular classroom
teachers at this school and 5 full or part time specialists. This school is one of five
elementary schools in the district, one middle school, and one comprehensive high
school. In 1998 this school was awarded the BRAVO Award for excellence in arts in
education. The BRAVO Award is an award given by the Music Center of Los
Angeles- Education Division and recognizes schools and teachers for creativity,
innovation and excellence within the arts in education. This school was invited to
apply for this prestigious award.
Only schools in California that met the definition of arts in education (see
Chapter One, Definition of Terms) and had received state recognition for their
established arts education programs were considered for this study. 21 schools had
received the California Distinguished School of the Arts Award from the State
Department of Education and 11 schools had received the BRAVO Award for
excellence in arts education. Schools that met the definition of arts in education and
had received recognition for their arts education programs were then examined for
success in student achievement. In support of strong student achievement, schools
considered for this study needed to show a positive gain on the Academic Performance
Index from 1999-present. What was left was a minimal number of schools that met the
arts in education definition, received state recognition, and displayed strong student
achievement. School administrators were then contacted by electronic mail
communication and researchers sought permission to conduct a study in the school.
Two schools replied immediately, one elementary school in southern California and
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
38
one middle school in northern California. Both schools were selected as participants
for the two case studies proposed (see Appendix H).
Design
Most schools are passing over the arts in education in an effort to boost
scientific, linear intelligence. However, some schools have resisted this movement,
increased student achievement, and still included the arts in education. Yet,
descriptions still lack of organizational cultures, in an era of increased accountability,
of schools that offer the arts in education and have strong student achievement.
This research study began with a discussion and initial mapping of the best
way to describe the organizational culture in schools that have shown excellence in
arts in education and increased student achievement. The researcher was seeking to
explain the phenomena of the arts in education where there is evidence of strong
student achievement. Based upon the statement of the problem the researcher
concluded that the best research design would be a single case study where a detailed
description of the phenomena is produced. Both case studies conducted were then
analyzed for salient themes and patterns within the organizational cultures.
During the Spring semester of 2004 the two researchers met several times in
order to define the parameters of the study, identify eligible schools, and develop tools
and instruments for data collection and observation. Researchers then, in June o f2004,
traveled to New York City in an effort to broaden their understanding of the arts in
education at the national level. A visitation was made to New York University,
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
39
Columbia University, Teacher’s College, and the Rockefeller Center. Researchers
sought access to faculty research and publications, libraries and bookstores in an on
going effort to review the literature and history of the arts in education.
Procedures
Instrumentation
After the mapping had been created the researchers discussed relevant
literature to the case study. Both researchers had read the book, Reframing
Organizations by Bolman and Deal. The researchers agreed it was an appropriate
model for the phenomena being examined. Specifically, it would provide unique
lenses with which to describe the organizational culture in schools offering the arts in
education and where student achievement had proven strong.
In later meetings the researchers created three specific questions that would
seek to answer the statement of the problem: what policies are in place at the school?;
what arts education programs are in place at the school?; and what is the
organizational culture of the school? The researchers then began to make a list of data
needs, sources, and instrumentation for each question. A plan was devised on how to
collect the data as well. Approval was sought from the Institutional Review Board and
was submitted in August.
Data Collection
Both researchers agreed data should be collected in a succinct, predetermined
order. This gave both case studies a similar starting point with which to begin the
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
40
research. Researchers began by collecting existing school documents first. Examples
of documents collected were: mission statement, school budget, California State
Standards, local district standards, newsletters, organizational charts, bell schedules,
school calendar, etc... (see Appendices A, B, and C). Next, the researchers conducted a
minimum of 4 site visit observations. Researchers used the Observation Contact
Summary Form (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003, p. 451) (see Appendix I). Common
observation activities included: parking lot (before and after school), school
ceremonies or rituals, staff meetings, school site council meetings, back to school
night, art exhibitions,, theatre performances, etc... (see Appendices A, B, and C). Next,
researchers conducted interviews with various members of the school community:
teachers (see Appendix G), school administrators (see Appendix D), parents (see
Appendix E), and students (see Appendix F). A tape recorder was used to conduct
interviews with teachers, parents, students, and school administrators. Permission to
tape record was sought prior to interviews. Researchers used the district’s own policy
and forms. Researchers obtained permission to conduct site visits from both school
administrators and district superintendents. Permission was obtained in writing.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
41
The following guidelines were used for the interview data collection:
Table 1: Guidelines for Interview Data Collection
Job/Role Participants Process Number of
Interviews
Leadership
/Administration
Principal 1 to 1
(follow ups as
needed)
1
Staff Teachers- grade level
representation (6)
Specialists- all
Classified (2)
Focus Group
(follow ups as
needed)
2
Students 1-5 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 9
Validity and Reliability
In an effort to ensure valid and reliable data, researchers used interpretive
validity (Altheide & Johnson, 1994). Interpretive validity gives credibility to
judgments made by the researcher. Altheide & Johnson (1994) identify a number of
criteria for using this method. For the purpose of this study the following criteria was
used: (a) usefulness, (b) contextual completeness, (c) reporting style, and (d)
triangulation.
Usefulness adheres to the notion that researcher findings from case study will
somehow “enlighten” (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003) individuals who read the product of
the researcher findings. In other words, it will provide others in educational settings to
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
42
better understand how the arts in education can contribute to organizational culture
and at the same time still raise student achievement.
Contextual completeness provided the roadmap from which this study was
described. To fully understand the culture of the organization being described the
researcher attempted to consider a number of different contextual settings. In doing so,
the researcher had a better understanding of the phenomena being studied. For the
purpose of this study the researcher used recommendations by Gall, Gall, & Borg
(2003): history, physical setting, environment, number of participants, activities,
schedules, division of labor, significant events, etc..
Reporting style can affect the validity of the study and the readers’
interpretations of the findings (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003). The aim for this study was
to achieve verisimilitude. Verisimilitude is a, “style of writing that draws the reader so
closely into the subjects’ worlds that these can be palpably felt” (Adler & Adler,
p.381,1994). Some researchers find literary structures impressively helpful for
communicating findings to a larger audience (e.g. the telling of tales, story telling,
one-act plays, poetry) (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003). “Stories are a key medium for
communicating...” (Bolman & Deal, p. 222,1997). Researchers attempted
verisimilitude through the use of stories for this study.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
43
Finally, triangulation becomes central in assuring validity and reliability in this
study. Triangulation allows the researcher to look at the phenomena being studied
from multiple vantage points. Essentially, triangulation is the process of using multiple
data collection methods (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003). For the purpose of this study the
researchers used document collection, observations, and interviews to gain multiple
perspectives with which to describe the organizational culture. “Triangulation helps to
eliminate biases that might result from relying exclusively on any one data-collection
method, source, analyst, or theory” (Gall, Gall, & Borg, p.464,2003).
Data Analysis
The researcher attempted to conceptualize the phenomena being studied by
using a thick description (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003; Stake, 1994). A thick description
of the organizational culture provided, “statements that re-create a situation and as
much as its context as possible, accompanied by the meanings and intentions inherent
in that situation” (Gall, et al, p. 439,2003).
In producing this thick description the researcher looked for salient themes and
patterns that arose from the organization and then brought order to the gathered
information. To better depict themes within the organizational culture researchers
described and analyzed the case using the four frames (Bolman & Deal, 1997). Using
the four different lenses as multiple vantage points researchers attempted to identify
salient themes within the four frames.
Bolman and Deal (1997) constructed the four-frame model in an effort to give
people a better understanding of how organizations worked. Clearly outlining
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
44
properties of organizations Bolman and Deal (1997) sought to give individuals a tool
to analyze and make sense of an often chaotic intake of information when one seeks to
describe organizational culture. Bolman and Deal (1997) identify four frames
researchers can use to process incoming data: structural, human resources, political,
and symbolic.
The ideas of the structural frame are rooted in a classical, or rational,
organizational theory. Key components of the structural frame are derived from
Taylor, the father of “Scientific Management” which stresses the efficiency of a
“division of work formerly done by the workmen” between workers and managers
(Taylor, 1916 in Shafritz & Ott, 1996, p.72) and Weber, whose study of modem
bureaucracies stresses hierarchies, or “a firmly ordered system of super- and
subordination” (Weber, 1946 in Shafritz & Ott, 1996, p. 80).
The structural frame stresses the preeminence of the following elements: (a)
established goals and objectives, (b) rationality over personal preference, (c) a
structure based on the context, (d) coordination and control, (e) restructuring as a
remedy to performance gaps, and (f) specialization and division of labor (Bolman &
Deal, 1997). Often times, individuals in organizations want and demand structure. It
allows people to define their role and sets boundaries for workers to follow. The
structural frame also sets expectations for individuals and places accountability on key
components within the organization.
Human needs form the basis of the human resources frame. This frame offers
hope that organization can be energizing, productive and mutually rewarding. The
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
45
basic assumptions of the human resources frame are: (a) organizations exist to serve
human needs rather than the reverse, (b) people and organizations need each other;
organizations need ideas, energy and talent; people need careers, salaries, and
opportunity, and (c) when the fit between individual and system is poor, one or both
will suffer; individuals will be exploited or will exploit the organization- or both will
become victims (Bolman & Deal, 1997).
Many theories of management are based upon the human resources frame, two
of which are Theory X and Theory Y. A Theory Y organization is one that arranges
organizational conditions so that people can achieve their own goals best by directing
their efforts toward organizational rewards (McGregor, 1960 in Bolman & Deal,
1997). In contrast, Theory X claims that human beings inherently dislike work.
Individuals within organizations need to be coerced and controlled in order to achieve
the goals of the organization (McGregor, 1960 in Shafritz & Ott, 1996).
Within organizations conflict is inevitable. The political assumptions of
coalition building, conflict, and decision making, as they relate to the distribution of
power among the group form the basis of the third frame, the political frame.
Finally, the symbolic frame encompasses the ream of unspoken connections
that bind people together. The symbolic frame holds basic the following assumptions:
(a) meaning takes precedence over “just the facts” of an event, (b) multiple meanings
arise out of a single event since people interpret the same event differently, (c) life is
ambiguous and uncertain, (d) ambiguity and uncertainty threaten rationality and
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
46
decision making, and (e) myths, rituals, and stories help create meaning (Bolman &
Deal, 1997).
To interpret the way meaning is made in an organization, the central physical
location in which it operates provides insight into its culture (Bolman & Deal, 1997).
Meaning is made through the lens with which one views an event. In essence, one’s
values and beliefs help shape the event.
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 as well. This was then analyzed using the Four Frames Model and story
telling as a reporting style.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
47
CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS
In Chapter 4, information gathered and compiled from the Southern California
elementary 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
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
48
information. Focus groups and observations supported the data gathered from the
documents.
As one enters this southern California elementary school it is abundantly
evident that there is a high level of parental involvement. By 8 a.m. the visitor sign in
book had already flipped to its third page. Parents on campus could be seen in
classrooms, hanging art in the hallways, shelving books in the library, or selling
SCRIPT in the parking lot in an effort to raise more funds for the school.
Parents have plenty of opportunities to get involved at this school. In fact, in
numerous documents available at the school most had specific sections addressed to
parents about how to get involved. A review of the School Accountability Report Card
encourages parents to “participate in their child’s educational program at school” and
cites several examples for opportunity: PTA, School Spring Fair, Family Nights, 5K
Gator Run, Book and Author Fairs, SCRIPT Program, Pancake Breakfast, Science
Fair, or the Young-at-Art Docent Program. Evidence of approximately 500 parent
volunteers and over 4,000 hours per month of parent service was noted.
A walk around the school revealed classroom doors ajar well before the
beginning of school and each classroom greeted children with a whiteboard placed just
outside. Whiteboards had the day’s agenda posted and made it clear what children
would be learning that day. Large, fifty-pound mosaic planter pots positioned
themselves against the open door and added an element of aesthetics to an already art-
friendly environment.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
49
Document review yielded results that showed a fully implemented Standards
Based Instructional Program at this school. The school’s k-5 English language arts
textbook series is Open Court and the mathematics series is Saxon Math. Observations
confirmed these results as classroom teachers could be seen using the scripted
dialogue of Open Court and the heavy word problem based lessons of Saxon Math.
For the 2004-2005 school year the Parent Teacher Association has pledged
support for the gifted learners at this school. $20,000 has been set aside for math
enrichment. One such program that the school has committed to purchase is Math
Tiles: a program which is described as teaching students how to think about math.
A joint partnership between the School Site Council and the Parent Teacher
Association will bring about another new program to campus this school year: Young
Scientists. This program will bring in parent docents to conduct hands-on science
experiments in all classrooms. An additional $20,000 is pledged to support this
enrichment program.
Furthermore, the parents and School Site Council have promised yet another
$20,000 funding block to support initiatives in reading enrichment. While the school
was still undecided on a program, Parent Teacher Association survey results show
unparallel support for more enrichment programs at this school.
In addition to differentiating within the regular classroom, a 16 day Gifted and
Talented Education pull-out program is offered to bring identified 4th and 5th grade
GATE students together to work on projects with their intellectual peers for a portion
of their school experience. Interdisciplinary projects related to science, language arts,
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
50
technology, mathematics, and history are interwoven into common themes. Students
problem-find and problem-solve within these thematic units. The GATE Pull-Out
Program is taught by a GATE Certificated teacher.
The current drug, alcohol and tobacco-use prevention education for this school
utilizes the instructional program, Too Good For Drugs. Supplemental and support
materials include the Heart Heart curriculum. In addition, Hooked on Health is taught
K-5 and the PRIDE Curriculum (Prevention Resources: Information and Drug
Education) is offered to all fourth grade classes. PRIDE explores problem solving,
decision-making and effective communication skills. Document review provided the
initial support of this finding and confirmed during focus group interviews. During the
site visitations the researcher was unable to document this program in action.
Arts in Education Programs
Research question number two asked, “What arts in education programs are in
place at the 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 groups revealed that at the heart of the school’s arts in education offerings is
Disciplined Based Art Education. DBAE is a comprehensive, sequential approach to
teaching and learning within the visual arts. Master artworks are studied through four
disciplines: art history, art criticism, art production, and aesthetics. The foundation
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
51
behind this philosophical approach is to teach understanding of cultural and historical
ties to the arts, respond to the master works, make critical judgments and evaluations
of these works, and then to produce art in form with the study.
In 1993 Walter Annenberg issued a “Challenge to the Nation” and called for
more study within the arts. The National Arts Education Consortium, which included
several academic and community institutions from around the United States, answered
this call and then teamed with the J. Paul Getty Trust. A $4.3 million grant from the
Annenberg Challenge, another $4.3 million from the J. Paul Getty Trust, and an
additional $6.5 million from other funders rounded out what was to be called
Transforming Education Through the Arts Challenge (The National Arts Education
Consortium, 2003). In 1997, this school was one of only 35 schools from across the
country to be included in the Transforming Education Through the Arts Challenge.
The Consortium adopted the DB AE theory to teaching and learning within the
arts. This approach required arts instruction to be integrated with other core subjects,
centered around important themes and ideas, and delivered using a constructivist or
inquiry-based approach (The National Arts Education Consortium, 2003).
Examination of other school documents confirmed this arts program. The
School Accountability Report Card mentions Discipline Based Arts Education within
the school description and mission statement and highlights careful attention to the
recognition of its implementation by a National Evaluation Team. Furthermore, this
document is evidence of professional development within the arts and a follow up
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
52
interview with the principal confirms training for teachers on Discipline Based Art
Education.
The Transforming Education Through the Arts Challenge School Portfolios
(199S), (1999), & (2000) reveal more documentation of this arts program. These
portfolios include documentation of professional development where teachers attended
a Summer Institute for Discipline Based Art Education. Teachers spent five days at
this training, an additional three days at the Summer Leadership Academy, and
another 10 days at the Summer Art Institute. Within these portfolios were even more
examples of this program. The Annual School Report stated that there is “a strong
commitment to arts education” and went on to describe the DBAE program.
In 1998 the school submitted an application for the BRAYO Award for
excellence in arts education. Upon review of this application the document confirms
the Discipline Based Art Education instruction and makes reference to parent
volunteers also receiving training in the DBAE approach. The application further goes
on to explain the Transforming Education Through the Arts Challenge program and
cites examples of the positive affects students gain from this program.
Examination of the 2003 and 2004 Parent Teacher Association budget also
reflects a continuing commitment to this program. Funding for arts programs and
support were 20 percent of the overall budget of this affiliated organization. During a
clarifying interview with the school principal and a separate interview with the PTA
president, both confirm some funding from the PTA goes to support ongoing
professional development for DBAE.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
53
School site observations reflected a deep appreciation for the visual arts,
especially visual art created from a Discipline Based Art Education unit. Art of the
masters hang throughout campus. From the moment one walks into the office you are
greeted by a master art print. Art of the masters hail from museums around the country
and around the world. A tour of the library reveals prints from the Guggenheim and
Norton Simon Museums, the J. Paul Getty Museum and more. Celebrating Hispanic
Heritage Month a print of “Orgullo” by Simon Silva and accompanying cultural books
by Cesar Chavez and over 30 more make their presence felt in the library. A visit to
the principal’s office reveals more art of the masters, and classroom visits showcase
even more art of enduring themes the students are studying. This, all in accordance
with the philosophy of the Disciplined Based Art Education approach: investigating
works of art in terms of the historical and cultural contexts that contribute to their
meaning.
During one school site observation the researcher overheard the librarian
telling the “story” of the J. Paul Getty grant to a new group of parents during their
volunteer training. The librarian encouraged parents to listen in when their child’s
teacher gives the Back to School Night presentation, especially when they talk about
DBAE. She then toured the parents around the library. Sitting atop the abdomen high
bookshelves were books about the arts. It is clear that value is placed upon books that
are showcased in the library. These books included Vincent Van Gogh. A weekend
with Degas. A Short Walk Around the Pyramids and Through the World of A rt How
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
54
Artists See and many others. Again, more evidence contributing to one component of
the DBAE disciplines.
During another school site observation the researcher looked for other
evidence of the disciplines of DBAE being taught. During this visit the researcher
looked for specific evidence of art production. Art production is the act of creating
new works of art which involves active manipulation of selected materials using
various techniques. A tour of the facility started with a walk through the halls.
Immediately upon entering the hallway the researcher noticed third grade visual art
hanging on the walls. Titled “inspired by Picasso” over 50 productions of student
created art reflected an original master work of artist Pablo Picasso. This art was
followed by a wall titled, “Texture: Second Grade Art.” Various art mediums were
used to represent texture in works of art. Over 30 productions of visual art by second
grade students flowed into several art prints of the masters. In a focus group interview
with teacher specialists who travel to other schools within the district one teacher
comments, “The other schools within this district do not have a central location where
visual art is continuously displayed.”
Classroom observations confirmed the results from school documents. Every
classroom the researcher entered had evidence of art production by students as well as
art of the masters. During one visit to a kindergarten classroom the researcher entered
the classroom to hear the teacher say, “Who remembers what famous artist we studied
last week?”
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
55
One kindergarten student responded, “Henri Matisse.”
“Close, it’s an artist from Spain and here is some of his work. Three
paintings.” The teacher said.
Several students then shouted, “Moreau.”
As the lesson progressed the researcher observed both art criticism and
aesthetics as disciplines being taught in this kindergarten classroom. The teacher asked
a series of questions about the colors the artist used in the three paintings then used it
as an opportunity to teach primary colors. Follow up questions in this lesson asked
students to make judgments about the artist’s work, labeled the work as “surrealist,”
and asked for examples of the “dot and circle” family in the artist’s work (technique).
The teacher then went on to explain the art production piece of the lesson. Using the
primary colors and “dot and circle” family the students will create their own works of
art and “we will sign our name like an artist” the teacher says to conclude the lesson.
Further observation of this classroom provided another glimpse into the
environment created at this school and its commitment to the arts in education. A
“Room 1 Art Gallery” is on display in the back of the classroom, an “Artist
Information Bulletin Board” encourages students to become artists themselves, and art
supplies in abundance are organized in designated spaces throughout the classroom.
Focus groups with teachers, specialists, parents, the principal, and students
provided an even more detailed account of this arts program. One new teacher
commented that, “when I first came here last year there was so much buzz talk about
this Discipline based Art Education program and I had no idea what it was, but
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
56
everyone was doing it, it was like the thing to do.” Other teachers commented that
there is a sense of freedom at this school to be able to teach the arts and feel
comfortable doing it. “Not many schools have that same freedom,” one veteran
teacher said.
Teachers also agree that this program is central to their arts education
offerings. “The fact that you walk down the hallway and see children’s art from pre
kindergarten through fifth grade hanging side by side with art from the masters is
important to what we do here.” And the teachers are adamant to point out DBAE is not
just a “frill” added to the curriculum. The same teacher commented, “it’s not let’s
draw our favorite animal, it’s let’s study Georgia O’Keefe and then examine how we
can draw the flower.”
Teachers agree this program would not have been possible without the
principal. “We are so lucky to have a principal who supports it [DBAE] in every way.”
Document review, observations, and focus group interviews confirm this statement. At
this school the leader is central to the arts presence in education.
“The arts are so central and important, I think, to learning. To have courage to
stand up and give your opinion about a work of art based upon sound information that
you’ve gained through your educational program is part of educating the whole
person,” comments the principal. At the center of her statement, she believes, lies
Disciplined Based Art Education. The principal began looking into a grant to fund the
DBAE approach five years prior to receiving the funding. She claims many political
road blocks prevented her from obtaining funding early in the process. Now that the
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
57
teachers have received training in DBAE and the school has implemented this
program she doesn’t see any reason why it would discontinue. While funding in the
arts throughout the United States, in California, and within this school’s district has
been cut, she still tries to allocate as much as she can to retaining valuable arts
programs. When the researcher asked if it is a fear that the arts may be cut from the
curriculum in a few years she quickly responded, “not as long as I’m here, but yes, if
I’m not here it is.”
Parent focus groups revealed much the same message. All parents involved in
the focus group were aware of the past J. Paul Getty grant which delivered funding
from 1997-2001. However, some parents were unaware of the specifics of the
program. Most parents were able to articulate student study of the masters and follow
up art production, although some parents mixed up the DBAE program with another
visual art program the school offers called Young At Art. Several parents were able to
use specific educational terms to describe the pedagogical model of the program and
some even made reference to the “integration into other fields of study.”
Parents also confirmed funding for ongoing training of DBAE through the
Parent Teacher Association and the School Site Council. Parents recognized teachers
had spent considerable time in summer institutes for the arts. They all agreed this was
a value to them.
Another visual art program this school offers is Young At Art. This program is
completely run by parent volunteers who serve as art docents for their children’s
classrooms. All students in the school have access to this program. Art docents
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
58
conduct 6-8 art lessons each year, in every classroom. The docents are trained by a
professional artist and the training centers around both the art production discipline
and the art history discipline. Each lesson is inspired by a famous artist. Students learn
about the life of the famous artist, see artworks by the artist, and then taught a lesson
in which the end product will be to create a visual artwork of their own.
A review of school documents confirms this arts in education program. The
School Accountability Report Card, as well as the PTA budget and the BRAVO
Award application all make reference to this visual art program. The School
Accountability Report Card calls on parents to serve as volunteers in this program and
points out funding for this program, which is generated by the Parent Teacher
Association. A cross check of the PTA budget from both the 2003 and the 2004
academic years reveals increased funding for this program. Funding from the 2003 to
the 2004 academic year increased by 200%. In 2003 the PTA budgeted $1,000 and
spent $1,469.35. The proposed budget for the 2004-2005 year is $3,000. The BRAVO
Award application also confirms this program. It highlights the Young At Art visual
program as contributing to the arts experiences of students at this school and further
goes on to state that parent docents are also trained in Disciplined Based Art
Education theories. Thus, continuing to reinforce the school’s goals of comprehensive
arts education experiences for all students.
Focus groups with parents indicate the children at this school enjoy the Young
at Art Program. Parents comment that their children come home from school excited
about what they did in Young at Art. Parents also agree that this program is a value to
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
59
them. When asked why they value this program, and more broadly the arts, one parent
responds, “I am a firm believer that the arts teach a person to think.”
Another parent responds, “We hear from parents at this school that they all
have stories of going to an art museum with their children in first, second or third
grade and their kids going up to a painting and saying ‘ oh wow, that looks like a Van
Gogh’ or ‘that reminds me of Monet.’” Parents reiterate during this focus group that
they find it astounding when their children are capable of recognizing all the different
subtleties of color and brushstroke and style that make up a work of art of a particular
artist. They agree this type of thinking and analysis is critical to child development and
intellect. This is a value to them.
Supplementing the visual art programs described above are museum trips,
cultural arts assemblies and the school’s Artist-in-Residence Program. Document
review supports the findings of these reported arts offerings. The School
Accountability Report Card mentions that the Parent Teacher Association supported
arts instruction, materials, and personnel of these programs through their funding.
Budgets for the 2001-2004 school years support this claim. In fact, funding for these
programs has increased over 400%. In 2003 the PTA budgeted for $2,500 for the
Artist-in-Residence Program and spent an additional $1,523.00 that year. The 2004
budget indicates funding levels set at $10,644 for the Artist-in-Residence Program and
an additional $18,000 for museum trips and cultural arts assemblies.
The school’s BRAVO Award application also cites examples of these
programs. The school takes advantage of the close southern California proximity to
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
60
the Music Center of Los Angeles and schedules cultural arts assemblies from its
extensive offerings. This document also cites several examples of museum trips to
such places as the Getty and LACMA. Finally, this document mentions the Traveling
Art Program sponsored by LACMA and utilizes the resources from LACMA for its
Artist-in-Residence Program.
Not only does this school offer visual arts in education, but the performing arts
in education as well. Music education is an important component to their arts program.
Students have the option of taking Music Theory, which is taught by the classroom
teacher, Instrumental Strings Music taught by a credentialed specialist, or Instrumental
Band taught by a different credentialed specialist. An analysis of school documents,
observations by the researcher, and focus group sessions with music specialists,
parents and the principal confirms these programs.
Music Theory is taught by the classroom teacher and students not wishing to
participate in either Instrumental Band or Strings will take Music Theory.
Currently this school district is facing a $5 million budget deficit. At the
beginning of the 2004-2005 school year all schools within the district were forced to
cut Choral Music. It is the only arts in education program that has been cut. This
school no longer offers Choral Music.
The School Accountability Report Card describes the instrumental music
program (band) and (strings) as a program that promotes a positive learning
environment. It further goes on to state that the school offers instrumental music
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
61
performances throughout the year. The BRAVO Award application confirms this arts
in education program as well.
In a focus group interview with the Instrumental Band specialist the researcher
documented the specifics of this program. This credentialed music teacher is fully
aware that her salary is paid, in part, by various parental support groups, and as she
likes to say is, “thrilled to have such strong parent support.” Instrumental Band is
offered once per week for forty-five minutes to any 4th grade student and once per
week for forty-five minutes for any 5th grade student wishing to participate. There are
nine different instruments represented currently in the band.
The band room is located on the third level of “Ladara,” an adjacent building
to the recently modernized main campus. “Ladara” also houses the fifth grade and is
easily accessible by ramps from the back of main campus. The room is spacious and
decorated with famous composers, sheet music, and musical art. The band teacher is
aware of this school’s philosophy of educating the whole child and makes reference to
it several times throughout the focus interview. “Here at this school it is especially
important for the child to find what they like, their means of expression, and go for it.”
“I really believe the arts are a universal language. Making music and rhythm
has no boundaries.” In line with the historical discipline of the DBAE visual art
theory, the band teacher also believes it is essential to study our musical past. Current
units in history are linked with new songs she teaches the children to play. For
example, when 5th graders are studying American history she often teaches “Old
Susanna” or “The 1812 Overture.”
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
62
Connections are not just made to the humanities. The band teacher believes the
mysteries of the brain can be found in music. She comments that, “We also fit into the
math program. When we start talking about eighth notes and quarter notes I use what
we call a rhythm tree and we break it down. It always coincides with the factor tree in
math and so they see a direct correlation. Some students who didn’t get it in math will
get the concept in music.”
In addition to Instrumental Band this school also offers Instrumental Strings.
Instrumental Strings is offered to any third, fourth, or fifth grade student wishing to
participate. It is taught by a credentialed music specialist who spends forty-five
minutes once per week with each grade level.
Completing the four arts disciplines defined by the California Visual and
Performing Arts Frameworks (1996) are dance and theatre. Dance and theatre
experiences are integrated into classroom curriculum as well.
Students are given the opportunity to perform readers’ theatre which can
include a final performance at the school’s outdoor Greek Theatre. Artists-in-
Residence as well as classroom teachers provided instruction in this program. A
review of the School Accountability Report Card document mentions students’
dramatic performances as positively impacting the learning environment of children.
Dance instruction was supplemented by Artists-in-Residence. A professional
dancer integrated other curriculum content areas into movement instruction.
Photographs also indicate dance instruction taught during physical education. P.E.
teachers are seen dancing with students on the playground. In focus groups with
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
63
classroom teachers they comment about the success of dance units. As one teacher
said, “It was important for the children to express themselves through movement, and
in this case the movement took on the art form dance.” While a review of school
documents mention artists-in-residence, document review was unable to confirm
specific dance instruction. There were no site observations that confirmed dance
instruction as well.
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. In an effort
to describe this phenomena the following lenses were applied: leadership and the
political arena, student achievement, creativity and extended thinking, community
connections, organizational structure, human resources, and the 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 review of the School Accountability Report Card provided the researcher
with a glimpse of the leadership at the school site. Other school literature, documents,
and portfolios supported these findings. The principal at this school has been in this
position for 16 years and has over 30 years of experience in education. Other
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
64
leadership teams include: School Site Council, Parent Teacher Association,
Elementary Support Specialist, Grade Level Teams, Leadership Academy for the Arts
attendees, and Grade Level Lead Teachers.
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.
She defines her role as a problem solver. She enjoys helping people reach solutions to
organizational problems and feels a collaborative model works best when confronted
with conflict. She often talks of the confidence she has in her staff. “I have the
confidence to say to my staff, here are the issues, here is what we need to do, what are
your suggestions?” “In my role,” she says, “I believe support is so important. I do
whatever I can to support their efforts in the classroom.” She also believes that every
leader should, “walk the way you talk.”
Collaboration also extends into the larger community and is facilitated by this
principal. Evidence of partnerships with professional agencies, higher education
academic institutions, and arts groups from around the country is documented in
numerous school existing literature. Partnerships with the Ohio State University, the
University of Florida, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the National Arts Education
Consortium, and the Florida Institute for Art Education are documented.
Information gleaned from interviews reveals the principal’s role in shaping the
arts focus at this school. The principal believes, “the arts are so central and important
to student learning.” She has a vision for the arts in education here. School portfolio
reviews indicate clear goals and objectives for the arts in education. Benchmarks
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
65
three, four, and five years into the future have been established and assessments in
place to measure success. Reporting periods are also indicated and accountability
measures valued. A review of the October 20, 1998 staff meeting agenda revealed six
of the eight items to be discussed were arts related. There was also evidence of an
integrated planning calendar for the arts.
The principal also shows expertise in instructional strategies, educational
pedagogy, and curriculum within the arts. She maintains that, “there is no better
vehicle than the arts to raise the level of critical thinking of our students.” She was
integral in helping grade level teams develop the Discipline Based Art Education units
and understands well the theory behind the curriculum and instructional practices that
are considered by some to be “best practices” in the field of arts education. To hear her
talk about DBAE it is clear she has both the passion and the knowledge to claim
leadership in this field. She also sits on the cities own Arts Task Force committee and
provides leadership and builds awareness at the city level too.
The principal’s leadership within arts education has not come easy. In fact,
evidence indicates she had to show persistence when she tried to create change. There
were a number of barriers to overcome before the school was ready to have an arts
focus. First and foremost was funding for the arts. While document review indicates a
high level of funding from parent support groups, initial grant monies and start up
costs took years to obtain. “I had been looking at this [Annenberg & Getty Grant] five
years prior to being awarded the grant.” Initially the J. Paul Getty Museum wanted to
fund schools associated with the disadvantaged community. There was little, if any,
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
66
support for funding higher socio-economic communities. However, that didn’t stop the
principal. She persisted when others told her no. Often times she felt as though her
chances of obtaining the funding were slim. “We were sort of off the radar screen.”
She says. Finally, she came across a group of people who supported the idea of having
a variety of schools representing diverse regions of the country participate. Schools
eventually chosen ranged from a one-room schoolhouse in rural America to upscale
communities like this school.
The problems didn’t end when funding was secured. Comfort level among
staff started to surface early on. Most classroom teachers are not trained at the college
level to teach the arts. Some staff resisted the idea initially. Focus group interviews
with teachers, as well as an in-depth interview with the principal confirm this finding.
“I think the one thing was the comfort level among staff. The staff was a little bit
anxious some of them who didn’t feel the arts were something they felt comfortable
with.” The principal had the ability to not only be persistent, but the ability to reframe
her efforts in the change process. During the interview she noted that, “things were
going fine structurally-1 was good at that. I quickly learned however I needed to grasp
how the teachers were feeling with this change. I refocused my efforts to provide
training and coaching for the staff. It eased the comfort level.”
The Standards Based Instructional Reform movement has also created
roadblocks. Teachers are hard pressed to find time to teach the arts. While the arts do
have national and state standards, the arts are not part of the state or national
standardized tests and they do not factor into a school’s performance index. There is
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
67
no Adequate Yearly Progress measured in the arts either. The arts remained a central
focus in this school because strong arts leadership was present and persistence
displayed.
A review of school documents and focus group interviews reveal that the
principal acts as an advocate for the arts in the political arena. She is politically savvy.
This principal understands the need for supporters of the arts to continuously speak on
behalf of the arts in the core curriculum. She uses her political power to seize every
opportunity she can and make it an arts moment. Document review confirms her voice
outside the school site. She has been a featured speaker at the California Arts
Education Association Conference, at local school board meetings, within her
superintendent’s management meetings, and at various venues within her own
community. Her message is simple, “The arts are central to student learning.” Plato
once said, “I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most
importantly music, for in patterns of music and all the arts are the keys to learning.”
The principal at this school uses politics to her advantage.
Further analysis of school based documentation reveals the principal’s political
power within her own parent support groups. She has argued for increased funding
from the Parent Teacher Association year after year, and current budget reflects this
notion. Over $30,000 is budgeted for arts related expenses for the 2004-2005 school
year. That is more than a 300% increase from the previous year. PTA budget shows
approximately 20% of the 2003-2004 expenses went to arts related areas.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
68
Parent focus groups also indicate their awareness of the principal’s political
maneuvering. In fact, as one parent stated, “She leans way towards art.” During one
focus group session parents commented that they notice more arts assemblies, more
artists-in-residence, and the strong arts focus. They all agreed this was a value to them.
“I want my child to develop an appreciation for aesthetics and beauty in our world.
Creativity and expression are a value to me.”
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. It is well
documented that organizational meetings often focused around the arts during the
years of the Getty Grant. Most agenda items were related to the arts in education as
noted on a sample of meeting agendas: October 18, November 22, and January 18 of
2000.
The leader began by clearly communicating this identity to her own 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
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
69
board meetings, community rallies, arts conferences, arts in education symposiums,
district wide leadership meetings, and city council meetings. There were even site
visitations to showcase this identity. National consortiums from a myriad of
organizations were on hand to revel in this identity. Her ability to effectively
communicate this story and identity is a key finding in this case study.
It was this principal’s ability to identify the key stakeholders within the
organization and the outside environment that has made her successful. She
understands well that resources are limited. She silently watched the power players,
and then became one herself. Now, instead of the environment influencing her
organization, she began to influence the outside environment. She quickly realized
how important the parents were as invested stakeholders. Even though the
characteristics of this community would categorize it as affluent didn’t make it an easy
sell for integrated arts instruction. She had to educate the parent community. Other
schools within the district, with virtually the exact same demographics and
characteristics did not have nor still don’t have an integrated arts curriculum. Evidence
of this can be seen in numerous documents: letters to parents, The Gator Times, Parent
Survey questions and results, Annual School Report, Board Meeting Quick Reports,
Learning Time (a document from the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and
Instruction which highlights programs from schools within the district), school board
presentations, and more. She made this happen by telling the story of the arts and their
impact on student learning.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
70
She continued to rally for support from various political stakeholders. She
understood the need to get the superintendent behind her efforts and this happened
very early on in the process. A note from the Superintendent to the principal states,
“You and your staff should be so proud of your DBAE program and especially the
alignment with the state and local standards. Your efforts continue to pay big
dividends to your students and community.” She got higher education stakeholders
behind her, arguing for a diverse cross section of schools in the challenge, not just the
disadvantaged community. It was these combined efforts that made her politically
savvy.
Student Achievement. Creativity. & Extended Thinking
Student achievement at this school is high and it continues to show growth. In
2000 the school’s Academic Performance Index (growth) was 908 out of a possible
1000. This placed the school as one of the top performing schools in the state of
California. In 2001 student achievement was again on the rise. Results of the state’s
Academic Performance Index (growth) measured 906, an increase of eight points from
the API base data. In 2003 the API (growth) shot up an additional 40 points leaving
the school’s API (growth) score at 945. During all three years of testing and data the
school ranked 10 out of 10 statewide.
Not only are students showing results on standardized testing, but review of
student work and classroom observations reveal more of the stoiy. At this school, the
arts are providing opportunities for students to understand themselves. During one of
the units of DBAE student work revealed studying two important concepts: a universal
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
71
theme and an enduring idea. The universal theme focused on art as a way to explore
the possibilities of human imagination and the enduring idea stated that artists often
make the strange familiar and the familiar strange. Kindergarten students commented,
“without art in the world there would not be a lot of different colors.”
“The painting made me feel like flowers and roses and I felt happy inside.”
“With art I can express myself with pictures and not just with words.”
Teachers even commented on their teaching. “I find myself asking the kids
more in-depth questions in all subject areas because I am used to this in art.”
Further analysis of student work and researcher observations yielded more examples
of this finding. One particular art unit focused content on the idea that man’s desire for
independence results in a struggle for power. Upon examining the artwork The Boston
Massacre students were asked what art means in its own time and culture. The art
criticism component asked students to reflect and make connections to their own life.
Student work showcased political cartoons in today’s era, with themselves as the
primary subject for the artwork. They were also asked to analyze the mood, and some
responses included words like: fearful, unsafe, panic, and tension.
The integration of music and the visual arts also lended itself nicely to the
finding that the arts help students understand themselves. Fifth grade students were
asked to listen to a piece of jazz music and write down what they would create to
express how the music made them feel. Then, students viewed some of Romare
Bearden’s work and discussed how he made collages. A discussion was held regarding
Bearden’s use of poetry in his work. Students then selected two lines from six
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
72
different Langston Hughes’ poems to create a new poem. These new poems were used
as a basis for their collage: an artwork that expressed how they interpreted the jazz
music and their feelings.
The arts provide motivation to learn in other academic disciplines. 5th grade
student Josh comments, “Optical Art is mainly consistent of math. I formed my Op
Art by using math. I started forming geometrical shapes randomly on my page. I then
used intersecting lines. Even though critics don’t consider it art, I created it which
makes it art. I also think something can be considered art even if the creator didn’t
intend for it to be art... it can still be loved by many people. I am looking forward to a
project similar to this in the future.”
Second grade students in a language arts lesson were responsible for the
California state standards of: analyzing characterization and exploring the concept of
community. While learning these content standards students were also asked (lesson
objective) to write about the individual’s role in the celebration depicted in the
artwork. The teacher used the artwork Village Feast by Miguel Vivancos to teach the
content standards in language arts. Students viewed the artwork and then were asked
to respond to the following question: Imagine you could step into the artwork and take
the place of one person in this celebration, who would you be? Describe in writing
who you are; what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch; your role in planning for the
feast.
After the writing was complete students integrated technology and
superimposed their facial image into the artwork over the face of the person they
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
73
chose. Students were also asked to expand their understanding of community
celebrations by making their own collage of celebrations. Student art featured
celebrations such as: wedding photos, parades, birthday parties, holiday pictures, and
school assembly pictures.
Another example of this came in third grade. Third grade students were
studying the battle of Little Bighorn. The DBAE unit focused on the enduring idea that
cultural conflict shapes the future. The California State Standard for History/Social
Science stated that students will understand how order and chaos contribute to cultural
conflicts. Teacher lesson plans documented the student learning goals: (1) order can be
natural or imposed and (2) order comes out of chaos. Chaos comes out of order.
Learning goals were also identified in art: (1) art making is a way to document history
and (2) artwork can have personal and social value.
Students were asked to increase their critical thinking skills by analyzing the
painting Battle o f Little Bighorn. The teacher activated students’ prior knowledge by
asking students to organize themselves into a single file line from the first birthday of
the year (January) to the last. No additional instructions were given. The teacher then
facilitated a debriefing meeting. She discussed how the group organized, who the
leader was, was there a time of chaos, and how did order come. This was followed by
a quick write that used key vocabulary: imposed order, natural order, chaos, and
leader.
The teacher then facilitated a discussion with students using the master work of
art. She asked students to think about order and chaos and state specific examples
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
74
from the painting. She asked students to give answers from multiple perspectives and
then asked them how different time periods in the history they’ve studied might view
those answers differently. Students were motivated and engaged.
To apply the content standard, enduring idea, and the art learning goal the
teacher had students produce their own original art. Each student was given a piece of
construction paper and asked to make two collages from magazine pictures. One side
of the art represented natural order and the other imposed order. At the conclusion the
teacher brought the lesson full circle and asked the students to summarize the content
standard through peer dialogue about the student created original artwork.
The arts shape student experiences. Students at this school were observed
participating in instrumental music (strings and band), dancing and studying
movement on the blacktop with their physical education teachers, attending cultural
and artistic assemblies, and visiting off campus sites like museums and local galleries.
Students were actively engaged in art production through a myriad of visual arts
experiences provided at this school. Students participated in Winter Sing and other arts
flared performances and ceremonies including reader’s theatre experiences.
Teachers, parents, and administrators report that the arts teach students to think
creatively. Students report varied levels of creative thinking. Croply (2001) states that
creative thinking is, “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.” In a document review of the Transforming Education Through the
Arts Challenge portfolio teachers reported students’ ability to use higher order
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
75
thinking skills, specifically: analysis, synthesis, and evaluation in their art production.
This ability, they say, helped produce original works of art they had not seen from past
students before the DBAE philosophy was used. They describe these works of art as
unique, interesting, original, and highly creative. Even the music specialist commented
on how the arts have taught creative thinking skills by saying, “I believe music
stimulates other parts of the brain.” The principal commented on how the arts here
have taught critical thinking, which in turn increased their ability to think creatively.
Parents agree. In focus group sessions, they commented on the value they
place on creative expression and creative thinking. “Creativity is a value to me.” One
parent says. Another parent responds, “I’m a huge believer that the arts teach a person
to think, and sometimes think creatively.”
While focus group interviews show strong evidence that the arts do in fact
contribute to creative thinking, the researcher was unable to empirically confirm these
findings. Student work certainly provided another means of evidence, however it is
rather subjective whether or not the product departs from the familiar.
Community Connections
The school collaborates and cultivates partnerships with local, state, and
national agencies. At the local level, this school has formed partnerships with artists,
who serve as volunteer docents and presenters. Arts Manhattan- a local organization
aimed at promoting the arts within the community, also assists the school. The City of
Manhattan Beach even has Youth Arts Month, a month of celebration of the making of
dance, drama, music, and the visual arts by the children of the city. The school district-
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
76
which provides support specialists, funding and other resources also assists the school.
District wide arts performances are scheduled throughout the year and include all
schools in the district. Various businesses, universities, and galleries have formed
partnerships with the school too. Loyola Marymount University hosts A Festival of
Shared Works in which Manhattan Beach children participate.
The J. Paul Getty Museum and the Music Center of Los Angeles are also
partners with this school. The Getty has provided both financial support and arts
related resources including mentorship opportunities. Teachers come together in small
groups at the Getty to advance thinking about their own goals and strategies for
classroom teaching. The Getty program supports the national and California state
content standards for grades K-12.
The Music Center is one of the largest arts education providers in the United
States, and the Education Division has been a leader in school-based arts education.
Few organizations nationally offer the breath and depth of arts education programs
that the MCED provides. Its resources include a roster of over 100 professional artists
and ensembles in the performing and visual arts and who reflect the community's
cultural diversity. These Artists-in-Residence often perform at this school.
At the state level, this school has partnered with the California Consortium for
Arts Education. This consortium provides staff development for k-12 schools in
disciplined based art education. In the Spring-Summer 1999 edition of the
consortium’s newsletter, the issue focused on DBAE’s link to whole school reform.
Featured in its issue was this school. The school also participated in the Southern
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
77
California Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts, a workshop sponsored by both
the Getty Education Institute and the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
At the heart of this school’s national partnerships lies the Transforming
Education Through the Arts Challenge, a cross country connection with 34 other
schools, regional arts centers, and several universities. This five year partnership
provided over $35 million dollars in funding to partnering institutions. Training,
curriculum, on-going mentoring, site validation visits, and continuous evaluation and
assessment were all apart of this partnership.
Organizational Structure
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 an aesthetically rich, child-centered environment. Job roles are established and
stem from the goals and mission outward. Organizational charts reflect members’
responsibilities, and often include arts leadership teams. Support Teams appear on
complex management systems flow charts. Categorized alongside Technology,
Special Needs, Paraprofessional, and Remedial assistance is Arts Leadership.
Coordination and control of efforts in support of the goals and mission of the
school is organized and facilitated 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 instruction. Grade Level teams are formed around the age of
students. Evidence is strong that teams meet regularly to discuss the arts. Grade Level
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
78
Teams have a designated Arts Partner Grade Level Lead Teacher with outlined and
clearly defined responsibilities. Responsibilities include: recording data and meeting
minutes, attending arts leadership meetings, choosing grade level units, collecting and
organizing work samples, and coordination of responsibilities with Site Coordinator.
Document review and focus group interviews provided support for this finding.
Examples were numerous of dated meeting minutes, agendas, and 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. Often, Lead Arts Teachers will
guide grade level discussions about enduing ideas, key concepts and arts integration.
Support specialists in the arts provide additional assistance to the organizational
structure. Division of labor was well established. While review of past documents
supported this finding, recent budget cuts forced elimination of the visual arts support
specialist for the current school year. Researcher was unable to observe this support.
As well, the Lead Arts Teacher was an establishment of the Getty Grant, researcher
was unable to observe this structure in place during the current school year.
Some Grade Level Teams indicated they like to change off and teach different
subjects during each tri-semester. This showed a continued comfort level with
teaching the arts. New teachers on staff are requesting additional training in DBAE
and stepping up to be Grade Level Leads. The principal indicated she no longer has to
push and motivate-the arts are appreciated and seen as a necessary, natural part of
instruction. Evidence supports the finding that a systemic change occurred through the
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
79
Getty Grant process and shows how the components of strong teamwork and grade
level team collaboration have kept the program going as this staff has grown and
changed.
Evidence also 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. Disciplined Based Art Education units
are created by teacher teams and integrated into the humanities. A consistent and
sequential approach, with concepts and skills progressing as children develop is noted.
Teachers have created timelines for developing these units and more evidence is
documented of teacher reflection after the unit was created. Reflections center around
curriculum pacing, integration, instruction and assessment.
Assessment has taken on many forms at this school. A Program Quality
Review, School Improvement Plan, and the Transforming Education Through the Arts
Challenge all had major components of the arts.
At times there was restructuring as a remedy to performance gaps. Each year
the California Consortium leaders would re-evaluate the program and take it to a
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
80
higher level of sophistication. Each summer's training served to refine and develop
what had gone before. For example, early training in DBAE had the teacher taking
more of a directive role. Later renditions of DBAE really emphasized the importance
of students interacting and personally engaging in the work of art from the beginning-
taking it in as a whole and reflecting. More critical thinking and analysis served as the
basis for refinement of key questions to ask and stimulate discussion. By the end of
the program DBAE strategies grew as a result of the input of all the schools in the
consortium. The principal claims the restructuring was a “living process.”
Structurally, it was not difficult collecting documents from this school. 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, and Gator
Badge. The School Accountability Report Card, School Improvement Plan, Arts
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
Professional training within the arts is highly valued. A review of the School
Accountability Report Card shows an entire 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.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
81
Expanding on the idea of professional development the BRAVO Award
application outlined the Disciplined Based Art Education training that all teachers
received. It also mentioned that Young At Art volunteer docents also received this
training. A review of the Transforming Education Through the Arts Challenge
portfolio yielded even more evidence of professional training within the arts. School
administrators, site coordinators, and teachers attended the National Art Education
Consortium Institute. This institute provided training in arts education instructional
strategies. Furthermore, this portfolio specified other professional development
opportunities for teachers. Evidence indicates teachers attended during the course of
one academic year: a Summer Institute for Arts Education (5 days), Summer
Leadership Academy for the Arts (3 days), Summer Art Institute (10 days), two full
day district training sessions within the arts, and three half day district training
sessions within the arts. Not all teachers attended each of the above trainings,
however, all teachers had access to fully funded professional development within the
arts.
Further review of this document listed several other opportunities for training.
The Getty sponsors mentors within the arts to make onsite observations. This school
took advantage of this and Getty scholars made visits to classrooms and met with
school leadership teams. In a memo dated March 23,2000 the mentor commented, “I
really enjoyed your revised unit which puts stronger focus on the enduring idea of
change. I am faxing comments, suggestions, additions, etc. to you.” The school also
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
82
participated in the Art Institute Renewal sessions and had collaboration with National
Arts Partner Schools.
Focus group interviews 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 everyway.” Another
teacher talked about her first year at this school and how much support she received
for learning how to teach the arts. She talked about the “buzz” that is created on this
campus about the arts, specifically DBAE. “I had no idea what it was, but everyone
was doing it, it was like the thing to do” She went on to say that she was given the
opportunity to learn about it and then to teach using it as a philosophical model for
instruction. “During schooling [university] they don’t focus on the arts.”
The principal also confirmed training within the arts. She indicated that the
teachers were at first “anxious” about teaching the arts. She said the comfort level of
the teachers was an issue in the beginning. She quickly realized how important on
going support and training would in implementation success. One of the key
ingredients to the arts challenge grant the school received was the training aspect of
the program. Now that grant funding has ended the principal continues to support new
teachers with training and finds “every means necessary” to pay for it.
Observation of classroom instruction confirms teachers have been trained on
how to teach the arts. In one observation the researcher noted the instructional
strategies the teacher was using. Her lesson began by following the conceptual map
provided by the Discipline Based Art Education model. At the center of her teaching
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
83
was the master work of art. “Who can tell me what artist painted this?” Her
questioning technique followed with questions like: What colors do you see?; Where
might one see this image?; Why did the artist chose to include this?; What was
happening in America at this time? Clearly this technique is a learned approach to
instruction within the arts.
This school functions as a community of learners and values collaboration.
Evidence of teacher collaboration was strong. After the initial Disciplined Based Art
Education training grade level teams collaborated and created units of instruction
within the arts and integrated into core academic disciplines. Teachers created the
scope and sequence of curriculum and instruction around master works of art and
California state content standards. Finished 3 ring binders of these units, at each grade
level, provided the first documentation of collaboration.
Upon examining the Transforming Education Through the Arts Challenge
portfolios the researcher was able to delve even further into these collaboration
models. The portfolio revealed numerous reflections written by the teachers both
about the instructional unit and about their feelings toward this endeavor. It is clear
teachers put an extensive amount of time into these units and reflections indicate this.
All teachers commented on the final product and indicated the high level of excellence
which they felt had been created.
Evidence also indicates teachers met regularly to collaborate on and review
student work. In posed questions, photographs reveal teachers gathered around a table
discussing student work: What evidence do we have that all students are using written
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
84
language to respond to works of art though one or more art disciplines?; What
evidence do we have that all students recognize and use the conventions of written
language as appropriate to grade level standards? Teachers were asked to bring three
samples of student work that combine writing and art and represent the above
questions.
Researcher observations found the above findings to be accurate. Observations
of classroom instruction and physical setting indicated teachers were using the units
they had collaborated on and student work reflected the arts integrated curriculum.
Most classrooms had evidence of master works of art, student created art, and
reflection and inquiry based upon these works.
Review of agenda meetings and notes indicate more teacher collaboration.
Teachers collaborated on key questions regarding the direction of the school. In an
agenda dated November 23,1999 teachers were asked to consider: goals, technology
assessment, options for spending staff development money within the arts, curriculum
units and instruction. In subsequent focus group interviews the teachers commented on
how important they feel. Many teachers felt listened to by the principal. They really
felt she listened to their concerns and ideas and that this impacted what went on at the
school. The principal also commented on this and stated she has “lots of confidence in
her staff.” She sees her role as a problem solver and collaborator. This was a driving
force behind teacher motivation and their desire to work the longer hours necessary to
implement the arts the “correct way” as they see it.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
85
Symbolic Frame
School facilities reflect a deep appreciation for the arts. In fact, so much so that
local media have written several stories about it. In an August 30,2001 Beach
Reporter article, “State of the Art Grand View Opens for a New School Year” it gave
an historical account of the long tradition and sacred past of this art deco style school.
Famed designers, Plummer, Wurdeman, & Becket (who designed the Music Center of
Los Angeles) created the original design of this school. A symbolic display case
recaptures historic Grand View School and includes such artifacts as: vintage black
and white photos of the school and city, art deco society post cards, school
modernization plans and blueprints, a sign that reads: “A Tradition of Excellence
1939-2001,” the original pencil sketch of the architectural design of the school (1939),
vintage report cards from 1946, rare books and children’s literature, and several art
books including The Minneapolis Institute of Art and Art Deco Architecture.
A walk around campus proved even more stunning. The arts provided aesthetic
beauty to the school facility. Observation by the researcher noted arts symbolism
permeating throughout the school and its facilities. A children’s organic garden graced
the center of the school. Termed “The Getty Garden” by many, this hand crafted and
stunning design plays well as a smaller size reflection of the Getty’s botanical garden.
Stone contemplation benches are placed throughout the garden and continue around
the campus. These benches serve as both an aesthetic focal point and reflection space
for students and adults alike. Large art deco, mosaic style planters are place at the
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
86
entrance of every classroom on campus. Often, these planters are filled with beautiful
floral or greenery.
As die campus walk continued the researcher observed, in use, an outdoor
theatre rivaling those of the Greeks at the back of the school. The theatre is embedded
against a small hill and leads down to center stage. Center stage functions as both the
center stage for the outdoor theatre and the stage for the indoor theatre in the MPR.
Art of the masters hang throughout campus. Children’s art is often modeled after these
professional works. “Inspired by Picasso” was one third grade exhibit hanging in the
hallway. This exhibit lead into the second grade visual art exhibit titled, ‘Texture.”
The library also reflected this arts symbolism. World class museum prints from such
places as: Guggenheim, Norton Simon, Getty, and New York’s Museum of Modem
Art graced the walls. Display books in the library often centered around the arts as
well.
Outside the school facility proudly boasted several large murals. These murals
reflected both aesthetics and school pride. One mural titled, “Gator Olympics” showed
off sports figures and the school mascot. Other murals included a California landscape
and character counts. Tiled art also added visually to the campus atmosphere.
“Growing up at Grand View” was a student created tiled exhibit permanently
displayed.
A review of the documents confirms these observations. The Parent Teacher
Association budget for the 2004-2005 school year shows a whopping $17,100 for
campus beautification and an additional $300.00 for the “Getty Garden.” Furthermore,
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
87
20% of this organization’s budget is earmarked for arts related expenses. The BRAVO
Award application also mentions the aesthetic nature of the school. It describes the
campus and facilities and confirms observations made by the researcher.
A review of the School Accountability Report Card yielded continuing support
of the above findings. On page one of this report is a picture of the school facility,
which boasts its glorious art deco renovation and 1939 originality. Page two begins
immediately in support of their deep appreciation for the arts. “The Grand View
School community fosters an aesthetically rich, child-centered environment. The open,
well-maintained campus has large grass areas, flower gardens, a Children’s Organic
Garden, colorful murals, and galleries of student work.”
Focus group interviews revealed much the same findings. In interview with an
arts specialist, who travels to every school in the district, she commented, “I see more
arts displayed here than the other schools. I think the kids are constantly aware of it
and reminded of it and therefore more appreciative of it here.”
In a different parent focus group several parents commented that it was a value
to them that their children understood aesthetics and the beauty in the world. They
placed a high value on learning to appreciate the aesthetics of the world and felt it
began by creating that environment at school, a place where their children would come
and spend countless hours.
In an interview with the Elementary Support Specialist at the time of school
modernization, she commented on how much effort the principal put forth. “She was
focused on creating an arts centered environment for students and her attention to
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
88
detail left no comer unturned. She was the driving force behind the art deco style
renovation. She had an arts centered vision and stuck to it.”
The school principal again commented, “The arts are so central and important,
I think, to learning.”
Ceremonies and rituals within the arts provided educational opportunities,
entertainment, and meaning for this community of learners. A review school
documents noted that annually children participate in Winter Sing, a performance
which generates a huge audience. Observations by the researcher confirmed this
finding. The students sang a number of different songs to a packed house in the MPR.
Parents were elated and smiling from ear to ear. This ceremony 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, was a night
where parents came to the school, walked around and enjoyed the various art displays,
and listened to the teacher talk about the upcoming year. Most teachers spent a large
portion of their talk time on the philosophy of Disciplined Based Art Education. At the
end of every school year parents enjoyed Open House. This yearly ritual showcased
the work of students in all subjects and highlighted the work within the arts. Document
review and focus group interviews confirmed all three of these ceremonies and rituals.
In fact, evidence shows strong support for new players within the organization
learning very quickly about these rituals and ceremonies. There is staff development
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
89
and training for the philosophical approach to teaching the arts and veteran teachers
seem to convey the strong importance of the arts very early.
These symbolic activities seem to mesh well with the stated core values of this
organization. The leadership, both formal and informal, often tell the story of the arts
to various constituents. There seems to be strong metaphors for the telling of these
stories as well. Comparisons to the great works of art, descriptions of the Getty
Museum, and historical reminding of what once was with a clear vision of what can be
all through the arts permeate this culture.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
90
CHAPTER 5
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
The literature review of the arts in education left the researcher to ponder
whether the arts in education could stake claim in cognitive development, creativity,
and student achievement. It also left the researcher wondering whether the arts could
impact the culture of the school and whether well documented descriptions of these
organizations could be produced. Conclusions from this case study have been well
documented throughout the findings presented in chapter four. The significance of
these findings has broader implications for school administrative leaders, researchers,
and policy makers in education.
School leaders wanting to develop a systematic model of arts integrated
instruction should begin with examination of leadership. This leader had the ability to
see a holistic picture of her school and saw situations from multiple vantage points.
Her leadership within the arts was a central component to the success of this school
and its implementation of the arts in education. Key findings indicate that this leader
displayed very specific traits which contributed to the implementation of the arts as a
core part of the curriculum. The following are presented as salient themes from the
research findings:
(1) The leader had a vision for her arts in education program.
(2) The leader showed expertise in instructional strategies, educational
pedagogy, and curriculum within the arts.
(3) This leader showed persistence when she tried to create change.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
91
(4) She was politically savvy. She became and advocate for the arts in the
political arena.
(5) She had the ability to convey a story based upon identity 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. She herself was an expert in the field. This
expertise was conveyed to the community through multiple presentations and key note
speeches at major state and national conferences. It was often covered in the local
media. These speeches and media coverage also impacted her skill in the political
arena. She was able to build solid coalitions and networks, which gave her the power
to call upon allies in times of need.
The literature review suggested that “modem” theories of organizational
culture need to focus on the basic assumptions that human behavior impacts decisions.
It is these behaviors, beliefs, and values of members of the organization that are
thought to have an influence in the organizational environment- which in essence
produces organizational culture. To describe culture as a phenomena the literature
review yielded several concepts with which researchers should observe. Schein’s
(1993) list of nine concepts appeared regularly throughout the findings of this case
study. Group norms, values, formal philosophy, rules of the game, climate, embedded
skills, modes of thinking, shared meanings, and metaphors and symbols centered on
the Disciplined Based Arts Education approach at this school. School leaders wanting
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
92
to impact the culture of a school through their arts in education programs should
examine the findings from this case study. They reflect Schein’s (1993) list.
School culture was also characterized, in this case, by community connections (values
& shared meanings). This school focused their efforts on a number of outside
agencies. They often rallied for support, both politically and financially, from a
number of different community stakeholders.
(1) This school collaborated and cultivated partnerships with local agencies.
(2) This school collaborated and cultivated partnerships with state and national
agencies.
Organizational structure had in its focus the arts in education (modes of thinking,
formal philosophy, group norms).
(1) The school had a sequential curriculum for the visual arts, music, theatre,
and dance.
(2) Grade level teams met regularly to integrate the arts across academic
disciplines.
(3) There was accountability and ongoing assessment within the arts.
The arts in education also impacted human resources within this organization (values,
group norms, embedded skills, shared meanings):
(1) Professional training within the arts was highly valued.
(2) The school functioned as a community of learners and valued
collaboration.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
93
Symbols were pervasive in the culture of this school (metaphors & symbols, climate,
values, shared meanings).
(1) Ceremonies and rituals within the arts provided educational opportunities
and entertainment for the student body, parents, teachers, and community
members.
(2) School facilities reflected a deep appreciation for the arts.
Other experts like Geertz (1973) argued that culture should be seen as control
devices for governing behavior. He suggested that the plans, recipes, rules and
instructions for daily routines of members of an organization will create the culture of
a workplace. In the case of this school the arts in education were again pervasive
control devises for behavior norms. The organizational structure produced regular
grade level team meetings which guided the daily routines of classroom instruction.
The arts were documented to be at the heart of team meetings. There was a constant
focus on assessment and accountability within the arts. This assessment could be
characterized as the “plans and recipes” for guiding “the way things were done” in the
classroom and on campus.
The literature review also suggested that a pattern of knowledge, a defined skill
set, and material artifacts produced by a group help to define culture. In this case, the
findings indicate that a strong desire to train teachers on the philosophical model of
Disciplined Based Art Education produced in members of this organization a common
set of instructional skills and a body of shared knowledge within the arts that was not
present at similar schools within the district. This skill set was markedly different
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
94
from skills sets of other teachers, at similar skills, within this district. Material artifacts
reflected of the arts in education were also abundant throughout this school. The silent
symbols of the arts (material artifacts) were seen throughout the campus as well as
within the architectural design of the facility.
Pervasive throughout this organization was a specialized language that the
group members developed and it centered on the arts. Key words, phrases and
metaphors unique to the arts helped tell the story of this school. Even parents began
using this specialized language (DBAE) in conversations with the researcher. This
language went beyond the symbolism of the arts at this school. It was evident in the
political arena- at school site council meetings, Parent Teacher Organization meetings,
board of education meetings, and within the larger community. This language was a
part of grade level meetings and teacher trainings (DBAE) and structurally at full
faculty meetings. This specialized language shaped this school’s culture- and it was
centered on the arts. Common language binds groups together, helps form a shared
identity, and distinguishes insiders from outsiders.
Findings from this study also indicate that student achievement, creativity, and
extended thinking also impacted the culture of this school (group norms, climate,
embedded skills, modes of thinking, shared meanings). The following have been
identified as salient themes pervasive in the Chapter Four findings:
(1) The arts provided opportunity for students to understand self.
(2) Teachers, principal, and parents reported that the arts taught creative
thinking.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
95
(3) The arts shaped student experiences.
(4) The arts provided student motivation to learn in other academic disciplines.
(5) Student achievement in mathematics and reading was high.
“The arts became integral in defining school culture.”
During the last year we have seen a call from a number of different sources
that America needs to rebuild our creative infrastructure. As recently as the October
2004 issue of the Harvard Business Review, Richard Florida captured our attention
when his article, “America’s Looming Creativity Crisis” gave a frightful global
i L
perspective of America’s creative class. The United States ranked 11 in the world in
the Global Creative-Class Index, with roughly 23% of our workers in the creative
field. Florida laid out his challenge for America, and included more funding for the
arts and culture. He also indicated that, “Education reform must, at its core, make
schools into places that cultivate creativity.” Shortly after the Harvard Business
Review published Florida’s challenge, Strategy + Business magazine dedicated their
entire Fall 2004 issue to creative minds and featured 10 of the world’s top business
innovators which spoke on: leadership, technology, culture, and organizations.
The literature review hinted that the arts in education produced more capable
creative thinkers. Findings from this case study however could not document whether
or not the arts contributed to the creative thinking skills of this school’s students.
Teachers, parents, and the principal all pointed out that they thought the arts at this
school taught their children to be better critical and creative thinkers. The research
methodology for this study did not seek to answer that question and thus, this finding
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
96
remains inconclusive. However, this is worthy of mention within this study. This point
should continue discussion on the arts’ impact on creative thinking.
The University of Southern California followed the release of the above two
publications with UrbanEd, a magazine of the Rossier School of Education. Their
Fall/Winter 2004-2005 issue focused on learning, and discussed issues central to
motivation, culture, and instruction. In two separate articles, Professors Richard Clark
and Robert Rueda framed their argument for studying both individual and
organizational culture as a catalyst to understanding learning. Dr. Rueda maintained
that researchers must consider key questions when thinking about cultural models and
settings for organizations: What are the typical and characteristic activity settings in
this organization? How are they structured? What are the cultural models that
characterize this organization?
Findings from this case study form the basis of a strong argument for a bridge
between the challenge to rebuild America’s creative infrastructure, organizational
culture, the arts, learning and the mind. At the most abstract of thought, the human
mind is capable of a stream of consciousness of which we have hardly even broken the
surface. Cognitive neuroscientists will tell you that the brain is capable of trillions of
neuron connections; possibilities of limitless memory storing devices that shape the
reality in which our mind operates. Creating an atmosphere (culture) where optimum
teaching and learning can take place is the goal of teachers, educational leaders, and
policy makers.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
97
Significance of the Study
Students educated without access to the arts in education may lack aesthetic
understanding. This case study provided an in-depth description of the organizational
culture of this school. Common characteristics and salient themes have been reported
to assist other schools wishing to provide aesthetic understanding as part of a student’s
education. This case study told the story of the arts in education and the culture of the
school. Collaboration on common themes will continue with the other case study
currently being conducted in northern California. This new knowledge will be shared
through scholarly talks and potential publications with both the academic community
and the educational community.
Recommendations for Practitioners
The relationship among school programs and policies and the 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 the arts in
education are to be implemented successfully value needs to be placed on professional
development. A major commitment, both financially and structurally, must also be
considered. Leadership within the arts also requires being politically savvy. Resources
for the arts in education are often limited and scarce. It is because of this that
leadership requires a continuous effort to educate the school community about the
value of the arts and highlight the aesthetic beauty the arts provide to the school
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
98
facility. The ability to tell this story to larger audiences also resulted in
implementation success, financial backing and strong community support.
A sound philosophical model for instruction within the arts also contributed to
program success. At the onset comfort level among teachers seemed to indicate a
small level of anxiety. However, with proper staff development and a strong model for
instruction teachers really bought into this philosophy. The Disciplined Based Arts
Education model not only gave teachers the theory behind the instruction but “best
practice” instructional strategies to implement into their lesson design.
Grade Level Teams also met on a regular basis to discuss the arts in education.
Central to their discussions was not only lesson design but arts assessment. This
dialogue and reflection kept the arts central to student learning and “the way they did
things” at this school. This was a critical component at the beginning of
implementation. Setting up this structure and being persistent kept the arts in focus.
Recommendations for Future Research
Elliot Eisner has challenged the academic community to produce innovative
research designs which will seek to yield original results and new theories linked to
the arts’ impact on students. To meet this challenge higher education must be open to
the debate for ideas and concepts not thought to be the traditional method of inquiry.
In doing so, we will pave the way for future funded research projects that aim to show
what passionate arts educators have known for quite some time: that the arts do in fact
contribute on many different levels to child development, aesthetic beauty, the human
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
99
mind, the quality of life, and in this case the culture of an organization. We must set
ourselves free from the notion that all academic research must first have its roots in the
sciences. In fact, trying to isolate different variables present within the arts may be the
wrong way to look at the phenomena in existence. For years those concerned with the
arts in education have struggled feverously to try and conclude that increased student
achievement was a direct result of nothing but a strong arts program. These research
designs have not withstood academic rigor because scholars have tried to narrow the
treatment on the control group to just one form of the arts. We may have missed the
point.
Further studies involving more schools that have successfully implemented the
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 the 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 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.
When the arts in education are present the culture of the organization “feels”
different. America’s children deserve this. They deserve a chance to compete globally
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
100
in the 21st century. “Creativity will become the currency of the 21s t century.” The arts
are apart of defining quality of life and belong in American schools.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
101
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Adler, P. A. & Adler, P. (1994). Observational techniques. In N.K. Denzin & Y.S.
Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Altheide, D.L., & Johnson, J.M. (1994). Criteria for assessing interpretive validity in
qualitative research. In Denzin & Y.S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative
research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Baker, T. (2002). “Reflections on the Visual Arts Education Studies,” in Deasy, R.
Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and
SocialDevelopment. Washington, D.C.: Arts Education Partnership.
Barley, S.R., Meyer, G.W., & Gash, D. (1998). “Cultures of Culture: Academics,
Practitioners, and the Pragmatics of Normative Control.” Administrative
Science Quarterly, 33: 24-60.
Broudy, H.S. (1987). The role o f imagery in learning. Los Angeles, CA: The Getty
Center for Education in the Arts.
Chapman, L.H. (1982). Instant art, instant culture: The unspoken policy for American
schools. New York: Teacher’s College Press.
Clark, R. (2004). “Good and Bad News about Learning, Motivation, Culture, and
Instruction.” UrbanEd, 4 (2): 16-19.
Colling, R. (2004). Random Z)eVg«er.Bourbonnais, IL: Greenwood Press.
Eisner, E. (1988). The role of disciplined-based art education in America's schools.
Los Angeles, CA: J. Paul Getty Trust.
Eisner, E. (1994). Cognition and curriculum reconsidered (2n d ed.). New York:
Teacher’s College Press.
Eisner, E. (1998). The Kinds o f Schools We Need.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Fink, R. (1976). “Role of Imaginative Play in Cognitive
Development” Psychological Reports, 39: 895-906.
Florida, R. (2004). “America’s Looming Creativity Crisis”
Harvard Business Review, 82 (10): 122-136.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
102
Fowler, C. (1996). Strong Arts, Strong Schools: ThePromising Potential and
Shortsighted Disregard o f the Arts in American Schooling. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Gall, M.D., Gall, J.P., & Borg, W.R. (2003). Educational research an introduction.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames o f Mind: The Theory o f Multiple Intelligence. New
York: Basic Books.
Gardner, H. (1994). The Arts and Human Development. New York: Basic Books.
Geertz, C. (1973). The Interpretation o f cultures. New York: Basic Books.
Gombrich, E. (1972). The Story o f Art. Oxford: Phaidon Press.
Hetland, L. (2000). “Listening to Music Enhances Spatial Temporal Reasoning:
Evidence for the Mozart Effect.” The Journal o f Aesthetic Education, 34:
105-148.
Hickman, R. (2000). Art Education 11-18. London: Continuum.
Kleiner, A. (2004). “The Philosopher of Progress and Prosperity.”
Strategy + Business, 86-99.
Kluckhohn, C. (1968). “Queer Customs.” In J.H. Chilcott, N.C. Greenberg, & H.B.
Wilson (Eds.) Readings in the socio-cultural foundations o f education. 29-38.
Belmont, IL: Wadsworth.
Leeds, J. (1989). “The History of Attitudes Towards Children’s Art,” Art Education,
30 (2): 93-103.
Martin, J. (1991). “A Personal Journey: From Integration to Differentiation to
Fragmentation to Feminism.” In Frost and others (eds.), Reframing
Organizational Culture. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Murfee, E. (1995). “Eloquent Evidence: Arts at the Core of Learning.” In President’s
Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Washington, D.C.
Moga, E., Burger, K., Hetland, L. & Winner, E. (2000). “Does Studying the Arts
Engender Creative Thinking? Evidence for Near but Not Far Transfer.”
Journal o f Aesthetic Education, 34: 91-103.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
103
O’Connor, F.Y. (1972). The New Deal art projects: An anthology o f memoirs.
Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institute Press.
Ott, J.S. (1989). The Organizational culture perspective.Belmont, CA: Dorsey Press.
Pai, Y. & Adler, S. (2001). Cultural foundations of education. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Prentice-Hall, inc.
Rauscher, F. & Shaw, G. (1993). Music and spatial task performance.
Nature, 365:611.
Rueda, R. (2004). “An Urban Education View of Culture and Learning.”
UrbanEd, 4 (2): 20-22.
Schein, E.H. (1983). “The Role of the Founder in Creating Organizational Culture.”
Organizational Dynamics, 13-28.
Schein, E.H, (1990). Innovative Cultures and Adaptive Organizations.”
Sri Lanka Journal o f Development Administration, 7 (2), 9-39.
Shaffitz, J.M. & Ott, J.S. (1996). Classics of organization theory (4th Eds.). Fort
Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Siegesmund, R. (1998). “Why Do We Teach Art Today?” National Art Education
Association, 39(3): 197-214.
Taylor, F.W. (1916). The principles of scientific Management. In J.M. Shafritz & J.S.
Ott (Eds.). Classics of organization theory (4th Eds.). Fort Worth: Harcourt
Brace College Publishers.
Vaughn, K. & Winner, E. (2000). “SAT Scores of Students Who Study the Arts: What
We Can and Cannot Conclude about the Association.” Journal o f Aesthetic
Education, 34: 77-89.
Walla, G. (1931). The Art o f Thought. New York: Hardcourt Brace.
Winner, E. & Cooper, M. (2000). “Mute Those Claims: No Evidence (Yet) for a
Casual Link between Arts Study and Academic Achievement.” Journal o f
Aesthetic Education, 34: 11-67.
Wolf, D. (1999) “Why the Arts Matter in Education Or Just What Do Children Learn
When They Create An Opera?” in E. Fiske Champions o f Change: The Impact
o f the Arts on Learning. The Arts Education Partnership and the President’s
Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Washington, D.C., 92-98.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
104
APPENDIX A
RESEARCH QUESTIONS DATA SOURCES_______INSTRUMENTATION
What policies andprograms are in place Mission Statement Document Review
at the school site? Budget Observations
School Based Literature Interviews
Curricular Programs
School Based Plans
California State Standards
District Standardized Testing
Parent Support Groups Literature
Parent Support Groups’ Budgets
Ann Chavez & Shawn Smith
University of Southern California
2004
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced w ith permission o f th e copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
APPENDIX B
RESEARCH QUESTIONS DATA NEEDS
What arts in education
programs are in place?
-What values and beliefs do
they promote for arts in
education?
-Is their a shared vision for
the arts program?
-What specific arts are
addressed and how?
-How often to students
participate and how are
students selected?
-How are students evaluated
in the arts?
-Who teaches the arts?
-What teaching strategies
are used and are their
common practices within the
school?
D R “ Document Review
OB = Observation
IN - Interview/foots Grovp
DATA SOURCES INSTRUMENTATION
Curriculum Guides DR
School Literature DR, O B
Teacher Lesson Plans DR, O B
Website DR
Staff OB, IN
Students O B, IN
Parents OB, IN
Ann Chavez & Shawn Smith
University of Southern California
2004
Reproduced w ith permission o f th e copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
APPENDIX C
RESEARCH QUESTION DATA NEEDS DATA SOURCES INSTRUMENTATION
What is the culture o f the school? 4 Frames
Structural
What procedures are in place
that guide the culture of the
school?
- What are the rules, policies?
-How are job roles defined? How
are responsibilities allocated?
•W ho are the Leaders- formal &
informal?
Political
-What values and beliefs do they
promote for arts in education?
•Who are the stakeholders?
-Haw does budget affect the
process?
-Are there limited resources and if
so what? How are they
addressed?
Human Resources
-What is the diversity cf
employees? Employee needs?
-How do people feel about their
work?
Symbolic
-Who are the story tellers?
School Based Literature DR
Organizational Charts DR
Leadership/Grade level Teams DR,OB,IN
Structure of day, Schedules DR,OB
Ann Chavez & Shawn Smith
University of Southern California
2004
O
O,
107
A P P E N D IX D
Principal Interview Questions
1. How would you describe your school to someone who knows nothing about it?
2. What are two outstanding features o f your school?
3. Define your role as principal.
4. What are two o f your most prominent leadership attributes?
5. Please talk a little about your philosophy in regard to educational leadership.
6. What hi 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. hi 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 o f the arts in
education? How do you fit into that situation?
(Adopted from Reed & Roberts, 1998, p.41)
Ann Chavez & Shawn Smith
university o f Southern California
2004
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
108
A P P E N D IX E
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 o f 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?
Ann Chavez & Shawn Smith
University of Southern California
2004
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
109
A P P E N D IX F
Student Interview Questions
1. What is art?
2. Is art important to you? Is 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?
Ann Chavez & Shawn Smith
University of Southern California
2004
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
110
A P P E N D IX G
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 o f 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?
Ann Chavez & Shawn Smith
University o f Southern California
2004
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
I l l
A P P E N D IX H
Criteria for School Selection
Middle School
Grades 6-8
Distinguished School of the Arts
NET GAIN 465
2003 API Growth
697 (+24)
2002 API Base
673
2002 API Growth
676 (+6)
2001 API Base
670
2001 API Growth
666 (+26)
2000 API Base
640
2000 API Growth
640 (+9)
1999 API Base
631
Ann Chavez & Shawn Smith
University of Southern California
2004
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Elementary
Grades K-5
BRAVO Award
NET GAIN+75
2003 API Growth
935 (+40)
2002 API Base
895
2002 API Growth
906 (+8)
2001 API Base
898
2001 API Growth
908 (-1)
2000 API Base
909
2000 API Growth
909 (+28)
1999 API Base
881
112
A P P E N D IX I
OBSERVATION SUMMARY FORM
Type o f 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
Ann Chavez & Shawn Smith
University of Southern California
2004
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Linked assets

University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Conceptually similar

PDF

A case study of instructional supervision, including teacher evaluation, and the impact on teacher practice

PDF

A case study of the California teacher evaluation system and its impact upon teacher practice in an alternative education high -performing urban high school

PDF

A case study of teacher evaluation and supervision at a high performing urban elementary school

PDF

A comparative analysis of academic achievement for CalWORKs students in a K--12 public school system

PDF

An analysis of the implementation of content standards in selected unified school districts of California

PDF

An analysis of perceptions and implementation of California's teacher evaluation process in a K--5 public school and its impact on teacher practice

PDF

Administrative evaluations and their impact on school leadership in public and private secondary schools: A comparison study of governance structure

PDF

An elementary school's perceptions of the effectiveness of teacher evaluation to enhance teacher practice

PDF

California teacher evaluation and improved teacher practice

PDF

A causal, dispositional model of common personal characteristics associated with teacher job satisfaction

PDF

Current and future managerial competency requirements for manufacturing, assembly, and /or material processing functions

PDF

A comparison of the perceptions of senior and junior enlisted Air Force personnel concerning deterrents to enrollment in and completion of adult education courses by junior personnel

PDF

A comparative study of the role of the principal in conventional public schools and in charter schools

PDF

A closer look at the impact of teacher evaluation: A case study in a high performing California elementary school

PDF

A study of the significant changes in a small urban school district from 1991--2001 as perceived by educators in the city of Pereslavl -Zalessky in the Russian Federation

PDF

A longitudinal comparative study of the effects of charter schools on minority and low-SES students in California

PDF

A case study of a successful urban school: Climate, culture and leadership factors that impact student achievement

PDF

Exploring a team-based model for organizing schools: The case of Fenton Avenue Charter School

PDF

Interfacing with a digital archive (ISLA) in enhancing elementary school geography instruction and learning

PDF

California teacher evaluation and improved teacher practice in a high -performing urban school

Asset Metadata

Creator Smith, Shawn Kevin (author)

Core Title Arts in education and organizational culture: The impact of the arts on the culture of a school

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education

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

Tag anthropology, cultural,Education, Art,Education, Music,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Advisor Gothold, Stuart (committee chair), Hocevar, Dennis (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c16-457801

Unique identifier UC11336772

Identifier 3196894.pdf (filename),usctheses-c16-457801 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier 3196894.pdf

Dmrecord 457801

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Smith, Shawn Kevin

Type texts

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

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA