Arts Education Profile

• Reveal the distribution of dance, music, theatre, visual and media arts instruction across grades, schools and districts
• Enable districts to consider current resource allocations and make data-based decisions on school site plans and LCAPs
• Supplement data reported in the California Arts Education Data Project
• Provide a fresh roadmap for accomplishing the shared goal that all 1.5 million LA County public school students receive high quality arts instruction as part of a well-rounded public education

Findings will enable districts to make data-based decisions for advancing arts education. A robust analysis of Countywide data will also help guide the coordinated efforts of Arts for All and its partners.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Confirm participation

Please confirm participation by completing this brief form.


How do I access the questionnaire?

Arts for All and implementation partner, Harder+Company Community Research, will email principals and superintendents on March 1 with a link to the questionnaire. If you need assistance accessing the questionnaire, contact Matt Agustin.

How do I help spread the word?

Educators and community members, bring this printable handout to your next school meeting and make sure that your superintendent and principals are aware of this important opportunity.

TIMELINE

March 1, 2017 – Link to questionnaires emailed to participants

March - April – Staff is available to present an overview of this project upon request

April 28, 2017 – Survey closes

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How can my school district best prepare for providing accurate information about the arts education provided to my students?

Participants are encouraged to discuss and review the questionnaire with colleagues. As some questions are asked per grade level, teachers may provide insight into the varied instruction offered. Presenting this project at a principal’s meeting is another helpful strategy for building understanding of the project goals, value to the district and ways to collect accurate data. Paper copies of the questionnaires may be provided upon request. The data, however, must be entered in the online questionnaire. 

Please contact Matt Agustin at [email protected] if you are interested in having a staff member present at a principal meeting.


How is this different from the Arts Education Data Project?

The Arts Ed Profile aligns with state and national arts education data projects that are currently underway. You may have heard of the statewide data collection effort, the CA Arts Education Data Project. Create CA, partnered with the California Department of Education (CDE) and the National Arts Education Data Project to report school-level data on arts education courses at middle and high schools across the state. Picking up where they leave off, the Arts Ed Profile delves deeper into LA County’s arts education, combining K-12 CDE data with district and school-level information on how the arts are taught across all grades, including arts integration and contributions by teaching artists and community arts partners.


I already know how much arts education we have.  Why should my school and district participate?

Whether districts have robust arts education or have work ahead, data collected by an external organization has proven to be a critical advocacy tool for making the case for arts education to funders and community members, and for making data-driven decisions during planning. Neighboring or similar districts will also be able to compare strategies and build partnerships, strengthening our network of educators and advocates.


How will data be collected for the Arts Ed Profile?

Online questionnaires will be completed by LA County superintendents and principals.

Superintendents will report on whether there is a dedicated staff person coordinating arts programming, strategies for building sequential arts instruction in place and other district-level details.

Principals will provide information about their school’s arts instruction, including the number of dedicated arts teachers, partnerships with community arts organizations and other school-level details.

More sample questions below.


What school year will I be reporting on?

The 2016-17 school year.
 

How do I access my school and district’s data?

School and district responses will be made available to participants after the close of the survey.


Will my school’s information be publicly available?

In fall 2017, a report of County-level findings will be released, identifying strengths, areas of need and ways to better align efforts among Arts for All’s partners. Results from each participating school will be made available on our website. This information may include:

Is the art form taught the entire school year?
Is the art form taught every day? Every week?
How many minutes is the class period for an art form?
How many FTE teachers teach these art forms?
Are there teaching artists from community arts organizations supporting instruction?
Are the arts typically integrated or taught discretely?
Is there a shared curriculum?
What kind of assessments are being using?
Are technological tools used in arts classes?

SCHOOL DISTRICT QUESTIONNAIRE

Who will the district questionnaire be sent to?

The questionnaire will be sent to the district superintendent. If the superintendent is not available to respond, another person may be designated to complete the questionnaire.


How long will the district questionnaire take to complete?

Approximately 15 minutes.


What types of questions will I be asked?

Does my district have a staff person that oversees arts education? If so, how much time does that person spend on arts education?
Are my district's students entering secondary school with grade level proficiency corresponding to the California Visual and Performing Arts standards?
If a student receives art instruction in elementary school, will the student be able to receive continued instruction in that art form in secondary school?
What are my top strategies for sustaining and improving arts education?
Do students with disabilities have equal access to arts education at my district?
Do students who are English language learners have equal access to arts education at my district?

SCHOOL SITE QUESTIONNAIRE

Who will the school questionnaire be sent to?

Each school principal will receive the questionnaire. If the principal is not available to respond, another person may be designated to complete the questionnaire.


How long will the school questionnaire take to complete?

Approximately 45 minutes for a principal with grades K to 8.
Approximately 20 minutes for a principal with grades 9 to 12.


What types of questions will I be asked?

Principals of schools with grades K to 8:
By grade level, for each art form (dance, music, theatre, visual and media arts):

-Is the art form taught the entire school year?

-Is the art form taught every day? Every week?

-How many minutes is the class period for an art form?

Are there FTE teachers teaching these art forms?
Are the arts typically integrated? Are they also taught discretely?
Are teachers using a shared curriculum?

Principals of schools with any grades, K to 12:

Who, besides a credentialed FTE arts teacher, teaches the arts?
What teaching artists or community arts organizations does the school partner with?
Do teachers participate in arts professional development? How many?
Are teachers assessing the arts? What kind of assessments are they using?
Do students use technological tools in their arts classes?
What kinds of spaces are used for instruction in each art form?
If after school instruction is offered in an art form, how many students participate?
Are the school’s financial resources affecting the quality and quantity of arts education?
What are the sources of funding for the school’s arts offerings?
Are parents participating in the arts? How?
What are the challenges or barriers that the school may have in providing high quality arts instruction?

For more information, please contact:
Matt Agustin
Research Coordinator, Arts Education
[email protected]