Examining the Role of Arts Education Partnerships in Sustaining Arts Programs in California Elementary Schools

San Jose State University SJSU ScholarWorks Dissertations Master's Theses and Graduate Research Fall 2017 Examining the Role of Arts Education Partnerships in Sustaining Arts Programs in California Elementary Schools Marie-Helene Bauguil San Jose State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_dissertations Recommended Citation Bauguil, Marie-Helene, "Examining the Role of Arts Education Partnerships in Sustaining Arts Programs in California Elementary Schools" (2017) Dissertations 11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.8vr8-4rd4 https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_dissertations/11 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses and Graduate Research at SJSU ScholarWorks It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks For more information, please contact scholarworks@sjsu.edu EXAMINING THE ROLE OF ARTS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS IN SUSTAINING ARTS PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the Educational Doctoral Program in Education Leadership San José State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Marie-Hélène Bauguil December 2017 © 2017 Marie-Hélène Bauguil ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Designated Thesis Committee Approves the Dissertation Titled EXAMINING THE ROLE OF ARTS EDCATION PARTNERSHIPS IN SUSTAINING ARTS PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS by Marie-Hélène Bauguil APPROVED FOR THE EDUCATIONAL DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY DECEMBER 2017 Arnold Danzig, Ph.D Department of Education Megan Thiele, Ph.D Department of Sociology Diana Abbati, Ed.D Superintendent Los Gatos School District ABSTRACT EXAMINING THE ROLE OF ARTS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS IN SUSTAINING ARTS PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS by Marie-Hélène Bauguil This study investigated three arts education partnerships in California elementary schools The research questions that guided the inquiry were exploratory in nature and intended to reveal the day-to-day functioning of these partnerships, the challenges they faced, and the factors that contributed to their success, through the recounted experiences of the various institutional actors involved The participants (n=21) comprised school principals and teachers, arts organizations administrative staff, and teaching artists Qualitative inquiry methods (in-person interviews, classroom observations, and review of relevant documents) were used to analyze the data The findings showed that the schools’ administrators and faculty appreciated the arts residencies, and they reported the programs’ positive impact on students Despite many benefits, the arts partnerships held a small place in the schools’ life: the arts programs were considered supplemental to the core curriculum at one school, rather than being fundamental to student learning, and the two other partnerships reached only one grade level (second grade) The study uncovered several ongoing challenges: lack of proper facilities for the residencies, finding the right teacher-teaching artist match, and inconsistencies in the arts programs The findings also demonstrated that the teacher-teaching artist relationship was key for the programs’ success The study concluded with a discussion of recommendations for practice and future research ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation is the culmination of a long journey, through which I have grown professionally and personally Many people have accompanied me along this path and believed in me I am forever thankful for their support My deepest gratitude goes to the College of Education faculty for accepting me into the program, and for trusting me to complete this journey Thanks, also, to my professors for their help and their dedication to seeing me succeed I appreciated the diverse opinions and perspectives they presented There was something to take away from each and every class, and my practice was made better because of this program Thank you to my advisors, Dr Arnold Danzig, Dr Megan Thiele, and Dr Diana Abbati, for their continuous support and guidance, their interest in my research topic, and above all, for their kindness and their generosity Your help was invaluable I am thankful for my family and the many accommodations they made so I could pursue my dream I am deeply grateful for their understanding and for not complaining when I said “no” to most of things they asked of me in the last three years To my husband, Alain, thank you for your patience and for the space you gave me so I could spend long blocks of time to write To my younger son, Clément, thank you for encouraging me and for cheering me on To my older son, Guilhem, also a Ph.D candidate, thank you for the many phone conversations we had about our doctoral studies, sharing our doubts and hopes, and encouraging one other Going through this experience with you was extraordinary   v   Last, this document would not have been possible without the help of my amazing editor, Krista Meade Thank you very much for revising and proofreading countless drafts and in the process, for showing a genuine interest in my topic You supported me not only with your editing skills but you became a friend who helped me be calm and remain focused on my goal You never doubted me   vi   TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables……………………………………………………………………… xi List of Figures……………………………………………………………………… xii List of Abbreviations……………………………………………………………… xiii Chapter Introduction…………………………………………………………… Introduction: The Power of the Arts…………………………………………… Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………… Purpose of the Study…………………………………………………………… Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………… Significance of the Study……………………………………………………… Summary of Chapter…………………………………………………………… 1 10 Chapter Literature Review……………………………………………… Introduction………………………………………………………………… Historical Context: A Brief History of Arts Education (1950-Today) Past federal education policies……………………………………………… Implementation of current federal and state policies……………………… Challenges for schools that serve low-income students……………… Accountability………………………………………………………… ESSA reform……………………………………………………………… National Core Arts Standards……………………………………………… Arts Education in California…………………………………………………… Current California arts policies…………………………………………… Why Arts Education?…………………………………………………………… Studio habits of mind……………………………………………………… The arts and Common Core………………………………………………… Arts education may reduce the achievement gap…………………………… Arts integration…………………………………………………………… Arts Education Partnerships…………………………………………………… Models of arts partnerships………………………………………………… Characteristics of effective partnerships…………………………………… Quality in arts education…………………………………………………… Summary of Chapter…………………………………………………………… 12 12 12 12 15 15 16 16 17 17 21 23 25 26 28 30 31 32 33 34 36 Chapter Methods………………………………………………………………… Introduction…………………………………………………………………… Restatement of Problem……………………………………………………… Research Design……………………………………………………………… Research Methodology………………………………………………………… Sampling strategies………………………………………………………… 37 37 37 39 40 40   vii   Research sites……………………………………………………………… Research participants……………………………………………………… Data Collection Procedures…………………………………………………… Observations……………………………………………………………… Interviews…………………………………………………………………… Instrumentation………………………………………………………………… Interview protocol………………………………………………………… Observation protocol……………………………………………………… Field notes………………………………………………………………… Review of documents……………………………………………………… Data Analysis Strategies……………………………………………………… Establishing Trustworthiness………………………………………………… Construct validity…………………………………………………………… Limitations (internal validity)……………………………………………… Self-disclosures…………………………………………………………… Delimitations (external validity)…………………………………………… Summary of Chapter…………………………………………………………… 41 43 44 45 46 49 49 49 50 50 51 52 52 53 55 56 57 Chapter Findings………………………………………………………………… Introduction…………………………………………………………………… Descriptive Information on the Participants and the Research Sites (Research Question 1)………………………………………………………… Description of participants………………………………………………… Overview of the arts organizations………………………………………… Comparison of the during-school hours arts residency models……… Overview of the school sites and arts partnerships………………………… Cypress Elementary…………………………………………………… Orchard Elementary…………………………………………………… Shadow Brook Elementary…………………………………………… Description of the school campuses and arts spaces……………………… Participants Discuss their Experiences with the Arts Partnerships (Research Question Continued)………………………………………………………… Appreciation for the partnerships………………………………………… Appreciation: Arts organizations staff……………………………………… Arts instruction was given low priority…………………………………… Participants Describe Benefits (Research Question 1A) ……………………… Positive impact on students……………………………………………… Opportunities to learn from mistakes…………………………………… Calming effects of the arts…………………………………………… Stand-alone arts instruction: Low impact for classroom teachers………… Arts integration: Mixed impact for classroom teachers…………………… Participants Describe Burdens and Obstacles (Research Question 1B)……… Challenge: Designated art space…………………………………………… Challenge: Hiring visual artists……………………………… 59 59   viii   59 59 62 63 66 66 69 70 72 77 77 79 81 82 82 84 84 85 87 89 89 92 Challenge: Feelings of isolation among the visual artists………………… Need for feedback……………………………………………………… Challenge: Teachers’ participation………………………………………… Shadow Brook Elementary…………………………………………… Classroom management…………………………………………… Orchard and Cypress………………………………………………… Classroom management…………………………………………… Challenge: Schedule……………………………………………………… Visual art schedule at Shadow Brook Elementary……………………… Challenge: Continuity within the arts programs…………………………… Lack of consistency and continuity at Cypress Elementary…………… Finding collaboration time at Orchard Elementary…………………… Participants Describe Strategies to Manage Problems (Research Question 1C)…………………………………………………………………… Valley Arts Studio: Setting up new partnerships………………………… Funding………………………………………………………………… Scheduling challenges that cross the boundaries……………………… Facility space………………………………………………………… Shadow Brook…………………………………………………………… Strategy: Hiring experienced teaching artists……………………………… Strategy: Integrating the arts into the curriculum………………………… Strategies at Cypress and Orchard…………………………………… Strategy: Collaboration………………………………………………… Collaboration at Cypress……………………………………………… Collaboration at Orchard……………………………………………… Building relationships………………………………………………… Summary of Chapter…………………………………………………………… 92 95 96 96 97 98 99 99 101 102 104 106 Chapter 5: Discussion……………………………………………………………… Introduction…………………………………………………………………… Summary of the Study………………………………………………………… Summary of Findings and Discussion………………………………………… Participants’ experiences of the partnerships…………………………… Burdens and obstacles……………………………………………………… Inadequate facilities for arts programs………………………………… Artists’ feeling of isolation…………………………………………… Consistency and continuity in the programs…………………………… Teacher-teaching artist relationship…………………………………… Differing approaches………………………………………………… Different models of arts instruction……………………………………… Role of arts partnerships…………………………………………………… Recommendations…………………………………………………………… Public schools: Engage school and district leaders with the arts…………… Public schools: Engage teachers with the arts…………………………… 129 129 129 131 131 134 138 138 139 140 142 144 147 148 148 149   ix   108 108 110 110 111 112 113 114 115 118 119 119 123 125 .. .EXAMINING THE ROLE OF ARTS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS IN SUSTAINING ARTS PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the Educational Doctoral Program in Education. .. ABSTRACT EXAMINING THE ROLE OF ARTS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS IN SUSTAINING ARTS PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS by Marie-Hélène Bauguil This study investigated three arts education partnerships. .. Approves the Dissertation Titled EXAMINING THE ROLE OF ARTS EDCATION PARTNERSHIPS IN SUSTAINING ARTS PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS by Marie-Hélène Bauguil APPROVED FOR THE EDUCATIONAL