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School factors that facilitate viable arts programs and support student academic achievement: a case study
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Running head: FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 1
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS AND
SUPPORT STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: A CASE STUDY
by
Lucia Isabel Perales
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
May 2014
Copyright 2014 Lucia I. Perales
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 2
Acknowledgements
This dissertation is proof that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. I am
the product of two loving parents that have taught their six children that hard work and
sacrifice is key to achieving one’s dreams. My mother is my role model even though
growing up I did not quite see it that way. I dedicate this dissertation to my mom and my
family for they have given me the strength needed to persevere in spite of my
weaknesses. A special thanks goes out to my little sister, Vicki. Thank you for being
there through every job transition and seeing me in a different light. You have the
confidence I do not always have; so if I can do it, you can do it too. With that said, this
dissertation is also dedicated to every student I ever had. I strive to be a role model;
someone that you can learn from including the mistakes I have made in my life. All of
these mistakes have served to make me better. Secondly, I want to thank the USC family
that has helped me see myself as an educational school leader. Dr. Stuart Gothold’s
mentorship and willingness to assist me in my career endeavors is truly a blessing. Dr.
Dennis Hocevar, Dr. Michael Escalante, and Dr. Pedro Garcia have also been
instrumental in providing me with invaluable feedback and support. Additionally, thank
you to my dissertation cohort as we all sought to answer the same research questions.
Together and individually we managed to complete our own research on this topic and
now we are doctors. To Dr. David Gomez, Dr. Thomas Tan, and Ms. Dolores Villaseñor
- thank you so much for your mentorship and continuous support. You guys taught me
the concept of “Pura Vida” and “Animo.” My high school teacher, Ms. Victoria
Molinarolo, was my inspiration to become an educator. Her guidance since high school
propelled me to go beyond my comfort-zone. I give additional thanks to Ms. Isabel
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 3
Chavez who has been a friend, colleague, and mentor. Finally, extra special thanks to Dr.
Frances Martinez-Kellar who is my very dear friend and continues to be there for me; I
will always cherish our friendship. Last but not least, I am truly thankful to Aaron Soto.
Going through this process was not easy, but having an amazing partner by my side that
supported me unconditionally has made this process much more manageable. Aaron
taught me so much about life and this dissertation would not have been completed
without his help. Muchas gracias, amor mio!
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 4
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements 2
List of Tables 6
List of Figures 7
Abstract 8
CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 9
Background 9
Statement of the Problem 10
Purpose of the Study 11
Research Questions 11
Importance of the Study 11
Limitations 12
Delimitations 12
Assumptions 13
Definitions 13
Structure of the Dissertation 15
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 16
Background 16
History of the Arts 16
Current Climate 23
Constraints Faced by Schools 25
The Case for the Arts 27
Benefits 27
Promising Practices 30
Leadership 30
Funding 33
Partnerships 35
Conclusion 36
CHAPTER 3: METHOLOGY 37
Research Design 37
Conceptual Framework 38
Site Selection Criteria 41
Participant Selection 43
Data Collection 44
Interviews 45
Documentation 46
Observations 46
Case Study Data Analysis 47
Validity and Reliability 48
Conclusion 48
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS 50
Research Questions 50
Background of the Case Study 50
Constraints & Accountability 53
Campus & Event Observations 54
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 5
Observation Summary 55
Findings by Research Question 56
Research Question 1: What are the Arts Programs that exist at XYZ School? 56
Summary of Question 1 68
Research Question 2: How does leadership at XYZ School support the Arts? 69
Interview Analysis 74
Summary of Question 2 77
Research Question 3: How are resources allocated at XYZ School? 78
Interview Analysis 82
Summary of Question 3 83
Final Analysis 83
Conclusion 86
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION 89
Summary of Findings 89
Discussion 93
Implications and Recommendations for Further Study 95
References 97
Appendix A 105
Appendix B 106
Appendix C 107
Appendix D 108
Appendix E 111
Appendix F 115
Appendix G 117
Appendix H 118
Appendix I 119
Appendix J 136
Appendix K 143
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 6
List of Tables
Table 1: Timeline of the Purpose of Arts in the United States (Efland, 1990;
Freeman, 2007; Davis, 2013 ) 18
Table 2: Instrumental Benefit and Intrinsic Benefit (McCarthy, et. al., 2005) 28
Table 3: Critical Leadership Factors to Achieve District-Wide Arts Education
(Longley, 1999) 31
Table 4: Risk and Solutions to Non-Arts Partnerships (Walker, 2003) 36
Table 5: Instrumentation Chart 44
Table 6: Research Question 1 - Results from Teacher Survey (n = 47) 66
Table 7: Research Question 2 - Results from Teacher Survey 73
Table 8: Research Question 3 - Results from Teacher Survey 81
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 7
List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework 39
Figure 2: Easton’s System Framework 40
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 8
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that contribute to the
preservation of Viable Arts Programs at a high academic achieving high school located in
California. The study explored the relationship between the Arts Programs, the leadership
that supports the Arts, and the resource allocation that enables the sustainability of a
Viable Arts Program in a high school that has demonstrated academic success. In
addition, this study sought to explore the external factors such as budgetary and
accountability constraints at the federal, state, and district level and how these factors
influence the preservation of a Viable Arts Programs. The results of this study revealed
that key components have to be present in a school to facilitate a Viable Arts Program.
These key components include a unique and effective mix of school structure, staffing,
curriculum, and culture. Specifically, the study found that the three most important
aspects related to the school's success were the strong adherence to their Mission, an
unwavering Founder providing strong leadership, and a partnership-based Fundraising
paradigm that engaged all relevant stakeholders through very distinctive methods. The
analysis and findings of this study expand the knowledge about this prevalent topic in
education.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 9
CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
The Arts are part of the new Reauthorization of NCLB (No Child Left Behind).
Nonetheless, because the Arts are not among the subjects tested as part of the
accountability mechanisms set by the NCLB mandate, this causes the Arts to diminish in
importance in comparison to the core subjects tested (Koretz, 2008). Thus, school
leaders often shift their priorities and their efforts in order to improve students’ academic
performance results. This shift in priorities results in an increased amount of time spent in
core subjects and a decrease in the instruction of the Arts (Government Accountability
Office, 2009). In spite of this situation, there are schools that continue to offer the Arts
successfully and as a central component of student learning.
Background
Historically, the Arts have been seen as non-academic or supplemental curriculum
that rewards the good and talented students; accordingly, these students take the Arts as
electives (Rabkin & Redmond, 2006). Arts as a supplemental curriculum are due to the
fact that the United States K-12 educational system is decentralized and mostly controlled
by the state and local governments. In addition, financial funding is primarily done
through local and state taxes, consequently, this plays a vital role in determining what
makes up the curriculum at the school level and, thus, the Arts vary by state and by
school site.
Research has shown that in fact the Arts teach many of the skills, aptitudes, and
values needed for the 21st century (Presidential Committee on Arts and the Humanities,
2011). Furthermore, the current educational trend focuses on a student’s ability to write
and do arithmetic, which is emphasized through the testing being conducted, leaving out
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 10
other skills that are fostered through the Arts (Education Commission of the States,
2005). McMurrer (2007) identified that there was a reduction on the time allotted for the
Arts due to budgetary and accountability constraints. The present climate of the Arts in
schools is such that, “The Arts compete for a place at the education table with subjects
that appear to make more compelling claims for time and resources.” (Rabkin &
Redmond, 2006, p.1)
The report A Nation At Risk (1983) recommends that the high school curriculum
should include visual and performing arts because these two areas complement the New
Basics and should be given the same level of time and engagement as the core subjects. It
was not until 1994 that U.S. Public Law section 103-382, called, The Improving
America's Schools Act was put in place to support the visual and performing Arts in the
school’s curriculum. The Act along with the release of the voluntary National Standards
for Arts Education (Consortium of National Arts Education Association, 1994) gave an
initial presence and acknowledgement to the Arts. Presently, what makes the Arts
secondary to the core subjects is the fact that the Arts standards are voluntary, which
often makes them the last priority in school systems operating under fiscal constraints
(Berube, 2012).
Statement of the Problem
The Arts have to compete for a place in the curriculum (Rabkin & Redmond,
2006) because many school leaders have reduced their Arts programs as a result of
shifting priorities and accountability demands; however, some school leaders continue to
maintain Viable Arts Programs. The purpose of this study was to determine key factors in
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 11
sustaining Viable Arts Programs at XYZ School and how these Arts Programs support
the XYZ School’s plan to support student academic achievement.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to look at the role the Arts play in the current school
climate and how the Arts are incorporated at XYZ School to sustain its quality Arts
Program. This study will provide knowledge about factors that facilitate a Viable Arts
Program. Through this knowledge those that seek to understand or incorporate the Arts at
their schools will benefit from this study. The research questions in this study will
provide elements about the various Arts Programs, the leadership components, and
resource allocation practices that enable the existence of Viable Arts Programs that
promote academic achievement.
Research Questions
1. What are the Arts Programs that exist at XYZ School?
2. How does leadership at XYZ School support the Arts?
3. How are resources allocated at XYZ School?
Importance of the Study
This study sought to understand the accountability constraints, leadership traits,
school culture, and the decision-making in regards to the resource allocation practices. In
particular, this study identified the unique characteristics that are believed to influence
and promote a Viable Arts Program through the structure of the school, curriculum, and
staffing. This study contributed to the limited literature and empirical research that
existed with respect to studying the influence of Arts in student academic achievement.
Furthermore, this study contributed to the increased need for understanding the factors
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 12
that promote the sustainability of Viable Arts Programs at a secondary school setting.
Finally, the study’s implications and findings may prove useful to current and aspiring
school leaders who desire to develop a Viable Arts Program.
Limitations
There are several limitations to this study. Primarily, this study is a single case
study, which limits the generalizability of the results. Although there are eight additional
case studies studying the same topic, it is difficult to determine whether the results
obtained from this particular study can be replicated because a school is a living
organization that is always changing. Additionally, the timeline of data collection is very
brief consisting of two months. Similarly, the studied quantity of participants is limited,
offering a partial perspective of the phenomena. Lastly, the researcher’s bias acts as a
limitation, because the interpretations of the observations, interviews, and document
reviews may differ from the perspective of participants’ responses.
Delimitations
The delimitations of the study involve:
1. The selection of school site being purposeful and not random,
2. The topic itself is narrow in nature focused on the Performing Arts at the high school
level,
3. The instrumentation and data collection were designed by a dissertation cohort of
eight,
4. However data collection was administered and analyzed by a sole researcher.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 13
Assumptions
Two assumptions are made in this study. The first assumption is based on the
participants answering truthfully during the interviews and surveys. The second
assumption is based on the genuine and typical behaviors exhibited by the participants
during the observations conducted by the researcher.
Definitions
Arts: visual arts, performing arts, music, theater, and dance.
Aesthetic Education: An intentional undertaking designed to nurture appreciative,
reflective, cultural, and participatory engagements with the Arts.
Arts in Education/Art 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.
Core Subjects: English, math, social science, and science are considered to be the core
subjects at the high school level.
Creativity: A cluster of psychological factors within individual people that gives them
the capacity or potential to produce products with properties different from the familiar.
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.
Performance Index (API): In California, the API was established as law in 1999; the
law was established in an attempt to generate an academic accountability system for K-12
public schools. The API is calculated using student performance scores from standardized
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 14
state assessments in multiple content areas. The API score range for a school is from 200
(low) to 1000 (high).
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP): A set of annual academic performance benchmarks
that states, school districts, schools, and subpopulations of students are supposed to meet
and achieve if the state is receiving funding under Title I, Part A of the federal No Child
Left Behind Act (NCLB).
California Standards Test: Exams that are a part of the Standards Testing and
Reporting (STAR) program and are based on the state’s academic content standards.
Academic Standards: The basic K-12 academic content standards that are assessed at
the statewide level for the state’s testing system.
Curriculum: The course of study offered by a school or district influenced by the state’s
academic content standards.
Professional Development: Programs that allow teachers or administrators to acquire the
knowledge and skills they need to perform their jobs successfully.
Professional Learning Communities: An organizational practice in which the teachers
in a school and its administrators continuously seek and share learning and then develop
goals and plans to act on what they learn in order to improve teaching and learning for
student outcomes.
Resource Allocation: The ways in which fiscal and non-fiscal resources are divided
between competing needs and expended for educational purposes.
Viable (Strong) Arts Program: A quality Arts Program that provides value and
excellence.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 15
Structure of the Dissertation
Chapter One introduces the purpose of the study and Arts Education by defining the
terminology used in the study.
Chapter Two provides a literature review of the major components that guide the study.
Additionally, this chapter will explain the conceptual framework driving this case study.
Chapter Three examines the methodology in the case study including the problem,
purpose, research questions, and data collection. This chapter explains many of the
elements included in a qualitative study while giving reasoning behind the collection
methods and the data analysis.
Chapter Four provides the results from the data. This chapter will allow an in-depth
analysis of the findings by using appropriate methods of data coding and presentation
with appropriate themes that will help desegregate the data to record the findings.
Chapter Five presents emerging themes from this report that will attempt to make sense
of the various findings of the study, while providing recommendations and areas for
future studies.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 16
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
This literature review provides the background knowledge to understand the
purpose of the study, support the importance of the study and what has been researched
and studied about the study. This chapter will examine the Arts in the context of school
policy and laws, providing background knowledge of the History of the Arts in the
United States public school system. The research conducted provides context to the
different perspectives of the Arts in previous eras in order to understand the influences of
these different societies and their perspective of the Arts and how these cultures
influenced the United States Arts education. Secondly, the analysis of the research
discusses the benefits of the Arts and student achievement by reviewing Arthur D.
Efland’s (1983) views of cognition along with other learning theories in relation to the
Arts. Lastly, examinations of the existing research give insights about the leadership,
partnership, funding, and lighthouse practices that promote the Arts.
Background
History of the Arts
This section focuses on the history of the Arts in United States schools by looking
at the influences of the Greek, Roman, and other culture influences. This section will also
look at the current climate of the Arts in American schools and the historic events that
influence the Arts education in the United States. Lastly this section will focus on the
current constraints schools confront that impact the Arts.
To understand the place of the Arts in education, it is first important to understand
that education from its early beginnings was limited to the wealthy (Efland, 1990). If
education is limited to a certain sector of society, understanding the relationship of
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 17
education in the Arts becomes essential because access to the Arts was, and still is,
influenced by class, gender, and general societal status (Efland, 1990). Historically, the
Greeks valued the Arts because of aesthetic qualities, but also because of its cultural
structure (Efland, 1990). For example, the Greeks had different views of performance arts
and visual arts, where painting and sculpture were considered inferior and only for
commoners (Efland, 1990). Furthermore, Greek education focuses on learning the works
of great poets and learning the ethos (customs and characteristics) of the culture (Efland,
1990). Moreover, the Romans excluded the visual arts because they were not regarded as
part of theoretical knowledge (Efland, 1990). Overall, the Arts throughout the centuries
were viewed as luxury pursuits not having useful purpose except for the professional
artists (Efland, 1990).
The earliest advocacy for the Arts in education was in Aristotle’s book of Politics
(350 B.C.E). Aristotle’s concept of education and instruction consisted of four domains:
reading, writing, gymnastics, and art (music or drawing) (David, 2013). For Aristotle, the
purpose of the Arts consisted of an individual receiving training to show mastery of the
Arts. In addition, one gains knowledge of the world by mimicking one’s environment
(Garver, 1915). Thus, Aristotle's Arts Theory focuses on the imitation. Garver (1915)
goes as far as attributing the concept of aesthetics indirectly to Aristotle. The Guilds,
which consisted of apprentices, assistants, and masters, work together to develop their
craft or skill through apprenticeship in the Middle Ages (Davis, 2013). The concept of
apprenticeship and the first manuals detailing the process of some essential art skills
served as one of the first forms of art instruction(Davis, 2013).
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 18
The 17
th
century brings about the Renaissance in Western Europe and is a time
period where students begin to value the Arts. Two influential figures from this time
period were Leonardo Di Vinci and John Locke. Di Vinci advocates a sequential process
for the Arts promoting levels of mastery that engage students. On the other extreme, John
Locke saw the Arts as a waste of time preventing students from acquiring other skills and
knowledge (Davis, 2013). In the United States the view of the Arts in Education and its
purpose evolved through the decades. Table 1 captures the purpose of the Arts between
the 1800s to the 1980s.
Table 1
Timeline of the Purpose of Arts in the United States (Efland, 1990; Freeman, 2007;
Davis, 2013)
Time Purpose of the Arts Arts Education
Prior to 1800 Utilitarian purposes Arts education as provided through
apprenticeships. The girls produced
ornamental arts and the boys produced
drawings and architecture designs
1820’s to 1850’s Drawing instruction Introduction of the Arts through Common
School Moment
1850’s to 1870’s Practical learning vs Sensory
Learning
Teaching the Arts at the Kindergarten level
Practical use of the arts for the workforce
Late 1800’s Industrial workforce Not part of the High School curriculum
Early 1900’s To teach lower socioeconomic
children good citizenship
Instruction in Drawing
1920’s Therapeutic response to a
pathological world
No emphasis of the Arts because of its cost
1930’s To beautify depressed environments Integration of the Arts
1940’s To support wartime activities Progressive curriculum focuses on
everyday life and includes the fine arts and
industrial arts in the curriculum
1950’s & 60’s As art for art’s sake
standards for art education based on
professional practice and improved teacher
training
Discipline-Oriented structure curriculum
focused on current events
1970 & 80’s To emphasize excellence through the
study of fine arts disciplines
Organized teaching of drawing does not
occur until the 1870's (Wygant, 1983)
1990’s ‘an experience’ that is achieved
through process participation and
viewing the working process of
performing artists (Efland, 1990).
Discipline-Based, use of standards and
best practices
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 19
The Arts and Music were mandatory subjects in the 19th century; however, by the
20th century they became elective subjects and at this present moment they are
disappearing from the curriculum (Groen, 2012). Since 1821, the American curriculum
included some form of the Arts. It was not until 1870 that Massachusetts became the first
state to include Arts as part of its general education program through the establishment of
the Drawing Act of 1870 (Whitford, 1923). This was the time period of the Industrial
Revolution and during this time the visual Arts had a specific purpose, which was to
promote hand-eye coordination. Thus, schools began to train and develop programs for
industrial workers for the purpose of improving drawing (Hoffa, 1984). The Industrial
Revolution transformed the purpose of the Arts, in particular drawing. Drawing became
helpful instead of merely having intrinsic value (Hoffa, 1984). It was not until the
Industrial Revolution that the Arts, such as the visual Arts, had a different utility and
purpose. Prior to the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s both Horace Mann (political
figure) and Bentler Fowle (educator) pushed to include the visual arts and music in
education (Efland, 1990; Melnick, Witner, & Strickland, 2012). These two men were
strong advocates for education, but they had differences in educational philosophies.
Fowle believed in gender equality and thus taught girls how to draw. While Horace
Mann’s focus was on learning practical skills such as handwriting and drawing to help an
individual be successful in the workforce (Davis, 2013). Additionally, Rembrandt Peale
(artist) believed that drawing should be taught to everyone (Davis, 2013).
In Fowle, Mann, and Peale there are distinct and different views regarding the
purpose of the Arts and these differences illustrated that even among influential figures
there were differences of opinions about the role of the Arts. The 1850s to 1870s further
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 20
illustrated the variation of ideas about Arts Education from which emerged three distinct
movements. First, the Arts & Crafts Movement was a reaction to the Industrial
Revolution and the use of machines. This movement provided women with jobs in
furniture, ceramics, painting, and sewing by hand. The second movement was The
Oswego Movement, consisting of the establishment of the Oswego Normal and Training
School by Edward A. Shelton. Shelton established this school to provide children sensory
learning through the use of visual and tangible objects (Davis, 2013). The third
movement was the American Kindergarten Movement promoted by Elizabeth Peabody
who used Friedrich Froebel’s “kindergarten” concept that promoted opportunities to
explore various Arts related activities (Peabody, 1862).
Towards the end of the 1800s there was a need to assess the general purpose of
education and the role of a teacher, which resulted in the 1892 Report of the Committee
of Ten. This report provided the first curriculum and course requirements that a high
school student attending a Boston Common School needed to fulfill in their four years of
study. It is important to note that this Committee of Ten report excluded the Arts from the
curriculum (Mackenzie, 1894). By the early 1900s the Arts were excluded from all
educational levels because of their material costs (Wygant, 1993; Davis, 2013), which
was made worse by the stock market crash of 1929 that caused the Great Depression and
severely limited funds.
The 1920s and 1930s marked the Progressive Education Movement, which
brought the concept of Arts integration that focused on the unity of all academic subjects
taught together in a way that more closely resembles how one experiences their daily life
(Wineberg & Grossman, 2000). Although Arts integration was introduced in the early
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 21
1920s, it gained prominence by the 1970s, which was influenced by Dewey’s (1934)
views of the Arts as aesthetic experiences important to the holistic learning process
(Bresler, 2003).
From 1950 to 1980, schools in the United States offer Arts for “art’s sake”
(Melnick, Witmer, & Strickland, 2011). After the Industrial Revolution, American people
had more leisure time that allowed the growing middle class to see the Arts as cultural
enrichment (Heilig, Cole & Aguilar, 2010). The Arts were no longer seen as simply for
the wealthy upper class. These changes in the social structure brought with them a
different attitude toward teaching the Arts (Smith, 1996). During this time in America
there was a high demand for the Arts and it was during this time that there was a push to
consider the Arts as an integral part of a basic education (Ruppert, 2006).
Although the Arts has played a role in the United States curriculum since 1821,
the first time funding was specifically given to the Arts as part of the curriculum was
provided in the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It seems that the
Arts were considered supplementary prior to the inclusion in ESEA and not an integral
part of the curriculum until the 1997 study American Canvas: An Arts Legacy for Our
Communities. This study, which was conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts
concluded, "the arts do not have a secure place in the basic curriculum" (Larson, 1997).
In addition, the implementation of the Arts was a local decision left up the states and how
they wanted the curriculum within their districts. Families and parents that could afford
the Arts sought to expose their children to the Arts, but for the rest of the students their
exposure to the Arts came only from elementary grade teachers (Bodilly & Augustine,
2008). Moreover, by 1982 the purpose of the Arts focused on teaching Art history, Art
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 22
criticism, Art aesthetics, and Art production (Delacruz & Dunn, 1996; Bodilly, &
Augustine, 2008. By the late 1980s there was a push to make the Arts part of the
educational reforms through Arts integration (Rabkin & Redmond, 2004; Burnaford,
Aprill, & Weiss, 2001; Remer, 1990: Bodilly & Augustine, 2008).
In the early 1990s, a recession brought to light the fact that the supporters of the
Arts needed to validate the Arts as a benefit for society. These Arts supporters had to use
the language of social sciences to articulate the Arts benefits (McCarthy, Ondaatje, &
Zakaras, 2001)). The development of Howard Garner’s (1993) Multiple Intelligences
Theory provided research-based evidence that created credibility among scholars that
supported the Arts school curriculums. In addition, the Behaviorism Theory that was
prominent in the 1930s and 1940s also proclaims that the Arts are important in providing
unique opportunities for the mind that are not available through the core subjects (Efland,
2002; Gullatt, 2012). By the same token, Lev Vygotsky (1929) related the Social
Efficiency Movement stating that Arts education is a necessary means to increase student
achievement (Gullatt, 2008).
The 1983 article, A Nation at Risk, set the foundation for the policies of the No
Child Left Behind Act that gave momentum for the era of accountability and federal
involvement in education during the 1990s (Heilig, Cole & Aguilar, 2010). It was also
during the 1990s that advocacy for the Arts started to emerge in spite of the lack of
support from the President. “A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform,
did not mention the arts in the core curriculum, nor did President Bush's national goals in
1989” (Berude, 1999, p. 151). In 1994, the National Voluntary K-12 Standards were
published and that same year Congress passed Goals 2000: Education America Act
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 23
(Heilig, Cole & Aguilar, 2010). Cohen (1996) confirmed that the accountability era
moved from local control to state and federal control (Heilig, Cole & Aguilar, 2010).
Consequently, the effects of the accountability era created a shift because it
moved the discourse and Arts pedagogy conversation from a local matter to a federal and
state matter (Berliner 2009; Heilig, et. al., 2010). By the late 1990s the Clinton
Administration sought to place the Arts in the National Standards Core Curriculum
(Berube, 2012). The Clinton Administration had a budget of 700 million to invest in the
arts standards and this resulted in a move to expose the Arts to students in public schools
(Benude, 1999).
Current Climate
In 2008, President Obama created a President’s Committee on the Arts and
Humanities (PCAH). This committee reviewed the challenges of the Arts education
including the No Child Left Behind legislature (Educational Digest, 2011). Under the No
Child Left Behind act (NCLB), districts and schools must demonstrate adequate yearly
progress (AYP) for all students. Schools may spend more time improving students’
academic skills to meet NCLB’s requirements to determine how, if at all, student access
to Arts education has changed since NCLB. Under NCLB, the Arts are for the first time
listed in federal law as a core academic subject for which standards of teaching and
learning are expected to be as rigorous and as well defined as those established for
English, mathematics, science, and history (Educational Digest, 2011). NCLB is explicit
about the Arts being an important part of a complete education (Sclafani, 2005). Under
NCLB, the Arts have declined in some States, yet in other states, NCLB has served as a
catalyst for strengthening efforts to raise student achievement and improve school
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 24
environments through integration of the Arts (Zastrow & Janc, 2004). Although the Arts
are part of the new reauthorization of NCLB, the Arts are not tested like the other core
subjects, and as a result, schools place a much greater focus and time allocation for
teaching the other core subjects (Koretz, 2008).
On March 13, 2010, The Obama Administration released the new educational
reform in the manner of a “Blueprint” document for the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA). This new reform is a revised version of the No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) policy created by the Bush Administration in 2001 and has been in existence in
one form or another since 1965 and modified several times during this time span. The
purpose of the current ESEA legislation and similar legislation modification is to improve
the quality of education for all students by creating accountability measures that have
forced school leaders to prioritize and restructure their schools in an effort to comply with
the federal mandates.
The NCLB federal modification allows districts and states the flexibility to tailor
their curriculum and budgets to improve student achievement. The NCLB federal
modification implemented a national accountability system that measures achievement at
the district and state level in comparison to the nation through the Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP) and California’s state-level Academic Progress Index (API) measuring
tools. Although the number of credits earned by high school students in the Arts has been
rising in the last two decades and so has the number of states that have established some
study of the Arts as a graduation requirement, there are still about half of the states in the
nation that do not have the Arts as a graduation requirement (ECS, 2004). Under the
NCLB mandates, the Arts are part of the well-rounded education outlined by ESEA and
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 25
in California one of the Core Academic Subjects is the Visual Arts. As part of the
California Educational Code, Sections 51220-51229, high school level students should
take a course in Visual or Performing Arts in order to receive a high school diploma as
part of their graduation requirements. This educational code states that grade 1-12
students need exposure to the Arts, but the educational code does not mandate how
schools follow these Arts standards, which leaves Arts program implementation up to the
discretion of each school district (California Alliance for Arts Education, 2009).
As a result of new educational policy, a national survey conducted by the Farkas
Duffett Research Group (2011) concluded that the NCLB has resulted in a narrowing of
the Arts Curriculum. There were 1,001 3rd-12th grade teachers surveyed and the research
highlighted that nearly three in four (74%) teachers surveyed believe “electives,
Humanities, and the Arts are getting short shrift because schools are putting so much
focus on the basics” (Farkas Duffett Research Group, 2011, p. 201). About half of the
teachers say that art (51%) and music (48%) have been getting less attention over the past
decade; by contrast only (5%) of teachers said that the instruction in the Arts had
increased (Research Group, 2011).
Constraints Faced by Schools
The United States educational system is decentralized and mostly controlled by
the state and local governments where financial funding is primary done through taxes,
which highly influences the make up of the curriculum at the school level. Thus, Arts
education curriculum varies by state and by school site. McMurrer (2007) identified that
there was a reduction of the time allotted for the Arts. Additionally, Groen (2012) points
out that the narrowing of the curriculum produced in Program Improvement schools is
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 26
due to the definition of academic success, which is defined by the students’ ability to
score well on standardized tests. However, as research clearly articulates, the ability of
students to do well on standardized tests is most closely correlated with parental income,
their level of maternal education, and the quality of their classroom teacher (Paul, 2004;
Groen, 2012).
Furthermore, in 2009, The Government Accountability Office (USGAO, 2009)
analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education where it surveyed 50 state-level
Arts officials plus interviewed local officials in eight school districts and 19 schools
(USGAO, 2009). The USGAO report concluded that schools have managed to retain their
Arts programs; however, there was a reduction on time spent teaching the Arts.
Furthermore, schools with low income and minority students had the least amount of the
Arts embedded in the curriculum (USGAO, 2009). The study’s findings show that
minority students have less access to the Arts than other students, but did not determine
the reason for the different time spent teaching the Arts. This was a national study with a
lot of data, but the study could not draw any conclusions to explain this disparity in Arts
education access between minority and non-minority students (USGAO, 2009). This
shortcoming limits the findings because it is not possible to make a correlation between
the influence and impact the Arts have in the educational experience because every
school has a different way of integrating the Arts and/or a different perspective on the
Arts.
Lastly, although there has been an increase in high-stakes accountability and
assessment, these mechanisms are not impacting the Arts at the same rate. Programs in
Arts are uneven in quality and quantity (Allrutz, 1974). Bodilly, et al., (2008) summarizes
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 27
how the changes in educational reform and policies have affected Arts education due to:
(1) creation of standards across the curriculum; (2) the use of standardized test-based
accountability; (3) the site-based management at the school level, and (4) more-general
school reform efforts affect the climate of Arts education.
The Case for the Arts
Various researchers and advocates for the Arts such as Catterall, Eisner, Gullatt,
and Gardner make the case for the Arts as important in educating the “whole child”
(Gullatt, 2008). At the turn of the 21
st
century, stakeholders discussed the need for future
generations of students to be equipped with certain skills in order to be competitive in an
increasingly global economy (Schoen & Fusarelli, 2008). These skills include possessing
the ability to: think critically and creatively, solve complex problems, possess
collaboration skills, and be skilled with new forms of media (Schoen & Fusarelli, 2008).
This section focuses on the case for the Arts though a critical analysis of the current
practices and perspectives about the Arts. This chapter highlights the strengths and
weaknesses of the case for the Arts.
Benefits
There are a variety of theories that can explain the benefit of the Arts in the lives
of students. The study by McCarthy, Ondaatje, and Zakaras (2005) attempted to capture
the benefits of the Arts by reviewing, analyzing, and examining previous studies.
McCarthy, Ondaatje, and Zakaras (2005) capture the Benefits of the Arts by categorizing
the various concepts associated with Arts and Education into two categories: Instrumental
Benefit and Intrinsic Benefit. Table 2 lists the specific concepts attributed to each
benefit. These two categories capture the premise of the research conducted by Deasy
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 28
(1999; 2002) Welch (1995; 1999; 2000), which provides strong evidence for cognitive,
attitudinal, and behavioral benefits attributed to the Arts that are part of the research of
McCarthy, et. al., (2005).
Table 2
Instrumental Benefit and Intrinsic Benefit (McCarthy, et. al., 2005)
Instrumental Benefit Intrinsic Benefit
Cognitive: learning, academic performance,
meta-cognition, creative thinking
Attitudinal and behavioral: self-discipline,
self-efficacy, school attendance, social
interactions
Health: mental and physical health
Social: Community identity, building social
capital, community capacity
Economic: direct, indirect, and “public-
good” benefit
Captivation: the initial response/ reaction to a
work of art that allows people to connect to the
world and others
Pleasure: The artist provides individuals with
an imaginative experience that is
often a more intense, revealing, and meaningful
version of actual experience
Expanded capacity for empathy: Arts expand
individuals’ capacities for empathy by drawing
them into the experiences of people vastly
different from them and cultures vastly
different from their own
Cognitive growth: When individuals focus their
attention on a work of art, they are “in- vited”
to make sense of what is before them
Creation of social bonds: Share the experience
of works of art, either by discussing them or by
communally experiencing them, one of the
intrinsic benefits is the social bonds that are
created.
Expression of communal meanings:
Intrinsic benefits accrue to the public sphere
when works of art convey what whole
communities of people yearn to express.
The research by McCarthy, et. al., (2005) concluded that students exposed to the
Arts benefited from: 1) better test scores, 2) improved skills in reading and mathematics,
3) increased capacity for creative thinking, and 4) attitudes and skills that promote the
learning process itself. These findings are further validated by Sousa’s (2006)
neuroscience research that discusses Arts instruction on students’ cognitive, social, and
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 29
emotional development to be a benefit. Melnick, Witmer and Strickland (2011) also
highlight other cognitive benefits to be:
1. the development of imagination (Greene, 1995)
2. the increase in motivation to learn (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997),
3. an increase in creativity (Smithrim & Upitis, 2005),
4. lower drop-out rates (Smithrim & Upitis, 2005),
5. an increase in social skills (Smithrim & Upitis, 2005), and
6. overall higher academic achievement (Smithrim & Upitis, 2005).
Efland (2002) also defines imagination to be part of the cognitive process. He describes
imagination as an individual’s ability to organize or reorganize images, which allows for
the creation of meanings, and as a result, expands thinking. Additionally, Efland (2002)
explains that works of art can help an individual learn about society. Flower’s (2001)
research agrees with Efland’s (2002) findings that state that the Arts help with
communication because the study of the Arts allows the development of interpretation
and making meaning. As a result, making meaning and learning about society allows a
person to increase motivation. Another researcher that focuses on cognition is Eisner
(2002); he explains that the use of one’s five senses allows us to make sense of the world.
The use of the five senses to repeat information causes more information to be stored in
long-term memory and may actually change the structure of the neurons (PCAH, 2008).
It has been determined that children who practice one of the Arts develop and
improve attention skills and improve general cognition (PCAH, 2008). Moreover, Sousa
(2006) and PCAH (2008) point out that students that train their attention and focus by
playing music or studying music engage in the cognitive process. This cognitive
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 30
correlation is due because music study is highly correlated with the development of
phonological awareness. Phonological awareness is an important predictor of early
reading skills. Thus, the Arts have cognitive benefits that have been proven to benefit
student learning.
Promising Practices
School leaders are under constant pressure to determine the appropriate decisions
to improve, follow, create, and implement effective Arts programs that promote learning
and foster student academic achievement. A school is comprised of many stakeholders
from the superintendent, district personnel, artists, parents, teachers, families, and
students. These stakeholders can serve as school leaders where the leadership traits,
beliefs, and skills that they possess play a fundamental role in determining the promotion
of the Arts in a school. These leadership qualities influence the funding and partnership
decisions that can promote strong Arts programs.
Leadership
At the District level the leadership that promotes strong Arts programs has to
cultivate certain elements. One of the central finding in Longley’s (1999) research was
that the most essential factor in sustaining Arts programs in schools is the active
involvement of the community. Active involvement consists of input in determining the
implementation of policies and programs in the district. The leadership of effective Arts
programs in schools is manifested through the community. Table 3 provides an overview
of the 14 factors or leadership traits critical for the success of Arts programs district-
wide. The leadership is manifested in support of the Arts Education within a District
through the actions of the school leaders.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 31
Table 3
Critical Leadership Factors to Achieve District-Wide Arts Education (Longley, 1999)
Factor/ Leadership
Description of
Factor
Support/Engage in Arts relative action
Community
Parents, families,
artists, arts
organizations,
businesses, local,
civics, and cultural
leaders and
institutions
• Active parent and community involvement in
school arts programs;
• Interdisciplinary teams involving arts specialists
in the development of curricula;
• Arts faculty involvement in community arts
events;
• Artist residencies;
• Student exhibitions and performances for
community audiences.
The
School Board
The Board of
Education [board
members] provides
a supportive policy
framework and
environment for the
Arts.
• Adopt written policies that value the arts as equal
to other school subjects;
• Support the development of plans to strengthen
arts education, then apportion resources in
accordance with the plan;
• Treat arts education equally with other subject
areas when budget cuts are required;
• Consider the artistic qualities of buildings and the
needs of arts education
The Superintendent
The Superintendent
Articulates a Vision
for the Arts
Education
• Regularly articulating in writing, memos, and
speeches the importance of the arts in achieving
the goals of the school district;
• Appointing highly effective district- wide arts
coordinators;
• Developing a shared understanding with their
district arts coordinator(s) of the role of arts
education and pro- viding support for
implementation;
• Encouraging education staff to collaborate
among disciplines to ensure district-wide
initiatives apply to and include the arts;
• Committing personal time to meeting with the
arts education personnel of their district and to
representatives from the arts and cultural
organizations of the community.
Continuity
Enough consistency
of school,
community
leadership to
implement
comprehensive Arts
Education
• Building-level leaders have worked in the district
or the same school for even longer periods
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 32
Table 3, continued
District Arts
Coordinator
District personnel
responsible for
implementing and
facilitating a school
system that
maintains an
environment of
support for the Arts
Education
• They are often the staff member most actively
engaged with influential segments of the
community that value the arts and are instrumental
in nurturing and mobilizing community support for
arts education.
• Board members credit arts coordinators with
keeping "the arts on the table" during budget
sessions.
• They negotiate between board and central office
policies and school-level decision making, an
increasingly critical role as districts move towards
site-based management.
• They often participate with school- level
leadership in the screening and hiring of teachers.
• Teachers in turn cite the role of district
coordinator in facilitating communication among
individual schools and in fostering the climate of
support for arts education in the community and
district.
A Cadre of
Principals
Principals that
collectively support
the Arts for All
students
• Personally value the arts or be persuaded by
other pragmatic considerations to make them an
important aspect of the school.
• Participate in arts education in the professional
development
The Teacher as
Artist
The practice of the
Arts are promoted to
develop mastery of
subject and teaching
subject competency
• Practice their art bring to an already strong
program
• Have a commitment both to their art and to
teaching
• Have auditions and portfolio reviews to assess
the applicant's competence in the art form.
Parent / Public
Relations
Provide
opportunities to
promote Arts
Program that allows
the community to
support and fund the
Arts
• Employ a variety of techniques to engage the
total school community in arts activities that create
a climate of support for arts education
• Have exhibition spaces and performance venues
in the schools are made available to students,
faculty, and community artists.
• Provide free tickets are pro- vided to students,
staff, and faculty for attendance at community arts
events.
An Elementary
Foundation
Have a strong Arts
programs in
elementary school is
fundamental to have
a district-wide arts
programs
• Builds relationships with parents and community
organizations important to sustaining their support
for comprehensive arts education
• Promote interdisciplinary curriculum
Opportunity for
High Levels of
Achievement
Provide high levels
of specialized Arts
program as their
district wide-vision
• Offered a wide range of specialized programs for
students of the arts, including magnet schools,
Advanced Placement programs, and summer and
weekend programs.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 33
Table 3, continued
National, state, and
other and other
Outside Forces
District employ state
and national policies
to advance the Arts
• Consensus to support policies and programs in
the schools. National and state standards for arts
education, state education reform movements,
federal funding for general school improvement or
targeted pro- grams or populations all were used to
support and advance the arts education agenda in
these districts
Planning
Have a
comprehensive
vision and plan for
Arts Education, but
with a incremental
implementation
• Combine a compelling vision of the importance
of arts education with a thoughtful implementation
plan that showed how resources would be
apportioned over time to reach all schools and
students
Continuous
Improvement
Implements
Reflective practices
at all levels of the
school to improve
quality
• Districts using student assessments in the arts as
part of a formal accountability system
• Use portfolio review for evaluations of principals
and teachers as well as students.
Funding
The changes in federal education funding and policy affect the Arts programs
provided to students. Currently, school leaders have to deal with having less funding
while still having to be under compliance, which limits the creativity needed to
effectively allocate the resources necessary to promote student achievement (PACE,
2012). Under NCLB, Brewer and Smith (2008) explain that the changes to the categorical
funding provide schools more local authority and flexibility in resource allocation. The
new accountability measures focus on student performance, which has brought to light
that there are issues of inequity and inadequate distribution of the resource allocation at
the district, school, and student level. A school must meet federal public school
regulations and align its resources to fulfill the federal mandates. The concept of
Resource Allocation is used to describe the operational activities required to run a school
and considers all inputs (Nakib, 1995).
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 34
In California, school funding is based on a concept called Revenue Limit, which
considers the attendance of the students into a formula that measures the district’s
average daily attendance (ADA) (PPIC, 2010). Through the Revenue Limit, schools are
given their annual school budget and the Revenue Limit, which is funded by the local
property and state taxes, calculates the money determined to go to a school. There is a
specific percentage of the property tax revenue that comes directly from the real estate
within the district; the rest of the money comes from the state (PPIC, 2010).
Consequently, schools are provided with a specific budget determined by student
enrollment that does not consider other factors. As a result, California schools are not
provided with the adequate financial resources to operate a school that promotes
academic achievement to an effective capacity. Thus, Goertz and Duffy (1999)
recommend for schools to become reform-oriented. A reform-oriented school has the
ability to allocate the funding to improve instruction by using student performance data to
make decisions. In order to become reform-oriented, it is important that schools first keep
clear records of the school-level expenditures to determine how money is spent (Picus,
2003). These recommendations align with the research of Odden and Busch (1998) that
posits the idea of redesigning school funding to align better with the new accountability
demands to promote academic achievement.
Until the funding system aligns with the accountability demands, it is imperative
for school leaders to seek other funding opportunities, especially if they are to promote a
Viable Arts Program. An example of a successful district that provides a Viable Arts
Program is the K-8 Kyrene Elementary School District 28. This district deals with similar
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 35
funding constraints faced by any other school; however, the district has demonstrated
success in providing a Viable Arts Program because it has the following criteria:
• An administration at the district level that supports strong Arts programs
• Effective use of resources in staff and materials
• Investment of $400,000 to support visual arts instruction for all students grades
K-8
• Applied to state grants specific to the Arts,
• Fundraising activities that are supported by parents and teachers (Longley, 1999)
This example provides evidence of school leaders being successful in promoting a
Viable Arts Programs by being purposeful in allocating some of the funding specifically
to the Arts. In addition, the district applied for state grants for the Arts and involved the
school community to lead fundraising activities.
Another funding opportunity is provided by the Reauthorization of the ESEA that
has funds for only the Arts in Education. This fund (Title V, Part D, Subpart 15) allows
the Arts to be part of the school’s curriculum and is intended to facilitate students’
learning of academic content through the Arts standards (U.S. Department of Education,
2002). It is the district or school’s responsibility to apply for these funds.
Partnerships
A schools’ capacity to provide a Viable Arts Program may not be feasible due to
budgetary constraints. Forging relations with Arts organizations to outsource components
of the Arts programs involves risks because if the partnership does not work, the
consequences can be financially costly and may result in a waste of time along with a
tainted reputation from the parties involved (Walker, 2003). Furthermore, Walker (2003)
expresses the benefits of non-Arts organizations with schools. One of the benefits is that
non-Arts organizations provide expertise to an Arts field by partnering with local school
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 36
the non-Arts organizations to increase its credibility in the community and provide
students that may not have had prior exposure to the Arts. School leaders have to
consider the following liability and risk before partnering with a non-Arts organization
and proactively combat this risk. Table 4 illustrates the risk and possible solutions to
combat this risk (Walker, 2003). School leaders need to be proactive and consider the risk
and effectively communicate, clarify roles, and make all parties accountable. By opening
the lines of communication, these actions will ensure a successful experience for Arts and
non-Arts organizations.
Table 4
Risk and Solutions to Non-Arts Partnerships (Walker, 2003)
Risk Solutions
Capacity risk- the inability to effectively
implement tasks stipulated by the
partnership
Communication- clear communication that promotes
collaboration
Commitment risk- lack of motivation that
prevents any partners to do their
deliverables
Role classification- clear understanding of task and
responsibilities
Corporate culture risk- different vision and
mission between the partners
Accountability- all parties need to be clear on the full range
of tasks to be performed and the responsible parties
Conclusion
The research presented in this chapter provides an overview of the perspective of
the Arts and the Arts’ continuous evolution through the decades. Although many studies
highlight the benefits of the Arts, there is little known on the sustainability mechanism
that factor in the decisions to promote and sustain Viable Arts program by school leaders.
The federal, state, and local demands affect how school leaders allocate their resources.
The literature of promising practices discusses how leadership through partnerships and
funding initiatives support the Arts. This study seeks to look at the resource allocation
and leadership factors simultaneously that enable Viable Arts Program at a school.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 37
CHAPTER THREE: METHOLOGY
This chapter reviews the study’s research design, site and participant selection,
instrumentation, and the procedures for data collection and analysis that was developed
by the thematic group made up of eight members. The thematic group came together to
develop the conceptual framework (Figure 1) on this chapter, to guide the research of
this study by examining the key factors in sustaining a Viable Arts Program at XYZ
School. Although this study is one of eight, it stands alone as it was written by this
researcher, and relates to only XYZ School. The combination of the eight case studies
adds knowledge to this topic and provides evidence to answer and fulfill the purpose of
the study. To address the factors that facilitate a Viable Arts Program at XYZ School, the
following questions where developed:
1. What are the Arts Programs that exist at XYZ School?
2. How does leadership at XYZ School support the Arts?
3. How are resources allocated at XYZ School?
Research Design
A qualitative case study methodology was use for this study. The decision to
select a qualitative case study is based on the definition of a case study; “A case study is
an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real life
context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly
evident” (Yin, 1994, p. 13). The Arts in education are a contemporary phenomenon with
real life context, evident by the literature review in Chapter 2. In this particular study, the
boundaries are between the key factors that promote the Arts in the context of XYZ
School. Also, Merriam (2009) explains that case studies have proven to be useful and add
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 38
knowledge to subjects such as education. As Bott (2007) explains, a case study is an in-
depth examination of an organization, its processes, and its activities.
Additionally, a case study allows the researcher to engage in the learning process
of the phenomenon being studied by developing “concept-dependent knowledge”, where
concept knowledge is described as “…the very heart of expert activity. Such knowledge
and expertise also lie at the center of the case study as a research and teaching method…
as a method of learning” (Flyvbjerg, 2006, p. 222). Thus, the case study method allows
the researcher to learn the most about the concept being studied. The case study method
allows for the researcher to develop high level, concrete, professional skills by interacting
with the phenomenon being studied (Flyvbjerb, 2006). Furthermore, Crenwell (1998)
explains that selecting a study with only one case allows the research to invest the time to
have a deeper understanding of the study. Moreover, Merriam (2009) and Stake (2005)
state that a case study allows the reader to learn about the study through the researcher’s
descriptive narrative.
Lastly, this study is an Intrinsic Case because the Arts Program at XYZ School is
of interest (Bott, 2007). An intrinsic case study can also be considered “purposeful”
because the information and data collected can be used to assist other schools that want to
implement a Viable Arts Program (Patton, 2002).
Conceptual Framework
This conceptual framework articulates the elements considered by the school
leaders in order to provide a Viable Arts Programs by fostering a school culture where
the decision-making process plays a role on how resources and priorities determine the
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 39
Arts Programs, while still operating under the accountability mechanisms outlined in No
Child Left Behind (2001).
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework
For this case study, the thematic group met to discuss and design a conceptual
framework. The group based the design of the Conceptual Framework for the study on
the Easton’s System Framework (1969; Figure 2). It is important to first understand the
Easton’s System Framework in relation to NCLB and the reauthorization of NCLB
because these educational policies affect the Arts. The Easton (1969) model begins with
Stresses; in this case study the stresses are low performance, lack of measurable results,
and the achievement gap in education. The Inputs are the Federal Government and the
supporters and the opponents of the NCLB policy. The Demands and Supports are
performance testing, curriculum standards, funding, and achievement scores. The School
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 40
System as a Political System is the ability to report measurable outcomes for the school
board, state representatives, and federal personnel. The School Outputs and Policies are
the AYP, API, stipulations of funding (PI Sanctions), curriculum outline approval, pacing
guides, benchmarks, PLC’s, alternative governance plan after the third year of PI, and
lastly a feedback loop consisting of overall greater accountability. All of these School
Outputs and Policies result in the ESEA Reauthorization to No Child Left Behind
(NCLB).
The conceptual framework (Figure 1) draws a parallel interpretation to the Easton
System Framework (1969; Figure 2) of how the Stresses, Inputs, Demands, and School
Systems that produce a School Output of a Viable Arts Program. For the thematic
group’s conceptual framework, the Inputs were defined as the Constraints and
Accountability measures faced by schools. The group defined the Demands as the school
Leadership. The group defined the Supports as Resources and Priorities. And finally, the
group defined the School System as a Political System as the Art Program. These
elements working together produce a School Output of a Viable Arts Program.
Figure 2. Easton’s System Framework
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 41
Site Selection Criteria
The case study for this dissertation took place at one school within one district in
Southern California. A single school allowed for an in-depth analysis (Crenwell, 1998).
The conceptual framework (Figure 1) was developed using the literature review in
Chapter 2. In addition, the school site selected for this study exhibited at least three out of
the five following criteria:
1. High academic achievement of an 800+ score in the Academic Performance
Index.
2. A Bravo Awards awarded school or other Arts-related awards.
3. Evidence of a Viable Arts Program though stable leadership with at least three
years of operation.
4. Evidence of planning using “the Arts for all” index survey/master planning.
5. The school serves a diverse community of multiple sub-groups.
The criterion allowed the thematic group to identify eight different school sites for
case studies that met the same criteria. The thematic group wanted to select a school in
the context of student academic achievement through the use of the Arts. The selection
for the high academic achievement was determined by the school’s ability to show a
positive gain on the Academic Performance Index over an extended period of three or
more years. The curriculum and Arts programs offered at the school serves as evidence of
a Viable Arts Program. A list of award winning schools (Appendix A) narrows the school
selection in California to only 28 potential schools. The stable leadership criterion is
determined by a “low turnover” of administrators and faculty. These five criteria were
selected because they provide a variety of perspectives including leadership factors and
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 42
curricular elements, while focusing on the Arts program elements that promote student
academic achievement.
As determined by the thematic group, XYZ School was selected because it meets
all five criteria. The first criteria was met by XYZ School because it is one of the top five
high school academic programs in Orange County based on an Academic Performance
Index (API) test score of 908. Additionally, criteria two was met because XYZ School
has received over 30 Arts related awards in the last 15 years. These awards range from
the No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon School Award, Model Arts Education Program
from the state of California, California Distinguished Schools Award, Arts Innovation
Award, and a Best High Schools In America - Gold Medal recipient by U.S. News &
World Report. Criteria three, was met by XYZ School because the school was established
in 1987 and offers 13 types of Arts: Ballet Folklorico, Classical & Contemporary Dance,
Commercial Dance, Creative Writing, Culinary Arts & Hospitality, Film & Television,
Instrumental Music, Integrated Arts, Music & Theatre, Opera & Choral, Production &
Design, and Visual Arts. Criteria four was met through the Curriculum handbook by
demonstrating evidence of master planning in that the handbook provides details of how
students are to meet requirements for graduation, college entrance requirements, and
course requirements. Lastly, criteria five was met because with the exception of a minor
decrease in the percentage of African American students, all other subgroups are
increasing proportionately as enrollment figures increase each year (XYZ School’s
Website, 2013)
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 43
Participant Selection
This study examined the leadership traits that promote the Arts Program at the
selected school site. The study examines the extent to which individual leader’s traits
influence the Arts. In this particular case study the Founder and CEO is the leader in this
organization selected as the primary leader of the organization. However, other school
participants will be selected in order to examine the impact of the school leaders’
leadership practices that influence the sustainability of a Viable Arts program.
For this study, criterion-based selection was used to select participants. Criterion-
based selection is identified by creating a list of the attributes needed in the participants
(Merriam, 2009). The selection of the additional participants of the study included:
1. Core Teacher
2. Elective Teacher
3. Learning Specialist
4. Principal
5. Founder/CEO
6. Parent
7. Arts Conservatory Director
Each individual selected for the interview provided a different perfective on the
interview questions asked, presenting a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the
school site and the Arts programs offered to validate the findings in the study.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 44
Data Collection
The case study method enabled the use of multiple methods for data collection
and analysis. For a case study to be a “good” representation of the phenomenon studied,
“multiple sources of evidence” are needed to create the most comprehensive illustration
in order to answer the research questions posed for this study (Yin, 2009, p. 103).
Consequently, the use of participant interviews, event observation, review of documents,
and other records were used to collect data, which results in triangulation. Triangulation
is the use of multiple sources of data (Creswell, 2009). In addition, the chart (Table 5)
below was created in order to decide how best to answer the research questions and from
which triangulated source those answers would come from to develop the themes.
Table 5
Instrumentation Chart
Research Questions Teacher Survey Interviews Document
Review
Observation Tools
What are the Arts
Programs that exist at
XYZ school?
PQ1, PQ3, SL2,
SL3, SL4, SL5,
SL6, SL7, E5,
C1, C2, C3, C4,
C5
Q1, Q5, Q6,
Q13
Student
Handbook
Master
Schedule
SPSA
WASC Report
School Website
Facilities
Available/Desi
gnated
Equipment
Inventory
Master
Calendar
Performance
observation-
Symphony
performance
Classroom
observations
Preview day
observation
Academic Open
house
Conservatory Open
House
Club Rush
Two Professional
Development
Meetings
How does leadership
at XYZ school support
arts?
PQ2, PQ4, PQ5,
PQ6, PQ7, E4,
E5, E6, E7, C5
Q2, Q3, Q4,
Q7,Q8, Q9,
Q11,Q13,
Q16
How are funding
decisions made at
XYZ school?
SL1, E1, E2, E3,
C6, C7, C8
Q4, Q5, Q8,
Q10, Q14,
Q15
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 45
The data collection began in the summer of 2013 through the review of official
documents and the school’s website. Official documents are defined as documents
produced by the school, such as school reports, that provide insight into the school
culture, and other information accessible to the public (Bogdan & Biklen, 2003). The
initial document review served as the starting point to decide if the school met the five
criteria for the study and set up an informational interview with the school founder to
explain the rationale for conducting the research at XYZ School. The founder of the
school was contacted via email using Appendix A, informing him of the researcher’s
interest to conduct a case study at his school. This case study was approved and given the
USC UPIRB # UP-13-00187.
Interviews
Interviews were person-to-person (Merriam, 2009) and serve as one form of data
collection. The interaction between the researcher and participants was conducted in a
semi-structured format, recorded, and transcribed (Creswell, 2009). This case study has
few selected participants, which made interviewing the best technique to obtain
information from the participants in the study about their current and past experiences in
relation to the study (Creswell, 2009). After the initial data collection through the
document review, a meeting with the school principal was conducted to explain the
purpose of the study and the selection process of the school. The selection of the
respondents is determined by the role they play at the school site in regards to the Arts
programs.
Furthermore, the thematic group agreed on this semi-structured format of
interviewing. The rationale of the structure of the interview was semi-structured because
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 46
the wording and questions were created and agreed upon as part of the study where the
order of the questions may vary depending on how the interview transpires and any
additional questions needed for clarification shall be asked as appropriate (Merriam,
2009). Appendix B contains the questions used during the semi-structured interview.
Lastly, interviews lasted between 30 to 60 minutes.
Documentation
The dissertation cohort agreed upon the documentation needed to answer the
research questions in the study. The review of these documents can substantiate and
provide evidence from other sources collected (Yin, 2009). The documentation in this
study included tangible documents to websites, as documents collected in case studies
can take on many different forms (Yin, 2009). The documentation to answer the specific
research question is listed in Appendix C. Furthermore, a survey (Appendix D) was given
to the 200 faculty members of the school. The survey results were reviewed accordingly.
The use of a survey in a case study provide qualitative data that can not be gather through
other data tools (Creswell, 2009)
Observations
The design of the observation protocol was created to include elements of an
observation protocol described in Creswell (2009). The observation tool (Appendix E)
included the description of the physical setting, accounts of particular activities, a
reflection portion that consisted of follow up notes and demographic information about
the time, place, and date of the field setting where the observation took place.
Furthermore, the thematic group decided to include a narrative description of the space,
in addition to a section of Bolman and Deal’s (2008) four frames to categorize the
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 47
observable data as political, symbolic, human resources, or structural. Lastly, the
researcher conducted the observation as a full observer, because the researcher had never
been at this site prior to this case study (Creswell, 2009). Appendix E, F, and G were all
used to capture the observations conducted. Appendix E was used for observations
related to the entire school. Appendix F was used for classroom observations. Appendix
G was used to reflect on both the entire school and classroom observations after the
observations were conducted.
To get a holistic understanding about the XYZ School art programs, the
researcher conducted eight different observations. The researcher spent a total of 25
hours of field observations including: a Music Festival (2 hours), 2 Professional
Development meetings (9 hours), Academic Back-to-School Night (2 hours), a
Symphony (3 hours), Arts Back-to-School Night (1 hour), Academic and Arts Classroom
observation (4 hours) and an Arts Preview Day (4 hours). Appendix I is a narrative of the
observation snapshots, representing particular moments in time. The narrative of the
observatons have limitation inherent in a case study because of the observer effect, which
is caused by presence and influence of the observer’s in the events attended, and how this
may have on those being observed influence the behaviors (Creswell, 2003).
Case Study Data Analysis
The Data Analysis process described by Creswell (2009) was used in this case
study. First the data was organized and transcribed, then coded. The coding process
looked for patterns that are related to the leadership practices employed to support a
Viable Arts program.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 48
Validity and Reliability
Bott (2007) asserts that the case study method has the ability to be a high
construct of validity because it does not place constraints on the case being studied.
Moreover, in a case study the data collection process can assist in increasing accuracy
among the findings, which can increase the validity of the study (Yin, 2009; Merriam,
2009; Creswell, 2009). To increase the internal validity of the study, the researcher
evaluated and explained the patterns of behaviors from the participants at XYZ School
(Bott, 2007). By the researcher evaluating and explaining the patterns observed this
assisted to refute claims of a lack of internal validity of results. Similarly, careful
documentation during observation and interviews can increase validity (Bott, 2007).
The operational procedures include conducting equal amounts of observational
time between the events and utilizing the same observation and interview protocols. The
documentation of the steps of the procedures and protocols increase the study’s reliability
(Gibbs, 2007; Creswell, 2009). As explained by Creswell (2009), reliability is the extent
in which the research finding can be replicated.
Conclusion
The conceptual framework (Figure 1) presented and guided the course of this
study. This chapter outlined the methodology used to explore the factors that facilitate a
Viable Arts Program. Through a mixed-methods approach, qualitative and quantitative
data was collected through interviews, observations, document review, and a survey,
which the researcher used to triangulate the data gathered to analyze the findings in
Chapter 4. Lastly, data collection began upon passing the Qualifying Exam and
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 49
successful completion of IRB. This case study was approved and given the USC UPIRB
# UP-13-00187.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 50
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
Chapter 4 will present the findings that emerged from the data collected and
analyzed using the conceptual framework that was constructed for the purpose of this
study. This chapter begins with the background of the case study site followed by a
summary of the eight observations conducted and the themes that emerged from the
observation. The chapter then provides the analysis of the document review, the seven
interviews, and the teacher survey to develop an understanding of the school’s
educational programs, policies, and culture of the school surrounding the Arts.
Research Questions
The analysis of the findings in this chapter are organized by research question:
1. What are the Arts Programs that exist at XYZ School?
2. How does leadership at XYZ School support the Arts?
3. How are resources allocated at XYZ School?
Background of the Case Study
XYZ School started as an after school arts program of a high school. In 1987, the
founder of XYZ School began an after-school arts program on the campus of Saint Rubi,
as part of El Arte Unified School District (EAUSD), in the city of Saint Vicki. The
founder, who at the time was a music teacher at EAUSD, spearheaded the extended
educational arts program in musical theatre, visual arts, instrumental music, production
design, and dance via an after-school program in which 9
th
to 12
th
grade students were
taught by practicing artists rather than by credentialed art teachers.
The XYZ School is a charter school with grades 7-12. The school complex takes
up approximately three blocks of Soto City and has four centers: Arts & Science Center,
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 51
Dance Center, Media & Arts Center, and Visual Arts Center. In addition to these
specialized facilities, XYZ School also has a Symphony Hall, a small Foundation Office,
and a seven-story building where academic classes are conducted with a cafeteria in the
second floor and several dance studios on the first floor. The seven-story building is
connected to the Dance Center and the Arts & Science Center. The furthest property is
the Center of the Arts located approximately a quarter mile south of the campus, which
was separately acquired in 2010 and is the only part of XYZ School not connected to the
main campus (XYZ’s School Website).
XYZ School has served in two previous dissertations studies. The first study was
conducted in 2004 by Dr. Amy Stuht and titled, “The First Years: Leadership and
Organizational Dynamics in Newly Formed Charter Schools.” Dr. Stuht’s study was
referenced in this case study in order to understand XYZ School’s first three years of
existence. The second dissertation that involved XYZ School was published by Dr.
Barbara Beland O'Connor in 2009 and focused on the history, structure, leadership and
practices that promoted XYZ School's success in supporting a high level of student
achievement titled, “The Evolution of Leadership in a Charter School Setting.” Different
pseudonyms from the previous two studies were given to continue to provide
confidentially. Furthermore, this second study described the decisions, actions, and
processes that were instrumental in achieving the goal of an arts and academic
instructional program of exceptional quality and effectiveness. Both of these two
dissertations offered data to verify the data collected in this study.
In addition to the two dissertations mentioned above, the founder of XYZ School
conducted a study that is one of the documents reviewed. This document outlined the
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 52
funding principles learned and later implemented by the founder to build the exemplary
fundraising model found at XYZ School. To keep the anonymity of the participants in
this case study the dissertation will be cited as the XYZ School Founder’s Dissertation,
1994.
The admission process of XYZ School has various components. In order for a
student to be admitted, the student has to submit an application along with his or her
academic records. These academic records need to meet a minimum GPA of a 2.0 in four
out of the five core subjects (English, Math, History, Science, and Foreign Language)
without having received any letter grade of “F”. Only if the student meets the academic
requirements will he or she be invited to audition to the specific art conservatory of his or
her interest. Furthermore, a student can only audition to a maximum of two art
conservatories. The acceptance rate to XYZ School is roughly 25%, 500 applicants from
each grade level are accepted from a total of 2,000 applications. In the 2010 Self-Study
Accreditation Report for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges was very
forthright in expressing that XYZ School is a unique school because all students apply
and audition to attend the school, which results in minimal disciplinary issues. This
finding was validated in the interviews conducted.
At the time of the case study, the student population in the 2013-2014 academic
year consisted of approximately 1916 students of which 599 students are male (31.3 %)
and 1317 students are female (68.7%). The school class composition consists of 329
Seniors, 377 Juniors, 285 Sophomores, 399 Freshmen, 261 8th Graders, and 165 7th
Graders. The school’s demographic breakdown consists of 67.4% White (including
22.0% Hispanic), 21.5% Asian-American, 3.9% Filipino, 3.7% American Indian, 2.3%
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 53
African America, and 1.2% Pacific Islander. About 99% of the Class of 2013 was
accepted into institutions of higher education. 77% are attending a four-year college
program. 21% are attending a two-year college or conservatory program (XYZ School
WASC Report, 2010)
The total number of teachers in the academic and art conservatory are about 255.
There are approximately 75 academic teachers hired fulltime. 180 arts conservatory
teachers are hired part-time, some teachers teach only one course once a week, and other
teachers teach various courses. XYZ School has a staff of 75 credentialed/academic
teachers and 13 conservatory directors with an administrator team. The administrative
team consists of the founder as Executive Director, one Chief Operations Officer, a Vice
President of Business, one Principal, two Assistant Principals, three Academic
Counselors, one Creative Director, one Vice President of Development and Marketing,
and one Learning Specialist. During the course of the study, the Learning Specialist was
promoted to Interim Assistant Principal and the Learning Specialist role was taken over
by one of the math teachers.
Constraints & Accountability
XYZ School is located in Soto City in the state of California. The students that
attend XYZ School come from all over southern California sometimes driving over 30
miles one way to attend XYZ School, making this school a “commuter school”. XZY
School is a Public Charter School, which is an alternative education system where a
school receives public funding and operates privately (NEA, 2001). XZY School is a
charter school that operates under Aaron Unified School District (AUSD) jurisdiction.
The charter requirements indicate that 30% of the student enrollment be from residents of
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 54
Soto City, but XYZ School only had 12.4% enrolled from Soto City during the 2013-
2014 academic year. In addition, XYZ School is also a 501 (3) non-profit organization
that offers various tax exemptions making the school donation-dependent and tuition free
where no student is admitted or denied based on financial capacity. XYZ School is one of
a kind because it has a foundation that supports the Arts Programs while the academic
programs get funded through the charter school status (XYZ School Website, 2013)
XYZ School is a commuter school and students travel from 100 different cities
around southern California, as a result, some students leave the school within the first
weeks of school because of transportation difficulties. Other students are dismissed due
to their academic probation status. A student is placed on academic probation if he or she
does not earn at least a 2.0 GPA in their academic classes on any semester grade report.
The student has the following semester to improve his or her grades. Statistics show that
there are more students on academic probation and dismissed in the Spring semester each
year; however, the number of students on academic probation has dropped significantly
in the past two school years (XYZ School WASC, 2010)
Campus & Event Observations
Upon entering the school a 5’ x 5’ sign with the school logo welcomes guests.
The logo is a very simple logo of colored geometric shapes positioned around a white star
in the center blank space with the school’s acronym underneath. This version of the
school’s logo was created in 2012 to make the logo more contemporary with a more
subtle use of the star icon, which was the original symbol that represented XYZ School.
The seven-story building entrance has about eight banners hanging from the
celling that were donated by the class of 2012 to display the awards and recognitions
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 55
received within the last six years. Once inside the main floor, there is a lobby with an
information desk. Behind the information desk there is a double door that leads to a space
with four rooms: one room is the principal’s office, another the assistant principal of
student services, and two other administrative rooms. The doors to all the offices were
open and the principal seems to welcome informal types of communication to discuss
different school related issues. Across from these offices are other academic offices.
There are two elevators that only students with special permission can use. Students are
generally required to use the stairs to access their classrooms throughout the seven-story
building. To demonstrate this expectation, the Principal insisted on our use of the stairs
throughout our tour (Personal communication, November 21, 2013)
Arriving to XYZ School at 7:40am one can see a lot of traffic in a narrow street
while a school security guard monitors the morning traffic of parents dropping off their
students. There is organized chaos of cars patiently waiting for their turn to drop of
students at one of three assigned drop-off sections around the school. Students walk
around campus from all possible directions heading to their academic classes, which
begin at 8:05am and end at 2:10pm. Students take a total of six academic classes, which
are 90 minutes long.
Observation Summary
The various times the researcher visited XYZ School the Principal and one of the
three Assistant Principals were visible near the front of the school along with the security
guards. The Principal was at all times observed having informal and friendly
conversations about family or sports. In addition, at all observed events, parents were
volunteers and active participants making up an integral part of the school’s various
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 56
fundraising activities, which demonstrates a common recurring theme of active
stakeholder involvement.
Furthermore, effective arts integration in the academic day was evident through
student posters, collages, and assignments in the classrooms walls. In addition, because
the academic classes share their classrooms with the art classes there was evidence of art
materials and projects in the shared classroom on the cabinets. While artwork was evident
in the classrooms, the hallways did not have any student artwork.
Through the observations the researcher was able to identify a strong sense of
school branding and effective communication. The school’s logo was visible on vehicles,
school buildings, merchandise worn by stakeholders, and on their colorful marketing
collateral. In every event attended there were opportunities for art supporters to
contribute or become involved as patrons for the arts. Every event attended had an
impressive amount of helpful information from staff and volunteers about the events and
art programs. The theme of effective communication was also visible because each
conservatory has a bulletin board in the academic building with information about
auditions as well as newspaper articles about XYZ School and its students. This
communication helped attendees understand details about the events and also the overall
importance of the Arts Programs at XYZ School.
A detailed narrative of the observations can be found in Appendix I.
Findings by Research Question
Research Question 1: What are the Arts Programs that exist at XYZ School?
Document analysis. The documents used to answer this question came primarily
from the XYZ School website, which the school keeps updated with current information.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 57
The documents reviewed were the School’s Western Association of Schools and College
(WASC) 2010 Report, along with promotional marketing brochures, course syllabi, and
event handouts. The document review provided a wealth of evidence of the Arts
Programs that exist at XYZ School.
There are 13 specific Arts Programs in XYZ School called conservatories. These
13 conservatories support the mission of XZY School, which is to “provide a creative,
challenging, and nurturing environment that offers bright and talented students
unparalleled preparation for higher education and a profession in the arts” (XYZ School
Website, 2013). The number of students varies in each conservatory. Some
conservatories are larger than others based on facility and staffing capacity. Each
conservatory has its own audition process and requirements. Furthermore, the
conservatories keep themselves dynamic by making slight adjustments to their names and
missions to better serve the students. One of the adjustments was the addition of
“Acting” to the Music and Theater Conservatory, which will be officially renamed to
include “Acting” in the coming school year. Although, all grade levels, 7
th
to 12
th
, are
accepted into at least one of the XYZ School arts conservatories, not all conservatories
accept 7
th
and 8
th
graders for reasons of maturity. The 13 art conservatories listed are as
follow:
1. Classical and Contemporary Dance
2. Classical Voice
3. Commercial Dance
4. Creative Writing
5. Culinary Arts and Hospitality
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 58
6. Digital Media
7. Film & Television
8. Instrumental Music:
a. Commercial Music Program
b. Frederick Fennell Winds Program
c. Guitar Program
d. Jazz Studies Program
e. Pianist Program
f. Strings and Orchestra Program
9. Integrated Arts
10. International Dance:
a. Ballet Folklorico Program
b. Ballroom Program
11. Music and Theatre
12. Production and Design
13. Visual Arts
In addition to these 13 conservatories, XYZ School has other Arts Programs in place to
promote the arts in the community described below.
Community arts programs. The XZY School Foundation also offers
Enrichment Art Programs (EAP) that are open to the public for anyone wanting to try a
new art form. The 2013 Winter Schedule consisted of classes for grades four and up in:
Ballroom Dance, Guitar, Musical Theater Training, Creative Writing, Music Teacher,
and Paint and Drawing. The classes are conducted on Saturdays and last 12 weeks with
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 59
costs ranging from $450-$625. In the summer, similar five week classes are offered such
as: Ceramics, Animation, Ballroom Dance, Computer Graphics, Guitar, Musical Theater
Training, Creative Writing, Dramatic Writing, Camera Acting, Commercial Music, Film
Production, Jazz, Winds Studies, and Television Production. In comparison to the
academic courses offered during the school year, all of these EAP classes are non-credit
courses. In addition, the XYZ Community Outreach Program (COP) is a 10 week course
open to 450 students attending the local elementary and middle schools in Soto City. The
classes are taught by XYZ School student volunteers, but under adult supervision of an
instructor or XYZ School staff member. Students are exposed to beginning level arts
training workshops in dance, drama, guitar, vocal music, and visual arts in grades four
through six. Classes are held from October to December on Tuesdays in the afternoon
(XYZ School Website, 2010).
Additionally, XYZ School has a well-established partnership since 2001 with a
renowned private foundation that provides the school with a private grant, supporting arts
and education programs implemented by other non-profit sponsor organizations that
outreach to underserved communities. Through this grant XYZ School supports the local
community through the development of art classes and exposure to performances by
XYZ School students. In addition, since a 2009 partnership, XYZ School students can
participate at the local city mall Christmas holiday festivities through a performance that
includes the lighting of the mall’s Christmas tree (XYZ School WASC Report, 2010).
Academic day art classes. In addition to the conservatory classes and
enrichment classes offered on Saturdays, students can take art classes outside their arts
conservatory during their academic day. There are 23 art elective teachers that teach arts
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 60
during the academic day. The Fall 2013 semester art classes that are part of the academic
day included: two sections of ceramics, one section of Ballroom (I, II, and III), two
sections of Advanced Placement Music Theory, one section Vocal Ensemble, five
sections of Jazz II, two sections of Jazz III, one section of Ballet (I and II), one section of
Ballet III, one section of Visual Arts 101, one section of Acting Tech, one section of
Improvisation, two sections of Tap (I and II), one section of Tap III, three sections of
Photography, three sections of Art History (AP), and one section of Fashion & Custom
Design.
Interview analysis. The researcher conducted interviews with seven different
school site personnel where all participants had a different role within the school. The
diversification of the participants offered a holistic picture to answer Question #1 of the
study. All seven respondents interviewed were fully able to articulate, name, and describe
all 13 arts conservatories in existence as well as were aware of all the different types of
art programs available to students throughout the day.
Questions Q1, Q5, Q6, and Q13 in the interview help answer Question #1 of the
research (Appendix C).
When asked, “When are the Arts Programs available to students?” the parent
interviewed stated:
I think there are 12 or 13 that the students go academically and then they have our
conservatories in the afternoon, although art is introduced in some of the
classrooms as well. I know my daughter during that time had opportunities to do
artistic ways of showing her academic knowledge. In the afternoon conservatory-
wise they have instrumental music, which has quite a few subcategories in there,
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 61
Music Theater, three different dances, Ballet Folklorico, classical and
contemporary dance. They have classical voice, production and design, culinary
arts this year, but I don’t know much about those. Actually, a little bit [of the arts]
gets in part of their daily or their weekly learning.
This parent was able to articulate a solid understanding of the different Arts Programs at
XYZ School; however, her knowledge about the new Arts Programs was less in
comparison to the more established Arts Programs. The final remark illustrates a belief
by the parent that the arts are used in the academic setting by stating that this is done
daily or weekly. In addition to the art conservatories described as some of the Arts
Programs available at XYZ School the Curriculum Specialist was very articulated in
describing the arts school program targeting the local community kids and how the
program exposed the community to the arts. She clearly explained the Arts Programs
offered to the community via XYZ School like this:
We also have the [Camp XYZ], which is after school on Tuesdays for the
local community for students that want exposure to the arts and it’s free for them;
there’s several hundred kids that participate in that every fall. We also have all
the special groups that kids can audition for to be part of in terms of that type of
art program. We also have [Vicki Sedano] who does all these community
outreach where these kids get involved in different programs for the community
to provide exposure to, you know, anywhere from little kids to retirement homes,
etcetera, just to try and spread the arts (personal communication, September 24,
2013).
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 62
The statement about the arts community programs by the Curriculum Specialist
confirmed the finding in the document review that student involvement in various Arts
Programs exists in XYZ School and that the students are able to be part of these
programs.
In addition, when asked, “Who determines the Arts Programs available to
students and the different levels that the students can take?” The different stakeholders
interviewed had very similar responses. One academic teacher responded with:
I think the academic program and the arts program, the conservatory programs,
are relatively separate. The academic teachers don’t, as far as I know, have a
voice as to what’s being brought in, how the Arts Programs are integrated, how
they’re directed, any of those kinds of things, nor do the conservatory directors
really have an influence as to what goes on with the academic teachers. I think
there’s very little crossover with regard to curriculum (personal communication,
September 24, 2013).
The responses of the teacher illustrate the separation between the academic and arts
components of the school. Furthermore, another teacher expressed that:
They [arts teachers] are not following the standards, and we worked really hard to
make these levels and they're not doing them. Sometimes for example, the
academic teachers work with the arts teachers to create rubrics, because they need
it some way to grade other than, "Good job." That’s becoming more critical now
as the school size grows to make sure that you are actually getting a grade that is a
valid one, in equal to what happens in other classes (personal communication,
September 24, 2013).
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 63
In this statement it is evident that the use of similar grading policies for the art classes
may be different across art classes or art disciplines. The equality in grades as the school
continues to expand needs to be consistent. One of the reasons for this inconsistency in
grades can be explained by the following statement made by the Curriculum Specialist:
There isn’t a specific curriculum specialist that ties what they do in their art
conservatory and what they do in their academic classes because the academic
teachers have to teach specific standards set aside by the State of California for
being a high school teacher and then the art conservatories have flexibility with
the content that they teach in the realm of their area (personal communication,
September 24, 2013).
The academic teachers have standards mandated by the state of California, while the art
conservatories do not have any sort of state mandate (XYZ School Document Review,
2013). This flexibility allows the art directors and art teachers the freedom on what gets
taught in the specific art medium. In addition, the Conservatory Director elaborated on
the changes and factors that influence the different levels offered in the arts. To answer
the question about what determines what levels are offered, one academic teacher
explains that it has evolved throughout the years because the school’s reputation has
increased (personal communication, September 24, 2013). As a result, the admission
criteria has become more competitive because there are fewer spots and more qualified
applicants, the Conservatory Director stated:
The more competitive and the more kids want to come here, the higher the quality
of the students, the more they [art directors] eliminate the low classes. The
competitiveness in the audition process has created a higher quality of student
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 64
coming to XYZ School. The only exception to this higher quality art student, is
that children of faculty and staff may attend only the academic portion and be
waived out of the arts component if they fail to be admitted to an arts
conservatory. Any other student applying has to qualify for both the academic and
the arts components. It is very competitive to get admitted to XYZ School with
75% of applicants getting denied (personal communication, September 24, 2013).
Lastly, the Principal was able to explain how the various arts classes offered as part of the
academic day and the arts conservatory classes meet the UC requirements for college
admission requiring the same amount of credits to graduate as any other high school. In
terms of the academic day, the number of art electives can be categorized as similar to a
typical high school. The difference from a traditional high school and XYZ School lies
in the ability of XYZ School students being able to take additional classes in their art
conservatory beyond the required amount of elective credits. The Principal articulated
how students benefit from being part of an arts conservatory:
This huge extra number of electives that we know because kids are in
conservatory for the four years that they’re in high school… some of our kids
could get their elective credits through conservatory and may have more room in
the day to take more academic classes and vice-versa (personal communication,
November 21, 2013).
Efforts to collaborate and create alignment between the academic and arts teachers over
the years have been made, but remain difficult because the academic teachers are full-
time during the day and the arts teachers are typically part-time in the afternoon
(Curriculum Specialist, personal communication, May 24, 2013). O'Connor’s (2009)
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 65
research highlighted that each arts conservatory operates as a separate program. As a
result of these arts conservatories’ independence, O’Connor’s findings went on to
conclude that the Arts Programs were defragmented. Moreover, the researcher’s
observations, interviews, and document review also indicate that each arts program
operates independently of one another, which results in a missed opportunity cross
collaboration between the academic and arts components.
Survey analysis. To determine if the teachers at XYZ School knew what art
programs currently exist in the school a survey was emailed to teachers in late May and
again in June at the end of the 2012-2013 academic school year by the Principal on behalf
of the researcher. Forty-seven teachers from both the academic and arts conservatory
responded to the online version of the written survey. The total number of teachers in the
academic and art conservatory are about 255. There are approximately 75 academic
teachers hired fulltime. One hundred eighty arts conservatory teachers are hired part-
time, with some teachers teaching only one course once a week, and other teachers
teaching various courses. The overall response rate for the teacher survey was 18.4% (47
of the 255). Twenty-seven (57.4%) academic teachers responded to the Teacher Survey
and 20 (42.6%) of the Arts Conservatory teachers. The average years at XYZ School by
the teacher respondents to the Survey was nine years and the range was from one year to
27 years at the school. The years in education reported by the teacher respondents ranged
from two years to 40 years, with the average years in education being 18 years.
The questions in the Teacher Survey that helped answer Research Question #1 are
noted in the table below.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 66
Table 6
Research Question 1 - Results from Teacher Survey (n = 47)
Questions: P1, P3, SL2, SL3, SL4, SL5,
SL6, SL7, E5, C2, C3, C4, C5)
Mean of all
Teachers
Mean of Arts
Conservatory
Teacher
Percentage of
All Teacher
Affirmative
Responses
P1: The school offers a curriculum of
sequential, standards-based instruction in
the major arts disciplines (dance, film,
music, theatre and visual arts).
4.4 4.8
50.0
P3: Teachers use arts learning outcomes to
evaluate their curriculum and instructional
methods.
3.1 3.9
53.3
SL2: A variety of artistic traditions are
explored from around the world.
3.4 4.1
68.1
SL3: Art instruction emphasizes
cooperation, interactive learning, and team
building.
4.2 4.6
76.6
SL 4:Student arts learning outcomes are
used to evaluate the curriculum and
instructional methods.
3.0 3.7
56.5
SL 5: Parents are provided with specifics
about their student’s progress in arts
learning/programs.
4.0 3.9
74.5
SL 6: Periodic report cards document
student learning in key arts standards.
3.5 4.3
63.0
SL 7:Arts curriculum includes real-life
applications that prepare students for
postsecondary education, focused training,
and eventual employment.
4.4 4.6
87.0
E5: Administrators review the Master class
schedule to ensure access to arts instruction
for all students.
3.8 2.9
77.8
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 67
Note. Results expressed as the average of teacher responses made on a 5-point scale (1=Don’t Know, 2=
Never 3=Sometimes, 4=Often, and 5= A lot).isn’t this different from our template?
The results show that 69.6% of all respondents conveyed being aware about the
art programs that exist in XYZ School. This knowledge was higher by the art
conservatory respondents. The data illustrates that 50% of all respondents expressed
being aware about knowing of the school’s curriculum of sequential, standards-based
instruction in the major arts disciplines (dance, film, music, theatre and visual arts). In
addition, 53% of all respondents expressed knowing that instructional leaders review
teaching outlines in the major arts disciplines to ensure instructional sequencing. The
knowledge about art instruction emphasizes cooperation, interactive learning, and team
building was higher for the art conservatory teachers in comparison to the academic
teachers surveyed. In addition, 98% of art conservatory teachers responded that parents
attend student exhibitions and performances. Fifty-seven percent of all respondents felt
that student arts learning outcomes are used to evaluate the curriculum and instructional
methods. Although, knowledge about administrators reviewing the master class schedule
Table 6, continued
C1: The school arts program enhances a
sense of community through fostering
improved relations across diverse student
groups.
4.0 4.4
82.6
C2: Parents regularly receive information on
the importance of arts learning.
3.8 4.2
70.2
C3: Parents regularly receive information on
how to encourage their student’s arts
learning in school and at home.
3.0 3.5
58.7
C4: Parents attend student exhibitions and
performances.
4.8 4.9
97.8
C5: Parents participate in classroom
learning activities and field trips in the arts.
2.4 2.8
58.7
Average Mean and Percentage 3.7 4.0 69.6%
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 68
to ensure access to arts instruction for all students was 77% of all respondents. Ninety-
seven percent of all respondents reported knowledge of the arts curriculum having real-
life applications that prepare students for postsecondary education, focused training, and
eventual employment. The survey results show that teachers know what art programs
exist at XYZ School, but this knowledge is greater among the art conservatory teachers
than academic teachers.
Summary of Question 1
XYZ School has extensive art programs. The arts are part of the academic day,
community outreach, and considered a core discipline of the overall curriculum that
supports the vision of XYZ School. Students are able to receive training in a specialized
arts discipline through the 13 conservatories offered. Each conservatory has countless
productions, art plays, and other performances. The annual art gala highlights the best of
each conservatory by showcasing talent within the vast array of Arts Programs. In
addition, there are various community outreach programs where the students are able to
involve the local community in the arts. Knowledge about the various art programs is
seen in all stakeholders.
While there are extensive art programs at XYZ School, they operate separate from
one another even though arts and academic teachers share the same classroom spaces. In
addition, XYZ School provides release time for academic teachers to observe each other
and arts teachers are provided with professional development on grading and classroom
management. However, there needs to be more collaboration and communication among
these two groups as they operate independently from one another.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 69
Research Question 2: How does leadership at XYZ School support the Arts?
Document analysis. The school’s organizational chart serves as evidence that the
management structure of XYZ School supports the arts. The document review provides
evidence that the community leadership supports the arts at XYZ School. The mayor of
Soto City facilitated the relocation of XYZ School and assisted in the acquiring of the
seven story building. The Aaron Unified School District is the district that oversees the
academic components of XYZ School. There is also a board of Trustees and XYZ
Foundation Board of Directors, an Executive Director and President (the Founder), a
Director of Performing Groups, a Vice President of Operations, a Vice President of
Development and Marketing, a Marketing Associate, and a Graphic Artist that support
the arts.
The Founder (CEO, President, and Executive Board Director). The driving
force of XYZ School is the Founder who serves in two capacities, as Executive Director
of XYZ Foundation and Chief Executive Officer of the school. Under his leadership XYZ
School went from an after school program to a nationally recognized and highly awarded
arts school for both the school’s arts component and academics. He has earned numerous
of awards for his achievements in arts education and is highly involved in the arts
community. The Founder earned his Educational Doctorate degree from the University of
Southern California. In 2003, the founding principal makes this statement about the
Founder “I wanted to work for a true visionary and I got my wish… He generates ideas…
There’s no micromanaging or second guessing—all very fluid” (Stuht, 2003, p. 56).
The Chief Operating Officer is responsible for all aspects of the organization,
from the management and supervision of the school’s academic and arts instructional
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 70
programs to non-instructional support services including facility, food, technology,
finance, and budget. The COO meets with each and every arts conservatory director to
review and approve their annual budget. The COO joined XYZ School in 2001 as an
assistant principal at XYZ School. He was recommended to take the COO position by the
founding principal because he had a solid background in business and also because the
Founder and the COO had worked together as teachers developing trust and respect for
each other (O’Connor, 2009). In his tenure as COO, he was able to modify and
strengthen the financial structure of XYZ School. For exemplary financial work in
support of arts education, the COO has been recognized with the award of Non-Profit
CFO of the Year (XYZ School Website, 2013).
Board of trustees. A Board of Trustees consisting of five members governs
XYZ School because it is a Charter School. This Board of Trustees works with the
Executive Director as a governance team to ensure that the mission and objectives are
being met. The Board of Trustees oversees Policies, Calendar, Budget, Accounting,
Audits, Expenditures, Curriculum, Personnel, Plant Facilities, and Public Relations of
XYZ School. The Board has three members appointed by AUSD and two members
appointed by the XYZ Foundation Board of Directors. Of the five members, two
members have their J.D. degree, one member is a teacher from a nearby school district,
one member is a CFO of a local company, and one has a Ph.D.
In addition to the Board of Trustees, there is a XYZ Foundation Board. The XYZ
Foundation Board members were recruited by the Founder and the Director of Marketing
and Development because of their business and arts associations (O’Connor, 2009).
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 71
Development and administrative team. The Creative Director oversees all of
the major performances and productions of performing groups that have been with the
school since 1989. The Creative Director has extensive experience in professional
performances, dance education, and choreography for university dance teams, film,
television, commercials, professional sports teams, and stage production, including work
with many high-profile A-List celebrities. In addition, there is a Vice President of
Development & Marketing that has been with the school since 2003, but she first came in
as a consultant in 2000 to do public relations and marketing (Founder, personal
communication, November, 2013). Then there is a Conservatory Director for each of the
school’s conservatories. Some of the larger conservatories have assistant directors.
The Principal is responsible for the academic components and daily operations of
the arts conservatories at XYZ School. While most of the management personnel have
been at the school for at least a decade, the Principal has only been with the school since
the fall of 2012 coming from a public school setting with no arts related background.
Foundation advisory board. In addition to the XYZ Foundation Board
Members the Founder felt the need to create an XYZ Foundation Advisory Board. There
are two different groups: one group made of Community Partners and another group
made of Strategic Partners. The Community Partners are ambassadors for XYZ School
and assist with the development of the long term goals of the XYZ School Foundation.
While the Strategic Partners function to develop and foster partnerships with local
colleges. Both of the partnerships are made up of major arts organization leaders in the
community surrounding the greater Soto City area, along with major colleges and
universities such as the Thornton School of Music, USC, UCI Catholic Film School, and
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 72
UCI's music program. The Founder developed the relationships by singlehandedly
making the contact and fostering the relationships. These relationships are now
maintained by the art conservatory directors (The Founder, personal communication,
November 21, 2013).
Parent advisory committee. Another form of leadership is presented by the
parent involvement in the form of a committee that has been an integral part of XYZ
School that was developed in 2003. The purpose of this parent advisory committee is to
encourage networking and communication among the directors of each conservatory.
Each conservatory has its own Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). In 2003, the PAC
developed a cost analysis report to determine how much money was needed to run the
arts conservatory programs. Through this group, the COO and the parents determined
that it was better to have only four days of art instruction instead of five days without any
impact to the quality of education. This also assisted with the attendance rate that
showed that Friday’s students often missed their conservatory classes. This was a positive
change to the arts program because most of the families are commuter families and
having to be at school on a Friday afternoon until 5pm seemed to be exhausting for the
students and families. The restructuring of the arts program schedule also had the
following changes: the arts conservatories do not meet during the academic finals weeks,
the first week of the state testing, or the last week of the academic year.
The Founder explained that there are specific times set by the administration to
communicate issues related to personnel and budget every other week (personal
communication, November 21, 2013). There are weekly general meetings and bi-monthly
business-related meeting with the COO. There are instructional meetings that talk about
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 73
arts integration with the academic administration twice a month (Founder, personal
communication, November 21, 2013). In addition, a review of meeting minutes supported
and provided evidence of the Founder’s statements.
The questions in the Teacher Survey that helped answer question are noted in the
table below.
Table 7
Research Question 2 - Results from Teacher Survey
Questions: P2, P4, P5, P6, E4, E5, E6,
E8, and C5
Mean of all
Teachers
Mean of Arts
Conservatory
Teacher
Percentage of
All Teacher
Affirmative
Responses
P2: Teachers discuss student artwork,
assessment and arts instruction at grade
level/subject-alike planning meetings. 3.5 4.00 74.1
P4: Instructional leaders review
teaching outlines in the major arts
disciplines to ensure instructional
sequencing. 3.2 3.63 67.1
P5: A group of teachers meet regularly
to engage in professional dialogue
about instruction, individual student
needs, and learning outcomes in and
through the arts. 2.4 3.16 68.5
P6: There is a written school arts plan
that aligns with the district arts policy
and arts education plan. 3.3 4.58 62.7
E4: School administrators and staff
have an organized approach to arts
education that aligns with the school
wide instructional plan. 3.9 4.11 83.4
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 74
Note. Results expressed as the average of teacher responses made on a 5-point scale (1=Don’t Know, 2=
Never 3=Sometimes, 4=Often, and 5= A lot).
The data illustrates that 76.9% of all respondents were affirmative on the
leadership at XYZ School supporting the arts. The survey result conveys that 90% of all
respondents responded affirmatively about the explicit policies and practices that school
leadership makes it clear that arts education is a responsibility of the whole school and is
critical to the realization of the school’s mission and vision. The knowledge of the arts
conservatory teachers’ awareness about administrators and teaching staff monitoring the
appropriate placement of student in arts classes was higher than the academic teachers.
From the perspective of conservatory teachers there is a need to develop a written school
arts plan that aligns with the district arts policy and arts education plan. In addition, art
conservatory teachers surveyed express a need for administrators to review the master
class schedule.
Interview Analysis
Decision making. The interview questions that answered research Question #2
were: Q2, Q3, Q4, Q7, Q8, Q9, Q11, Q13, and Q16 noted in Appendix D. All the
Table 7, continued
E5: Administrators review the Master
class schedule to ensure access to arts
instruction for all students. 3.8 2.89 88.1
E6: Administrators and teaching staff
monitor the appropriate placement of
students in arts classes. 4.2 4.37 88.7
E8: Through explicit policies and
practices, school leadership makes it
clear that arts education is a
responsibility of the whole school and
is critical to the realization of the
school’s mission and vision. 4.3 4.53 90.8
C5: Parents participate in classroom
learning activities and field trips in the
arts. 2.4 2.84 68.4
Average Mean and Percentage 3.4 3.79 76.9
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 75
various stakeholders interviewed described the decision making process as a
collaborative approach. The responses always mentioned the Founder as the key player
and final decision maker.
The Curriculum Specialist expressed that the Founder and COO, along with
additional committee members, help determine how and what to market to meet the needs
of today’s students. She explained that the decision to have digital media as an art
conservatory was something that “10 years ago wasn’t something that was even thought
of but our kids today are into gaming and web design” (Curriculum Specialist, personal
communication, May 24, 2013). Thus, decisions to create a new conservatory are made
base on the skills students need to demonstrate their talent and also be marketable for
future careers. All the stakeholders work closely to determine arts trends and know what
is happening in the arts world as a way to figure out how to incorporate these trends and
needs into XYZ School’s arts curriculum and Arts Programs.
The key leadership person highlighted in all the interviews was the Founder.
Teacher 2 stated:
I think [the Founder] has the final say in everything. [The Founder] is the arts
guy. [The Founder] is the vision guy. That’s his passion. That’s what he wants to
do. Everything, I think, ideas get generated from him and get passed through him
and he’s the gatekeeper with all of that stuff (personal communication, May 24,
2013).
In addition, conservatory directors are also integral parts of the decision making process
and were referenced as determining what was needed to make changes to an arts
conservatory program. The arts directors were described as, “[The arts directors] are the
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 76
ones that know the Arts Programs and the ones that report to the Founder to make art
conservatory changes” (Teacher 2, personal communication, May 24, 2013). Teacher 2
mentioned that the Directors communicate to the Founder, “This isn’t working. We have
too many kids and we need more teachers and we need more facilities” (personal
communication, May 24, 2013).
Furthermore, Teacher 1 mentioned that the arts vision is not a top-down approach
but that once a vision is created for a specific arts program then the vision is
communicated to all the stakeholders. There is a communication process that generates
questions where all stakeholders including the administration, conservatory directors,
community, and parents are actively involved in finding solutions. This shared vision has
been established through the various opportunities to meet and be part of different
committees. Teacher 1 concludes that it is very much a collaborative effort:
Input and feedback are absolutely solicited. They are listened to. They are
welcomed even if they’re not … they haven’t been solicited. Opinions are always
listened to, but the final say certainly is with [the Founder] (personal
communication, May 24, 2013).
The Principal validates Teacher 1’s comments in regards to the decision making of the
Arts Programs at XYZ School by the following statement:
I guess that’s a team approach. Really the people who do the most work on that
are the conservatory directors. They are directly overseeing their individual
programs. They hire their own teachers. They are in charge of budgets and in
charge of creating their curriculum and creating their programs. I’m technically
their boss. Part of it is me working with them on more of the day-to-day types of
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 77
things. Then more of the big picture of strategy part of the arts is more of [the
Founder’s] job (personal communication, November 21, 2013).
In regards to the modifications and changes to an existing and established arts program,
the Principal explains that a “self-study process” has been done where art conservatories
evaluate the effectiveness of their Arts Programs by engaging in active research. This
self-study process has been done in the past and cited in the research (O’Connor, 2009).
According to the current Principal, this self-study process has not been done in the last
three to four years (Principal, personal communication, November 21, 2013).
In the current 2013-2014 academic year two arts conservatories are in the process
of creating a self-study where the conservatory directors write up the findings after
surveying their students, alumni, and parents by asking them if they feel like the program
was successful. Asking key questions such as “Were they prepared for college and
auditions for colleges?” Other components of the self-study are that the arts directors are
visiting other high schools and colleges to look at their specific arts curriculum. In
addition, the directors are conducting meetings with their own faculty of arts teachers to
talk about what is going well and what is not going well. They discuss what should be
changed for the future with recommendations of all the analysis being provided to these
two arts conservatories (Principal, personal communication, November 21, 2013).
Summary of Question 2
The emerging theme from Question 2 is the multiple levels of leadership present
at XYZ School. The Founder currently serves as the CEO and President of XYZ School’s
Board of Trustees. There are two Boards (the Board of Trustees and the Foundation
Advisory Board) that include art patrons and art leaders that serve to ensure the mission
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 78
and vision of XYZ School get supported. In addition, the Art Teachers, Academic
Teaches, and Art Conservatory Directors, along with the Parent Advisory Committee
ensure that the mission of the school gets fulfilled through their support and participation
in various school functions. Sub-themes of XYX School’s multiple levels of leadership
that were evident from the research findings of Question 2 is that there is transparency
and effective communication among all stakeholders that allows their vision to be
fulfilled.
Research Question 3: How are resources allocated at XYZ School?
Document analysis. There was a 95 student increase in the 2013-2014 academic
year bringing the total student enrollment to 1,920 with a school revenue of $20,120,094.
The sources for the revenue are: State ADA Funding of $12,245,388, Lottery Revenue of
$253,094, Special Education Reimbursement of $410,506, other State and Federal
revenue of $50,000, Facility Grants of $702,000, Parent Funding Contributions of
$4,600,000, Academic Excellence Fund contributions of $480,000, Leadership Revenue
Net of $40,000, Food Services income of $178,000, Miscellaneous income of $325,000,
XYZ Foundation Contributions of $714,000, and OPUS Fund Contributions of $121,785.
Resources/priorities. Total expenses in 2013-2014 were $17,952,271. Twenty-
seven percent of the expenses are related to administration salaries and related expenses
such as health care. Thirty percent of the expenses are related to the academic (credential)
teacher salaries and related expenses. Seventeen percent of the expenses are related to the
salaries of the Arts Programs. Expenses related to art instruction supplies accounted for
1.2% of expenses. One percent of expenses are related to other academic expenses.
Marketing accounted for 0.3%, and finally, 22% of the expenses are for school operations
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 79
such as: maintenance of facilities, utilities, general management, legal, technical, legal,
insurance, and the district oversight fee.
People. Since none of the arts conservatories can be funded from state funds, the
parents are the primary source of funding for the arts conservatory programs at XYZ
School. The parents agree to support the arts through the parent contribution agreement.
At the beginning of the school year, parents sign a parental financial agreement form,
which states the amount they will give in the form of donations or through fundraising
events. Statistically about 15-17% of the parents’ pledges do not get fulfilled and this
known shortfall is already accounted for in the school budget.
In addition to the financial agreement that parents sign at the beginning of each
academic year, another financial support that parents are able to contribute to the school
is via the Parent Support Organization (PSO). Through this PSO, parents pay $20 in
annual dues that help XYZ School’s faculty and staff make school a greater place to learn
and help make XYZ School an even greater place for students to discover themselves.
Over the past several years the school’s support has grown with over $25,000 going back
to XYZ School from the PSO.
Lastly, the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) involvement focuses on creating
social opportunities for parents within their child’s specific arts conservatory and
establishes two-way communication among the school’s staff and parents, which
encourages parent participation in marketing and fundraising activities.
Partnerships. The community partnerships developed since 1987 have helped
transition the Arts Programs from an afterschool program into the well-respected arts
school that XYZ School is today. These long-time donors have been integral in the
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 80
development and sustainability of the Arts Programs at XYZ School. The Founder
considers the partnerships with these donors as pivotal, “It was really some of those
donors that we have cultivated over our 13-year period that helped us with the move here
and then helped backfill the shortfall until we could get our business model fixed”
(personal communication, November 21, 2013).
These established partnerships contributed to the more than 560 supporters who
were in attendance for the 2013 XYZ School Performance Gala. This gala showcases the
year’s best performances of every arts conservatory with over 250 current XYZ School
student participants. This is a black-tie event that raised nearly $900,000 and a net raised
total of approximately $590,000 after expenses. If a student is casted to perform in the
gala, he or she must contribute $75 to help underwrite the associated cost of their
performance. This event consists of a “Fund-a-Dream” program that raised $242,636
which was $62,636 more than the previous year, a live auction that raised $57,000, and a
silent auction that raised more than $130,000, in addition to a pre-event online auction
that raised over $10,000 (XYZ News Article, March 25, 2013). The silent and live
auctions consisted of items donated by long time patrons of the arts such as: VIP Private
Jet trips to Las Vegas, Dinner and Wine Pairing with a Napa Rose Five Star Executive
Chef, and an Ultimate Disneyland Resort Package that included a “Dancing with the
Stars” experience. In addition, the live auction component included performances by
XYZ’s Jazz Quartet and String Trio, one of XYZ’s premier performing groups, and
holiday carolers.
The table below conveys the results that answer Research Question 3 from the
Teacher Survey.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 81
Table 8
Research Question 3 - Results from Teacher Survey
Note. Results expressed as the average of teacher responses made on a 5-point scale (1=Don’t Know, 2=
Never 3=Sometimes, 4=Often, and 5= A lot).
Based on the Teacher Survey the academic teachers stated that parents needed to
receive additional information on arts-related career pathways. An area of strength
viewed by respondents is that parents actively support the school’s arts program (e.g.,
chaperoning class trips, organizing an arts booster club, and attending arts fundraisers).
Because most of the funding comes from fundraising, it validates the perspective
demonstrated by respondents that 65.4% of the combined district, state and federal funds
budgeted includes collaborative planning in arts education for all arts disciplines.
Mean of all
Teachers
Mean of Arts
Conservatory
Teacher
Percentage of
All Teacher
Affirmative
Responses
E1: The school employs highly qualified
teachers in the visual and performing arts and
contracts with additional individuals and groups
with expertise in the arts. 4.6 4.9 96.3%
E2: School budget (combined district, state and
federal funds) includes collaborative planning
in arts education (including all arts disciplines).
3.2 3.4 65.4%
E3: Other community funding (teacher, grants,
donations, and bond, local tax) exists in arts
education (including all arts disciplines).
3.4 3.7 81.9%
C6: Parents actively support the school arts
program (e.g., chaperone class trips, organize
an arts booster club, attend arts fundraisers).
4.5 4.5 95.2%
C7: Parents regularly receive information on
arts-related career pathways.
2.9 3.8 80.7%
C8: Effective instructional relationships have
been established with the business community
to provide VAPA students with technical
resources, field knowledge, and/or skill-
building experiences that will help them
succeed in the workplace. 3.6 3.8 78.1%
Average Mean and Percentage 3.2 4.0 83.1%
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 82
From the research conducted by O’Connor (2009), there was evidence of
professional development to create a more unified academic and arts program into one
united school; however, these practices have been more recently abandoned from the
documents reviewed and analyzed that suggest a high amount of independence between
the academic and Arts Programs since 2009.
Interview Analysis
Interview questions that answered Question 3 were: Q4, Q5, Q8, Q10, Q14, and
Q15 noted in Appendix D.
The parent interviewed has been with the school for six years explained the
funding of the Arts Programs and resource allocation well:
I believe there are outside supporters, so I think that’s where a lot of the larger
funds come from, like a Segerstrom or outside arts that want to see it in school so
they support it. Then, our foundation is primarily the one that the funding comes
through. They have a huge gala that raises the funds to support the conservatory.
Then, each conservatory has a Parent Funding Agreement which is basically if
your student is in this, this is their allotted amount to donate during the year to
help support that conservatory to run, and they break down the budget so they talk
to the director. There’s one director in charge. Each conservatory has their own
director, and they’re in charge of giving a budget to the foundation or the business
office and say this is what my year looks like. They take those numbers and they
divide it by however many students are in that conservatory. That’s what they ask
parents to donate as well to support it. On top of that, they have all of those
additional larger funding that comes from the community and the fund from the
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 83
fundraising that help support it as well. That’s my understanding (personal
communication, May 24, 2013).
Summary of Question 3
The emerging theme from Question 3 is XZY School’s strong capacity to fund
raise through the school’s branding and established prestige. Through the Parent
Fundraising Contract, parents provide substantial donations and/or volunteer their time
and other resources, especially in cases where parents possess specific skills or
connections valuable to the school. The two Boards bring in art advocates and resources
to the school that otherwise would not exist at XZY School. The partnerships created by
some of the board members were instrumental in the sustainability of XZY School when
the school’s fundraising model needed to be established and revised.
Final Analysis
The organizational structure of XYZ School provides the research with the
opportunity to analyze a viable arts program through four perspectives known as Four
Frames (Bolman & Deal, 2003). Thus, final analysis using the Bolman and Deal’s Four
Frames (2003) of organizational leadership will be used to illustrate the findings in
Chapter 4 that support in answering the research questions of this study.
The structural frame emphasizes goals, roles, formal relationships, and the
rational side of the organization (Bolman & Deal, 2003). The document review,
interviews, and teacher survey results provide evidence that the Founder was able to
sustain and support the mission and vision of the purpose of XYZ School as a premier
arts institution. While there are specific leadership roles, it is a collective effort to
continue to refine and improve on the existing and evolving Arts Programs offered at
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 84
XYZ School. The addition of various new Arts Programs through the years show
continuous revisions are being made. The fact that this is a charter school means that a lot
of the bureaucratic issues that affect a traditional public school are not present at XYZ
School allowing the school leaders to react and modify programs quickly (Principal,
personal communication, November 21, 2013). All stakeholders including the Founder,
development and administrative teams, parents, students, classified staff, arts
conservatory teachers, and academic teachers understand the mission of the school and
are actively involved in supporting the Arts Programs at XYZ School. There are set
expectations that parents agree to support the Arts Programs through their Parent Funding
Agreement.
Consequently, the Founder of XYZ School has successfully created a “public
school of choice that operates according to the school's own design, with a minimum
amount of governmental oversight. The school is accountable to the terms of its charter
and is attended by students whose families select the program and is staffed by educators
who choose to teach at the site” (Good & Braden, 2000; O’Connor, 2009).
The human resource frame emphasizes needs, attitudes, skills, and the human side
of organization (Bolman & Deal, 2003). At XYZ School, the faculty have an extensive
amount of experience in education and as a whole the survey results illustrate the years of
experience in education being above 10 years on average. In addition, the Founder of the
school continues to lead the school in a leadership capacity through his various roles.
Although the Principal has only been at the school for less than two years, as mentioned
by the Founder, this can allow for new ideas to be generated. Furthermore, all
stakeholders are an integral part of the success of the various events and programs. All
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 85
stakeholders take part on the fundraising events either by volunteering their time or
financially supporting the Arts Programs. The Board of Trustees, Advisory Foundation
Members, XYZ Foundation Members are all respected and established community
leaders that support the arts.
A clear statement that solidifies the human resource frame was provided by the
Founder who stated:
You need to have a core group of people that are solidly believing the mission
that solidly embrace and believe and maintain the culture. Then you need some
mix of new people that come in with new ideas and fresh ideas in a new
perspective so you're constantly growing, you're constantly looking at new ways
of doing things, so I think you need to balance between the two. Yes, I do think
you need a core group of people that are going to live and breath and embrace the
mission, the core values, and the culture that you want to create (personal
communication, November 21, 2013).
The political frame examines power, conflict, and coalitions among those who have
vested interests to protect and advance the school within a context of scarce resources
(Bolman & Deal, 2003). At XYZ School the political frame we see that the mayor of
Soto City wanted to reintroduce the arts and thus welcomed the school to the city by
providing the seed money to get the XYZ School started. In addition, the first two years
of the school consisted of financial hardship whereby the Founder stated that if it was not
for the financial support of some benefactors subsidizing the school, the school would
have gone bankrupt (Founder, personal communication, November 21, 2013). He
concludes that the long-time donors were instrumental in taking the 13 year old after-
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 86
school arts program that existed between 1987 and 2000 to the current status of being a
well-respected arts school since 2000 (Founder, personal communication, November 21,
2013). The Founder attributes the sustainability of the school to these donors by stating
that these donors helped over the initial 13-year period to transform the program into a
prosperous school including periods of help to backfill the financial shortfall until the
school could get its business model fixed. The arts conservatory programs of XYZ
School rely solely on private and corporate donations totaling $5,000,000-$7,000,000
annually.
The symbolic frame explores how organizations create meaning and belief
through symbols, rituals, and ceremonies (Bolman & Deal, 2003). The Founder clearly
articulates the symbolic frame of XYZ School by stating:
The partnership between the rigorous college preparatory academics and the pre-
professional arts training, we serve a very unique student and I think that student
is always going to be there and I think we need to stay true to that mission,
because again we're preparing kids for higher education, we're preparing kids for
a profession in the arts. There not a lot of institutions that do it in my opinion and
there's not a lot of institutions that do this as well as we do, so I believe we'll be
staying true to that mission for a very long time (personal communication,
November 21, 2013).
XZY School offers Arts Programs that no other school offers and for 26 years it has
developed a brand that is nationally recognized for its arts and academic achievements by
staying true to the original mission set forth in 1987.
Conclusion
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 87
This chapter reviewed the findings, analysis, and interpretation of data for this
study. Data gathered at XYZ School provided answers to each of the three research
questions guiding this study.
The consistent, recurring themes covered in this study are that Viable Arts
Programs possess these five attributes:
1. School Branding
Throughout the 25 year history of XYS School, they have maintained a consistent
representation of their identity building a high amount of credibility among all
stakeholders.
2. Sound Vision
In addition, the mission statement and overall vision of XYZ School has never
been modified and has thus served as an unwavering purpose for their arts
program.
3. Committed Founder
Throughout changing times, the Founder’s persistent leadership has been
responsible for XYZ School’s unswerving identity building and steadfast
adherence to their vision.
4. Active Stakeholders
All levels of stakeholders play an important role in ensuring XYZ School’s
success by being active participants through their skills, time, and financial
contributions.
5. Effective Partnerships
Throughout the school’s existence, various partnerships have been formed with
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 88
key groups such as parents, donors, arts patrons, local businesses, and community
leaders that all believe in the vision.
The next chapter, Chapter 5, summarizes the findings, implications, and makes
suggestions for additional research on how schools obtain and allocate their resources to
build successful Arts Programs.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 89
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION
This chapter is divided in three sections: discussion, implications and
recommendations for further study as it relates to answer the research questions that
examine the key factors in sustaining Arts Programs at XYZ School. This chapter
summarizes the study’s findings, addresses the implications for the study’s participants
and the educational field, as well as offers a discussion emerging from the findings. The
study is one of eight case studies that add knowledge to this topic and provides evidence
to answer and fulfill the following three research questions:
1. What are the Arts Programs that exist at XYZ School?
2. How does leadership at XYZ School support the Arts?
3. How are resources allocated at XYZ School?
Summary of Findings
The findings from this case study are compared to the research presented by
Longley regarding Leadership Factors that contribute to successful District-Wide Arts
Education (Longley, 1999). Out of the 13 factors needed to acquire a viable arts program,
XYZ School has 10 of these components. The components of Leadership Factors
presented by Longley (1999) are:
1. Community
2. The School Board
3. Superintendent
4. Continuity
5. District Arts Coordinator
6. A Cadre of Principals
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 90
7. The Teacher as Artist
8. Parent / Public Relations
9. An Elementary Foundation
10. Opportunity for High Levels of Achievement
11. National, State, and Other Outside Forces
12. Planning
13. Continuous Improvement
XYZ School has factor one a Community of parents, families, artists, arts
organizations, businesses, local, civics, and cultural leaders and institutions that are
involved in the school’s Arts Programs. XYZ School has the support of Soto City, which
invited the school to relocate within its limits and held as part of a city-wide revival of
the arts movement (Founder, personal communication, November 21, 2013).
Factor two for School Board endorsement is present since the School Board of
Aaron Unified School District fully supports XYZ School.
Although, XYZ School does not have a Superintendent because it is a charter
school, factor three, the equivalent role in XYZ School is the Founder who holds the
position of Chief Executive Officer. The Founder of XYZ School has articulated a clear
vision for the Arts Education for the last 26 years and has stayed true to the mission and
vision established in 1987.
Factor four is ensuring enough Continuity of school and community leadership to
implement a comprehensive arts education and that is something that has been developed
in the last 26 years. This continuity has been especially prevalent within the last 13 years
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 91
since the relocation of the school to Soto City, where the program went from an after
school program to an all-inclusive 7-12 grade school with a prestigious arts focus.
Factor five of a District Arts Coordinator is achieved at XYZ School through the
arts directors’ roles for each conservatory. These key personnel are responsible for
implementing and facilitating a school system that maintains an environment of support
for the arts education.
Factor six, a Cadre of Principals, is not achieved at the present moment because
the Principal has no prior background in the arts. However, one can argue that the
current Principal does want to support the arts for all students in order to support the
school’s mission. There is no evidence that the Principal personally values the arts and
the professional development thus far does not incorporate the arts from the data and
document review.
Factor seven of Teachers as Artists is evident since most of the art teachers are
practicing artists that demonstrate a strong commitment to the arts wherein specialized
“master” classes are taught by well-known artists in their particular field.
Factor eight, Parent / Public Relations, is definitely present since the parents are a
key component to the school’s various fundraising efforts by employing a variety of
techniques to engage the school in supporting the various Arts Programs. In addition,
XYZ School students reach out in various community functions as part of the school’s
strong public relations initiatives. However, despite this exemplary involvement of both
parents and students, the rapid success of XYZ School has caused some public relations
issues with certain groups. An example of these growing pains is that the school has
struggled to provide the number of complimentary tickets to academic teachers that it
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 92
once did in order to have more tickets available for sponsors and other key groups. One
of the teachers interviewed mentioned this was a common earlier practice when the
school was smaller and students personally invited academic teachers to attend their
events where parents sponsored the complimentary tickets given to academic teachers to
increase their participation. This school expansion has led to a drop-off of academic
teacher attendance at events and the school should consider looking into ways to better
balance these opposing needs between ticket sales and academic teacher participation in
order to maximize participation by all key groups and thus maximize their overall public
relations efforts.
Factor nine of an Elementary Foundation does not presently exist because there is
no elementary school that directly feeds into XYZ School.
Factor ten regarding Opportunities for High Levels of Achievement is most
certainly present since XYZ School provides unparalleled arts educations through its 13
specialized arts conservatories.
Factor eleven of National, State, and Other Outside Forces is not as evident from
the data gathered. Although there is a consensus to follow the national policies and state
VAPA standards for Arts Programs at XYZ School, there is no actual federal or state
funding for XYZ School in any capacity (XYZ School Document Review, 2013).
Factor twelve, Planning, XYZ School has a comprehensive vision and plan for
arts education because it has maintained and followed the original vision set forth 26
years ago.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 93
Lastly, factor thirteen of Continuous Improvement is evident at all levels of the
school to improve the arts conservatory quality by engaging in self-studies and constantly
surveying the parents, students, and art teachers to improve their Arts Programs.
Discussion
This study sought to understand the accountability constraints, leadership traits,
school culture, and the decision-making in regards to the resource allocation practices of
XYZ School to determine the sustainability of Viable Arts Programs. In particular, this
study identified the unique characteristics that are believed to influence and promote a
viable arts program through the structure of the school, staffing, curriculum, and culture.
This study contributed to the limited literature and empirical research that existed with
respect to studying the influence of arts in student academic achievement. Furthermore,
this study contributed to the increased need for understanding the factors that promote a
sustainable and viable arts program in a secondary school setting. Finally, the study’s
implications and findings may prove useful to current and aspiring school leaders who
desire to develop a viable arts program.
This case-study highlighted elements that made this particular school successful
over their 26 years of operation. XYZ School is the only pre-professional, tuition-free
arts school established in 1987; a time when arts education was declining. Today, XYZ
School is a nationally recognized, award-winning public charter school. In addition, XYZ
School is an example of behaviors, processes, and documentation that are specific to the
charter school itself.
The Founder clearly articulated some of external factors that contribute to the
success of the school:
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 94
We applied for that grant back in 1987 when it was much like the economy has
been in the last five years [2008-2013]. The state budget was in a free fall and
most schools and school districts were cutting their Arts Programs as means of
budget cuts, saving money. We opened at a time where those students that really
had a passion for arts education and really wanted to flourish in arts there were a
lot for them, so we filled a needed void at that time (personal communication,
November 21, 2013).
The successful partnerships created since the beginning of the school’s inception has
been critical to the success of the school. In addition the Founder attributes the success
due to staying true to the mission and vision. The Founder clearly states:
The partnership between the rigorous college preparatory academics and the pre-
professional arts training, we serve a very unique student and I think that student
is always going to be there and I think we need to stay true to that mission,
because again we're preparing kids for higher education, we're preparing kids for
a profession in the arts. There are not a lot of institutions that do it in my opinion
and there are not a lot of institutions that do this as well as we do. So I believe
we'll be staying true to that mission for a very long time (personal
communication, November 21, 2013).
The specific actions, events, and organizational patterns presented in this research as well
as the previous research conducted by Strunt (2004) and O’Connor (2009) can assist
other arts schools to utilize some of the planning processes while informing these
institutions about the elements necessary to implement Arts Programs at the secondary
level (Stiegelbauer, Goldstein, & Huling, 1982; O’Connor, 2009).
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 95
Implications and Recommendations for Further Study
The Founder of XYZ School’s dissertation research highlighted the hallmarks of
excellence in nonprofit organizations as:
1. A clearly articulated sense of mission that serves as the focal point of
commitment to board and staff and the guidelines by which the organization
judges its success and makes adjustments over time.
2. An individual who truly leads the organization and creates a culture that enables
and motivates the organization to fulfill its mission.
3. And investment and committed volunteer board that relates dynamically with the
chief staff offers (XYZ Founder’s Dissertation, 1994).
XYZ School’s foundation has all these elements and, the researcher believes, it would be
ideal to further research fundraising efforts by non-profit organizations as a way of
specifically understanding their important role in non-government funded arts education.
Since the time of Plato and Aristotle to the present day, there is limited
knowledge and research that correlates the arts and student academic achievement. This
lack of correlation is in part due to limited research and consensus on definitive theories
related to the arts and any additional research to better examine this correlation would
also prove useful (Melnick, Witmer, Strickland, 2011; Gullatt 2008).
Furthermore, the views of arts education varies in the United States and changes
based on the political pressure of the time period. Gehlbach (1999), credits a major
obstacle to the progress in arts education to be the fact that there is no consensus within
the arts stakeholders regarding what arts education should consist of. These stakeholders
include student artists, art teachers, art educators, art advocates, and art proponents. It is
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 96
important that all of these stakeholders define “Arts Education” in a unified and
consistent manner so that the stakeholders can validate research recommending the need
to include the arts as part of the core curriculum provided to students.
It is important to take a second look at Gullatt’s (2007) recommendation to move
from the theoretical to empirical studies of the arts and student achievement and consider
Eisner’s (1999) idea of the arts to stand alone independently from other disciplines. It is
important to consider Winner and Cooper’s (2000) recommendation to not make causal
claims where only correlation was indicated (Melnick, Witner, & Strickland, 2012).
“Dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts have endured in all cultures throughout
the ages as a universal basic language” (Department of Education, 2001a, p. ix). It is
through the arts that a student acquires meaning and information that other subjects
cannot provide (Department of Education, 2001a). Thus, the arts have the ability to
provide a student with a well-rounded educational program that prepares students with
the skills needed for the 21
st
century and it is important to research these skills students
gain through the arts.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 97
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California: http://www.ucop.edu/agguide/
Vasquez Heilig, J., Cole, H., & Aguilar, A. (2010). From Dewey to No Child Left
Behind: The evolution and devolution of public arts education. Artes Education
Policy Review , 136-145.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 104
Walker, E., Tabone, C., & Weltsek, G. (2011). When achievement data meet drama and
arts integration. Langauge Arts , 365-372.
Weston, M. (2011). California's new school funding flexibility. San Francisco, CA:
Public Policy Institute of California.
Woodworth, K. R., Gallagher, H. A., Guha, R., Campbell, A. Z., Lopez-Torkos, A. M., &
Kim, D. (2007). An unfinished canvas. Arts education in California: Taking stock
of policies and practices. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 105
Appendix A
IRB Permission
[Date]
Dear [School administrator/representative],
I am a doctoral student at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles working
towards an EdD, focusing on Educational Leadership. I am currently working on my
dissertation and am looking for a school to examine as a case study, exemplifying some
of the best practices public schools that are actively committed in retaining arts education
in the face of high stakes testing and post No Child Left Behind. I would need to visit
[School’s name] for approximately 6 days this fall - to observe what goes on, to talk to
faculty and staff, to visit classes, to understand the school. From this visit, I will then
identify the best practices and the impact of the arts on school culture. While this case
study will form the basis for my dissertation at USC, it will also serve as a model to other
schools seeking to develop their own arts education program.
I would love to talk to you about this opportunity further when you have time. Though
the actual school visit would not occur until the fall, I am in the process of finalizing my
site selection. I hope that you would be agreeable to allowing me to study [School’s
name].
Sincerely,
Co-Pi’s Name
University of Southern California
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 106
Appendix B
Interview Protocol
Saving Arts in Schools
Interview Protocol
1. What Arts Programs currently exist on campus?
2. How did they get started?
3. Who is responsible for keeping these Arts Programs going? OR Who would you say
is the driving force for the arts program at this school?
4. How do they work to make sure that these programs keep going year after year?
5. When are the Arts Programs available to students?
6. Are there different levels that the students can take?
7. (If so) who decides which students are in which level?
8. How we know that the Arts Programs are successful? AND Who is involved in
evaluation process?
9. How are changes made to the program when necessary?
10. How were supplies and materials provided for these programs?
11. How was it determined that these were necessary?
12. How have these arts program changed within the last three years?
13. What changes are expected for the future?
14. Are there partnerships that exist between this school’s Arts Programs and the
community?
15. How were these partnerships formed and maintained?
16. Is there anything else that you would like to share with me?
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 107
Appendix C
Research Questions
This is a comprehensive list including, but not limited to, the following documents for
review.
Research Question #1
• Student Handbook
• Master Schedule
• SPSA
• WASC Report
• School Website
• Facilities Available/Designated
• Equipment Inventory
• Master Calendar
Research Question #2
• Budget
• SPSA
• Professional Development Agenda
• Bell Schedule
• Facility-Use Calendar
Research Question #3
• Budget
• SSC Minutes
• Board Meeting Minutes
• Master Schedule
• FTE Allocations for Arts
• ASB Club Accounts
• PTA/Booster Clubs
• 501(c)3 Foundations
• California Arts and Music Block Grant (categorical)
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 108
Appendix D
Faculty Survey
Faculty Survey
Years in this school _______Years in education ______Subject or content taught______
Directions: Please mark only ONE box for each question.
Features of Arts Programs Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
Pedagogy (P)
P1: The school offers a curriculum of
sequential, standards-based instruction in the
major arts disciplines (dance, film, music,
theatre and visual arts).
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
P2:Teachers discuss student artwork,
assessment and arts instruction at grade
level/subject-alike planning meetings.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
P3:Teachers use arts learning outcomes to
evaluate their curriculum and instructional
methods.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
P4: Instructional leaders review teaching
outlines in the major arts disciplines to ensure
instructional sequencing.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
P5:A group of teachers meet regularly to
engage in professional dialogue about
instruction, individual student needs, and
learning outcomes in and through the arts.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
P6: There is a written school arts plan that
aligns with the district arts policy and arts
education plan.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
P7: The arts curriculum meets the needs of
diverse populations of learners.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
Student Learning (SL)
SL1: Students are encouraged to draw on
their personal background and experiences to
inform their arts learning.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
SL2: A variety of artistic traditions are
explored from around the world.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
SL3; Art instruction emphasizes cooperation,
interactive learning, and team building.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
SL 4: Student arts learning outcomes are used
to evaluate the curriculum and instructional
methods.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
SL 5: Parents are provided with specifics
about their student’s progress in arts
learning/programs.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 109
SL 6: Periodic report cards document student
learning in key arts standards.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
SL 7: Arts curriculum includes real-life
applications that prepare students for
postsecondary education, focused training,
and eventual employment.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
Environment (E)
E1: The school employs highly qualified
teachers in the visual and performing arts and
contracts with additional individuals and
groups with expertise in the arts.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
E2: School budget (combined district, state
and federal funds) includes collaborative
planning in arts education (including all arts
disciplines).
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
E3: Other community funding (teacher,
grants, donations, and bond, local tax) exists
in arts education (including all arts
disciplines).
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
E4: School administrators and staff have an
organized approach to arts education that
aligns with the school wide instructional
plan.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
E5: Administrators review the Master class
schedule to ensure access to arts instruction
for all students.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
E6:Administrators and teaching staff monitor
the appropriate placement of students in arts
classes.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
E7: Supplemental learning materials,
adequate supplies and functional equipment
are available to students in all arts facilities
and courses.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
E8: Through explicit policies and practices,
school leadership makes it clear that arts
education is a responsibility of the whole
school and is critical to the realization of the
school’s mission and vision.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
Community (C)
C1: The school arts program enhances a
sense of community through fostering
improved relations across diverse student
groups.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
C2: Parents regularly receive information on
the importance of arts learning.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
C3: Parents regularly receive information on
how to encourage their student’s arts learning
in school and at home.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 110
* This survey was adapted from the School Arts Survey developed by Griffin Center for Inspired
Instruction for Arts for All, a program of Los Angeles County Arts Commission and Los Angeles County
Office of Education.
C4: Parents attend student exhibitions and
performances.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
C5: Parents participate in classroom learning
activities and field trips in the arts.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
C6: Parents actively support the school arts
program (e.g., chaperone class trips, organize
an arts booster club, attend arts fundraisers).
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
C7: Parents regularly receive information on
arts-related career pathways.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
C8: Effective instructional relationships have
been established with the business
community to provide VAPA students with
technical resources, field knowledge, and/or
skill-building experiences that will help them
succeed in the workplace.
Hardly Ever Sometimes Often A lot
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 111
Appendix E
School Observation Protocol
Name of Observer Date Time
Location Research Questions
1. What are the Arts Programs that exist
at XYZ school?
2. How does leadership at XYZ school
support arts?
3. How are funding decisions made at
XYZ school?
Physical Space
Define the physical
space of the
classroom.
• Geographical
• Physical
• EHS artifacts
• Arts program
artifacts
What is the
learning experience
for the students
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 112
(lesson objective)?
Participant
reactions to
physical setting.
Teacher and Students
Who are the
participants?
Demographic
information:
• Age
• Ethnic
• Gender
What are the
roles of those
being observed?
What is the
teacher doing?
What are the
students doing?
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 113
What was each
of the specific
participants
doing?
• Group
interaction
• Individual
action
• Passive
participants
• Active
participants
Role of the Observer
What am I
doing? What
is my role
throughout
the
observation?
Describe
some of my
interactions
with other
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 114
participants
throughout
the
observation.
How did my
interaction/
presence
affect the
observation
process?
Sequence of Events
Beginning
Middle
End
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 115
Appendix F
Classroom Observation Instrument
ARTS EDUCATION: Classroom Observation Instrument Title:
Site ____________________________ Location ________________________ Date:
_________Time:_________
Observer _______________________ Purpose for Visit:
______________________________________________
Activity Description
(s):___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What Learning Objectives were addressed:
FACILITIES/EQUIPMENT
In the space below, provide a brief description of the site including size of the space including size,
arrangement of furniture, distinguishing features.
Art is displayed in common areas? No Yes
Evidence of the arts being integrated into the curriculum? No Yes
Is the activity site accessible to all potential participants? No Yes
Are there projects underway? No Yes
Is participant work displayed? No Yes
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 116
Are there any unmet maintenance needs? No Yes
Please rate the following features of the physical environment at the site.
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
NA
Attractiveness of physical facility (freshly painted, good
lighting etc.)..
Condition, appropriateness, and quantity of
furniture............................
Ability to accommodate both large and small group
activities at same time ...
Availability of supplies/materials needed for the activity
..........................
Availability of books or other reading
materials......................................
Attractiveness to
children/participants..........................................
Overall room/facility
rating……………………………………………
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 117
Appendix G
Reflection Tool
Arts Education: Reflection Tool
School Organization
(Bolman & Deal)
Evidence (circle one) Notes
(Description/Examples)
1. Structural:
School organization emphasizes
environment, goals, and policies,
etc.
None Some Most NA
2. Human Resource Frame:
School organization emphasizes
relationships, skills, and needs, etc.
None Some Most NA
3. Political Frame:
School organization emphasizes
politics, power, and competition,
etc.
None Some Most NA
4. Symbolic Frame:
School organization emphasizes
rituals, ceremonies, and stories,
etc.
None Some Most NA
5. Other:
__________________________
__________________________
________________________
None Some Most NA
Art is integrated successfully into
the curriculum
None Some Most NA
Allowing participants to practice
an art skill.
None Some Most NA
Projects/Products/Presentations/Pe
rformances that are visible during
the session (circle those that
apply)
None Some Most NA
Other:
___________________________
None Some Most NA
Overall session rating (circle one): Poor Fair Good Excellent
Misc:
________________________________________________________________________________________________
FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS 118
Appendix H
Timeline for Study
TIMELINE FOR STUDY Completion of the Qualifying Exam and successful completion
of IRB will be done prior to entering the field and collecting data. The timeline for data
collection and analysis is presented below:
Event Date
Research Methods
Complete and Pass Qualifying Exam May 2013
Complete IRB Process May 2013
Establish contact with a school for the
case study, coordinate with principal the
dates for observations and interviews
June 2013
Conduct interviews with 5 school staff
participants
June 2013
Interview Document Collection
Attend scheduled faculty meetings as
scheduled
June 2013
September 2013
Observation collection
Conduct informal observations
June 2013
September 2013
October 2013
Observation Document
collection
Conduct interview with founder and
principal
November 2013
Interview Document Collection
Write Chapters 4 – 5
November 2013-
December 2013
Dissertation Defense February 2013
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
119
Appendix I
Observation Narratives
Observation 1: Music Festival
The first observation the researcher conducted was by attending a “Music
Festival”. Having never visited or been on the school campus, the researcher quickly
parked in the guest parking area. Friendly students were eager to answer and guide the
researcher to understand the event a little better by answering and explaining the event
setup and schedule. There was a tent with a table to buy what seemed to be an admission
wristband, but this wristband policy didn’t seem to be enforced. When the researcher
asked what the bracelets where for the parent and student volunteers did not know exactly
how to answer or explain why some students had a red wristband while others had a blue
wristband.
From the researcher’s perspective, admission to the event was almost on the
“honor code” system so that buying a bracelet supported the students performing in the
event and the school. When the researcher went back and looked at the school’s daily
newsletter, the explanation for the wristbands was: “Wristbands will be sold at the event
for $3.00 cash or XYZCard, [Food] truck will be in the staff lot from 1:30 to 2:30 pm and
will be open for anyone to buy food, but people with [Music Festival] wristbands will get
priority in line”. The researcher did not see the priority or utility of the wristband, except
as a form of school support for the arts.
This event, as explained by the Leadership Teacher, was an event that showcased
the talent at all grade levels with priority given to upperclassmen. Students had to
audition and teacher judges volunteered their time to evaluate the performances. The
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lineup selection of the bands and student performances was very difficult because the
students have a lot of talent (personal communication, May 31, 2013).
Students waiting to perform, passed the time by dancing to their fellow band
competition and by actively listening to all performances. Parents recorded their
children’s performances on their video recording devices. Friends and family members of
the performances danced and clapped after every song performed. Between 1:30pm and
3:00pm the researcher saw a lot of students, parents, teachers, and administrators present.
About 100 to 120 people attended the Music Festival in total.
Observations 2 & 3: Academic Professional Development
The entire Academic Staff meets three times a year: at the beginning of the fall
semester, beginning of the spring semester, and at the end of the spring semester. The
Professional Development days took place on a Friday and students received a pupil free
day. The Professional Development started at 8am and ended at 2pm. The researcher’s
first observation of the Professional Development was at the conclusion of the 2012-2013
academic school year.
The focus of the Professional Development was on Common Core Standards and
the skills students needed to possess to be competitive. This Professional Development
was lead by the Learning Specialist and Principal. The staff meeting was scheduled to
begin at 8am but some academic teachers arrived after 8am and even still calmly grabbed
some of the continental breakfast provided before finding an open seat. Because there
were not enough tables for everyone, some teachers sat along the wall in chairs. One
teacher was knitting while another was on her iPad and others simply socialized and
conversed about students often sharing anecdotal experiences of their year. Meanwhile
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121
the Principal was setting up and having informal conversations with the two Assistant
Principals. The overall environment was very relaxed and easy-going. The meeting
began with the Principal mentioning and acknowledging some staff members and opened
the floor for other teachers to acknowledge their peers, a tradition, established by the
founding principal (O’connor, 2009)
After the morning portion of the Professional Development, the staff went to a
catered lunch provided by the Parent Hospitality Committee. The teachers got to interact
with one another and their conversations all were focused on student academic
achievement reflecting on what worked and what didn’t. The staff gave the researcher
insight on their decision to work in a school that does not have tenure, which was due to
the academic school environment that promotes learning and collaboration (personal
communication, June 6, 2013).
After lunch, teachers went to their specific sessions, which allowed them to
cross-collaborate with one another and discuss various instructional practices and
assessments. The Professional Development meeting concluded with a parent
presentation about an online math program using a well-known computer provider and
wished for teacher to pilot this new program in their classroom. The parent works for the
computer company and wanted to offer his connection and develop a way to assist the
school.
The second Professional Development meeting the following academic year
began with a similar structure as described above. This time the conversations were
around the fact that the continental breakfast did not provide coffee. A teacher shared a
dream about having 50 students in a classroom and feeling overwhelmed by the
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
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administrator’s decision to do such a thing. Meanwhile a teacher is trying to access the
password to a teacher recommendation database to assist students to apply for college.
The principal begins with the “Arts-Acknowledgements” for helpful colleagues that
substitute for each other or bring diet coke for each other. The informality of the structure
was evident by one of the teachers interrupting and announcing her departure from XYZ
School. Despite the informality of the proceedings, this meeting had academic content
and focused on revisiting the skills that students at XZY School should have.
Unfortunately, for the second Professional Development observation the researcher was
not able to observe the afternoon component.
The Professional Development meeting focused mostly on the academic
performance with teachers expressing concerns that students keep up with their academic
responsibilities despite their various after school activities. Teachers shared that students
needed to use the online assignment database and attend their optional 7
th
period study
hall to catch up if needed.
Observation 4: Academic Back-to-School Night
The academic night started at 6:00pm with parents beginning to arrive at 5:30pm.
There are tables of parents selling food along the wall of the main academic building and
another table of parents greeting attendees saying, “Help support your Parent Funding
Agreement at XYZ School”. There was a sign that highlights the money fundraised by
the Parent Support Organization to date showing that $18,859 had been raised since the
beginning of the academic year. The sign had a detailed description of the different things
this money had been able to fund for the academic year. Before the meeting, parents
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
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socialized and supported the food fundraisers and purchased XYZ School clothing with
the school logo and tailored for the specific conservatory.
The academic back-to-school night was only for parents as students were
explicitly not requested to be present. Parents follow their students’ schedule and
attended a 10-minute presentation by their academic teacher. Promptly at 6pm parents
made their way to the academic classrooms, again following their children’s schedule.
Most of the teachers had a brief printout of the syllabus and grading policy explaining
what topics and expectations they had for students. Most teachers mentioned that they
could be reached by email and also explained the importance of attendance. One of the
English teacher’s presentations stood out because she explained a recent lesson given to
students that incorporated a magazine advertisement and how the advertisement’s
imagery was successfully incorporated into the class’s academic content. The explanation
was symbolic of arts integration and making a connection to media and the arts.
Observation 5: Class Observations
The researcher attended three academic classrooms for approximately 20 minutes
each. The first classroom visited was a history class, which started with a silent reading
activity that included a handout. The handout had visuals and students had to complete it
within the time provided. During this time the teacher met with the absent students to
explain to them the tasks they missed. In this particular day students were reviewing the
votes on the various political parties that the class had voted on. The party with the most
votes was the “flower party”, which designed a flower for the symbol of the party and
this symbolic image captured the voters. In addition to the arts being integrated into the
history curriculum, there was also evidence that this classroom was used for an arts
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
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conservatory classroom because the cabinets along the wall contained art projects, posters
and arts materials.
The second classroom was a chemistry class, which used gummy candies to
illustrate chemical bonds showing a positive and negative bond. Students then drew
diagrams of chemical bonds in their handouts. Evidence of students’ artwork was on
display via student illustrations that demonstrated the chemistry lab rules. The classroom
walls also had posters created by students that illustrated the elements of the periodic
table. The use of art in the form of drawings was evident in the work displayed by
students.
The third classroom visited was a health classroom. Students were actively
participating in a lesson about addiction. In this particular activity students had to choose
four things each from the categories of people, possessions, skills, and things, and had to
get rid of their possessions and people important in their life. Some students’ reaction in
losing their instrument or art skills showed devastation in losing their art form. At the end
of the activity students reflected on losing their dear things in their notebooks and got to
paste the few remaining possessions in their notebook. This classroom also had evidence
of students’ art in the form of colorful graphs with media art on the bulletin boards. The
researcher had an informal talk with the teacher who expressed that the classroom often
times is not put back by the arts conservatory teacher. He has to arrange his classroom
seats in the morning and he often didn’t know what to expect because often times the
classroom was not put back by the art teacher. Along one wall, the only evidence of this
classroom being used in the afternoon by the arts conservatory were the arts
conservatory’s class rules on a white 8x10 inch paper.
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
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That same day at 2:30pm the researcher was able to visit the art conservatory
classes with the company of the Principal. The researcher was able to observe a make-up
class with seven students (two boys and five girls). These students were working with
the art instructor who was a make-up and hair artist. Together, they gathered at a table
and had a very informal setting conversing and researching the hairstyles of the 1920s for
their upcoming performance. The initial research of the hairstyles was done using a
student’s laptop and students’ cellphones. The art instructor scaffolded the process of
creating the hairstyle on one of the student’s hair and then the other students practiced
hair and make-up technics with one another’s hair. This art class was on the 6
th
floor of
the academic building and evidence of the academic content was seen throughout the
walls. Yet, students located and retrieved the arts materials needed for the hair and
makeup activities without any difficulty.
In this make-up class there were about 11 students. Two students sat on their own
socializing because as they explained to the teacher they had already practiced their
make-up assignment. Two other students worked independently in completing the make-
up assignment, first cleaning the make-up brushes, and then proceeding to look in a
mirror and began to apply their make-up.
After visiting the make-up class the researcher and the Principal walked down a
flight of stairs and crossed the street to the Arts Center where all the art classrooms were
open. The researcher was able to observer two art classes. One of the art classes had
about nine students. The students surrounded the display in the center that they were
trying to paint while the art teacher walked around and gave each student individual
feedback about the lighting and recommendations on how to create shadows and lighting
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
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in their paintings. Because the Arts Center is not shared by the academic classrooms, this
painting experience was closely aligned to what a professional canvas painter would
experience in their own studio with respect to materials, lighting, and overall setting.
The second art classroom was a watercolors classroom that had 23 students
producing their art at tables working on one of three different projects. Students mostly
worked independently as the teacher worked with students coming up for guidance and
feedback.
Observation 6: Symphony Performance
The symphony performance took place in the Symphony Hall with an attendance
of approximately 200 people of all ages. Tickets to the performance were $10 each and
were sold by parent volunteers. Parent volunteers also sold cookies, water, and candy.
One of the fundraisers that night was to “Send your Performer a Candy Gram”. The
candy grams and notes ranged from $10 to $1 ring pops. Flowers were also sold and
ranged from $2 to $20.
The performance had in place all the rituals of a traditional symphony
performance that one would experience while attending a professional symphony
performance. The conductors explained the pieces and highlighted elements that the
audience should look forward to in the music. During the intermission the students,
parents, and administration all mingled together. The researcher’s perspective of the
performance along with the remarks of the other attendees expressed that the quality was
far beyond what one would experience in a typical high school. Furthermore, the night’s
highlight was of a current 16 year old XYZ School’s composer, who created a special
symphony for XYZ School that was played at the L.A. Philharmonic. This current
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
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student and composer went up on stage and explained her piece with great confidence
before it was played by the school symphony orchestra. The highlight of the symphony
was a long series of 16 thematic performances from the complete set of eight Harry
Potter movies, which you could tell was especially relevant to the school’s student
population.
Observation 7: Arts Conservatory Back-to-School Night
The researcher visited the newest arts conservatory back-to-school night for the
Culinary Arts Conservatory. The conservatory met in one of the dance rooms in the first
floor of the seven-story academic building. As with other meetings and events, the
parents arrived promptly. The Culinary Director explained the development and changes
to the conservatory since the previous academic school year and opened the floor for
parents to ask questions. During this time the director explained that he was hoping to get
feedback from the parents to determine if they would be interested in having their
students get an associate degree in culinary arts or if they just wanted the students to get
exposure to culinary arts. He passed out a survey that parents completed and returned that
same night so that he could determine what to invest his energy in. Based on the students’
and parents’ interest he will develop and modify the program’s curriculum accordingly.
The Director wants to put his energy in creating courses that give the students the basic
culinary skills while getting UC/college approved credits. The director explained that the
culinary conservatory is rather new and that the course sequence and skill development is
not completely finalized yet. He is very forthcoming about his consistency in uploading
documents and information for parents through the school’s website. One of the parents
volunteered to be his assistant and help him upload the documents to the school website
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
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to assist students when they are absent. After the survey, the Director opens the floor to
the Culinary Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). The parents in the PAC explained the
upcoming culinary mixer for parents to attend that would include a fundraising raffle
composed of ~$20 prize donations from parents such as specialty gifts, wines, or any
food to share.
Observation 8: Preview Day
The preview day sessions occur three times a year. Prospective families are asked
to register online and select from one of the three preview days to attend in order to avoid
overcrowding. The preview days provide parents and students with first-hand access to
an “overview” of the school’s campus, Arts Programs conducted by the Founder and
CEO/President, and members of the school administration and conservatory art directors.
School Overview Presentation
The preview day starts at 9:30am and ends around 1:30pm. A prospective family
could attend up to four conservatory presentations after they register for the “the School
and Academic overview”. The Founder welcomes families promptly at 9:30am
introducing himself and welcoming the families. He then plays a five minute
promotional video that highlights the structure of XZY School. The Founder then
provides an overview and introduces the Principal, who then takes the lead to answer
questions from the audience. The school overview concludes with a one-on-one question
and answer session where prospective families can ask specific questions directly with
the Founder and Principal. In closing, the Founder explains that by agreeing to attend
XYZ School, parents and students agree to “be a partner”.
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Preview of Film and Television Conservatory
The Film and Television Conservatory welcomes potential parents and students
with free pastries and water. The location of the preview is the actual production studio of
the Daily News with a small maximum classroom capacity of about 20 people. The
Director of the Film and Television Conservatory is accompanied by two student
volunteers and a current parent in the conservatory. The Director explains that the size of
the conservatory and specific classes account for the maturity and age of the students.
Thus there are no 7
th
or 8
th
graders in this conservatory. Following by a brief overview of
the conservatory, the Director permits the current students to talk about the projects they
are learning. The Director then welcomes the current conservatory parent to voice the
skills and benefits of joining XYZ School.
The Director highlights that beyond the skills that the students gain in this
conservatory, the ultimate goal is for students to “appreciate the arts” and become patrons
of the arts in the future. The Director wants students to become advocates for the arts,
even if they decide to pursue careers well outside the arts. The preview concludes with
the Director explaining the admission process and what each specific concentration
entails. An example is given that if someone would want to join the Film and Television
Conservatory, prior experience is not necessary, but a passion to tell a story is. As a 9
th
grader less experience is acceptable, but coming in as a 10
th
grader, more experience is
required. The Director explains the class size for a given course is less than 20 students to
allow students to have one-on-one experience with the equipment. The parent of the
student that spoke earlier expresses that the summer program is a wonderful place to start
and be introduced to XYZ School.
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
130
Commercial Dance Preview Presentation
The Commercial Dance has about 80 prospective members in this session made of
both students and parents. Instructor mentions the number of students accepted in the
academic year being about 50 students. She emphasizes that the headshots used for the
audition process should closely resemble the students and not be overly glamorized.
Admission to 7
th
and 8
th
grades is easier than 9
th
grade. She gives students tips about the
audition process, “I wouldn’t advise in the interview to use 2 skills; if you want to be a
dancer, be a dancer.” The Director explains the live audition, which is a “nerve-racking”
experience, but they are applying for a performing arts school and they must feel
comfortable to perform.
The Music and Theater Conservatory Preview Presentation
The presentation was conducted in one of the dance studios with about 80
perspective students and parents present. The Director dynamically introduced himself
with quite a bit of his own theatrics. He then went on to explain the handout being passed
out covering the curriculum and the specific conservatory achievements. The Director
comments that the preview day gives information that others don’t have. The Director
then highlights the importance of students to be in school explaining that if a child is an
active actor out on regular auditions during school time, this is not the school for that
child. He emphasized the purpose of XYZ School is to get the training needed to be
successful in the specific art forms of interests to the students. He is very frank of the
reasons why not to enroll in XYZ School stating not to come here if you want to be a star.
He states that there is no formula to becoming a star and that XYZ School’s intent is not
to make stars, but rather to give students the discipline and skills to be successful
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
131
equipped for the professional or collegiate path. The Director finished by giving the floor
to a current senior student in the conservatory, who although highly skilled in the arts,
has not gotten the lead in various performances that she auditioned for in order to
highlight how competitive the industry is and that stardom should not be the goal.
After highlighting that XYZ School is not for someone only partially invested in
the arts, he continues by stating, “Some of the things look fun, not all of them are, there
will be classes you like and don’t like, we want you to take them all, it is work.” He
concludes with stating how proud he is in the breadth of curriculum, the exposure and
access to the studios, the variety of specific skills learned, and the overall appreciation of
the arts at XYZ School. The conservatory prepares students for anything they may
encounter professionally by being conversant in a wide variety of arts.
The Directory emphasizes that the teaching staff are working at local Art
Colleges, in current performances, and that students may have the same classes with
professors that have taught at XYZ School. Students may also cast among XYZ staff and
have constant interaction with alumni and XYZ School students. Furthermore, students
have lots of opportunities to practice and be part of shows, for example in October there
has already been a play, two musicals, and currently there are seven performances in
rehearsal. As he elaborates, “there is always something going, a lot of opportunities,
professional partnerships, Disney, casting directors, successful alumni, college recruiters,
and master classes.” The Director ends the presentation with audition requirements giving
specific tips about what he wants to see in the audition videos of perspective students to
show him, “the best you.”
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
132
The Folklorico Dance Preview Presentation
This presentation has a total of five family members including two perspective
students. The Director highlights the academic components of XYZ School. She states
that her daughter is a current senior working on college applications by acknowledging
her presence at the preview meeting. The Director emphasizes that this school is unique
because of the elective class selection such as ballet, tap, and modern dance. She goes on
to state that although XYZ School is not a traditional school, the school offers similar
traditional school events like homecoming.
After talking about the Spanish placement requirements, the Director returns to
talk about the audition process for the Folklorico conservatory. She explains the judging
for audition process and that it will be composed of a judging panel that will most likely
be her mother (a dancer herself), two additional staff members, and herself. She mentions
that because outfits are purchased as a group for the entire conservatory to use, there is a
lot of fundraising involved and it is a group effort. She points out the current food sale
being done and to help support the conservatory by buying tamales downstairs. She also
mentions successful fundraisers done in the past such as reusable bags, Sees candy, and
car washes. She concludes that the fundraising efforts are “a family affair.”
The Director provides the families with specific tips to increase their chances of
getting accepted into one of the conservatory by explaining that it is best to apply to more
than one conservatory since each conservatory has a limited amount of space. For
example she proceeds to explain that Folklorico has limited slots depending on the grade
level and that spots open up for different reasons often only accepting students from a
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
133
waiting list many weeks into the start of the academic year. However, once you are in
Folklorico, you are in for the duration of your academic career at XYZ School.
The Director then provides the attendees with a brief history of Folklorico at XYZ
School. She mentions that in 2000, her own Folklorico non-profit group became aware
that there was an arts school in downtown Soto City, through a XYZ School board
member. She welcomed a partnership to rent the dance studios and in return her
Folklorico group could assist XYZ School in the recruitment of students because she
mentions that as part of the charter requirements, 30% of the XYZ Students have to be
local students. The Folklorico Conservatory began small with only 13 students, but after
two years of being a part-time employee, XYZ School was able to offer the Director a
full time position.
Visual Arts Conservatory Preview Day Presentation
The visual arts presentation was conducted in the art gallery where about 90
prospective parents and students attended this particular information session. Before
arriving to the art gallery one had to walk past the art rooms where student art work was
on display. The visual arts presentation was made in the form of a panel style. The panel
consisted of the arts director, a teacher, and two students. The Director began the
presentation by making reference to the entrance application that was accessible on the
XYZ School’s website. She then explained that the audition process consisted of two
rounds. For the first round students had to drop off copies of four art pieces and a
paragraph of why you want to be in the visual arts. Round two consisted of a full live
audition, three Director-led drawing exercises, and submission of 15-20 original pieces
from the student’s art portfolio. While the students are conducting the drawing exercises,
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
134
XYZ School art teachers score the art pieces over a three hour process. This process was
carefully formulated to capture the student’s overall visual arts skills.
The Director explains the class sequence and curriculum stating that there are
basic drawing classes and the specific skills developed in each grade level. A handout is
given to the potential parents and students that highlight the schedule of gallery shows
and the potential families are invited to come to the shows. One of the current art students
speaks about the skills gained through visual arts explaining the connection of the visual
arts to her anatomy class, “I am flexible, leaning maybe towards the sciences.” Knowing
about anatomy and how organs work allows her to integrate this knowledge in to her
visual arts and be critical and understand how the body works by being able to draw the
organs. She even makes reference to a research project in one of her academic classes
how arts education impacts learning, making references to cognitive growth, academic
growth, art recognition, math, and science observational skills. The student concludes
that this is all experience that “normal students don’t have.”
The presentation concludes with information that the 7
th
grade has spots for 20
students and the acceptance rate is only 10%. The Director emphasizes to prospective
students to take the audition very seriously, stating, “Take it serious, everyone is ‘the best
in their school’ her and the school is very impacted, work hard, the 7
th
graders are
amazing.” One of the art teachers expresses that students in visual arts tend to be
introverted, but since they are with their peers they become social in their activities
bonding over similar art interests. Students develop friends from other conservatories to
complete an academic project. Furthermore, he illustrates that the art gallery is open at
lunch and that students come to the gallery to see the artwork produced by their peers.
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
135
Lastly, the teacher highlights that the visual arts conservatory experience is as real as any
artist will experience because it has its own art rooms and art gallery.
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
136
Appendix J
Conservatory Details
The Classical and Contemporary Dance Conservatory
In the Classical and Contemporary Dance Conservatory students develop the
technical skills, discipline, commitment, and competitive edge necessary for a
professional career in dance or dance-related fields by being exposed to modern ballet,
pointe/men’s class, variations, composition and choreography. Students in this
conservatory have the opportunity to participate in classes with local and world-
renowned choreographers, called “master classes”. This opportunity is granted through
the “Artists in Residence Program”. This program offers the professional artist and
student dancers to have 15 hours of rehearsals in addition to technique classes. Students
in the Classical and Contemporary Dance Conservatory can take the following courses as
part of their curriculum: Ballet, Modern, Pointe/Men's, Choreography/Composition,
Dance History, Pilates, Yoga, Stage Make-up/Hair, Acting, Contact Improvisation and
Costume Design.
Classical Voice Conservatory
In the Classical Voice Conservatory students learn the fundamental elements of
music such as theory, musicianship, history, and diction. There are also piano classes as
well as classes focused on solo and ensemble singing such as art song literature, music of
the theatre, opera scenes, choral ensembles, and voice class. Students in this
concentration take classes such as Beginning Musicianship, Theory/Musicianship (levels
I, II, & Advanced). Concert Choir, Operetta, Music History, Italian Diction, German
Diction, CV Chorale, Chamber Singers, Opera Scenes, Art Song Literature, Bel Canto
Singers, Vocal Forum, and Opera from Scratch. Students in this conservatory have
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
137
“master classes”, guest lecturers, field trips, and collaborations with various professional
ensembles and performers. In 2012 some of the students in this conservatory visited
London where they had the opportunity to go to Town Hall Birmingham and the
Westminster Center Hall.
Commercial Dance
In Commercial Dance students get the opportunity to receive technical instruction
in a variety of dance forms and styles. Students in this conservatory take: Ballet,
Choreography, Dance Conditioning, Dance History, Hip-hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern,
Professional Development, Tap, and Thera-barre Ballet. Students are exposed to guest
artists and professional choreographers expose students to current and innovative dance
forms in the commercial dance industry.
Creative Writing
Students in the Creative Writing Conservatory are exposed to the greatest literary
writers and have classes to learn to write poetry, essays, dramatic pieces, short stories,
song lyrics, film scripts, and novels. Students in this concentration collaborate with other
conservatory students to improve and finish their work for publication in the school’s
literary magazine. Students in this concentration have an extensive list of courses to
choose from such as: Biography, Children's Literature, Creative Essay, Experimental,
Fiction, Feminine Perspective, Flash Fiction, Major Author Study, Novel Writing About
Food, Playwriting, Poetry, Screenwriting, Short Story, Song Writing and Submissions
and Publications.
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
138
Culinary Arts and Hospitality Conservatory
Students in this conservatory learn the fundamentals of culinary arts, its operation
principles, and different types of cuisines. Students learn the principles of the operations
of the school cafeteria by being active participants of the daily operations of the school
cafeteria through a balanced curriculum of both learning-centered instructional methods
and hands-on practical lessons. The hands on experience goes beyond the classroom
because students have the opportunity to participate in a student-run restaurant and the
catering of school functions.
Digital Media Conservatory
Through the Digital Media Conservatory students develop their skills in
animation design, games, and interactive technology. Students can take the following
classes: Media Fundamentals, 2D Animation, 3D Animation (I and II), Motion Graphics,
Mobile App Design I, Character Design, Game Prototyping, Game Design (I and II), and
Visual Communication.
Film & Television Conservatory
In the Film and Television Conservatory students are exposed to production,
editing, directing, screenwriting, audio design, cinematography, film history, industrial
video production, industry prep, and documentary filmmaking through a diverse course
selection ranging from: Experimental Film, Advanced Digital Media, TV Production (I,
II, & III), Film, Advance Editing, Industrial Video Production, Film History,
Cinematography (I & Advanced), Editing, Screenwriting, Directing, and Industry Prep.
One of the benefits of being in this conservatory is that students can have the experience
of producing a live daily school news show by reading the daily news bulletin, which
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
139
broadcasts announcements to the entire school over closed-circuit television. In addition,
students have guest speakers with industry professionals and participate in industry field
trips. Students can also take master classes with Film and Television professional
artists. Lastly, students in this conservatory can film other conservatory and community
events as part of the curriculum.
Instrumental Music Conservatory
Instrumental Music Conservatory is the most expansive conservatory offering six
music sub-programs: Commercial Music Program, Frederick Fennell Winds Program,
Guitar Program, Jazz Studies Program, Orchestra & String Program, and Pianist
Program. Students in this conservatory have a core curriculum program that all students
have to take regardless of what music sub-program they are in. The core curriculum
consists of Theory (I, II, and III), History (I & II), Symphony Literacy, Audio, Piano for
non-Pianist, Composition, Conducting, Improvisation for non-Jazz musicians, Music as a
Business, and Music Technology (I & II). All students have exposure to famous
composers and artists in the industry and attend festivals and field trips.
Winds Program
Student specializing in the Winds Program curriculum consist of: Concert Band,
Wind Master Classes: Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Saxophone, French
Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, and Percussion, Percussion Ensemble, Brass Quintet
and Woodwind Quintet.
Guitar Program
In the Guitar Program students can take courses such as: Guitar, Orpheus Guitar
Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Jazz Guitar Ensembles (I & II), Guitar History/Master
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
140
Class, Guitar Jam Session, Chamber Collaboration, Flamenco Guitar (I & II), and
Guitar/Vocal Collaboration.
Jazz Studies Program
The Jazz Studies Program allows students to take: Beginning Jazz Workshop,
Ambassador Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Combo 1, Standards (I & II), Latin-Jazz Ensemble, and
Jazz Theory & History.
Orchestra & String Program
Orchestra & String Program allows students to be part of three different
orchestras: String, Concert, and Symphony String. Students can take classes in Chamber
Music, Violin Sectional, Viola Sectional, and Low Strings Sectional. Through this course
selection students are to be part of small chamber groups and sectionals where students
learn performance, technique, and maintenance focused on their orchestra instrument.
Pianist Program
Students in this conservatory take Piano, Piano Sight Reading, Piano Seminar,
Piano Master Class, Piano Ensemble, Piano/Vocal Collaboration, Jazz Piano, Piano
Seminar, Ballet Accompanying, Chamber Music, and Chamber Collaboration.
Integrated Arts Conservatory
The Integrated Arts is designed to expose students to a broad array of arts,
including visual arts, voice, music appreciation, drama, creative writing, and production
and design. The curriculum includes: Acting, Acting for the Camera, Art, Broadcast
Journalism, Creative Writing, Dance, Film Genres, Film & TV, Improv, Intro to
Production & Design, Intro to Screenwriting, Musical Theatre Lab, Photorealism, Plays
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
141
& Playwrights, Pop Vocal, Production & Design, Stage Combat, Three-Dimensional Art,
Voice and Voiceover.
International Dance Conservatory
The International Dance Conservatory focuses on two programs: Ballet Folklorico
and Ballroom Dance. The Ballet Folklorico Program offers exposure to international
dance forms such as: Flamenco, Salsa, Samba, and Tango. The Ballroom Dance Program
includes Latin ballroom (Cha Cha, Rumba, Jive, Paso Doble) and standard ballroom
(Waltz, Quickstep, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz). Classes involve: Ballet I/II/III,
Flamenco Repertory and Technique, History of Dance, Latin Dance and Theatre Crafts.
Music Theater Conservatory
The Music & Theatre Conservatory students obtain the fundamentals of theatre
history and technique through acting and voice training. Students are able to meet and
work alongside famous artist in the industry. The Curriculum consists of: Acting for
Camera, Acting for Singers, Acting Studio I, Acting Technique I/IIA/IIB/III/IV, Acting
Fundamentals, Alternative Theatre, Audition I, Beginning Stage Movement, Business of
the Biz, Elements of Music Theory, Improvisation I, Intermediate Improv, Intermediate
Stage Combat, Intro Operetta, Intro Pop Vocal, Intro Shakespeare Comedy, Intro
Shakespeare Drama, Intro to Directing, Intro to Jazz Vocal, Intro to Music & Theatre
Voice, Intro Voice/Speech, Music Evolution I, Musical Theatre Audition I, Musical
Theatre History, Musical Theatre Studio I, Musical Theatre Voice I/II/III/IV, Musical
Theatre Workshop, Pop Vocal II, Playreading & Analysis, Recording Tech, Stage
Combat I, Stage Dialects, Styles of Acting, Theatre Crafts, Theatre Lab, Theatre Lab
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
142
(FTV), Theatre Lab (Unplugged), Theatre Practice (Broadway Bound), Vocal Ensemble,
and Voice Technique I/II/III/IV.
Production and Design Conservatory
The Production & Design Conservatory students control the lighting, audio,
costume, make-up, and scenery design for all of the school’s performances and
events. The students work in a professional environment using advanced equipment,
including Protocols Audio and ETC Lighting. With more than 100 performances each
year, students receive extensive hands-on training in: Audio Recording Techniques,
Audio Reinforcement, Costume Stitchery and Design, Drafting and Drawing, Scenic
Construction Techniques, Scenic Design and Production Techniques, Sound Design
Stage Management, Stage Production Lab, Stage Lighting Production & Design, and
Theatre History/Crafts.
Visual Arts Conservatory
The Visual Arts Conservatory allows students to explore the classical and modern
art history with a wide range of fine art studio work. Visual Arts students participate in
two gallery exhibits each year in professional gallery spaces such as: Advanced Painting,
Animation I/II, Studio Art (AP), Art as a Business, Bookmaking, Ceramics I/II,
Computer Graphics I/II/III, Drawing II, Figure Painting, Jewelry I/II, Illustration I/II,
Independent Study, Landscape Painting, Life Drawing, Mural Painting, Painting I/II,
Pastel, Photography I/II, Rendering, Sculpture I/II, and Three-Dimensional Art
Watercolor.
SCHOOL FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIABLE ARTS PROGRAMS
143
Orange County School of the Arts
2013-2014 Parent Funding Agreement
White Copy: Return To OCSA Yellow Copy: Keep For Your Records
A. STUDENT / PARENT INFORMATION
Student Name:
2013-2014 Grade Level: 13-14 Conservatory: Auditioning for new conservatory?
Parent/Guardian Name 1: Parent/Guardian Name 2:
PLEASE UPDATE BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE AT: www.ocsarts.net/UpdateMyProfile
Employer/Position 1: Employer/Position 2:
My employer has a Matching Gifts Program My employer has a Matching Gifts Program
No
My cash contributions and Fund-Raising activities will be recognized by listing my name and level of giving in various publications
throughout the year. I would like to be recognized as:
No My contact information, address, phone number and email will be published in the 2013-2014 on-line Directory.
Yes
My family currently qualifies for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program (FRLP). A completed FRLP application will be returned with
this form.
B. CONSERVATORY CASH CONTRIBUTION - All cash contributions are tax-deductible and non-refundable.
Classical/Cont. Dance (CCD)
$3,500 (Level 3) $4,000 (7-12)
Classical Voice (CV)
$3,900 (7-8) $4,200 (9-12)
Commercial Dance (CMD)
$3,500 (7-8) $3,800 (9-12)
Creative Writing (CW)
$4,100 (9-12)
Culinary Arts/Hospitality (CA)
$4,100 (9-12)
Digital Media (DM)
$4,100 (9-12)
Film & TV (FTV)
$4,100 (9-12)
International Dance (ID)
$3,700 (7-8) $3,900 (9-12)
Instrumental Music (IM)
$3,800 (7-8) $4,000 (9-12)
Integrated Arts (IA)
$3,600 (7-8) $3,900 (9-12)
Music & Theatre (MT)
$3,800 (7-8) $4,200 (9-12)
Production & Design (PD)
$3,700 (8) $3,900 (9-12)
Visual Arts (VA)
$3,900 (7-8) $4,100 (9-12)
I will make a cash contribution toward my student’s arts conservatory in the amount of: $
C. ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAM – “BRIDGE-THE-GAP”
I will make a cash contribution toward academics in the amount of: $475 (7-12) $
D. ADDITIONAL CASH CONTRIBUTIONS / PAYMENT PLAN
I will make an additional cash contribution toward my student’s conservatory in the amount of: $
I will make an additional cash contribution toward academics in the amount of: $
I will make an additional cash contribution for a student in financial need: $
My employer will match my personal cash contribution with a total donation of:
I t is m y r e s p o n s i b il it y t o in c lu d e m y c o m p a n y ’s m a t c h in g g if t f o r m w it h m y p a y m e n t ( s ) a s in d ic a t e d in t h e p a y m e n t p l a n s e l e c t ed below.
M a t c h i n g g if t f o r m s a r e g e n e r a ll y a v a il a b l e f r o m y o u r c o m p a n y ’s H R d e p a r t m e n t o r w e b s it e .
$
SUB TOTAL CASH CONTRIBUTIONS: Total of Cash Contribution + Company Matching: B, C, D $
Choose one of the following payment plans:
A one-time payment in the amount of $_________________ will be made by July 1, 2013 or ____________________.
Three quarterly payments in the amount of $________________ will be made by July 1, 2013, Oct. 1, 2013, and January 1, 2014.
Ten monthly installment payments of $________________ will be made each month starting July 1, 2013 and ending April 1, 2014.
E. FUND-RAISING OPPORTUNITIES – Fund-Raisers are not tax-deductible or refundable. Materials are distributed to students prior to the start of each fund raiser.
I will sell and/or purchase program advertising in the amount of ($125 minimum pledge): $
I will sell and/or purchase opportunity drawing tickets ($50 minimum pledge. $5 each in books of ten tickets): SUMMER $
I will sell and/or purchase opportunity drawing tickets ($50 minimum pledge. $5 each in books of ten tickets): WINTER $
I will sell and/or purchase opportunity drawing tickets ($50 minimum pledge. $5 each in books of ten tickets): SPRING $
SUB TOTAL FUND-RAISERS: Total of Ads + Tickets: E $
TOTAL CONTRIBUTION: Cash + Fund-Raising: B, C, D, E $
F. PAYMENT METHOD / ACCOUNT INFORMATION – Please select one
I request to be invoiced and will fulfill my cash contribution according to the payment plan selected in Section D.
I authorize OCSA to automatically charge and/or debit my credit/bank card or checking account according to the payment plan selected in Section
B. Charge/Debit my card or checking account for future pledge payments on the 1
st
or the 15
th
of the month. (circle one) Default date is the 1
st
Payment type: VISA MasterCard Discover American Express Direct Debit Check Please make checks payable to OCSA
Card number: Expiration date: (MM/YY)
Direct Debit: Attach voided check or complete the following
Bank name: Account number: Routing number:
Signature:
Please initial each of the following three items and sign:
_____ I understand that my s tudent’ s arts c onservat ory progr am is not f unded by the S tate of C a l i f ornia and t hat c onservat or y budgets are based solely on
parent commitments of cash donations and fund-raising activities.
_____ I understand all cash donations are tax-deductible as provided by law. Consult your tax advisor for specific tax advice.
_____ I understand my commitment is voluntary and not required for my child to participate in any conservatory or academic programs.
Parent/Guardian Signature:__________________________________________________________ Date:____________________
Appendix K
Parent Contract
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that contribute to the preservation of Viable Arts Programs at a high academic achieving high school located in California. The study explored the relationship between the Arts Programs, the leadership that supports the Arts, and the resource allocation that enables the sustainability of a Viable Arts Program in a high school that has demonstrated academic success. In addition, this study sought to explore the external factors such as budgetary and accountability constraints at the federal, state, and district level and how these factors influence the preservation of a Viable Arts Programs. The results of this study revealed that key components have to be present in a school to facilitate a Viable Arts Program. These key components include a unique and effective mix of school structure, staffing, curriculum, and culture. Specifically, the study found that the three most important aspects related to the school's success were the strong adherence to their Mission, an unwavering Founder providing strong leadership, and a partnership‐based Fundraising paradigm that engaged all relevant stakeholders through very distinctive methods. The analysis and findings of this study expand the knowledge about this prevalent topic in education.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Perales, Lucia Isabel
(author)
Core Title
School factors that facilitate viable arts programs and support student academic achievement: a case study
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Education (Leadership)
Publication Date
04/15/2014
Defense Date
04/15/2014
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
7-12 school,arts programs,charter school,Community,education and the arts,Educational Leadership,Fundraising,K-12,OAI-PMH Harvest,parent involvement,partnerships,viable
Format
application/pdf
(imt)
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Gothold, Stuart E. (
committee chair
), Escalante, Michael F. (
committee member
), Hocevar, Dennis (
committee member
)
Creator Email
lucia.perales@gmail.com
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-377763
Unique identifier
UC11296549
Identifier
etd-PeralesLuc-2357.pdf (filename),usctheses-c3-377763 (legacy record id)
Legacy Identifier
etd-PeralesLuc-2357.pdf
Dmrecord
377763
Document Type
Dissertation
Format
application/pdf (imt)
Rights
Perales, Lucia Isabel
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 a...
Repository Name
University of Southern California Digital Library
Repository Location
USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA
Tags
7-12 school
arts programs
charter school
education and the arts
K-12
parent involvement
partnerships
viable