Arts Education in the South Phase II: Profiles of Quality 

Joel Baxley, Susanne Burgess, Laurie Melnik, & Marrisa Nesbit 

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 

Southeast Center for Education in the Arts 

This project was supported in part or in whole by an award from the Research: Art Works

program at the National Endowment for the Arts: Grant# 13-3800-7005. 

The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent 

the views of the Office of Research & Analysis or the National Endowment for the Arts. The 

NEA does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information included in this report 

and is not responsible for any consequence of its use. 
ARTS EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH

PHASE II: PROFILES OF QUALITY

ARTS EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH PHASE II: PROFILES OF QUALITY

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

615 McCallie Ave, Dept. 6706

Chattanooga, TN 37403

Joel Baxley, Susanne Burgess, 

Laurie Melnik, and Marissa Nesbit
1

Joel Baxley, Susanne Burgess, 

Laurie Melnik, and Marissa Nesbit

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

615 McCallie Ave, Dept. 6706

Chattanooga, TN 37403

ARTS EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH

PHASE II: PROFILES OF QUALITY
2

Commissioned by

With support from:

Alabama State Council on the Arts

Georgia Council for the Arts

Kentucky Arts Council

Mississippi Arts Commission

North Carolina Arts Council

South Carolina Arts Commission

and Tennessee Arts Commission

and additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts

This document is available in alternate formats by contacting 

South Arts at 404-874-7244.
3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary...................................................................................5

Section 1. Introduction: Quality in Context ............................................9

Purpose.......................................................................................................11

Research Design.........................................................................................11

Selection of Programs................................................................................12

Data Collection ..........................................................................................13

Data Analysis.............................................................................................14

Section 2. Case Study Findings...............................................................15

Dance – Pine Street Academy....................................................................17

Dance – Northwest School of the Arts.......................................................31

Drama – Bradley Academy........................................................................43

Drama – Owensboro High School .............................................................57

Music – Casey Elementary ........................................................................69

Music – Wando High School .....................................................................77

Visual Art – Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary ..................................87

Visual Art – Drew Charter School .............................................................99

Visual Art – Bob Jones High School........................................................111

Section 3. Cross-Case Analysis..............................................................123

Relationships Matter................................................................................124

Shared Vision ...........................................................................................127

The Arts at the Core .................................................................................130

Students Experience Art Worlds..............................................................135

Conclusion ..............................................................................................139

Appendices..............................................................................................146
4
5

I

n response to the need for regionally relevant data about access and quality in arts 

education, South Arts initiated a two-part study in its constituent states. Arts Education 

in the South, Phase I: Public School Data and Principal Perspectives summarizes the results of

surveys distributed to approximately 15,000 principals in K-12 public schools throughout the 

southeast region. These surveys asked school administrators to respond to questions about access 

to arts instruction, arts instructor qualifications, resources and partners in arts education, principal 

perspectives on arts education, and general school data. 

For this second phase of the inquiry, South Arts partnered with the Southeast Center for 

Education in the Arts (SCEA) to develop and implement a series of case studies of dance, drama, 

music, and visual art programs in K-12 public schools. Exemplary programs were studied in 

order to provide high quality models and insight for policy development in the region. The 

question driving this phase of the research was “What are the traits of quality in-school arts 

education programs in the South?”

State arts councils/commissions in the region were invited to nominate programs from their 

schools that have been, for a variety of reasons, described as high quality. 31 nominations were 

submitted to SCEA from seven states: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South 

Carolina, and Tennessee. SCEA and South Arts chose programs for inclusion in the study to 

represent the best diversity possible based on the following considerations:

•	 Geography – At least one program chosen from each participating state and showing 

dispersal throughout the southeastern region.

•	 Art Form – At least two programs were sought in each of the four art forms (dance, 

music, theatre, and visual art).

•	 Grade Level – Programs were sought representing students at the elementary, middle, 

and high school levels.

•	 School Focus – The research team considered school programs with a traditional 

school environment and those identified as having an arts focus (magnets, charters, 

etc.).

Executive Summary
6

Nine programs were selected for analysis:

•	 Dance

Pine Street Academy, Spartanburg, SC

Northwest School of the Arts, Charlotte, NC

•	 Drama

Bradley Academy, Murfreesboro, TN

Owensboro High School, Owensboro, KY

•	 Music

Casey Elementary, Jackson, MS

Wando High School, Mt. Pleasant, SC

•	 Visual Art

Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary, North Charleston, SC

Drew Charter School, Atlanta, GA

Bob Jones High School, Madison, AL

To dig deeper into how quality appears in these programs, we adapted the issues addressed 

in Phase I. For Phase II, the issues we used as lenses for our examination of each site were 

access, teacher quality, resources, assessment, school culture, and curriculum. Case studies 

of participating sites were developed through an analysis of publicly available documents 

and artifacts, observations of instruction by SCEA researchers and local observers, in-depth 

interviews with stakeholders (including arts specialists, administrators, students, parents, nonarts teachers, and community partners), and focus groups of stakeholders.

Our comparative analysis across programs yielded findings that we categorized into four answers 

to our research question:

Among high quality in-school arts education programs in the South...

1. Relationships matter. Among the programs studied, we found welcoming affective 

environments in classrooms, strong collaborative cultures among faculties, students, and 

administration, and strong connections to the community.

2. The arts are part of a shared vision/mission. There is diversity of visions and missions 

among the programs we examined, but within each there is a common understanding of 

the purpose of the arts program and strong support for that purpose among the teachers, 

administrators, and other stakeholders who lead the work.

3. The arts are core. The arts have long been described as core curriculum in name, but appear 

so less often in practice. Among these programs, there is strong evidence that the arts are 
7

regarded as worthy of the same time and attention that other content areas receive. That includes 

clearly articulated curricula, authentic assessments, and strong pedagogy in the art form.

4. Students experience the working worlds of artists. The programs at these schools not only 

provide knowledge and skill in the arts, but also expose students to the practice and working 

world of professionals who use those skills outside the school.
8
9

1. Quality in Context
10

Introduction

The arts provide students with modes of thinking and acting that build vital 

capacities for thought and behavior. The 

fields of dance, drama, music, and visual art 

have been valued for their impact on student 

learning as measured in other content areas. 

Access to arts education has been associated 

with increases in achievement, higher 

graduation rates, and college attendance—

particularly for students in more difficult 

socio-economic contexts (Catterall, Dumais, 

& Hampden-Thompson, 2012). In the last 

several years, writers like Eisner (2002) and 

Hetland, Winner, Veneema, and Sheridan 

(2007) have drawn attention to intrinsic 

benefits students gain from the arts themselves 

apart from contact with other content areas. 

They identify capacities like reflecting, 

thinking through a medium, and saying what 

cannot be said in words as skills that are 

developed in arts classes in ways that they are 

not developed elsewhere. In his introductory 

letter for the 2011 President’s Committee on 

the Arts and Humanities report Reinvesting in 

Arts Education, Secretary Arne Duncan wrote 

that the skills built in the arts are “essential” 

and that arts education is “more important than 

ever” (PCAH, 2011).

National studies of access and quality in 

arts education in the United States (Parsad, 

Spiegelman, & Coopersmith, 2012; PCAH, 

2011; Seidel, 2009) have provided a broad 

picture of arts education for American children. 

However, as the President’s Committee on 

the Arts and Humanities (PCAH, 2011) report 

points out, there is a dearth of data related to 

the availability of arts education at the state 

and local levels. Some state and local studies 

have provided information about their students 

and schools (Cirillo & Morrison, 2012; Horn, 

2005; Runyard, 2001; Sikes, 2007; Stubbs, 

2010). But more is needed to create a current, 

in-depth understanding of the state of arts 

education in the region. In 2012, South Arts 

initiated an inquiry into the current status 

of access to and quality of arts education 

in the region. They collected quantitative 

data through surveys sent to approximately 

15,000 principals in K-12 public schools 

throughout all nine constituent states1

. These 

surveys asked about issues of access, quality, 

resources and partnerships, decision maker 

perspectives on obstacles and improvements, 

and demographics. 

As this study was in progress, South 

Arts’ board and staff determined that the 

development of an understanding of access and 

quality in arts education in the region would be 

improved by adding a qualitative second phase 

to the study. In response to the identified need 

for locally relevant information about quality 

arts programs in schools, South Arts contracted 

with the Southeast Center for Education in 

the Arts (SCEA) to develop this second phase 

to the study of arts education in the South. 

Where the first phase collected wide responses 

to questions that provided valuable quantifiable 

information, the second phase was crafted 
11

to provide close-up, qualitative accounts of 

dance, drama, music, and visual art programs 

in schools in the region that could put a face 

on the data. Where the survey study asked 

“What’s going on in arts education in the 

South?” this series of case studies asked “What 

does it look like when it’s going well?” 

The issue of quality was addressed 

at the national level in the Project Zero 

report Qualities of Quality: Understanding 

Excellence in Arts Education (Seidel, 2009). 

The drive of that study was to describe 

how quality should be defined based on an 

examination of literature and a series of case 

studies. The writers of this study describe the 

issue of quality in education as a challenging 

one. “Quality is often a moving target – what 

counts as quality in one context or at one 

particular moment in time may seem quite 

inadequate at another time or place...” (p. 5) 

In their conclusions, the authors called for 

further studies that provide “close-up pictures 

of excellent practice across arts education 

contexts” (p. 87). The aim of this study is 

to provide such pictures for South Arts’ 

constituency to further the advancement of 

quality among the diverse teachers, programs, 

and students in the region.

Purpose

The question driving this research is 

“What are the traits of quality in-school 

arts education programs in the South?” 

Arthur Efland (2002) described the arts as 

“ill structured domains” whose complexity 

and irregularity of content require them to be 

understood not from above, but from within. 

What each art form is, how it works, and how 

it can be categorized and taught, is developed 

from an assembly of individual cases (pp. 87-

8). In this qualitative phase of the research, the 

team sought to build a picture of quality in arts 

education programs from within by assembling 

case studies of dance, drama, music, and visual 

art education programs in K-12 public schools 

that are recognized as exemplary in their states. 

It is not the intent of this study to exclusively 

identify the only quality programs or even 

to rank the programs chosen for case study 

as the best in each state, but rather to collect 

examples of work in each art form in schools 

where quality has been found. 

Research Design

 This study employed a multiple-site case 

study design (Yin, 2009). Given the short time 

frame and the etic issues applied to the study, 

this research falls into what Stake (1995) calls 

an instrumental case study model—one where 

the focus is not broadly on an individual case, 

but on issues embedded within cases. The 

etic issues applied in this study were drawn 

from the Phase I survey study2

. The Phase I 

survey looked at access to arts instruction, arts 

instructor qualifications, resources and partners 

in arts education, principal perspectives on arts 

education, and general school data. For Phase 

II, the research team identified the following 

as issues of concern related to quality in arts 

education: student access to arts education, 

use of and decisions about resources, teacher 

quality, methods of assessment, and school 
12

culture (Richerme, 2012; Seidel, 2009). Later, 

in the process of examining nominated schools 

and initial artifacts, the research team decided 

to add the development and articulation of 

curriculum as a separate issue, taken from the 

discussion of teacher quality.

Selection of Arts Education Programs

In the summer of 2013, the arts councils/

commissions of South Arts’ nine member 

states were invited to nominate K-12 public 

school arts programs in dance, music, drama 

and visual art that they and their professional 

colleagues at the state level deemed to be of 

high quality. For the purposes of this study, an 

arts education program refers to the instruction 

of one art form consistently delivered within 

the structure of a given school and embedded 

in the school day. Extracurricular instruction 

was taken into consideration regarding 

students’ access to the arts in the context of 

each program, but such instruction or activities 

were not the focus of this case study. In 

selecting nominations, state personnel were 

asked to give priority to programs that met the 

following criteria:

•	 Arts instruction is available at all grade 

levels in the school.

•	 There is sequential and ongoing 

instruction in the art form.

•	 The art form curriculum is aligned with 

state/national standards.

•	 Student outcomes in the art form are 

measured and indicate success.

•	 Physical facilities meet the needs of the 

program.

•	 Arts instructors are consulted regarding 

the allocation of resources for personnel 

and consumables.

•	 Arts resources and partnerships outside 

the school are embedded into the 

program.

•	 The program has strong administrative 

and community support.

Seven states chose to participate: Alabama, 

Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North 

Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. They 

submitted a total of 31 nominations. South 

Arts personnel and the SCEA research team 

considered the available nominations and 

chose nine programs to find the best possible 

diversity among the following considerations:

•	 Geography – At least one program 

chosen from each participating state 

and showing dispersal throughout the 

southeastern region.

•	 Art Form – At least two programs were 

sought in each of the four art forms 

(dance, music, drama, and visual art).

•	 Grade Level – Programs were sought 

representing students at the elementary, 

middle, and high school levels.

•	 School Focus – The research team 

considered school programs with a 

traditional school environment and those 

that identified themselves as having an 

arts focus (magnets, charters, etc.).

SCEA researchers consulted with state arts 

councils and colleagues in state departments 
13

of education and professional associations 

about nominations. Schools and districts were 

sent requests for participation. In the fall 

of 2013, nine programs were confirmed for 

participation:

•	 Dance

Pine Street Academy, Spartanburg, SC

Northwest School of the Arts, 

 Charlotte, NC

•	 Drama

Bradley Academy-An Arts Integrated 

School, Murfreesboro, TN

Owensboro High School, 

 Owensboro, KY

•	 Music

Casey Elementary, Jackson, MS

Wando High School, Mt. Pleasant, SC

•	 Visual Art

Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary, 

 North Charleston, SC

Drew Charter School, Atlanta, GA

Bob Jones High School, Madison, AL

Data Collection

As each school confirmed participation, the 

research team collected data from each site in 

the form of artifacts, classroom observations, 

and interviews with individuals and groups 

representing a variety of stakeholders. The 

research team arranged for site visits to each 

participating program to conduct observations 

and interviews. Site visits were conducted 

between September of 2013 and February of 

2014. 

Artifact Analysis

In the summer and fall of 2013, we 

gathered publicly available information on 

the selected school programs and requested 

documents or other artifacts that administrators 

or teachers at the school site recommended 

as significant. Artifacts included web pages, 

schedules, curriculum documents, course 

catalogs, newspaper articles, and photographs. 

Initial analysis of the artifacts began as soon as 

they were received. Themes that emerged from 

the initial analysis were noted and discussed 

as part of the preparation for interviews and 

observations that occurred during site visits. 

The body of artifacts also grew during site 

visits as stakeholders contributed new material. 

Observations

There were two rounds of instructional 

observation at each site. A member of the 

SCEA research team with expertise in the art 

form represented by the participating program 

conducted the first observation, and an artist or 

educator with prior experience of the program 

was recruited to conduct the second. Each 

observation followed a common protocol. 

All observers were trained in the use of the 

protocol prior to their observations. Field 

notes from each observation were collected for 

analysis
14

Interviews

During site visits, SCEA researchers 

conducted semi-structured interviews with arts 

specialists, administrators, and other significant 

stakeholders such as students, teachers, 

parents, and community partners. Follow-up 

interviews were conducted after site visits via 

phone. Some interviews were conducted as 

focus groups. Individual and group interviews 

targeted the areas identified from South Arts’ 

initial survey and the research team’s review 

of the literature—access, resources, teacher 

quality, assessment, school culture, and arts 

curriculum—but groups were allowed to also 

pursue topics of their own interest related to 

the arts program under investigation. Each 

interview was transcribed for analysis.

Data Analysis

It is impossible in the short time during 

which this study was conducted (May 2013 

to May 2014) for all the practical, historical, 

and contextual complexities of each program 

to be revealed. Stake (1995) identified case 

studies like these as “instrumental.” The 

information gathered about each site serves a 

purpose beyond only the understanding of the 

complex realities of the individual case. In this 

study, the pre-identified issues (what Stake 

called “etic” issues) were adapted from the 

issues found in the Phase I research—access, 

resources, teacher quality—and from a review 

of existing literature on quality school arts 

programs—assessment, school culture, and arts 

curriculum (Richerme, 2012; Seidel, 2009). 

Instruments for interviews and observations 

were developed around these etic issues, 

viewing them as a “start list” (Miles, 1994, p. 

58) for coding during and after the collection 

process.

The analysis of case study data began 

during the collection process (Flick, 2009; 

Stake, 1995) as observers made notes 

about what they noticed and as artifacts 

were collected and organized. Notes from 

observations and artifact analyses and 

transcripts of interviews and focus groups 

were collected and coded following a constant 

comparative process. Members of the SCEA 

research team independently identified 

emergent themes from the body of data. The 

team then compared and synthesized the 

themes from independent examination as one 

set for group discussion.

The team described significant issues and 

themes that emerged from each program, as 

well as the themes that appeared across sites 

based on art form and grade level. In section 2 

of this report, each program is described with 

some information about its physical and/or 

demographic context followed by a summary 

of issues that emerged from the analysis of 

the data from that site alone. In section 3, 

cross-case themes arising across states, age 

levels, and art forms are discussed. In the final 

section, we draw some conclusions and make 

recommendations for future research. 
15

2. Case Study Findings
16
17

Dance

at Pine Street Elementary School 

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Marissa Nesbit, East Carolina University

Pine Street Elementary School in Spartanburg, SC reaches students 

in grades K-5 in an engaging, nurturing 

environment focused on quality education 

across the arts. All students attend classes 

in dance, drama, music, and visual art each 

week; additional after-school arts activities 

are available as well. For the past five years 

the school has adopted an arts infusion model 

where classroom teachers integrate the arts 

with other school subjects. In addition, the 

school has substantial connections with 

community partners, hosting an annual artistsin-residence week 

and taking field 

trips to multiple 

performances and 

exhibits each year. 

The school 

serves a 

neighborhood 

attendance zone 

and is also open to 

students throughout 

the district whose 

families apply to 

send them through 

the school choice 

program. Pine 

Street has an outstanding reputation in the 

community, consistently receiving ratings 

of “Excellent” from the South Carolina 

Department of Education; it is a muchdesired school for both families and teachers. 

Administrators report that they do not do any 

deliberate recruiting, yet receive high numbers 

of applications through school choice. Parents 

report that being in the Pine Street attendance 

zone is a factor in their consideration of where 

to purchase a home. Teachers want to come to 

Pine Street and stay once they are hired; nearly 

90% of teachers return from the previous year3

. 
18

Pine Street has an enrollment of 674 

students for the 2013-14 school year4. 

Approximately 25% of students are served 

in the gifted and talented program and 9% 

are identified as having disabilities.5 31% of 

students receive free or reduced lunch; the 

ethnic/racial makeup of the students includes 

22.7% who identify as African American, 70% 

who identify as Caucasian, 2% who identify as 

Hispanic, 2.3% who identify as Asian, and 3% 

who identify in other ways6.

Access

All students at Pine Street participate in 

weekly lessons with a highly qualified dance 

educator, Ms. Susan Woodham. Students in 

grades K, 1, and 2 have 30-minute dance 

lessons; students in 3, 4, and 5 have 40 

minutes. Fourth and fifth grade students who 

demonstrate interest in dance through an open 

audition process are able to participate in the 

Pine Street Dance Ensemble, a group that 

meets once per week for an hour after school 

for modern dance classes and rehearsals; this 

group also performs at special events. The 

dance curriculum is aligned with the South 

Carolina Academic Standards for the Visual 

and Performing Arts (Rex, 2010). 

The dance classes meet in a dedicated 

dance studio space of approximately 25 ft. 

by 40 ft. that includes mirrors along one wall 

and a flat wood floor (once sprung, but the 

subflooring has not been maintained). A digital 

stereo system is used for playing recorded 
19

music, and a digital projector has been 

recently added to facilitate sharing videos and 

presentations. A separate closet is used to store 

props, costumes, and other teaching materials. 

Colorful posters line the studio walls, showing 

images of dancers and choreographers and 

listing design principles, dance elements, and 

encouraging slogans. Windows look out on to 

the school courtyard, and the overall feel of the 

space is bright and welcoming, reflecting the 

climate of the school as a whole. 

Teacher Quality 

Ms. Woodham is the only dance educator 

at Pine Street. She has been teaching at this 

school for 14 years, and the dance program’s 

current success is largely due to both her 

teaching practices within her dance lessons 

as well as her engagement in the school’s 

larger arts program. Ms. Woodham, a former 

Teacher of the Year at Pine Street and recipient 

of the 2000 South Carolina Dance Educator 

of the Year award, is universally appreciated 

by students and faculty alike, who credit her 

deep knowledge of dance and arts integration 

pedagogy, her connections with community 

arts programs, her substantial work outside 

of the classroom to ensure continued grant 

funding for the arts program, and her 

collegiality as a willing collaborator with 

teachers throughout the school. Students, in 

particular, spoke about how Ms. Woodham 

provides positive, encouraging feedback and 

supports their creativity:

“She’s awesome, amazing, 

creative, unique. She always has 

her own styles and knows exactly 

what to say when you think you 

can’t do it. She’ll always say, 

‘That’s not a word you want 

to say. That’s never the right 

word. You have to tell yourself, 

I can do it.’ She’s awesome.” 

–3rd-5th Grade Student

Ms. Woodham has integrated substantial 

content knowledge and pedagogical 

knowledge in her teaching. With a significant 

background in ballet and modern dance, 

she brings knowledge of the art form into 

her teaching through her demonstrations of 

dance movements—which students often 

find inspiring—as well as her references to 

professional dancers and choreographers. 

Ms. Woodham has taught dance in a variety 

of settings outside of the school, including 

lessons with a local ballet company, worked as 

an artist-in-residence, and served on multiple 

boards and committees for dance education. 

She is also a deeply curious educator who 

holds herself to high standards and desires to 

continue learning and improving; as a result, 

the curriculum she has created has changed 

over time and undoubtedly will continue 

to change as she explores new approaches 

with her students. She seeks out professional 

development opportunities and challenges 

herself to find ways to improve and respond 

to both student needs and larger educational 

trends, through projects such as integrating 

motif writing (dance symbols) into her lessons 

and taking on an action research project 

concerned with improving students’ abilities to 
20

respond in writing to dance. 

The concern and encouragement Ms. 

Woodham shows to her students extends 

to her colleagues as well; several teachers 

commented on her willingness to share ideas 

and resources with them and to collaborate 

on integrated lesson plans. Teachers with 

limited dance backgrounds found her nurturing 

support to be critical to their ability to try out 

teaching strategies that incorporated dance and 

movement. It is apparent that Ms. Woodham is 

not only a leader in her classroom, but also a 

leader across the campus. 

Observing the dance classes at Pine Street, 

one is struck by the sense of purposeful 

joy with which both the students and their 

teacher approach the work. Students come 

to their weekly dance lesson with their 

homeroom class, so each dance class includes 

a mix of girls and boys, students with 

disabilities and those labeled as gifted, students 

whose home language is English and those 

who are English language learners, students 

who readily embrace dance and those whose 

comfort is perhaps greater in another art form. 

After removing their shoes, students come to 

a circle where they begin a warm-up with Ms. 

Woodham. This centering ritual is repeated in 

every class and serves to welcome the students 

to dance and set the tone for the work to come. 

Once in her class, everyone is a dancer, and 

everyone is expected to contribute. 

Students clearly enjoy their dance classes, 

as evidenced by the enthusiasm with which 

they speak about their experiences and engage 

in their lessons. However, when we asked 

about their dance classes, students rarely 

described the lessons as merely “fun.” Instead, 

students spoke to the cognitive and physical 

challenges that are part of their curriculum:
21

 “When you go into the circle you 

get your brain flowing to dance.”

“You need to get your body 

focused for dancing.” --K-2nd

Grade Student

 “She’s going to make you go 

out of your comfort box and 

make things big.” —3rd-5th Grade 

Student 

Students repeatedly described their 

own progress in dance, both the small 

accomplishments they made in individual 

lessons in areas such as balance, flexibility, 

and memory, as well as the progress they 

made through their years at Pine Street as 

their dances became increasingly creative and 

complex. 

Parents, too, described their students’ 

progress in dance and across all of the arts. 

Confidence, in particular, is an area where we 

noted students’ engagement. Similarly, students 

are expected to take ownership of their work, 

both during individual class sessions and over 

the course of the program. Showings of work 

in dance, like in all the performing arts, offer 

the opportunity for students to demonstrate 

their learning, but these performances also 

require students to take responsibility for what 

they can do. Dance can be enjoyable, but it 

is also hard work; this is evident in the way 

students, parents, and teachers talk about the 

program.

Curriculum

Flexibility, adaptability, and creativity 

are the hallmarks in both the design and 

the content of the dance curriculum, which 

emphasizes the development of physical 

movement skills as only one part of a wellrounded, comprehensive set of learning 

experiences for students. The curriculum is 

centered on students creating, performing, 

and responding to dance, and it includes 

a strong emphasis on engagement in the 

creative process as opposed to focus solely 

on performance products, consistent with the 

South Carolina Academic Standards for the 

Visual and Performing Arts. As the only dance 

educator in the school, Susan Woodham is able 

to construct the curriculum in response to her 

own interests, student and school needs, and 

available resources such as visiting artists or 

public performances that the school attends. 
22

She simultaneously keeps a longrange vision of the knowledge and 

skills that students should develop 

over their time in the program 

along with short-term adaptations 

and adjustments that keep her 

work fresh and relevant, letting 

the curriculum “ebb and flow and 

morph into different things.”

As a result, students take 

ownership of their own work, 

recognizing that they cannot 

simply make up movements 

without consideration of how 

their efforts address the goal of a particular 

project. Ms. Woodham frequently has students 

work in small groups to compose and perform 

dances based on a particular prompt, such as 

sharing weight with a partner or arranging 

dance symbols into a sequence. Criteria for 

their work are posted and discussed prior to 

beginning an assignment, and then students 

review these criteria when they watch and 

discuss one another’s work. 

The lessons and topics for each grade level 

within the dance curriculum cycle through 

increasingly sophisticated encounters with 

similar concepts. Because Ms. Woodham 

teaches all grade levels in the school, preparing 

entirely different lessons for each grade level 

would be time consuming and impractical. 

Additionally, because students have dance only 

once per week, they need to encounter each 

concept repeatedly throughout their elementary 

education. Thus, Ms. Woodham has similar 

lesson plans for grades K-2 and for 3-5. At 

the lowest grade in each cluster, students are 

just being introduced to a dance concept, with 

clear demonstrations and substantial teacherled instruction. When students revisit that 

same concept in subsequent years, they are 

able to recall and review what they know from 

the past; both their cognitive and physical 

development allows for increasing difficulty. 

For example, kindergarteners are introduced to 

motif writing, a set of symbols that stand for 

dance concepts. Together with Ms. Woodham, 

they arrange these symbols on the board and 

move through a sequence together. When 

students encounter this lesson unit in first 

grade, they activate their prior knowledge, 

taking it a step further to work independently 

to arrange and interpret symbols with a partner. 

At second grade, the students are able to use 

more symbols, creating and performing a 

longer dance with less teacher involvement. 

By scaffolding the dance instruction in this 

way, Ms. Woodham has built a curriculum that 

invokes novelty with the support of repetition, 
23

a strategy that keeps students engaged and 

allows them to really develop their learning of 

the art form over time. 

Ms. Woodham’s teaching also supports 

flexible thinking and creative problem-solving, 

encouraging students to understand that 

mistakes are opportunities for growth. For 

example, a young student, in explaining how 

she knew if she was doing good work in dance, 

said, 

“Its like a dancer trips and it 

wasn’t part of his dance, and 

he lands in a good shape, it 

will just make the dance better 

if he falls in a better shape.” 

—K-2nd Grade Student 

Creativity and originality are clearly 

valued here; when discussing work, students 

are praised by their teacher and peers for their 

individual style and the creative choices they 

bring to a work. By referring to established 

criteria for students’ dance projects, Ms. 

Woodham gives clear boundaries and students 

understand that “anything goes” is not an 

option; similarly, students cannot simply repeat 

popular moves they have seen elsewhere:

“If your teacher tells you to make 

a shape, it can’t be like jazz 

hands! Don’t make it cliché, make 

it new. Make it yours.” 

—3rd-5th Grade Student

The dance curriculum at Pine Street reflects 

a sincere commitment to creative inquiry 

through both the concepts presented and the 

process that students engage in.

Assessment

Because Ms. Woodham teaches every 

student in the school, documented assessment 

regarding each student’s progress in dance is 

limited to general grades of E (Excellent), S 

(Satisfactory), and N (Needs Improvement) on 

quarterly report cards; these grades are largely 

based on participation and contributions to 

the class in the form of positive behavior and 

engagement in all activities. In addition, Ms. 

Woodham uses an iPad-based software system 

for giving positive marks to students along 

with her verbal commendations for good work 

or behavior. 

Less documented but more in-depth 

formative, qualitative verbal feedback to 

students about their work is embedded in every 

lesson. Ms. Woodham uses a process of FourStep Critique adapted from McCutchen (2006): 

describe, interpret, analyze, and evaluate dance 

works; students are familiar with this process 

and understand that after they show work, they 

can expect to receive feedback from both their 

teacher and their peers.

“After you dance, the teacher 

gives you some advice. Or if 

you did well, she would ask the 

audience what [the performers] 

did well. If they answer it 

correctly, you know you did 

well, because they know what 

you did.”

—3rd-5th Grade Student
24

This approach, then, shifts the focus of 

assessment from solely a teacher-determined 

grading of student’s efforts to a process 

whereby students understand that one function 

of dance as an art form is to communicate; 

the effectiveness of their work is, in part, 

determined by how well they communicated 

to others. This approach prompts students to 

take their work seriously even though it looks 

different than in other classes:

“That’s one reason kids like to 

come to my room, too. They 

know that they don’t have to 

look at a piece of paper to 

get a grade. You know you’re 

getting a grade, but you’re not 

sitting there reading. They’re 

participating, they’re engaged.” 

—Dance Teacher

To facilitate this type of formative 

assessment in dance, Ms. Woodham has 

created a very language-rich environment in 

the dance studio. Although the 30-40 minute 

weekly lessons do not allow for many student 

writing activities within the dance studio, the 

use of oral language and substantial vocabulary 

is highly emphasized, with talking by both 

teacher and students woven throughout the 

movement activities that make up the dance 

class. Posters above the mirrors define several 

principles of design, such as contrast, variety, 

repetition, unity, and transition. Ms. Woodham 

guides the students to think about these 

ideas prior to beginning work on their dance 

composition and returns their attention to these 

principles when they discuss one another’s 

work. Other charts on the walls describe the 

elements of dance, giving definitions and 

images to reinforce these ideas. When Ms. 

Woodham presents the instructions for a dance 

assignment, she directs students’ attention 

to a large poster listing the criteria for the 

assignment. Students read the criteria out 

loud, discussing what it means, for instance, 

to include appropriate transitions in between 

movements. While some of the vocabulary, 

such as the principles of design, might be 

considered overly difficult for the youngest 

students, all students are exposed to the idea 

that dance can be described and discussed 

through oral and written language and they 

develop this skill throughout their time in 

elementary school. 

That language use is woven throughout 

the dance experience is perhaps most evident 

when listening to students talk about their 

learning in dance. While in class, students 

would regularly reference the principles of 

design when discussing their dances; initially, 

this was with Ms. Woodham’s prompting at 

the start of the lessons as she would guide 

their attention to the task, but in discussing 

performances many students used terms 

like “transition” or “contrast” to frame their 

remarks without prompting. While the overall 

positive climate at Pine Street and especially 

in the dance room clearly encourages students 

to praise one another’s efforts, it is not enough 

in dance to simply say something was “good;” 

the teacher prompts students to always back up 

their comments with evidence. When students 
25

spoke about their learning in a focus group, 

many were able to clearly articulate what they 

had done because they had substantial practice 

talking about dance woven throughout their 

experiences of moving and dancing together. 

Students learn that body movement is one 

among many intersecting avenues for creating 

and expressing meaning. 

School Culture

The overall climate at Pine Street is 

peaceful and respectful, with little evidence 

of disruptive student conduct impeding 

the process of teaching and learning. The 

school has an emphasis on making “strong 

choices,” with many teachers emphasizing 

the “Actor’s Toolbox”7

 of being “calm, 

focused, and balanced” that was presented by 

drama education consultants. Unlike schools 

that require constant reinforcement of rules 

through posted signs, teacher directives, and 

restrictions on 

students’ movement, 

Pine Street places 

emphasis on 

behavior that will 

support students’ 

development of the 

skills necessary to 

engage as artists and 

scholars in projects 

that matter to them 

and the community. 

This carries over 

into the dance 

classroom, where 

Ms. Woodham’s 

clear expectations and smooth classroom 

management allow students the freedom to 

experiment and make choices supported by 

procedures that reinforce the desired behaviors 

without limiting creativity. Wall space in the 

dance classroom is given over to language-rich 

reminders of choreographic principles and the 

four-step critique process along with inspiring 

posters of dancers; no list of classroom 

rules is posted anywhere. Instead, rules and 

expectations are embedded into the process of 

dancing together. 

Ms. Woodham skillfully anticipates 

moments that might challenge students’ 

ability to make the strong choices she 

expects and pre-emptively addresses them 

by offering reminders and demonstrations of 

what is expected. When necessary, she will 

ask a student to sit out in order to redirect 

behavior, but she also knows that students, 
26

in particular those with behavior challenges, 

need the opportunities for movement that 

dance provides, so she tries use these time-outs 

sparingly. Ms. Woodham adjusts her teaching 

and lesson plans as needed to accommodate 

student needs and the energy of any given 

class, providing more or less structure for 

a lesson and adjusting the balance between 

teacher-directed 

and studentled activities to 

accomplish her 

objectives. This 

speaks to both 

the advanced 

pedagogical 

skill that Ms. 

Woodham brings 

to the dance 

program as well 

as the overall 

climate focused 

on purposeful 

engagement in the arts and academics. 

While the quality dance education that 

students access at Pine Street is certainly 

centered in Susan Woodham’s classroom, it 

operates within an arts-rich school culture that 

makes such quality possible. Upon entering 

the building, one is greeted with abundant 

signs communicating that the arts are woven 

throughout the fabric of life in the school. 

Stained glass artwork created by students with 

a visiting artist frames the entrance, proudly 

proclaiming the role that visual art, music, 

drama, dance, and creative writing have within 

the school. Colorful bulletin board displays 

showcase student work, testimonials, and 

photographs of students in class, rehearsals, 

and performances. 

Pine Street has long been an arts school, 

beginning with the South Carolina Arts in 

the Basic Curriculum designation in 1989 

and continuing with the Kennedy Center 

Arts School 

of Distinction 

Award. More 

recently, in 

response to a 

district push for 

every school 

to designate a 

particular focus, 

Principal Anne 

Chapman Jeter 

decided to delve 

more deeply into 

the arts, seeking 

out research and 

support for building the arts curriculum as 

the focus for the school. School leaders chose 

the term “arts infusion” to describe the level 

of deep and purposeful integration between 

the arts and other subject areas that the 

school strives for. Partnerships with the Peace 

Center for the Performing Arts in Greenville, 

SC and Focus Five, the arts education 

consulting group founded by teaching artist 

Sean Layne, provide support for the school’s 

programs, particularly the regular professional 

development in arts infusion for Pine Street’s 

teachers. The professional development 
27

aspect is critical to both the school’s identity 

and sense of purpose as well as the teachers’ 

ability to develop high-quality arts infused 

lessons. Teachers throughout the school 

regularly attend workshops by professional 

teaching artists and education consultants 

and are expected to create, document, and 

share arts-infused lessons informed by this 

professional development. When teachers 

speak about this work, they convey a sense 

of excitement in their own learning and the 

projects they are able to do with their students. 

Because students have such substantial access 

to standards-based, sequential learning in 

each art form through their lessons with arts 

specialists, classroom teachers are able to 

build on this as they guide students to make 

sophisticated connections between the arts 

and math, language arts, science, and social 

studies. While the expectations placed upon 

the teachers here are perhaps greater than they 

might be at other schools, particularly with 

regard to the creative innovation they must 

bring to their own lesson planning, positions at 

Pine Street are nonetheless coveted throughout 

the city; teachers want to be here.

Beyond the classroom-based arts education 

and arts infusion lessons that occur daily, 

students, parents, and teachers referenced 

many school-wide events that establish and 

reinforce the identity of Pine Street as an arts 

school. A large musical is staged every year, 

and a part is created for every student who 

auditions. Teachers and parents assist with 

building sets and creating costumes, and many 

look forward to this event every year as a 

moment for bringing together the entire school 

community and celebrating the students’ 

accomplishments. An arts residency week 

is scheduled annually, where guest artists, 

funded by grants that the school receives, teach 

daily lessons to each grade level; the week 

culminates in a shared arts evening for students 

and families. Field trips to performances 

of local and touring shows at the Chapman 

Cultural Center are a regular feature on the 

school calendar as well. Although these events 

are special and clearly valued by teachers, 

students, and families, they are not out of the 

ordinary; making space for the arts, adjusting 

schedules for performances and guest artists, 

going to teacher workshops, or stopping in to 

another classroom to see a showing of student 

work are, in fact, business as usual at Pine 

Street. 

While the tangible products of the arts 

program, such as the finished artwork on 

regular display and the annual school-wide 

musical, offer clear indicators that the arts are 

celebrated here, what is perhaps most telling 

are the efforts made by teachers to showcase 

the learning process that goes into making 

the artwork. Along a large ramped hallway 

in the center of the school are displayed long 

bulletin boards where teachers document their 

recent projects. Unlike typical school displays 

that show finished work, the curated “ramp 

displays,” as administrators refer to them, take 

the viewer through the start-to-finish process, 

with brief statements of a project’s curriculum 

standards in the arts and non-arts content areas, 

objectives, and learning activities accompanied 
28

by classroom photographs, student artwork, 

samples of students’ writing, and, in one 

case, embedded QR codes allowing a viewer 

to access video of students’ short drama 

performances on a smartphone. A visitor is 

able to see that the artwork didn’t appear solely 

because of students’ talents, but instead gains 

an insight into the incredible work that teachers 

and students put into researching, problemsolving, rehearsing, and developing their 

work. Parents comment that they enjoy seeing 

these displays when they visit the school, and 

students on their way between classes will 

pause to look and read about what those in 

another grade level are doing. 

The arts are inseparable from Pine 

Street’s focus on excellence. Administrators 

talk about their concern with deepening the 

arts infusion work in the same breath as 

they describe the data tracking system in 

place for monitoring the progress of each 

student through the necessary exams. Parents 

describe the nurturing environment that Pine 

Street provides but also commend the clear 

discipline that encourages students to behave 

appropriately at school. Communication and 

dedication appears consistent across teachers, 

administrators, and parents, creating an 

environment where the arts can thrive because 

children can thrive. 

Resources and challenges

The excellent educational program and 

abundant arts opportunities offered at Pine 

Street require substantial support, and indeed, 

the school does access funding beyond that 

typically available to many public schools. 

The school receives funding from the South 

Carolina State Department of Education Arts 

Curriculum Innovation Grant Distinguished 

Arts Program8

, which requires that recipients 

implement a standards-based curriculum 

in all four arts areas: dance, drama, music, 

and visual art, and from the South Carolina 
29

Arts Commission through the Arts in 

Basic Curriculum (ABC) Advancement 

Grants program9. The school also receives 

support from the Pine Street Foundation, an 

organization started by parents, grandparents, 

and other supporters that offers funding 

directly to Pine Street teachers to enable them 

to continue the excellent arts programming 

the school is known for. The grants that Pine 

Street receives are critical to its ability to 

offer the programming at the level it does; the 

drama teacher’s position, field trips, guest artist 

residencies, and the teachers’ professional 

development workshops are all funded through 

these grants. 

It is important to recognize that these 

grants do not simply flow to the school but 

are the result of substantial hard work on the 

part of administrators, teachers, and parents. 

Susan Woodham, the dance educator, takes 

on significant responsibilities beyond her 

teaching assignment in preparing the annual 

applications and reports associated with 

these large grants. Now that the school has 

seen the results that are possible through the 

arts program, the staff remains committed 

to seeking out grants to continue this work. 

Nevertheless, funding is not guaranteed. 

Though the exceptionally committed 

administration and faculty, supportive 

parents, and dedicated Foundation are firmly 

established and will be able to sustain some 

elements of the arts program through any cuts 

to funding from the grant sources, the program 

as a whole does rely on these outside sources.

While the work done at Pine Street, and the 

excellent dance program in particular, appears 

well-supported, challenges remain. Most 

significantly is the fact that the dance program 

is staffed entirely by one educator. While other 

arts areas in the school, such as music, employ 

multiple educators, Ms. Woodham is charged 

with teaching every student in the school. Her 

teaching schedule is at capacity, and though 

she is willing and eager to collaborate with 

other educators, her own teaching schedule 

prevents her from being able to do any coplanning or co-teaching during the school day, 

a significant obstacle to further development 

of the arts infusion program. Ms. Woodham 

also, as noted above, is partly responsible for 

the documentation associated with the school’s 

substantial grant funding. She regularly works 

outside of the school day to accomplish all 

she does in support of both the dance program 

and the larger arts program at the school. 

Colleagues and parents, who recognize her 

significant dedication and tireless work, 

make note of her efforts. Within the context 

of the larger arts program, Ms. Woodham is 

solely responsible for having built the dance 

component on the foundation of earlier dance 

educators at the school. While the residency 

projects, performances, and field trips are key 

parts of the school-wide arts program, the core 

of the dance component resides in the day-today teaching that Ms. Woodham engages in 

with her students. Her curriculum is very much 

hers and this must be recognized, for if she 

were removed from the equation, dance at Pine 

Street may look radically different. 
30
31

The Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, NC is a magnet school 

serving students in grades 6-12 who have 

a serious interest in the arts. Students are 

admitted to the school in specific majors 

chosen from among the many art form 

concentrations within dance, music, drama, 

and visual art. In addition to an academic 

course load following the North Carolina 

Standard Course of Study, students enroll 

in multiple arts courses taught by certified 

arts education content specialists. The arts 

programs prepare students for college level 

study or professional careers in the arts upon 

graduation. Exhibitions and performances are 

at a high caliber, and the school is recognized 

for producing professional-quality theatrical 

productions. 

Students from across Mecklenburg County 

gain admission to Northwest through a twostep procedure: audition and lottery. Students 

must first audition for admittance to their 

chosen major, demonstrating basic competence 

for their grade level in the selected art form. 

Those who pass the audition are then entered 

into a lottery for available seats in each class. 

Some families choose Northwest for their 

children due to its high academic ranking—

the school boasts the highest graduation rate 

for high schools in the county—while others 

specifically desire the social environment and 

creative and technical training that the school’s 

arts focus makes possible. 

Northwest has an enrollment of 541 

students in the high school (grades 9-12) and 

443 students in the middle school (grades 

6-8) for the 2013-14 school year10. The 

school serves a diverse array of students from 

across the county. Nearly half of the students 

receive free or reduced lunch; the ethnic/

racial distribution is largely white (42%) 

and African-American (45%), with smaller 

percentages of Hispanic and Asian students 

and those identifying in other categories11. 

Dance at Northwest School of the Arts

The dance program at Northwest was 

chosen as the focus for this research project. 

With four dance educators (three full-time 

and one half-time) serving the middle and 

high school campus, Northwest has one of the 

largest and most comprehensive public school 

dance programs in the state. 

Although Northwest is a 6th-12th grade 

school, it is organized into separate middle 

and high school programs with little mixing 

between students at the different levels during 

Dance

at Northwest School of the Arts 

Charlotte, North Carolina

Marissa Nesbit, East Carolina University
32

class and extracurricular 

activities. At the middle 

school level, dance 

majors enroll in classes 

primarily by grade level. 

At the high school level, 

students have more 

flexibility in regards to 

their enrollment in dance 

classes. Within the 

dance major, students 

can concentrate in ballet 

or modern dance, taking 

four courses in their area 

of concentration and two 

in the other area over 

their four years; many take additional courses 

beyond that. In addition to the required ballet 

and modern classes, students may take pointe, 

tap, and jazz in high school as well. The dance 

classes follow the structure of Beginning, 

Intermediate, Proficient, and Advanced levels 

as put forth in the North Carolina Essential 

Standards for Dance; however, unlike typical 

high school dance programs, the classes at 

Northwest are more specific than general 

dance courses and the Standards are adapted 

to the specific requirements of the dance 

form addressed in each course. Due to faculty 

availability, transportation limitations, and 

students’ frequent participation in dance 

activities outside of school, the activities 

within the dance program are contained 

primarily within the school day. Classes are 

scheduled in 90-minute blocks meeting on 

alternate days; the majority of rehearsals for 

school performances take place within these 

class times. Performances of works created in 

classes are presented each semester in evening 

concerts. 

Four faculty members teach in the dance 

program: Amelia Binford, Brian Winn, 

Chandra McCloud-Glover, and Dominique 

Willis. Ms. Binford, Mr. Winn, and Mrs. 

McCloud-Glover all teach both middle and 

high school classes; Ms. Willis, who is only 

employed half-time, teaches only high school 

classes. The school has two large dance studios 

housed in one building and a third studio 

located in a separate building. Dance flooring 

is installed in the studios, though it is worn: the 

marley (floor surface covering) in one studio 

is coming loose, and the sub-floor in the two 

upstairs studios is no longer adequately sprung 

for dance. Ballet barres are installed along the 

walls, and additional portable barres are used 

in some classes. Each studio has a small sound 
33

system for playing music through the teachers’ 

iPods. Dressing facilities are located adjacent 

to each studio, and students are expected to 

wear appropriate dance attire and shoes to each 

class. Teachers’ offices are located in separate 

small rooms off of each studio. The school also 

has arranged to use studio space at an off-site 

facility, the Music Factory; students are bussed 

to and from that location for some of the ballet 

classes. 

The school has an auditorium, though the 

small size of the stage makes it completely 

unsuitable for dance performances. A large 

black box theater is shared with the other 

performing arts areas on campus; the dance 

program uses this space only for performances 

but is unable to access it for instructional use 

on a regular basis. The black box provides 

a large performing space and appropriate 

technical production capabilities for dance, 

however, seating is limited. Currently the 

school is scheduled for upgrades funded by 

a recent school bond and the plans include a 

renovation to the performance space. 

In analyzing the information collected 

about the dance program at Northwest, a 

complex and dynamic picture emerged of 

a group of teachers and students deeply 

committed to their work in dance. In 

considering the research question “What 

are the features of a quality arts education 

program?” several important aspects of 

Northwest’s dance program merit discussion. 

The heart of the program is the teachers 

and students, and in particular, the intense, 

respectful, and meaningful relationships 

they create and sustain with one another 

through their shared dance endeavors. 

Access to the dance program is through an 

audition and lottery process, which limits 

participation to those who truly desire to 

study in this environment and creates a unique 

and demanding school culture. Once part of 

the school, students adopt a significant artist 

identity, shaped, in part, by the diverse and 

committed artistic practices they see modeled 

by the faculty. The ongoing development of 

their skills and knowledge in dance is formed 

by a comprehensive curriculum of classes 

in multiple dance forms where meaningful 

assessment is woven throughout. Perhaps 

because of the intensity with which the 

dancers value their work, limited resources 

often provoke frustration as students see their 

teachers try to maximize available resources 

and opportunities. The overwhelming 

dedication of everyone on Northwest’s campus 

to supporting students’ artistic development, 

fostering a strong and accepting community, 

and promoting excellence across academic 

and creative pursuits contributes to making 

this a school where quality thrives even in 

challenging circumstances. 

Relationships

“Relationships here are the key.”

The arts coordinator at the school states this 

upfront when introducing a visitor to the 

unique culture that thrives at Northwest. He 

continues:
34

“The structure of this school, 

and the way that students come 

to us, creates an environment 

in which those relationships are 

ready to be made...the way they 

see their dance teachers affects 

very much how they choose to 

perform in class.” 

Walking through the hallways at Northwest 

as students are changing classes, one would not 

guess that the school holds nearly a thousand 

students; it has the feel of a much smaller 

campus. Teachers greet students by name 

as they pass by. “See you in rehearsal” is a 

common refrain as students hug one another 

before heading off separate ways. Because 

they work together so closely creating and 

rehearsing dances, teachers get to know 

their students; more importantly, they are 

able to foster a sense of community where 

relationships thrive both in and out of class. 

Many students attend Northwest for the full 

seven years; over that time, they get to know 

their dance teachers quite well and for many, 

this sustained encounter with professional, 

caring, and inspiring teachers contributes to the 

high quality education they receive. Students 

describe a trusting, personal relationship in 

dance class:

“Developing that personal 

relationship with the teachers, 

they also recognize our 

learning styles and our abilities 

and what helps us and what 

doesn’t, and who is going to 

be comfortable with [hands on 

corrections] and who’s not.” 

—High School Student

Students look up to their teachers and 

explain that teachers model the kinds of 

collegial relationships that are important in any 

arts field that relies on collaboration the way 

dance does. 

“There’s a really good sense 

of respect among the dancers 

themselves. The teachers set 

an example for it—all four of 

our teachers have a pretty 

good working relationship...

and we see that...At a regular 

high school, where dance is just 

an elective, I wouldn’t talk to a 

freshman if I saw them in the 

hallway because I’m a senior...

but I love [freshman student]! 

It’s great. We have a really 

good relationship when we are 

together.” 

—High School Student

While positive relationships between 

individual students and teachers are likely 

to be found in most successful schools, the 

quality arts curriculum at Northwest places 

these individual relationships into a larger 

context where a school-wide culture of caring 

and acceptance can flourish. Repeatedly, 

administrators, students, teachers, and parents 

express gratitude for the school culture, where 

students are encouraged to “be themselves” to 

an extent not always possible for adolescents 
35

in traditional schools. While the school has 

adopted a pro-caring approach to discipline, 

it is daily engagement in the arts as both 

subject and process that enables individual and 

community relationships within the school to 

thrive.

“I think that a lot of what we 

do in our classes, teaching 

the kids to be...open to 

interpretation and looking at 

art from new perspectives—

that they integrate that info 

their daily lives, personal 

lives...and our kids aren’t just 

accepting. They embrace 

differences. They embrace 

diversity...Intellectually, they’re 

being pushed to look beyond 

stereotypes, beyond just what’s 

visible to the naked eye.” 

—Dance Educator

Access

At Northwest, students enrolled as dance 

majors are able to access significant dance 

experiences not available to students at 

traditional schools in the area. The dance 

opportunities available at Northwest are greater 

in both the amount of time spent dancing and 

the depth and variety of instruction. At typical 

middle schools in the county, students are 

able to take dance during the school day, but 

the courses are one semester in duration. At 

Northwest, middle schoolers’ dance classes last 

the full year. At the high school level, students 

are able to enroll in multiple dance classes that 

are each designated with a particular dance 

form—ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and pointe. 

With the exception of the musical theatre 

majors, who also enroll in some dance classes, 

the dance courses at Northwest are limited to 

only those students who have been accepted as 

dance majors. 

In many communities, this level of preprofessional dance training is only available 

through private dance studios, and tuition 

costs families thousands of dollars per year. 

For some students at Northwest, being able to 

take their dance classes during the school day 

in such an immersive environment alleviates a 

significant financial burden on their families. 
36

Other students continue to supplement their 

in-school dance training at Northwest with 

additional classes and performing opportunities 

at local dance studios or through the school 

affiliated with the professional ballet company 

in Charlotte. 

Regardless of whether they also dance 

outside of school, it is apparent that dance 

students at Northwest want to be there. 

Students and their families must go through 

several steps to enroll, and stay enrolled, at 

Northwest. All students are required to pass an 

audition, demonstrating the required skills for 

their grade level; those who pass the audition 

are entered into a lottery for the available 

seats in each class. While students can enter 

Northwest at any grade, the typical entry 

points are 6th and 9th grade. Rising 6th graders 

participate in a more basic audition that 

involves showing a self-choreographed solo 

and basic movement activities. The 9th grade 

audition—which is required for all students, 

including those who have completed middle 

school at Northwest—calls for participation 

in ballet and modern dance classes where 

prospective students are evaluated on their 

technique. The dance educators at Northwest 

report that the majority of 8th grade dance 

students who have completed three years of 

dance at the school and demonstrate progress 

and commitment to the program are able to 

pass the audition and continue on in the high 

school program; however, the audition process 

does serve to establish the seriousness of the 

program and ensure full commitment and 

dedication from the students. 

In addition to the students’ own aspiration 

to study at Northwest, the desire of their 

parents is also a huge factor impacting 

access to this school and its arts programs. 

Parents have a range of reasons for selecting 

Northwest for their children: the availability 

of the dance program, the supportive and 

nurturing environment, the emphasis on 

creativity throughout the school, and the solid 

academic foundation are among the traits that 

parents seek out. Some parents explain that, 

when choosing where their child would attend 

middle or high school, Northwest was the only 

viable option they had. One parent describes 

anxiously waiting by the mailbox to learn if 

her child had a place at Northwest:

“I was just keeping my fingers 

crossed because if she hadn’t 

made it in, she would just go 

to her home school, which is 

also a fine school but not what 

I wanted for her, and not what 

she wanted.” —Parent

Another parent continues, expressing 

gratitude and commitment to the school:
37

“It’s a family. Once you’re here, 

it would be heartbreaking 

to leave. A diverse group of 

people, different ideas, all 

encompassing, all inclusive. It’s 

a wonderful school...I would not 

have her anywhere else in the 

world. —Parent

Although the families do not pay tuition 

or fees for their students to attend Northwest, 

it nonetheless demands significant sacrifices 

for many. The school draws students from 

throughout Mecklenburg County, which 

encompasses 546 square miles. Transportation 

is only provided through a shuttle system, and 

for many students, the drive to a shuttle stop 

would take as long or longer than the drive 

to school. Parents describe instead adjusting 

their work schedules—including turning 

down shifts—to be able to transport their 

students across the county to attend this school. 

They describe this as a significant hardship, 

but, due to their strong feelings about the 

importance of their children accessing what 

Northwest offers, they willingly make these 

adjustments. Students also make sacrifices 

to attend Northwest; most significantly, 

the school offers no athletics or marching 

band program, and due to the bell schedule, 

students cannot participate in these activities 

at another school while attending Northwest. 

The school provides access to high quality 

dance education experiences for those who are 

willing and able to make the substantial effort 

to become part of the school.

Artist identity

Every student at Northwest is enrolled as 

a “major” in at least one art form, contributing 

to a strong sense of artist identity across the 

program. Students do not simply take a dance 

class; they are dancers. 

“I’m passionate about my art...

We love to dance and that’s 

where we use most of our time 

in school—for our art.” 

—High School Student

The high school students, in particular, 

convey a sense of seriousness and purpose 

when speaking about their dance studies. Many 

intend to study dance in college and pursue an 

eventual career as a performer, choreographer, 

or dance teacher, and the dancers are eager for 

a broad range of experiences that will support 

their goals. 

“I think performances are a 

super important part for us, just 

because that is what all of our 

training is for. They’re training 

us to have careers as dancers. 

The experience of being on 

stage and performing is one of 

the most important things.” 

—High School Student

While the students enroll at Northwest with 

the intention of a specific major in dance, it 

is the daily process of teaching and learning, 

facilitated by the professional dance educators, 

that enables students to develop their artist 

identity. This identity is clearly modeled and 
38

reinforced by the four dance teachers, most of 

whom continue their own artistic work outside 

of their teaching roles by taking classes, 

performing, and choreographing with different 

companies in North Carolina. Students might 

encounter Ms. Willis at the barre next to them 

in an evening ballet class, or they might see 

Mr. Winn on stage performing in a professional 

concert. The dance teachers all regularly 

pepper their lessons with stories and advice 

from their own performing experiences, 

reinforcing what it means to be an artist. 

“Ms. Binford is somebody who 

is so excited about jazz and her 

personality is what she teaches. 

So I feel like that resemblance 

of their love and passion 

for what they teach is also 

something that helps us learn a 

lot. If they weren’t into it, they 

wouldn’t teach us anything; It 

wouldn’t transmit.” 

—High School Student

Students regularly describe the 

personalities of their teachers as influential; 

most significantly, they commend the diversity 

of the dance faculty as a whole. The four 

dance educators at Northwest have incredibly 

different dance backgrounds, past experiences, 

and teaching styles, and this diversity is a 

major asset to the program. When asked about 

determining teacher quality, an administrator 

explained:

“I think it’s more than just one 

high quality teacher. It’s the 

program. Because each of 

those teachers have different 

strengths, so they’re able to 

play to those strengths. You 

have people with a stronger 

studio base, so their focus 

is more along the lines of 

studio training. And then 

you’ve got teachers that are 

pulling in more of the creative 

choreography part, so they’re 

allowing that freedom...” 

–District Administrator 

The dance educators take their work 

as artist and educators seriously, and this 

contributes significantly to the high quality of 

the program as a whole:

“We have a responsibility as 

dancers...we’re not teaching 

to a test right now. We have 

that flexibility to challenge the 

students or push the limitations 

in terms of the material that 

we’re doing with our kids... that 

we’re challenging ourselves. 

We’re pushing ourselves 

as hard. We’re able to step 

outside of the box and do a 

little bit more.” 

—Dance Educator

The artist identity of the teachers is apparent 

throughout their work; whether it is Mrs. 

McCloud-Glover letting her students struggle 

through a choreography assignment in order to 

realize that adjustments are part of the creative 
39

process, or Ms. Willis weaving in stories of a 

ballet choreographer as she asks students to 

compare and contrast different artists’ work, 

the emphasis on engaging fully in the practice 

of being an artist pervades everything that 

happens in the Northwest dance classes.

Meaningful assessment

The dance program at Northwest offers 

a comprehensive curriculum including 

performance skills and dance technique, 

choreography, dance history, current artists, 

and anatomy. In many classes, dance topics 

are tied to Common Core reading and writing 

as well. Although students at times wish they 

could spend all of their time dancing, they also 

recognize the value of learning dimensions 

of dance beyond technique and performance 

training.

“In tap, we learned a lot 

of history, because it’s a 

misconception of arts schools. 

They think we just dance, but 

actually, we really are deeply 

rooted in history and how 

it came about. In tap, we’re 

talking about how tap came 

about and slavery and how it 

came to be a big type of dance 

we do now.” 

—High School Student

Such a comprehensive curriculum requires 

comprehensive assessments, and the dance 

teachers and students at Northwest devote a 

significant amount of attention to evaluating 

their work and seeking ways of improvement. 

Assessments in dance at Northwest are 

multi-faceted and designed with the outcomes 

of a particular class or project in mind. 

Students’ grades are determined by not only 

their regular participation in class (an area 

that is specifically limited in how much it can 

account for a student’s final grade), but also 

their mastery of movement skills and their 

performance on written papers and tests. For 

many projects, such as group choreography 

assignments, teachers have developed specific 

rubrics that they use to evaluate students’ work. 

They will use these rubrics in class for live 

performances and also will apply these rubrics 

to videotaped performances, allowing more 

time for review and comments on students’ 

work. In Mrs. McCloud-Glover’s class, the 

students are involved in developing the rubric 

as they are challenged to think about the 

aspects of a particular dance that are important 

to assess. 

The process of assessment in dance at 

Northwest clearly contributes to the high 

quality of the program, especially because 

of the way that students are involved in the 

assessment process. Grades and qualitative 

feedback are communicated regularly to 

students, who learn to value this information. 

In fact, dance students want feedback and 

express the desire for more frequent, individual 

corrections, especially in the large middle 

school classes.

“What’s helping me learn is 

how they give us really good 

corrections.”

 —Middle School Student
40

“...there’s only one person 

and so many kids. Its hard to 

look at one person and look 

at all the others. Some kids 

struggle because they think 

they’re doing right but they’re 

really doing wrong in their 

technique.”

—Middle School Student

Part of the dance educators’ job, of course, 

is helping the students take ownership of their 

own learning by self-assessing their personal 

progress and becoming less dependent on 

teachers for corrections. The dance faculty all 

include some form of self-assessment in their 

classes, asking students to evaluate themselves 

according to an assignment or progress rubric 

and explain their rating. More importantly, 

the process of self-assessment and correction 

has become embedded in the way that many 

students approach their work in general. 

This was especially apparent in Mr. Winn’s 

Intermediate Modern class, a large group of 

40 high school students with varying levels of 

skill. As the students took turns moving across 

the floor in a traveling movement phrase, 

several immediately returned to the beginning 

to take a second turn, having identified 

something in their own performance that they 

wished to correct. By making assessment an 

embedded part of the teaching and learning 

process, the dance educators at Northwest have 

succeeded in enabling their students to learn 

how to learn in dance—a skill just as important 

as learning technique or choreography.

Maximizing available resources

While the work being done by the teachers, 

students, and administrators at Northwest 

is of very high quality, significant obstacles 

remain which impact the further growth and 

development of the program. Although the 

school as three dance studios for classes, 

space remains a challenge. One studio, in 

particular, is rather small, and this small space, 

combined with an especially large class size, 

mean that middle school students are cramped 

together when standing at the barre and are 

unable to do large traveling movements 

in class. While the school as a whole has 

classroom technology resources, the dance 

studios are not similarly equipped, making it 

difficult for teachers to seamlessly integrate 

video and online technology into their dance 

classes. Performance space presents another 

challenge, as seating is limited in the black box 

performance area. Dance concerts always sell 

out, and some friends and family members are 

turned away when coming to see their students 

perform. Parents and teachers recognize that 

the most meaningful advocacy strategy for 

a program like Northwest’s will be to let 

the work speak for itself—but opportunities 

to invite district administrators, business 

leaders, donors, and community members 

to performances are restricted. Recent news 

indicating that funding from a successful 

school bond vote will be allocated towards 

construction projects at the school—including 

a more suitable performance space—has staff 

and students optimistic that this situation will 

improve in the near future.
41

Class sizes also present difficulty. One 

of the outstanding features of Northwest’s 

program is that they are able to offer truly 

leveled classes for the students. Whereas in 

other schools the “advanced” class is simply 

those who have taken one or two prior 

semesters, at Northwest, “advanced” is just 

that—a class limited to the students who have 

mastered the form at the previous levels. 

Depending on the class, this may mean that 

only 12 or 15 students are ready to enroll in 

a given semester. For the juniors and seniors 

who take these classes, the opportunity to be 

given truly challenging material is a hallmark 

of this quality program. Yet, because teacher 

allotment to the school is based on the school’s 

enrollment as a whole, additional dance 

teaching positions are not available; some of 

the other classes, particularly in the middle 

school and the lower levels of high school, can 

have over 40 students enrolled. 

Nevertheless, the dedication of the teachers 

and students means that they will persist 

and do quality work despite 

these obstacles. As one student 

explained,

“Our teachers do very 

well at really taking 

every single little thing 

we have to the max.” 

—High School Student 

Teachers have developed 

classroom management techniques 

to help students move more 

fully in limited space and have 

students gather in their offices to 

watch and discuss videos. They 

seek out field trips to introduce students to 

professional companies and college dance 

programs. Students highly value the guest 

artists and performance opportunities they 

do have, devoting their full energy to these 

experiences. They respect one another and 

do the best they can to move safely around 

each other in crowded classes. Parents drive 

lengthy round trips to bring their children to 

this highly sought-after school, and then stay 

late organizing events and fundraisers through 

the PTO or booster clubs. Most significantly, 

the attitude of the Northwest teachers towards 

maximizing all available opportunities, 

combined with the practice of teaching 

students to learn how to learn, means that this 

quality program will continue to perpetuate its 

own success. 
42
43

Bradley Academy is a K-6 school serving approximately 370 students 

in the Murfreesboro City system. It serves a 

diverse high-needs population, offering an 

arts integration focus that includes instruction 

in vocal and instrumental music, visual art, 

and drama. It is the only school 

in the Murfreesboro City system 

to have a K-6 drama program. 

Approximately 88% of students at 

Bradley are identified as economically 

disadvantaged—significantly higher 

than district and state percentages12. 

They have faced shifts in student 

demographics over the past decade. 

The Hispanic student population at 

Bradley Academy has doubled in that 

time. According to the Tennessee State 

Report Card, approximately 18% of 

Bradley’s student population in 2003 

was Hispanic. In 2013, the Hispanic 

student population at Bradley academy 

is around 36%. The school now has the 

highest Hispanic student population 

in the district. 29% of the students are 

English learners. Bradley is a zone 

and choice school, taking students 

from an identified zone and some who 

apply from other zones in the district. 

It strives to serve every student interested in 

attending the school, and at the moment, it can 

accommodate all choice students. However, 

Murfreesboro City Schools is rezoning, which 

may impact the number of choice students 

Bradley Academy can accept. 

Drama

at Bradley Academy 

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Laurie Melnik, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
44

At the turn of the 21st century, stakeholders 

reevaluated the school’s mission and vision. 

They faced declining student numbers and 

needed to develop a plan that would attract 

people to Bradley Academy. The principal 

at the time had visited an arts-integrated 

school that served a similar community and 

suggested that Bradley consider that as a 

school focus. After much discussion and 

research, stakeholders approved a proposal to 

transition Bradley’s core instructional model to 

arts integration. Among the changes that this 

decision brought about were new facilities to 

accommodate a comprehensive arts program 

and funding for a full-time drama specialist. 

Today, the arts are a source of pride for 

Bradley Academy. Their model has led them 

to become part of Tennessee’s Value Plus 

Schools13 program. 

At Bradley, the arts are taught as distinct 

disciplines and as part of an integrated 

program. Classroom teachers collaborate 

with arts specialists to design and deliver 

interdisciplinary units of study. The arts 

are taught in isolation, but opportunities 

to integrate arts and non-arts disciplines 

are highly encouraged. Bradley Academy 

teachers recognize the value of arts integration 

and strive to provide authentic arts learning 

experiences in both the grade-level teachers’ 

and arts specialists’ classrooms. 

Description of the Program

The drama program is a source of pride 

for Bradley Academy. It has developed a 

reputation for high quality work. Directed by 

Mrs. Allison Isom, the drama program has a 

standards-based and sequential curriculum 

where students develop knowledge, skills, and 

understandings framed around the elements 

of drama. During the week, students in grades 

K-6 rotate to 45-minute classes in each art 

form. Students also experience the arts through 

arts-integrated units of study developed and 

delivered in collaboration between classroom 

teachers and arts specialists. In addition to 

the in-school drama program, students in 

grades 3-6 can participate in Bradley Academy 

Musical Theatre, an audition-based afterschool program. 

Access

One of the goals of the drama program at 

Bradley Academy is to provide opportunities 

to students whose life situations might make 

exposure to and experiences in drama unlikely. 

As a Title 1 School, approximately 88% of the 

student population at Bradley Academy comes 

from underserved communities. Each child 

at Bradley has the opportunity embedded in 

the school day to learn and engage in drama. 

If a student is interested in the after-school 

opportunities provided by the program, the 

school finds a way to make it happen. No child 

is turned away from any opportunity because 

of personal circumstances.

“Opportunity is defined in a 

similar framework that I as 

a middle-class parent make 

sure that my kid gets every 

academic opportunity--I watch 

their home work and make 
45

sure if they are struggling in 

something the teacher just 

has to contact me and I make 

sure my kid gets the assistance 

they need. If my child showed 

advanced physicality, I might 

pay for Tae Kwon Do for him, 

which I did because I noticed 

the potential and was able to 

provide that kind of support for 

my child. For me, opportunity 

makes a difference. I send 

my kids to camp. The kids 

here don’t have that kind of 

opportunity. My kids have the 

vocabulary of two collegeeducated parents. The kids 

here don’t have that. And that 

is the biggest determinant 

of academic success. It has 

nothing to do with IQ. It has 

to do with opportunities.” –

Administrator

Beyond Bradley, opportunities for 

drama instruction are limited. As part of the 

Murfreesboro City Schools district, Bradley 

Academy is the only elementary school to offer 

a drama program. Middle and High Schools 

are part of a separate system, the Rutherford 

County School District. Students stay at 

Bradley Academy through 6th grade. Options 

for studying drama in grades 7-12 remain 

limited. Currently, no feeder school exists for 

Bradley Academy students. 

Assessment

At Bradley, the arts are considered core 

curriculum. Time is a precious commodity 

due to the increased emphasis on standardized 
46

testing. It is not considered acceptable to 

find release from “real” school in “trivial” 

artsy activities. Maximizing the instructional 

potential of each minute is a strong 

undercurrent at Bradley Academy. Mrs. 

Isom utilizes a curriculum map, which helps 

her focus on instructional goals. She uses a 

backward planning approach. 

“When I look at Bloom’s 

[Taxonomy], I try to reach a 

higher level understanding, 

but it really helps me think of 

what I am actually teaching or 

need to be teaching so we can 

reach lesson goals.” –Drama 

Specialist

Ongoing embedded assessments assist 

students in practicing drama 

skills, knowledge, and 

understanding. In Kindergarten, 

Mrs. Isom guided a whole 

class activity where students 

were cued to recall parts of a 

story that was just read aloud. 

According to Mrs. Isom it is 

very important to make sure 

students acquire important 

knowledge and skills before 

moving forward. Checking 

on mastery of specific skills 

and knowledge is especially 

important for more open-ended 

work where students get to 

explore options and create on 

their own. Performance task 

assessments are used in the 

drama program to see into the multifaceted 

work in which students engage. Through 

performance task assessments, Bradley 

Academy students are encouraged to respond 

in multiple ways and demonstrate expected 

skills, knowledge, and understandings in 

drama. 

“We get a lot of rubrics. It’s 

1,2,3,4. You have something 

to work for. I like getting 

4’s, but I don’t always get 

them. Sometimes we get 

opportunities to practice more 

and get a higher score, but you 

have to work for it. You don’t 

just get numbers for anything.” 

–Student
47

 “Like this one time, I wasn’t 

projecting and couldn’t be 

heard. I got a lower number 

there because I needed to do 

better on that. But I wasn’t 

sad because I knew that when 

I did it. The next time I did a 

scene, I projected more and 

got a better score. It made me 

feel good to see my hard work 

paying off.” –Student

 “In my class, we have a rubric, 

like for our monologues, we 

have a guide for giving each 

other feedback and helping 

us get better. Like being 

memorized or showing more 

emotions or making certain 

choices with your voice and 

making sense of your character. 

Looking for clues. Ms. Isom 

helps us and gives lots of 

chances to practice.” –Student

Curriculum

Mrs. Isom has a fully articulated 

curriculum with unit plans and a portfolio of 

student work. The curriculum includes a series 

of unit plans that address both informal and 

formal processes of drama and theatre. Each 

unit focuses on specific learning objectives 

in drama and connects with what they are 

learning in their grade level classrooms. For 

example, fourth grade students practiced 

scriptwriting skills through writing from a 

character’s point of view traveling in the Trail 

of Tears. Students were required to consider 

what they knew about the Trail of Tears, which 

was reviewed in the context of the drama 

class but taught in the grade-level classrooms. 

As students practiced skills and knowledge 

in drama they also had the opportunity to 

reinforce understandings from other content 

areas. 

“She has helped me read 

better. There are a lot of lines 

to memorize. When I came 

here in 5th grade, I couldn’t read 

very well because of dyslexia. 

Now people don’t realize I have 

that. Before I came here, I was 

mean and not very nice. When 

I came here, I was in drama and 

able to get my emotions out, 

but in a good way.” –Student

“Essentially we’re able to 

take arts content and nonarts content and meld them 

together in a lesson where a 

natural connection has been 

made. In drama, a lot of my 

stuff connects with language 

arts and social studies. I’ll talk 

to the teachers and see what 

their students are struggling 

with or something being 

pushed really hard for the 

TCAP, and I try to find content 

that will relate with what I do 

in a drama and see if it fits 
48

naturally. Meaning, it’s a real 

drama lesson. Not just using 

drama but actually teaching 

drama.” –Drama Specialist

“I know how to read something 

and what emotions to use 

because of punctuation and 

other clues. Sometimes lines 

will tell you how to say it, but 

sometimes you have to figure 

out on your own.” –Student

Grade-level teachers shared their appreciation 

for how the drama curriculum deepens 

students’ understanding across content areas. 

“A lot of them have become 

more fluent and are able to 

read with expression. That has 

helped many students perform 

better on reading. The quietest 

child can be the most dramatic. 

You see a different side of the 

child between the classroom 

and drama class. Last year, 

my kids were working on a 

script and Ms. Isom gave me 

feedback about how they were 

struggling. I was able to take 

that feedback and help my kids 

better read a script and infer 

meaning from dialogue. You 

know that is great feedback 

for me because I see the 

value of what she is teaching 

and how it reinforces similar 

skillsets across content areas.” 

–Classroom Teacher

 “With our play last year, Ms. 

Isom decided to take My Lost 

Little Valentine and developed 

a unit from it. We were able 

to give her feedback on the 

unit and reinforce the non-arts 

content. I feel like this year, 

we had a hard time with unity 

and team work, and I knew 

they learned a lot about this in 

drama so I was able to go to 

Ms. Isom and get some help. 

It’s nice when you know your 

content area well and how we 

can support student needs 

because we know our students 

well, too.” 

–Classroom Teacher

Teacher Quality

Mrs. Isom is a highly qualified drama 

educator and a reflective practitioner. She 

received a degree in Theatre Education and 

had access to mentors who assisted her as she 

navigated the spectrum between process- and 

production-centered work. She designed a 

standards-based and sequential curriculum 

in a school district where prior knowledge in 

elementary drama was not present. Mrs. Isom 

has received accolades including teacher of 

the year, write-ups in local newspapers, and 

invitations to share the work at Bradley at the 

Tennessee Art Commission’s annual CREATE 

conference. 
49

“Performances were very new 

to the students. They didn’t 

know what an audition was 

and I had to spend a lot of 

time preparing the students 

for this. Where we are now 

didn’t happen overnight. I 

also wanted to make sure that 

the after-school productions 

didn’t take over my curriculum. 

There is a difference and both 

serve different purposes. The 

students know two sides of meeducator me and director me 

and they know and understand 

the difference.” –Drama 

Specialist

“In class she is teaching drama. 

In rehearsal, it’s more about the 

performance- glitter, sets, and 

costumes. You get a little of 

that in class but a lot more of 

that after school. It’s different 

because she is teaching you 

how to perform, but it’s not the 

same kind performing like after 

school. We don’t rehearse for 

a play in class. We learn how to 

act.” –Student

While confident in her background 

and expertise in theatre, she enters her 

work knowing that creating an effective 

curriculum is an ongoing process that never 

ends. Mrs. Isom revisits her curriculum and 

makes adjustments based on student needs. 

Throughout the site visit, Mrs. Isom shared 

specific examples of student work and 

milestones during her process of creating 

a learner-centered curriculum at Bradley 

Academy. 

“She has a big idea about 

the program and knows how 

everything connects and 

prepares us. It just all makes 

sense. It doesn’t just happen.” 

–Student 

Mrs. Isom has a strong rapport among 

faculty and students. Throughout interviews 

and focus groups, she was described as caring, 

passionate, and talented. Alumni and parents 

frequently mentioned how she was like another 

mother to the students and made sure they 

were getting the support they needed. 

School Culture

Many families choose Bradley Academy 

because of its reputation as a caring learning 

environment. The school has a vision for 

helping all students succeed, realizing their 

academic potential. When the current principal 

came to Bradley, the school had many students 

with behavioral issues. Administrators and 

teachers at Bradley wanted students to be 

able to self-motivate and self-regulate, but 

this was difficult given a lack of curricular 

support. The current principal worked hard 

to help the faculty develop a comprehensive 

curriculum that not only supported student 

needs but also reflected the school culture. 

Drama is important to the school culture 
50

because Bradley Academy believes 

it helps students overcome obstacles 

and become better communicators. 

Many students commented about why 

the drama program was important to 

them. 

“Drama inspires us to get 

out of our comfort zone. 

Lots of students, not just 

me, used to not talk very 

much. Drama has helped 

me not be shy and get out 

of my shell.” –Student

 “It has helped me a lot. I 

was so shy and scared and 

now I can’t stop talking. 

I went from a snail who 

never leaves it shell to 

someone who isn’t afraid 

anymore.” –Student

Multiple stakeholders recognized 

the arts as being a central piece to 

the school’s overall mission, but 

those who have been with the school 

since before the time of the current 

leadership had difficulty describing 

what this meant. Few of the current 

faculty and staff were with Bradley 

when they first implemented the arts 

integration model, and were able to 

describe transitions that occurred 

over the past 25 years. The biggest 

transition was getting everyone on 

the same page and invested in the 

school’s new mission and vision. Over 
51

the last 10 years, the biggest hurdle that many 

described was cultivating leadership and buyin on the district level. 

“I think with Dr. Fowler 

[Bradley’s Principal]... I 

appreciate how she focuses 

on the big picture and she is 

increasing visibility. The school 

district is giving us support 

for transportation for the 

drama program. That was a 

huge help! I know Dr. Fowler 

attends the show and I know 

our superintendent attends as 

well.” –Parent

“Leadership has high 

expectations in the arts. And 

they have those expectations 

regardless of background 

– so just because you have 

those circumstances doesn’t 

mean you can’t have high 

expectations. It doesn’t 

mean that when you grow 

up you still have to be in 

those circumstances. The 

children get it because they 

see that we believe in them 

and if the kids see that we 

believe in them regardless of 

what outside people might 

say – then they are willing to 

try and do their best. They 

realize what they can do here.” 

–Classroom Teacher

The arts receive strong support from the 

school’s administration. The current principal 

is the first leader at Bradley who has prior 

experience in schools with arts integration 

programs. Faculty described her first year 

at the school as focused on clarifying the 

difference between arts infusion and arts 

integration. The principal also evaluated 

the arts programs and made sure they had a 

strong foundation in curriculum, assessment, 

and teacher quality. She reinforced the 

importance of isolated instruction in the arts 

during the school day, expanded after-school 

opportunities in the arts, and ensured quality 

educators were guiding the arts programs. 

The school community at Bradley 

takes great pride in its high quality arts 

experiences. In regard to the drama program, 

students, parents, alumni, and school faculty 

often highlighted what students learn and 

accomplish. In interviews and focus groups, 

many commented that the drama program does 

more than just put on great productions. It 

provides students opportunities to do the work 

of real artists. 

“Our children really respond to 

them. They write their stories 

and draw. That’s how they 

learn... more hands-on, you 

know make something and 

then talk about it. And it’s also 

helped my older one not be 

shy. She’s still quiet, but she 

has a lot more confidence. It’s 

not just on stage that she can 

talk in front of people. She can 
52

start a conversation and really 

communicate with people.” –

Parent

“My daughter is working on 

making better eye contact. She 

is working on that a lot as she 

rehearses her character, but 

we’re practicing this outside of 

drama, too. My other daughter 

is learning about leadership. 

She is the lead role but she 

is learning how to be a role 

model and to be a part of an 

ensemble.” –Parent

Resources

Conversations about resources at 

Bradley inevitably turned to a need for more. 

Stakeholders are pleased with the quality of 

work their students do an the learning they 

receive, but would like to see more options 

made available in the opportunities for quality 

drama instruction beyond Bradley Academy 

and identify a desire for expanded working 

space for drama instruction and performance. 

When students leave Bradley Academy 

they not only enter a new school but also 

become a part of different school system where 

there are little or no opportunities to participate 

in drama. Many parents and alumni expressed 

concerns for the limited opportunities available 

to them in the arts and miss being a part of 

Bradley’s program. 

“It’s a different school system 

once they enter middle school. 

All middle and high school are 

in the county system. It’s two 

completely different systems. 

That is why the partnership 

with the Center for the Arts was 

important. That is the option.” 

–Administrator

“I kept my daughter here for 

6th grade because there isn’t a 

middle school that does this at 

least not like this.” –Parent

“It’s not the same anywhere 

else. My middle school has 

drama, but it’s after school and 

taught by the math teacher. 

I’m glad they have it, but it’s 

not the same, especially when 

I learned so much here.” —

Bradley Academy Alum

“I don’t want to say that the 

middle school and high schools 

in the county are bad, but 

it is a completely different 

experience. I kept my daughter 

here for 6th grade because I 

wanted her to experience what 

she loved as she could. We 

weren’t even zoned for the 

school anymore, and I still sent 

my daughter here. It was so 

hard for her to leave here, but I 

am glad for Center for the Arts. 

There, she gets to continue her 

love for drama.” 

–Parent
53

When Bradley Academy became an 

arts school, an expansion was added to the 

building that provided art form classrooms 

and studios. While classroom space does 

accommodate teaching and learning in the 

arts, there are not enough resources to support 

student performances. When asked what the 

program needed, almost everyone mentioned 

that Bradley Academy could use its own 

theatre. As one grade level teacher emphasized, 

having access to their own theatre space 

would provide teachers and students access 

to a laboratory where students can practice 

what they are learning in the real-world 

environment. 

“Looking at this from the 

perspective [of a parent], I 

have seen programs done 

a lot more resources and 

sponsorships and parental 

involvement. But the kids 

here, they consistently step 

up to the plate in the midst of 

personal struggles and shine 

and have the opportunity to 

push through. I have seen this 

blossom in other parts of their 

lives and see this carry with 

them when they leave here.” 

–Parent

“Our own theatre. There are 

so many things that could 

be real-world applicable... to 

have a facility where you can 

practice things like design, 

sound, and lights.. but it’s 

on our campus. If we had a 

facility that we had control 

over... I think the program 

would be stronger. It’s not 

that the facility is needed for 

the program to exist, but the 

opportunity for students to 

really live and learn in a theatre 

space is needed.” –Classroom 

Teacher

The drama program has struggled over 

the past few years to find adequate space 

that supports young student actors. Spaces 

used in the past either were not cost effective 
54

or too large for the school’s productions. 

The school is in great need of performance 

facilities, but rather than wait for the resources 

to make it happen, Bradley Academy took a 

creative approach. Through collaborating with 

Murfreesboro’s Center for the Arts, Bradley 

Academy is able to access a theatre space for 

their drama program. The Center for the Arts 

has a strong reputation in the community for 

putting on professional-quality work, which 

has not only expanded Bradley’s access to 

resources but also strengthened the school’s 

reputation. 

“Center for the Arts has helped. 

People come to see our shows 

more because Center for the 

Arts has a good reputation. 

People come to see us because 

they know we’re talented. 

People see us now” –Student

“A lot of people learn about 

Bradley Academy because they 

come see shows at the Center 

just because it’s a show at the 

Center and people like them.” 

–Student

The partnership between Bradley Academy 

and the Center for the Arts was described as a 

major milestone during interviews and focus 

groups. Before partnering with the Center for 

the Arts, the school struggled with visibility 

in the community and district support for the 

drama program was lacking. Simultaneously, 

the Center for the Arts wanted to expand their 

education programs and increase access to 

drama for K-12 students. The partnership, 

described as serendipitous, came at a good time 
55

when school leadership at Bradley Academy 

was strong and could go to the district to 

advocate for the school. The biggest challenge 

in making the partnership work was providing 

transportation for students between Bradley 

Academy and the Center for the Arts during 

after-school hours. The district supported 

the partnership and funded transportation, 

which many stakeholders described as a major 

accomplishment and a sign that district support 

for the arts is getting better. 

“I think this year we had 

people that came to Bradley 

after seeing a show there. It’s 

been a really positive for us, 

and helping us get out there. 

It’s a huge deal. We have a 

large Hispanic community. 

People are not afraid to 

come to the Center for the 

Arts. Some people don’t 

want to come to Bradley 

because of the area. So it 

increased awareness of the 

school and changed some 

perceptions.” –Parent

Summary

Bradley Academy, the only school 

in its district with an elementary 

drama program, offers student 

opportunities to both develop 

drama skills and perform. Mrs. 

Isom facilitates drama learning 

experiences that help students 

develop characters with expressive voices 

and movement and reinforces inferential and 

interpretive skills. Students transfer learned 

skills and knowledge to other content areas 

where classroom teachers have observed 

improved communication skills. In addition to 

drama classes, students enjoy opportunities to 

perform in Bradley Academy Musical Theatre, 

an after-school drama program. Mrs. Isom 

carefully distinguishes between the drama 

classroom and after-school rehearsals. As a 

result, stakeholders understand the purpose of 

isolated instruction in drama and how students 

are able to take what they have learned and 

apply it to a performance opportunity. 
56
57

Owensboro High School (OHS) is a public 9-12 school in Owensboro, 

Kentucky that serves approximately 1,056 

students. The only high school in Owensboro 

Public Schools, OHS is a Title I School where 

approximately 70% of students receive free or 

reduced lunch.14 The mission of OHS states, 

“we commit to nurture and challenge each 

student toward reaching maximum potential 

and achieving success in an ever-changing 

world” (www.owensboro.k12.ky.us). OHS 

serves a diverse student population with 

varying needs, aptitudes, and abilities. 

Description of the Program

The school has a longstanding arts program 

that receives significant support at the district 

level and from the Owensboro community. 

All art forms are fully supported at the school 

and across the district. The district’s goal is 

to develop a comprehensive K-12 curriculum 

that supports the whole child, which includes 

programs in visual art, drama, music, and 

dance. The drama program at OHS, also 

known as the Rose Curtain Players, is the 

oldest high school drama program in the state 

of Kentucky. The Rose Curtain Players has 

been in existence for approximately 90 years 

and has a long tradition of community support. 

The initial vision of the Rose Curtain Players 

was to increase opportunities for students to 

create and perform theatre in the Owensboro 

community. 

Today, the Rose Curtain Players offers 

students multiple opportunities to participate 

in play development, productions, and 

community projects. Carolyn Greer directs 

the program. Two additional faculty members 

have assisted in expanding the drama program 

at the middle school level. The curriculum 

consists of a series of sequential classes in 

which students develop and perform characters 

in both informal and formal presentations. 

Each course includes a public performance that 

serves as an assessment task embedded in the 

drama curriculum. Courses are offered yearly 

and scheduled in 90-minute increments as part 

of the A/B block schedule at the high school. 

Courses include:

•	 Drama I - An introductory course all 

students must complete when entering 

the program. Students are introduced to 

acting, design, and theatre management 

and apply what they have learned in a 

culminating performance task, which 

includes a public performance of a 

selected play. 

•	 Production Basics - Students further 

Drama

at Owensboro High School 

Owensboro, Kentucky

Laurie Melnik, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
58

practice and apply skills and knowledge 

introduced in the Drama I class. 

Performance task assessments include 

developing a one-act each semester that 

is performed for the community. 

•	 Advanced Theatre - A performancebased course, which includes one-act 

and full-length plays where students 

take full responsibility for all aspects of 

the production. Interested students must 

audition for this course and must have 

completed prerequisite courses.

 

Production opportunities include one-acts 

performed for the community, participating in 

Kentucky Theatre Association’s (KTA) one-act 

festival, and preparing events for Kentucky 

Thespians. Rubrics that are used for these 

events are also utilized in the classroom as a 

way to help prepare students and give them 

feedback about their work. The purpose of 

participating in these events is to provide an 

opportunity for OHS students to see the work 

of their peers and get feedback from other 

practitioners and theatre professionals. OHS 

has received recognition for their quality 

productions on multiple levels including 

receiving top honors at the Southeastern 

Theatre Conference’s High School Theatre 

Festival and being invited to perform at the 

American High School Theatre Festival as a 

part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 

Access

When a student enters kindergarten 

in Owensboro Public Schools, the school 

district begins a journey with the child and 

strives to develop the whole child through 
59

their comprehensive K-12 curriculum. A 

vital component of this curriculum is to 

ensure that all students have access to highquality programs in the arts. As a community, 

Owensboro strongly supports the arts because 

they bring people from diverse backgrounds 

together and teach life skills. During interviews 

and focus groups, many commented that the 

purpose of the drama program is not to prepare 

for a profession in theatre but to develop skills 

that are going to help people succeed.

Throughout a student’s K-12 career in 

Owensboro, he or she has access to multiple 

opportunities in the arts. At the high school 

level, school leaders attribute much of their 

success at increasing access to the arts 

to how courses are scheduled. OHS has 

utilized an A/B block schedule for the past 

10 years. During interviews, many school 

leaders described the schedule as a key factor 

in ensuring that students have options and 

the flexibility to pursue interests. In drama, 

students can take multiple courses and stay 

active in the drama program throughout their 

entire high school career. 

“Whenever someone talks 

to me about changing the 

schedule, I tell them that it 

would kill our arts program. 

That’s usually all I have to 

say because nobody wants 

to kill the arts program.” 

–Administrator

“If you want your arts classes 

to have priority over AP classes, 

they work with you and don’t 

make you feel bad because 

they really want you to be 

in classes you want to take, 

especially the ones that you 

give priority.” –Student

The district holds an annual fine arts 

festival at the RiverPark Center15 where 

all students have the opportunity to either 

experience or perform works across all four 

art forms. The district is proud of the fine arts 

festival because it impacts every child and 

family across the Owensboro community. 

Housing the event at the RiverPark Center 

means that every child has the opportunity to 

share their work on a professional stage and 

that every family, regardless of circumstances, 

can attend an event at the center each year. 

When students enter high school, many of 

them have already been exposed to drama 

through the fine arts festival, which contributes 

to interest and participation in the Rose Curtain 

Players. 

“Going to the RiverPark Center 

does two things, 1) it gives 

students who might never have 

another chance to perform 

on a stage of that quality a 

chance to perform. And they 

get that chance throughout 

their educational career 

with us 13 times; 2) It gives 

parents, who might never get 

a chance, an opportunity to 

go. Parents who could never 
60

afford a ticket to anything at 

the RiverPark Center, but they 

can come and see their children 

perform and see the entire 

five nights of everything free.” 

–OPS School Board Member 

The fine arts festival impacts the drama 

program because it gives visibility to student 

work. It lets potential students see what they 

can be a part of. Students who have seen 

the performances or had a family member 

participate in them want to become Rose 

Curtain Players. 

Curriculum

The national standards in theatre education 

and a curriculum map of essential drama 

knowledge and skills inform the drama 

program’s instruction. A detailed curriculum 

is developed on an ongoing basis. It is 

tailored towards student needs and centered 

on culminating performance projects. This 

allows flexibility in the drama program so that 

a blending between performance and learning 

can occur. The curriculum is organized 

as a series of project-based units. Drama 

teachers spend a lot of time at the beginning 

of each unit teaching relevant drama skills, 

knowledge, and understandings. All students 

must understand the elements of drama before 

applying them, but in each unit, certain drama 

skills and processes are highlighted more 

than others depending on the culminating 

performance task assessment. In the technical 

theatre course, a collaborative approach is 

used where the course is co-taught by director 

Carolyn Greer and a visual art specialist from 

OHS. 

“As far as the technical theatre 

course, it is a collaborative 

approach. In my own courses 

in visual art, I tend to use a 

more systematic approach. 

Now at the beginning of the 

technical theatre course, it is 

more systematic because there 

are things we have to teach 

regardless of the projects that 

the students will be 

working on.” –Visual Art 

Specialist

Students frequently commented 

that what they were learning in 

drama courses not only prepared 

them for performances, but also 

helped them engage as actor, 

designer, director, critic, and 

playwright. As students take 

more advanced courses, they 
61

take on more responsibility for a production. 

Shared decision-making between students and 

teachers was highly evident during classroom 

observations. In every class, students entered 

ready to work on a task, and while each 

class had different expectations, all of them 

embraced a learner-centered approach where 

the teacher worked alongside students to 

complete tasks. Alumni reinforced this when 

they described a nice blend between being 

a drama student at OHS and also being a 

professional collaborating on a production. 

Across interviews and focus groups, 

stakeholders said the program did not feel 

like high school. Students said they tended to 

forget they were high school students because 

their teachers treated them like professionals 

who were part of an ensemble.

“The curriculum is designed 

project-to-project – meaning 

we develop a project task 

based on the students’ needs 

and as we design the project 

we also work on the needs ... 

as a production. 

The productions 

selected for them 

are not selected 

because I want to 

do them – they are 

selected because 

they fit the 

student.”

 –Drama Specialist

“One of her 

biggest gifts is 

picking the perfect script. 

There are many shows that 

she has selected that I wasn’t 

necessarily excited about. Not 

that I didn’t like it, it was just 

not something I would have 

picked up and read. Then after 

the show is cast and we start 

rehearsing, I always have this 

moment where I realize that 

she chose a script that suits us 

well. She knows her students 

and she knows scripts.” 

–Student

Assessment

Assessment is ongoing and embedded 

throughout the entire drama program. OHS 

expects drama learning to occur in the 

classroom. All arts specialists develop a 

portfolio of their work for the purpose of 

participating in the state’s arts and humanities 

program review and as a way to reinforce 

teaching and learning across all four art 
62

forms. Portfolios include an overview of the 

program with samples of student work from 

each course. Drama learning is assessed 

through rubrics that are tailored to projects 

but also align with criteria developed by the 

Educational Theatre Association (ETA), which 

has been playing an active role in developing 

National Common Core State Standards in 

drama. ETA also oversees rubrics developed 

for high school thespian festivals, which many 

theatre specialists use in the secondary drama 

classroom. 

In all drama courses, students are assessed 

on performances they develop. These include 

scenes, monologues, and parts performed for 

either one-acts or full-length plays. Every time 

a student shares her or his work they receive 

written and verbal feedback from teachers and 

peers. Students share their work twice and are 

graded on their second performance 

where emphasis is placed on how well 

feedback was utilized and incorporated 

in their final sharing. This ensures that 

letter grades represent each student’s 

personal ability in meeting course 

expectations. 

Mrs. Greer carefully pointed out 

that attending thespian festivals does 

not become the curriculum but enhances 

it by providing students multiple 

opportunities to get feedback. She 

emphasized developing assessments 

that align with instruction and that she 

encourages ongoing feedback of student 

work from both class instructors and 

peers. 

“You know, I get really 

frustrated when I go to festivals 

and it’s all about the teacher. 

It’s not about the kids. It’s 

not about what the kids are 

learning. So knowing that about 

myself- I really emphasize the 

learning. I am teaching my 

kids about theatre- theatre 

as a profession, theatre as an 

art form, and theatre as a life 

skill. The evidence of what I am 

teaching- I hope resonates in 

my students.” 

–Drama Specialist 

“Last year, she made us 

observe a second grade class 

because some of us were 

playing characters that were 
63

that age. 

It was a 

lot of fun 

observing 

them. We 

learned that 

we were 

playing them 

too young 

and that they 

really talk 

very mature. 

They 

were very 

eloquent. But 

they were 

saying it in 

a younger 

voice. It was 

fun seeing 

what we were doing wrong 

and how we could correct it.” 

–Student

Teacher Quality

Mrs. Greer is a highly qualified drama 

specialist with certification in theatre 

education. She has strong rapport with the 

students and is highly respected. She was 

hired before the state of Kentucky dissolved 

certification in theatre and speech in 1993. 

While music and visual art certification stayed 

in place, the lack of certification in theatre and 

speech interferes with schools’ ability to attract 

and hire highly qualified drama specialists. 

When Owensboro Public Schools searched 

for a middle school drama specialist, it was 

difficult for them to find someone with the 

qualifications needed, and they ended up hiring 

an educator that had been teaching out of state. 

This could impact the drama program at OHS 

should their current director ever move or 

retire.

Teacher quality at OHS is about striking 

a balance between having an understanding 

of the curriculum and connecting with the 

students. Interviewees recognized that a large 

part of Mrs. Greer’s success was due to her 

connection with the students. Mrs. Greer 

enters the work from a student-centered 

perspective and develops curriculum and 

instruction that supports student needs and 

celebrates what they bring to the table. Across 
64

all interviews and focus groups, Mrs. Greer 

was described as being caring, nurturing, and 

a true collaborator. 

“She stays right with them. If 

they are here late, she is with 

them. If they have to be here 

early, she is there. She’s just 

remarkable. She is modeling 

the behaviors that she is 

expecting. I really appreciate 

that.” –Parent 

School Culture

Owensboro Public Schools attributes a lot 

of their success in providing high quality arts 

programs to maintaining a shared vision and 

being consistent with their support. Strong 

support for the drama program is deeply 

rooted in traditions that stem from the Rose 

Curtain Players’ long history. The 90-year 

history of the Rose Curtain Players remains a 

strong source of pride for both OHS and the 

surrounding community. The drama program’s 

wide generational span fosters a school and 

community culture that deeply supports 

their work. During the site visit, we had an 

opportunity to meet with many community 

members who were Rose Curtain Players when 

they attended OHS. Today they serve on the 

school board, manage the RiverPark Center, 

direct the Theatre Workshop of Owensboro, 

and actively support the arts, even if they work 

in another field or discipline. This legacy 

means a lot to the community. 

“My dad was a Rose Curtain 

Player. It’s been around a long 

time, and I don’t think other 

drama programs have that kind 

of history or tradition that we 

do.” –Student

The school culture was consistently 

described as being supportive of all students. 

This highly resonated for the drama program 

that aims to work with anybody and everybody. 

If the program were only for an elite few, it 

would not sustain. OHS is a culture where in 

order for something to sustain it has to benefit 

everybody. 

“I think a lot of comprehensive 

high schools that I have seen 

and are around nowadays have 

difficulty truly engaging kids 

into the culture and the schools 

are so unhealthy from the 
65

standpoint that they are cliquey 

or so unlike the world we live in 

in some respects. Over there, 

though, the diversity is so uprated and tolerance is part 

of the strength and the arts 

programs are really great ways 

for the kids to experience that 

and the creativity is a big part 

of that I think.” 

–District Administrator

“When you walk down the 

hallways, you don’t just see 

sports but groups in the arts 

and going back for decades. 

If you build on that tradition, 

if you honor the past and take 

with it the good things that 

there are and continually work 

on upgrading, it becomes 

a part of the culture.” 

–Administrator

Resources

One of the biggest impacts of the school 

district’s shared vision for the arts is how 

resources are distributed. For example, OPS 

arts specialists are funded by the school 

board and are not part of each school’s sitebased budget. This ensures that if leadership 

transitions occur at the school level, then 

support for the arts is sustained.

“The board funds the physical 

education teachers, band 

director, music teachers, 

the drama teachers, and the 

fine arts district coordinator 

because that is not a site-based 

decision. It is a board decision, 

which then has to respond to 

the community and that was 

intentional.” 

–OPS School Board Member

The fine arts coordinator plays an 

instrumental role in making sure that all of 

the arts program have what they need. The 

position was developed 15 years ago when 

the need arose to develop a K-12 curriculum 

across art forms. The person who originated 

the fine arts coordinator position was described 

as being a “renaissance woman” who was able 

to accomplish a lot for the community. One 

major contribution deemed her “crowning 
66

glory” was the expansion and renovation of the 

fine arts facilities at OHS.

“There has been a history 

here of making sure things are 

taken care of. Some years are 

stronger than others, but if you 

are consistent with what you’re 

trying to do with a program 

and stick with a good sense of 

business—this is what it takes 

to support 170 

drama students, 

100 kids in 

the band, and 

170 kids in the 

choir—this is 

what really 

takes to support 

these people 

and if you 

can approach 

it from that 

standpoint they will respond 

and be able to use the 

funds in a very responsible 

way and not be wasteful.” 

–Administrator

Recent renovation and expansion at OHS 

added a black box theatre and scene shop, 

built off of the current performance space. 

Other additions included practice rooms with 

modified acoustic options, a Weinger music 

library, dance studios, and visual art studios. 

The facilities have increased the awareness 

of the arts programs at OHS, but it remains 

important to realize that the programs were 

in place before the expansion and renovation 

occurred. The school district’s ability to come 

up with the resources needed for the expansion 

grew from their ability to make decisions that 

reinforced their vision while being patient with 

the outcome. Expanding the facilities was not 

an overnight endeavor. It took many years of 

strategic decision making in order to make it 

happen.

“The growth 

has been 

consistent 

from top to 

bottom. Take 

the facilities. 

That came 

later, but 

we had an 

effective 

program 

without the 

facilities. The program was here 

first and the facilities came 

later.” –Music Specialist

“A lot of students from other 

schools want to come here 

because they want to use it. It’s 

made our high school explode, 

but it’s important to know 

that we had the program first 

before we had the facilities. 

Getting the facilities shows our 

community that we really care 

about our program and believe 
67

in it to invest the resources we 

did. It reinforces the value of 

the program, which I think was 

important to our community, 

but what I love is that we 

didn’t need the facilities for 

our community to value it... 

the program was here first.” 

–Parent 

Summary 

Owensboro High School has a long history 

of supporting the arts, especially their drama 

program, which is about to celebrate its 90th

birthday. The community’s strong support 

stems from a collective understanding and 

value of the skills and knowledge students 

acquire through drama. The emphasis placed 

on arts teaching and learning has helped 

the drama program and all other art forms 

to be considered core curriculum. Support 

for the arts from the school district and the 

surrounding community is evident in the 

recent arts facility expansion. As the drama 

program continues to grow, it remains a pillar 

of community pride. While some OHS alumni 

have pursued professions in the arts, many 

have moved into other areas, but recognize 

how drama helped them develop skills as 

effective communicators, collaborators, and 

creative thinkers.

“Many of us might not major in 

theatre, but that doesn’t mean 

we don’t value it. If anything, 

we’ll be better because we 

experienced and studied drama 

and we know that. We really 

know that.” –Student 

“Now that I have been here 

for awhile, there is a new 

generation of alumni who were 

Rose Curtain Players with me 

and they come back to support 

the current students in the 

program. I now have students 

who have gone and graduated, 

got married and moved back 

and found jobs here. Some 

are even teaching 

here. So there is this 

community that not 

only experienced the 

Rose Curtain players 

but also understands 

what we’re teaching. 

The support is not just 

for what we do but for 

what we’re teaching.” 

–OHS Drama Specialist
68
69

Casey Elementary is a zoned neighborhood school in Jackson, 

Mississippi, serving 368 K-5 students. It is 

one of the highest-performing elementary 

schools in the Jackson Public School district. 

Designated a ‘STAR – Grade A Arts Access 

School’, Casey has participated in the 

Mississippi Arts Commission’s Whole Schools 

Initiative16 since 1999, and achieved ‘Model 

Whole Schools’ status in 2005. As a ‘Model’ 

school, Casey meets criteria to serve others 

as an exemplar in arts integration, hosting 

professional development for others in the state 

seeking to improve student outcomes through 

the arts. Out-of-zone transfer students account 

for roughly 85% of the student population. 

‘Exceptional arts programming’ is cited as the 

reason for their requests. In this Title I school 

58% of the student body receives free or 

reduced lunches.

Music

at Casey Elementary 

Jackson, Mississippi

Susanne Burgess, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
70

All students 

participate in 

50-minutes of music 

instruction weekly, 

and many students 

avail themselves of 

additional music 

programming such 

as guitar and strings 

class. These choice 

courses are offered by 

community teaching 

artists and are available 

to any interested 

student – 2nd through 

5th grade. As an ‘Arts Integration School’ 

Casey prides itself in both the quality of arts 

experiences it offers students, and the quantity 

of arts opportunities students have. Although 

this analysis focuses on music-specific traits, 

the overall philosophy of implementing the arts 

across the curriculum is pervasive. 

The analysis of this program yielded two 

important themes. First, a shared vision for 

music education among all stakeholders brings 

a unity of purpose to the musical engagement 

for students at Casey. The community at large 

expressed the importance of arts integration 

as the underlying philosophy grounding 

the students’ musical experiences. Casey’s 

reputation for success was another overarching 

theme present through multiple interviews 

and observations. Stakeholders from both 

within the school (teachers and students), 

and outside of the school (parents and 

community members) reported a high regard 

for maintaining and growing the reputation 

for success that Casey enjoys. When students 

were asked to describe their music program in 

one word, their responses reflected this stellar 

reputation: extraordinary, exciting, amazing, 

and magnificent!

“We often worry that we 

are idealized more than we 

should be. We are proud of our 

accomplishments, but we are 

aware that we’re not perfect. 

It’s always a battle fighting 

against everything else to keep 

the arts alive. We are able to do 

this work in spite of everything 

else.” –Fine Arts Coordinator

School culture

There is a strong bond between 

stakeholders through the shared vision of 

arts integration at Casey Elementary School. 
71

The positive reputation for student academic 

success is anecdotally linked to the philosophy 

and practice of arts integration across all 

stakeholders. Parents seek this school for their 

children because of its reputation for academic 

achievement and plentiful arts engagement for 

students. 

“Since this is a magnet, plenty 

of kids have to register, and 

sign up. Parents are more 

involved because of the hoops 

they jump through to get [their 

children] here - and keep them 

here.” –Parent 

The reputation for success at Casey is a 

significant contributor to this school culture. 

The strong community of teachers is evident 

through the low turnover rates in personnel and 

the support they enjoy in ongoing professional 

development through the Mississippi Arts 

Commission and their affiliations with 

Millsaps College. 

“There is a strong community 

of teachers here. We work 

together well - we care about 

and support each other” 

–Fine Arts Coordinator

Arts Curriculum

While participation in music is considered 

critical to the success of Casey students, 

an articulated curriculum with outcome 

expectations at each grade level was not 

present. The observed instruction addressed 

national music standards and engaged 

students in developmentally appropriate 

musical tasks, however, based on the brevity 

of our observations, conclusions regarding 

the implementation of a sequential music 

curriculum could not be made. 

“Mrs. Davis teaches us how 

to describe music, and how it 

makes us feel. Right now, we’re 

learning how to listen carefully 

and describe what we hear.” 

–4th Grade Student

Parents noted anecdotally that their 

students were learning to read music, and that 

through arts-integrated projects students were 

often engaged in music making. The school 

principal articulated the shared vision of the 

Casey philosophy toward music education this 

way:

“We are not an ‘arts for arts 

sake’ school – our students 

use the arts to demonstrate 

their learning in academic 

subjects. We [the teachers] 

use the arts to enhance our 

academic program. We feel 

that every child needs exposure 

to the arts, but the objectives 

are focused on the academic 

work.” –Administrator

Casey’s reputation for supporting 

academically successful students is anecdotally 

aligned with their participation in a variety of 

musical activities. The third grade program, 

Commotion in the Ocean, was a vivid example 
72

of a musical performance presented as a 

culmination of a study of habitats. Parents 

were delighted to describe their students’ 

engagement in this event, but did not articulate 

the expectation for musical learning from it. A 

well-executed and successful performance was 

the musical expectation articulated by students, 

teachers, and administrators.

Access to arts instruction

Through the shared vision of arts 

integration, all students have a wide range 

of access to musical engagement in their 

classrooms, and all students at Casey 

experience general music class weekly. 

Choice programs like guitar and strings are 

also available to everyone for a minimal fee. 

Scholarships are available through PTA to 

students with limited finances. Both parents 

and students attribute academic success to the 

rich arts environment at Casey. 

“My children 

have made 

positive 

progress in 

their grades 

because of the 

rich arts access 

here.” –Parent

The rich musical 

environment that 

stakeholders describe 

is another factor in 

Casey’s reputation for 

success. 

“In the mornings we all 

listen to music. When we 

have tests our teacher plays 

classical music to help us 

concentrate. We listen to music 

all the time in our classroom. I 

tell my friends that our music 

program helps you learn. You 

can use music to learn other 

stuff” –5th Grade Student

School administrators reported that Casey’s 

rich arts access is a key factor in maintaining 

their reputation for high quality education.

Assessment of arts learning

At Casey, musical learning is anecdotally 

assessed through student performances. In 

line with the shared vision of arts integration, 

music is often the modality through which 

non-art learning is measured.
73

“Arts assessment has been a 

challenge for us. We know our 

students have multiple ways 

of showing us what they know. 

Unfortunately, the only way 

that counts – accountability 

wise – is to bubble in the right 

answer on a multiple-choice 

test. Our primary focus is not 

artistic performance. We don’t 

want our students to ever feel 

that their participation [in 

music] is going to be graded. 

Our arts teachers aren’t so 

much about mastering an arts 

objective – [in arts integration] 

the assessment is about the 

non-art content. You can just 

hear that it’s good. Arts are a 

tool for measuring academics.” 

–Administrator

There is no expectation for assessment of 

musical learning, nor is there a system

in place through which assessments can be 

scaffolded. Student grades in music

reflect behavior and participation. 

“Usually assessment looks like 

application. We do recorders 

and some Orff. We also 

practice reading notation. I 

just watch them. Accidental 

assessment happens the most” 

–Music Specialist

The reputation for success that Casey 

enjoys is grounded in the academic progress 

of their students and the availability of a 

wide range of arts experiences for them. The 

quality and frequency of musical performances 

contribute to Casey’s reputation for success; 

however, without the assessment of targeted 
74

student 

outcomes 

in music, 

musical 

performances simply contribute to the wide 

range of arts experiences so plentiful for Casey 

students.

Teacher quality

The music specialist at Casey is a highly 

qualified and experienced music teacher. She 

demonstrates a wide range of instructional 

skills, varied pedagogical approaches, and a 

highly affective personal relationship with 

her students. Her lessons are standards-based, 

and employ a rich variety of musical genres 

and styles. Literacy has an implicit position 

in the music classroom, and every lesson plan 

includes a story, or is related to a book. 

“The state mandates that all 

teachers are ‘reading teachers 

first’. Our arts specialists work 

with classroom teachers to 

provide additional support in 

reading” –Administrator 

Because the state has mandated an 

uninterrupted 90-minute literacy block every 

morning, Mrs. Davis supports this reading 

initiative in partnership with a classroom 

teacher. This is another way that the shared 

vision of arts integration is implemented at 

Casey.

Significant to Casey’s reputation for 

success are the highly qualified faculty. “Most 

classroom teachers have arts backgrounds, 

and some include dual certification. Positions 

don’t become available here very often - 

and teachers that come generally stay. Most 

teachers have National Board Certification 

or Masters’ degrees” (4th Grade Classroom 

Teacher). There is also a positive and 

collaborative culture amongst this faculty that 

contributes to its reputation for success.

“Mrs. Davis is a good 

collaborator - she makes an 

effort to align her curriculum 

with others’. She goes out of 

her way to help us connect 

music activities with those 

we’re implementing in our 

classrooms. We are clueless 
75

about arts assessment. She 

goes above and beyond. She 

is the perfect package: she is 

gifted at music and also has the 

teaching aspect - pedagogy 

and management.” 

–Classroom Teacher

Resources

The support of the Mississippi Arts 

Commission through their Whole Schools 

Initiative is a crucial resource in the shared 

vision for arts integration so critical to Casey’s 

success. Stakeholders repeatedly identified 

the ongoing professional development and 

personnel support as critical to Casey’s 

success. Additionally, partnerships were 

frequently mentioned as important financial 

and personnel resources. 

“Visiting artists and members 

of the neighborhood church 

are crucial to broadening the 

students’ education. They [the 

church] donated keyboards 

to us and they bring their bell 

choir over to perform for the 

kids” –Fine Arts Coordinator

Stakeholders were quick to mention 

the supportive administrators at Casey, 

and acknowledge their role in facilitating 

classroom successes. The PTA also plays an 

important role in providing parent volunteers, 

facilitating fund raising, and soliciting 

sponsorships to broaden the reach of this 

successful school. Casey’s reputation for 

success is supported and promoted through all 

of these resources, and continues to strive for 

excellence through the efforts of many.

Conclusion

The strong, shared vision for arts 

integration among stakeholders at Casey 

Elementary School has significant impact on 

their musical success. Musical engagement 

is apparent in every classroom, and musical 

performances address learning outcomes 

in a wide variety of subject areas. Casey’s 

reputation as an arts-rich environment also 

contributes to the ongoing efforts of all 

stakeholders to maintain and grow this active 

music program.
76
77

Wando High School accommodates over 3,700 students in a suburban 

community near Charleston, South Carolina. A 

large public high school within the Charleston 

County school system, this high-achieving 

college preparatory high school attracts 

families and students from far and wide. 

College acceptance rates exceed 90%. Over 

200 faculty members serve students with 

interests diverging from bioengineering and 

interior design to studio art and music. 

The rigorous music program at Wando 

serves more than 400 students and holds 

multiple prestigious awards, boasts 

accomplished faculty, embraces community 

support, and maintains an active and highly 

affective music community within the broader 

school. Students report high expectations 

and heavy time commitments, but the 

most frequently reported reasons for 

participation in the music program 

at Wando are the personal attention 

and mentorships they enjoy with their 

teachers. 

“Our teachers do a good job 

of teaching, but mostly they 

do a good job connecting with 

us. It’s hard not to make good 

music when you get this kind 

of leadership and guidance. 

Our teachers treat us with 

respect – they trust us to get 

the job done” –Band Student 

The analysis that follows endeavors to 

contextualize this extraordinary community of 

learners in hopes others might draw from their 

experience and practice to strengthen music 

education programs across the Southeast. 

Our analysis of observation notes and 

interviews yielded three important themes. 

First, relationships matter. All stakeholders 

repeatedly commented on their sense of 

community, their feelings of acceptance and 

success, and the importance of their personal 

contributions to the success of the music 

programs at Wando. Second, students come 

first. The structure of decision-making amongst 

Music

at Wando High School 

Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

Susanne Burgess, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
78

administrators, parents, students and teachers 

put the whole student at the center of the 

process – academic goals, interpersonal needs, 

social context, and overall wellbeing were 

equally positioned to make the best decisions 

for the individual student as well as the 

collective communities at this large school. 

Third, shared governance and responsibility 

is evident across all stakeholders. This teaching 

and learning community demonstrates strong 

ownership of its programs and goals and an 

authentic effort to keep learning relevant, 

governance transparent, and expectations high. 

Each of the six focus areas in this study has 

been examined through the lenses of these 

three themes. 

School culture

The community of Mt. Pleasant is welleducated and affluent. Education is valued 

and the arts represent a significant presence 

in the community at large. These values spill 

over into the school community and provide a 

firm grounding for the relationships, activities, 

and structure of the music program at Wando. 

There is evidence of a strong school culture 

in the way stakeholders identify strong 

relationships and speak often of community 

support through volunteers, corporate financial 

sponsorships, and concert attendees. 

“The level of stakeholder 

support is critical. Community 

affluence and education 

influences us. The toughest part 

is keeping this support active” 

–Administrator

The importance of relationships at Wando 

is a key factor in developing and maintaining a 

strong culture among the musical communities 

and across the entire school. Students and 

teachers spoke of the fluidity between ‘schools’ 

and the overall nurturing culture apparent at 

Wando. 

“It’s about creating a culture. 

Program momentum relies on 

established culture, the routine 

of the curriculum, and the 

teachers and students all working 

together.” –Music Faculty

The priority of meeting student needs 

is another way the strong school culture is 

expressed. Every student and his/her parents 

engage in yearly individual counseling to 

determine progress and goals and to evaluate 

the curriculum through the needs students 

express. 

“Students are at the center 

of our decision-making. The 

schedule is generated based 

on student requests – not 

what teachers can teach, or 

where their certification is – 

but on student requests. Music 

courses are open to everyone; 

some require auditions, but 

there is room for everyone to 

participate” –Administrator

 Strong leadership has played a significant 

part in the rich school culture established at 

Wando. Stakeholders repeatedly acknowledged 

principal Lucy Beckham as the linchpin of 
79

their strength and success. Her participantoriented management style and visionary 

leadership set a tone for success among all 

stakeholders. Faculty, parents, and students 

are included in the visioning of school 

improvement, and the arts are present as an 

equal among all subjects and decisions relevant 

to school governance. 

“The arts are just an 

integral part of our school” 

–Administrator 

Curriculum

Time and a highly qualified faculty have 

contributed to the extensive and excellent 

music curriculum at Wando High School and 

scheduling innovations have been a significant 

contributor to the expansion of the curriculum 

through the development of new courses. 

Teachers shared similar approaches to music 

instruction, and expressed the importance of 

an explicit curriculum - one that is grounded in 

fundamentals and assessed both individually 

and corporately. 

“We are building their musical 

toolboxes to allow students to 

transfer skills and concepts no 

matter what the repertoire – 

and it happens more quickly 

than it would were you to teach 

skill-for-skill.” –Band Director 

In every ensemble rehearsal observed 

for this study, more time was spent on 

fundamentals than on repertoire. Sight 

reading, improvisation, attention to 

technique, and musicianship were hallmarks 

of every music class and ensemble rehearsal 

contributing to these findings.

The six-member music faculty enjoys a 

complementary working environment and 

demonstrates collegiality, flexibility, and 

shared goals for the music students at Wando. 

This close-knit team works together to 

maintain high standards, effective instructional 

techniques, and open communication with 

one another, their students, and parents. The 

mentorship of new faculty was identified as a 

priority among both seasoned and newly hired 

teachers. 

“Instructors are committed to 

excellence. Younger teachers 

are chosen to complement 

the skills and strengths of 

seasoned teachers. They have 

chosen their ‘right-out-ofcollege’ colleagues well, and 

are confident that they can 

raise them up in excellence” 

–Fine Arts Coordinator

An ensemble-based teaching repertoire 

becomes the curriculum, and the music faculty 

selects pieces carefully, based on individual 

and corporate student needs. Individual student 
80

musicianship is a priority among all six music 

teachers, and even though the band and choral 

programs each support over 200 students the 

faculty makes it a priority to know where 

students stand individually.

“It’s important to see the 

sequence of the big picture 

– to develop a target of 

layered instruction that builds 

success and confidence. Every 

year we expect more of our 

students, so the curriculum 

is always spiraling. In abilitybased ensembles, we have 

to be aware of individual 

students’ abilities and needs” 

–Music Faculty

The curriculum for each ensemble is 

made evident through the teachers’ attention 

to fundamental skills and through the 

repertoire chosen for each group. Students 

understand what is required of them and share 

the responsibility for success through their 

preparation. Note learning and individual 

mastery of repertoire is the responsibility of 

each student so that ensemble rehearsal time 

can be spent making music and refining the 

nuance of performance. Students understand 

this expectation and rise to meet it. 

“Macro-micro-macro rehearsals 

and whole-part-whole 

rehearsals have taught me to 

practice until I’m successful. 

I’ve gained persistence, 

determination, refinement, 

and a ‘never give up’ attitude 

that carries over into my other 

academic subjects” –Student

Access to arts instruction

All students at Wando High School have 

access to music instruction through the leveled 

ensembles in band, chorus, and orchestra. The 

state requires one arts credit for graduation 

so courses that are suitable to ‘non-majors’ 

are part of the curriculum. The steel drum 

ensemble attracts beginners from a wide 

range of majors, and ensembles in each area 

of musical performance audition students 

from across the school population. Access 

is accomplished in this large community 

through scheduling variance. Operating 

through block scheduling, A and B days, and 

a structure for year-long, semester-long, and 

quarterly courses, students have a wide range 

of opportunity to explore many courses in 

multiple content areas. 

Students are drawn to the music department 

through targeted recruitment, a highly affective 

teaching staff, and a long-standing reputation 

for excellence. There is an overarching value 
81

of interpersonal relationships among the 

students and between students and teachers. 

“What we’re doing musically 

is important, but our character 

is more important. Mr. Rush 

always tells us, “The type of 

musician you become is not 

as important as the type of 

person you become.” They [the 

teachers] get to know us on a 

personal level. We all take care 

of each other, and our teachers 

promote that” –Student

Access to the music programs at Wando is 

very much student-driven. Through their yearly 

counseling and scheduling sessions, students 

can request courses that may not already be 

available. The staff responds to these requests, 

and new courses are piloted and refined or 

dropped in response to student needs. 

All stakeholders participate in making the 

music programs at Wando accessible to all 

students. The parent booster clubs facilitate 

access to Wando music programs through 

many scholarships and sponsorships made 

available to students for whom the large 

financial commitment of participation is a 

barrier. Band students pay upwards of $800.00 

per year, and chorus and orchestra students are 

likewise required to make substantial financial 

commitments. “It’s the best money you’ll ever 

spend. For the amount of instruction they get, 

the fees are worth it” (Band parent). Principal 

Beckham is also an active voice where 

financial support is critical to the inclusion of 

more students in the music programs at Wando.

Assessment 

Ongoing formative assessments were 

evident in all ensemble rehearsals and music 

classrooms. Teachers were explicit about 

goals, expectations, and student outcomes in 

their directions and in the way they responded 

to students’ efforts. Individual as well as 

ensemble assessments are experienced with 

some frequency, offering students multiple 

opportunities for improvement. Digital 

media provided personal feedback for 

instrumentalists, and vocalists experienced 

frequent opportunities to sing alone and in 

small groups. Music assessments for band, 

choir, and orchestra are designed to align with 

state standards and the South Carolina AllState ensemble auditions. Each music student 

at Wando experiences a jury at the end of each 

school year. 

“The reason Wando is such 

an exemplar is that these 

teachers know curriculum and 

assessment” –Administrator 

A climate of excellence is evident in 

the rehearsal process when directors coach 

students toward explicit outcomes. The 

student-to-student collaboration and teacherstudent exchanges are musically rich and 

focused. Rehearsal pacing is brisk and students 

are provoked to think before they play or sing. 

Immediate feedback offers students spiraled 

instruction that is explicit, prompting the 

players and singers themselves to problemsolve and suggest solutions.

Student assessment is made clear through 
82

the immediate feedback of electronic media 

such as Smart Music, the ‘friendly’ chair 

seating that rewards student progress. 

“Kids need to know the 

purpose of each exercise, 

and our feedback must be 

purposeful. They need time to 

develop and understand the 

vocabulary. Outcome-based 

instruction must be evident” 

–Music Faculty 

In choral rehearsals, students stand to sing 

alone when sight-reading passages from the 

board. Peers on either side of the singer stand 

with their vocal colleague to support them, and 

provide the security of singing among friends. 

This is a literal example of “students at the 

center of instruction.”

Shared governance and responsibility 

has an impact on arts assessment at Wando. 

Teachers and students make this evident 

in the way they talk about their musical 

progress, and demonstrate commitment to a 

strong work ethic. Students are self-regulated 

and demonstrate professional behavior in 

rehearsals. Teachers are well-prepared to begin 

on time, use rehearsal time effectively, and 

make transparent their goals for each rehearsal. 

The shared responsibilities of teaching 

and learning contribute significantly to the 

transparent assessment occurring daily in these 

classrooms. 

“Instead of trying to play with 

a bunch of other people – 

we’re trying to make music.” 

–Music Faculty

Teacher quality

Stakeholders repeatedly identified five 

key criteria evident among their high-quality 

music faculty: excellent content preparation, 

visionary leadership, flexibility, collaboration, 

and dedication to hard work. “The level of 

instruction here is very strong. This is like 

a college program. They encourage private 

lessons and set high standards” (Parent – Band 

Boosters). Teacher quality is a school-wide 

priority, and expectations extend to all arts 

faculty as well as teachers of non-arts 

content. 

“Teacher quality is most 

important: music skills, 

interpersonal skills to 

communicate with all 

stakeholders, selling 

and marketing the 

program, understanding 

the entire community, the 
83

ability to see the big picture. 

That list would be the same 

for teachers of any subject” 

–Administrator

Trust and collegiality were significant traits 

stakeholders also identified as important. 

“There is a great deal of trust 

between student and teacher. 

Students and parents know 

that these kids are going to be 

equipped to be successful” 

–Parent

“Hire the best teachers. 

Listen to them and trust their 

decisions. Give them flexibility 

and a schedule that promotes 

their best work. We’ve got high 

quality, dedicated people who 

put in lots and lots of hours” 

–Administrator

Relationships were, again, important in the 

expression of teacher quality at Wando. 

Administrators and parents acknowledged 

the teachers’ passion for the work, and for the 

students. 

“The teachers are passionate 

about music and it spills over to 

the kids. When you watch the 

performance of the marching 

band [at a football game] you 

can tell it’s about the music – 

not just the performance on the 

field” –Parent 

Scott Rush, Director of Bands, identified 

the importance of relationships in the element 

of teacher quality when he said, “They don’t 

care how much you know until they know 

how much you care.” The goals of this faculty 

clearly extend beyond musicianship and 

programming, to making a lasting impact on 

each of the students they encounter. 

“[The teachers] are extremely 

concerned with the quality 

of student they turn out not 

just as musicians, but also as 

people.  They talk about it 

every day, in every class. It’s 

about the quality of the whole 

student - if they learn a little 

music along the way, everybody 

wins.” –Parent 

 “They get to know us on a 

personal level. I think I will 

have a relationship with my 

music teachers even after 

I’m gone from Wando. My 

academic teachers don’t reach 

out this way. Everyone gets to 

grow.  We all take care of each 

other-our teachers promote 

that.” –Student

The musical growth of the students they 

encounter is a high priority among these music 

teachers. Beyond performance preparation 

and product-focus, they emphasize building 

students’ skills, deepening individual and 

corporate musicianship, growing independent 

music-makers, and developing a culture of 

lifelong artists. These goals are shared among 
84

the music faculty, and communicated to 

students and parents regularly. 

“When you perform, its about 

you – but when you teach, its 

about them” –Music Faculty

“It’s necessary for faculty to 

communicate with one another 

and to be flexible toward the 

needs across departments. 

There has to be a give and take 

and an understanding of the 

bigger picture with students’ 

best interest in mind” 

–Administrator

The music faculty shares leadership as well 

as ownership of these stellar programs. In 

these large ensemble rehearsals, it is common 

for multiple teachers to be present – coaching 

in small sections, supporting individual players 

and singers, or just observing from the back of 

the room so that colleagues can collaborate and 

support one another. Students understand these 

collegial circumstances and emulate them 

amongst their peers. 

“There is a supportive team 

here. Scott realizes that we 

spend so many hours here that 

we’ve got to be comfortable. 

We enjoy down time at lunch as 

colleagues” –Music Faculty

Resources

As is too often the case, district support 

for the music program at Wando is very 

limited. Beyond teacher salaries, district 

funding represents only about 3.5% of their 

total need. Operating expenses, equipment, 

and transportation needs must be locally 

supplemented. Parent Booster clubs (Band, 

Choir, and Orchestra) along with corporate 

and business partners draw community support 

in both financial and human capacity to meet 

the needs of these extraordinary programs. 

All stakeholders were quick to point out that 

financial resources, while important, were not 

considered as critical to the success of these 

programs as the affective support afforded 

through community involvement and the 

high value the arts enjoy within the whole 

community. 

“When thinking about school 

resources, money isn’t the 

first thought. The school is 

a resource; administrators 

and faculty; the community; 

the parents; boosters – all of 

these are our interpersonal 

resources” –Music Faculty

 “The Harmony Fundraising 

program brings in funds 

in various ways from the 

community: advertising, 

concert tickets, and program 

acknowledgments. The 

project is run by parents and 

is supported through the 

community. This resource 

brings in much more than 

just money - our community 

is critical. They take personal 

pride in these programs. It’s 
85

good for everybody - parents 

and students like their positive 

reputation in the community 

and the process feeds itself.” 

–Music Faculty

The importance of relationships 

contributed significantly to the manner in 

which stakeholders identified the impact 

of resources on these music programs. In 

particular, strong and stable administrative 

support was acknowledged as a key resource in 

their success.

“Committed principals are 

critical. Administrative support 

has to undergird everything. 

Ms. Beckham is an amazing 

leader. She has worked hard 

over the years to bring in the 

best people” –Administrator

“The message comes from the 

top. Lucy is very involved in 

scheduling - she is a passionate 

proponent of the arts. She hires 

great people and allows them 

to do their thing. She would 

like us to get as many kids 

involved in the arts as possible. 

High value about arts education 

is the message. There is an 

understanding from the top 

that if students are involved 

in the arts its an incredible 

positive” –Music Faculty

Students are very aware of the plentiful 

resources available to them through this music 

program. Many of them reported earning the 

money to participate, or soliciting sponsorships 

to supplement their own financial investment. 

Beyond money, students identified their 

teachers as the single most important resource 

of their programs. Administrators and parents 

echoed that sentiment and identified the power 

of their community support as invaluable. 

“There are high expectations 

from our community – this 

school has always been 

successful, and I think a 

big part of that is parent 

involvement” –Parent

Shared governance is also apparent in the 

way this school community works together to 

identify and utilize resources. Communication 

is critical and a shared vision of where the 

school is going permeates all participants, 

observers, and stakeholders. 

Conclusion

The music program at Wando High School 

is an exemplar of quality arts education 

because the community works together 

to create an atmosphere of excellence 

that promotes strong relationships; shared 

governance, responsibility, and ownership; and 

student outcomes at the core of all decisionmaking. This large, suburban high school 

demonstrates an authentic effort to keep 

learning relevant, governance transparent, and 

expectations high.
86
87

Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary School is a large public elementary 

school that serves over 800 pre-K through 

fifth grade students in North Charleston, 

South Carolina. It is a Title I school, serving 

a high-needs population. Approximately 80% 

of the student body is on free or reduced lunch. 

According to records published by the school 

district, the poverty rate has grown from 48% 

in 2000 to 82% in 2013. They are an arts focus 

school. Instruction is provided in music, dance, 

theater, and visual art by certified instructors 

each week. At Windsor Hill, that arts focus is 

arts infusion—aimed at providing intentional 

integrated instruction across disciplinary lines. 

They have received honors from the South 

Carolina Arts Commission’s Arts in the Basic 

Curriculum (ABC) program and the Kennedy 

Center for excellence in arts education. 

At Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary, 

two competent, organized young women 

work with each other to develop and 

implement instruction in visual art for 

all students. They also collaborate with 

non-arts classroom teachers to design and 

implement interdisciplinary lessons. The 

teaching of visual art in isolation and as part 

of interdisciplinary work receives strong 

support from the administration at the school 

and district level. In the Dorchester Two 

School District, a Fine Arts Director’s office 

coordinates efforts in the visual and performing 

arts between schools.

Access

All students at Windsor Hill receive 

dedicated instruction in visual art. Students 

take classes in two and three-dimensional art 

in a five-day rotation with other arts classes 

(vocal and instrumental music, dance, and 

theater). Students work with a visual art 

teacher for five consecutive days on a project 

before moving on to another teacher for the 

next rotation. Seeing the same group for 

five days in a row mitigates the limitations 

of shorter classes at the elementary level. It 

allows each art teacher to work through larger 

projects without long breaks between. It also 

helps with storage issues. In schools where the 

art teacher has only one day each week with a 

group, a single project can stretch over a month 

and incomplete works of an entire grade level 

must be stored in either the art room or the 

homeroom class until the work is completed. 

Visual Art

at Windsor Hill Arts Infused 

Elementary 

North Charleston, South Carolina

Joel Baxley, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
88

With this rotation, storage is only necessary 

for one group per grade level. This rotation 

structure has been set for arts programs in the 

elementary schools across the district.

“It’s nice having the full week.” 

–Art Teacher

 “They’re in there long enough 

to get something done, but 

there’s still a sense of newness 

when they come back.” 

–Art Teacher

Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary has 

two art teachers, each with her own dedicated 

visual art classroom. This is the rule rather 

than the exception in the Dorchester Two 

district. Each elementary school there has 

at least two and sometimes more instructors 

in visual art. At Windsor Hill, the teachers 

have specialized their instruction. Elise Stuck 

teaches Two Dimensional (2D) Art and Erica 

Harper teaches Three Dimensional (3D) Art. 

Every grade level sees each of the art teachers 

for two quarters. A given group will have 2D 

with Ms. Stuck for two quarters, then switch 

at semester and have Ms. Harper for 3D in 

the same time slot each day. The dedicated 

spaces allow the teachers to make efficient use 

of materials and allow for set up and clean up 

routines conducive to sculptural or pictorial 

work as needed. Having two teachers on staff 

also gives students access to more diversity 

in teaching styles and personalities in art 

instruction.

“To have the option of having 

2D art and 3D art in an 

elementary school is powerful.” 

–Classroom Teacher

In addition to the dedicated visual art 

times, each visual art teacher has times during 

her week set aside for what the school calls 

“arts infusions.” These are collaborations 

between classroom teachers and arts specialists 

in which instruction targets learning goals in 

both the art form and a non-arts content area. 

Classroom teachers and the fine arts team 

work together to identify potential connections 

at the beginning of the year and grade level 

teams or individual teachers sign up with the 

arts specialist to work with them during the 

available times on the schedule. As classroom 

teachers become familiar with some projects, 

they may also choose to implement them on 

their own in the classroom to allow them to try 

new ideas with the arts specialists.

“The thing that sets it [Windsor 

Hill] apart is the focus on 

infusion. They are working 

constantly to have that infusion 

happen for the students.” 

–District Fine Arts Director

Most students in the Windsor Hill 

community have difficulty gaining access to 

arts instruction outside the school day. There 

are museums and galleries in the Charleston 

area, but parents’ work schedules and the 

cost of transportation limit access to those 

resources. Likewise, outside art classes are 

often expensive and difficult for families to 

accommodate. Occasionally, Ms. Stuck and 

Ms. Harper do take their time to offer visual 
89

art classes as part of the 

extended day programming 

at school. Most recently, 

Ms. Stuck offered a digital 

photography class and 

Ms. Harper offered one in 

ceramics. For these classes, 

students in the extended 

day program only have to 

sign up to attend. The art 

teachers also sponsor an art 

club called the Art Corps for 

fourth and fifth graders that 

is joined by audition. This 

small group (currently 12 

students) meets about twice 

a month on early release 

days. 

Beyond their time at 

Windsor Hill, students 

in the Dorchester Two 

district have opportunities 

to pursue further study in 

visual art. Each middle and 

high school in the district 

has visual art instruction. 

Additionally, there is a 

visual and performing arts 

magnet school, Rollings 

Middle, which is accessible 

to any student in the district by audition. Prior 

to Windsor Hill taking on its arts focus, few 

students from its community pursued the 

audition process. As with outside arts classes, 

parents found it difficult to find ways to take 

their children to the auditions. The number of 

students from Windsor Hill attending Rollings 

has risen over the years. However, there is still 

a need to continually educate parents that there 

is no cost to them or need for transportation in 

order for their children to attend the school. It 

is often simply not considered as an option. 

One function that the Art Corps group has 
90

served is to give the art teachers time to help 

prepare students who wish to audition in 

visual art. At the high school level, diversified 

courses in visual art are available at both of the 

high schools in the district that Windsor Hill 

students might attend. Courses are offered 

in drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, 

photography, 2D design, and media arts. 

Parents receive information about their 

children’s work in visual art through the 

school’s newsletter, through emails, phone 

calls, and through the children and the work 

they bring home. Student work is regularly 

exhibited in and out of the school. There are 

displays of student work in the lobby area 

and in the halls around the school that the art 

teachers change out regularly. Work from 

infusion projects is displayed as well in the 

hallways and in classrooms. Student work 

appears often at monthly PTA events. There is 

an annual arts gala that includes an exhibition 

of student artwork. Teachers take student work 

to the local fair and occasionally submit work 

to regional competitions that the district keeps 

the department apprised of. 

Resources

The visual art teachers at Windsor Hill are 

given the time, space, and materials to carry 

out instruction in a variety of media for a large 

number of students. The two art rooms are 
91

spacious. The 3D room is large, with access 

to the outside. The 2D room is somewhat 

smaller. It is an adaptation of a regular 

classroom from the building’s original design, 

but contains a sink and it has cabinets, shelves 

and a drying rack for storage. The 2D room has 

a smart board with a ceiling-mounted projector 

linked to a laptop on the nearby teacher desk. 

The 3D room does not have a ceiling-mounted 

projector (the room has vaulted ceilings that 

would make such an installation difficult). 

However, the teacher does have a projector and 

laptop to use for presentations to the class. The 

3D room has a kiln for ceramic projects and 

shelving and storage areas.

In interviews, students, teachers, 

administrators, and art specialists all said that 

materials for the work in visual art at Windsor 

Hill was readily available. Art teachers submit 

lists of needs to the district fine arts director 

who makes purchases. In addition to the 

supplies for the visual art teachers, the art 

teachers helped create a collection of supplies 

available to classroom teachers for use in their 

arts infusion lessons. In addition to supplying 

materials, Larry Barnfield, the district fine arts 

director, identified a supply of resources his 

office has available for teachers’ use including 

books, videos, and other materials. 

“I know Mr. Barnfield has our 

back if we need supplies.” 

–Art Teacher

The district office and the school 

administration have also provided 

opportunities in professional development 

for the visual arts staff and for the faculty at 

Windsor Hill as a whole. Ms. Stuck and Ms. 

Harper have had the opportunity to attend state 

and national conferences of the National Art 

Education Association. They have attended 

and presented at the South Carolina Alliance 

for Arts Education’s Integration conference. 

Since the initiation of the arts infusion focus 

at Windsor Hill, the district fine arts director 

and the school principal have created and 

invited learning opportunities in arts-integrated 

instruction. The district office regularly 

provides small-scale, ongoing conversations 

with the fine arts team and teachers who 

need assistance. Ms. Bodison, the principal, 

brought in consultant Claudia Cornett for an 

extended period to work with her staff. The 

administrators identified ongoing learning in 

arts infusion as a continual challenge they face 

as the school’s programming moves forward.

“Intentional professional 

development was a challenge 

going forward.”

 –Administrator

“Our arts teachers are 

wonderful and brilliant, but 

they need to grow too!”

 –Administrator

School Culture

The Windsor Hill community including 

parents, teachers, administrators, and district 

administration, support the work of all their 

arts team including Ms. Harper and Ms. Stuck. 

Parents attend school events and exhibits. 
92

They bring their children to them often when 

transportation is difficult for the family. 

Classroom teachers recognize the learning 

that occurs for their students in Ms. Stuck and 

Ms. Harper’s classrooms. Teachers are very 

complimentary of the work the art teachers do 

and speak enthusiastically of the opportunities 

they have had to collaborate with each of them. 

“I have parents who walk to 

parent events.” –Administrator

“They will be more willing to 

take risks. Open to creating. 

Not just doing things the same 

way.” –Classroom Teacher

Collaboration is very evident between 

the visual art teachers and between the arts 

and non-arts staff at Windsor Hill. This 

collaboration is structurally supported by the 

school’s administration. At the beginning of 

the year, before students arrive, the fine arts 

team has an opportunity to meet with each 

grade level to begin identifying collaborative 

opportunities for the upcoming year. Each 

team works with the arts specialists to identify 

times and means through which to accomplish 

the tasks they set. The school’s administration 

has opened times in the specialists’ schedules 

to implement collaborative efforts without 

taking away from their time teaching the 

art form. The development of lessons 

occurs informally throughout the year as 

the arts teachers are able to communicate 

with the classroom teachers. Sometimes 

the collaboration takes the form of offering 

resources or suggestions. Other times it 

involves team teaching with a classroom 

teacher.

“It’s like a big triangle. Them to 

us, us to the students, them to 

the students.” 

–Classroom Teacher

“The very first teacher work 

days we had in the school year, 

there was time to do a sort 

of roundtable with the arts 

teachers.” –Classroom Teacher

The collaboration is not only evident 

between arts and non-arts teachers. The visual 

art teachers work regularly with other members 

of the school’s fine arts team. They plan events 

together and collaborate on performances 

and exhibits. They have identified integrated 

instruction opportunities between art forms 

like Ms. Harper’s work with the dance 

specialist to use student dancers working with 

body socks as models for gestural sculptures. 

The collaboration is especially evident 

between the two visual art teachers who work 

together constantly to reflect and revise their 

curriculum. 

“It’s nice to have people 

to collaborate with at any 

moment.” –Art Teacher

 “Having two art teachers there 

was immediate support within 

my curriculum.” –Art Teacher

The school and district level administration 

see the value of visual art instruction on its 

own and as part of an arts infusion model. 
93

They have set aside instructional time for 

visual art content in isolation and provided 

opportunities in the schedule for collaborative 

instruction to take place with classroom 

teachers. They have sought out and provided 

professional development opportunities not 

only for the whole staff in arts infusion, but 

for the visual art specialists, allowing them 

to communicate with the field of visual 

art education and their colleagues in the 

community. The art teachers both spoke of 

feeling very comfortable approaching Ms. 

Bodison or Mr. Barnfield with their thoughts or 

suggestions about their work.

“Ms. Bodison is very open to 

new ideas, so we can email 

her and ask what do you think 

about doing this?” –Art Teacher

One of the greatest assets of the program 

is their representation by a district level fine 

arts director. Mr. Barnfield speaks on the arts 

specialists’ behalf with administrators at the 

school and district level. He provides material 

support and professional development for the 

fine arts team. He assists with professional 

development for the faculty at Windsor 

Hill in pursuit of their arts infusion focus. 

Through Mr. Barnfield’s office, the art 

teachers have access to the field and a sense of 

support beyond the building from those who 

understand the arts from within.

“Whenever we need him, he’s 

here to provide support, give 

input.” –Administrator

“He is our advocate. Our 

cheerleader.” –Administrator

Curriculum

The visual art teachers at Windsor Hill 

have a primary responsibility to meet the 

requirements of the South Carolina standards 

in visual art for K-5. They target the skills 

and media identified in the standards, but Ms. 

Harper and Ms. Stuck choose the timing and 

methods for their instruction. At Windsor Hill, 

the visual art team has chosen to divide their 

responsibilities into a 2D and 3D focus. In 

each section, the teacher addresses media and 

skills that they classify under those categories. 

Both teachers emphasize the creative process 

(posted in both rooms as: Brainstorm, Begin 

to Create, Revise, Finalize, and Share) and 

the elements and principles of design. The 

principal keeps a bulletin board in the office 

hallway on which the arts team (including 

the media specialist and the P.E. teacher) has 

posted the units for the quarter. The visual 

art teachers include information for each 

unit about the elements and principles to be 

addressed, the media and techniques that will 

be used, the subject matter for the project, and 

vocabulary that will be introduced.

“Students show up for fine arts 

time and we’re expecting for 

those 40 minutes to be focused 

on the visual arts standards. 

And they are. That’s the core 

of what they’re teaching.” 

–Administrator
94

This year, the visual art teachers decided 

together to expand their efforts on cultural 

context by calling the year Around the World. 

Each unit focuses on something drawn from 

a particular culture: kente cloth, manga, sumi 

painting, Oaxacan animal sculptures, etc. 

“We learned stuff about social 

studies at the same time. 

Like we learned about Japan, 

Mexico.” –Student

 “I think it gives them a context. 

More of a basis for why people 

make this.” –Art Teacher

Teacher Quality

The two art teachers at Windsor Hill 

provide an organized working environment 

with a warm affective climate. They 

differentiate instructional methods and 

feedback for a variety of student needs. 

They encourage independent, higher-order 

thinking in their students. And they work in 

collaboration with one another, their colleagues 

on the arts team, and the non-arts classroom 

teachers.

Ms. Stuck and Ms. Harper cultivate a 

welcoming, structured environment where 

students engage with the teacher and one 

another through practiced routines. The shorter 

classes and younger students necessitate a 

more organized approach and the teachers have 

managed to have that organization without 

losing the open opportunities for creative 

thinking that the work in visual art can provide. 

The rooms are colorful and inviting. They are 

well organized with tables in an L or U pattern 

that allows the teacher to move easily among 

working students. There is an open carpeted 

area in each room in front of the screen 

where children can gather for discussions 

or demonstrations. The walls are covered 

in postings that contain classroom rules, art 

vocabulary, and the creative process along with 

reproductions of art and samples of student 

work. Each teacher communicates clearly and 

calmly with the class. Along with routines for 

involving students in set up and cleanup of the 

room, the teachers use rhymes and movements 

as mnemonic devices for procedures and as 

classroom management devices. 

“They encourage me.” –Student

“As a fine arts teacher you have 

one of the hardest jobs at the 

school. You have 800 children 

rotating through. And those 

kids want you to know them 

just like their math teacher 

does. And they do a great job 

of building those relationships.” 

(Administrator)

“I love my kids.” –Art Teacher

“They have incredible 

classroom management 

skills. Both of them do. The 

students are fully engaged. 

The procedures have been 

practiced. The kids know what 

to do, how to put things up, 

where things go. We’ve been 

in there before when it looks 
95

like chaos and they’ll say, 

You have five minutes! and it 

will be clean in five minutes.” 

–Classroom Teacher

The art teachers at Windsor Hill employ a 

variety of teaching strategies. During observed 

classes, both teachers began with whole group 

discussion and review of past work then 

transitioned into group or individual work on 

the tasks at hand. Each spent a good portion 

of the class time working her way among 

students conferring with each about his or her 

work, offering feedback and prompting with 

questions. Occasionally, when issues were 

noticed with multiple students, the teacher 

drew the group’s attention back together for a 

discussion or short demonstration. During one 

class, the teacher stopped them working and 

had the students walk among their classmates’ 

work discussing how some of them had 

accomplished the goals for the day.

 “She tells me how to help 

them—how to fix them, to make 

them perfectly.” –Student

 “One of the things that Ms. 

Stuck and Ms. Harper really 

do well is focusing on the 

process. As opposed to the 

end result that kids walk out 

with and everyone looks good.” 

–Administrator

Each of the art teachers at Windsor Hill 

demonstrates proficiency with a variety 

of media and an understanding of how to 

differentiate processes among age levels so that 
96

the work is appropriate for the grade level in 

the room. Each is certified in visual art and has 

a bachelor’s degree in Art or Art Education. 

Ms. Stuck has a Master of Arts in Teaching 

Visual Art K-12. The two have created and 

exhibited their own work in the past and view 

themselves as artists. 

The visual art teachers at Windsor Hill 

are reflective collaborators. They are in 

constant discussion with one another about the 

curriculum, their students and how they are 

delivering instruction. They have an excellent 

working relationship. 

“The two of them work really 

well together.” 

–Classroom Teacher

“They are such good friends. 

They just spend a great deal of 

time thinking about how they’re 

going to deliver instruction.” 

–Administrator

“We’re always coming up with 

lessons, like coming in and 

saying I have this idea, but 

something’s not working.” 

–Art Teacher

As part of their work in the arts infusion 

model, the two also collaborate frequently and 

effectively with the classroom teachers and 

the other arts teachers. They make an effort to 

be aware of what their students are learning in 

other subjects so that they can contextualize 

their work in visual art better and do a better 

job identifying potential connection points for 

arts infusion lessons.

 “So when we ask for an 

infusion with them, they 

work hard to make sure they 

understand our content.” 

–Classroom Teacher

 “If I don’t understand 

something, I can go to either of 

them for help.” 

–Classroom Teacher

Assessment

There is a balance of formative and 

summative assessment in visual art classes at 

Windsor Hill, but the emphasis is clearly on 

the formative. Students receive grades that 

are in part a representation of behavior and 

participation based on the school’s SOAR 

model (Safety, Organization, Achievement, 

and Respect). Ms. Harper and Ms. Stuck do 

employ rubrics for student work and clearly 

describe the criteria they are looking for in 

the products the learners produce. There are 

quizzes that are used occasionally for the 

assessment of vocabulary with some grade 

levels. This year, that has been achieved 

partially through the use of a passport booklet 

that students carry to each art class. The book 

contains pages on each country they will visit 

in their studies and calls on the student to 

identify cultural and art vocabulary introduced 

in each place along with the art processes that 

were used (media and techniques), and subject 

matter. 

Formative assessment is accomplished 

primarily as part of the process of individual 

teacher conferences with students as the 
97

teacher moves through the room from student 

to student as they work. The teacher looks at 

students’ work, asks questions about it, and 

calls on the student to consider next steps or 

revisions to the work. This process takes up 

most of the teacher’s time during the time 

students have their hands on materials. 

The students also participate in self and 

peer assessments. One form this takes is an 

informal critique. Students go on gallery walks 

where they move around the space looking 

at their classmates’ work. The teacher asks 

them to look for certain things—scoring lines, 

geometric shapes, etc.—based on the goals 

for the day’s work. She then asks the class 

to discuss what they see in the work of their 

classmates.

Conclusion

At Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary, an 

interdisciplinary model is strong because the 

individual disciplines are well taught. Time 

and effort is spent on arts content in isolation, 

better preparing students for the collaborative 

efforts that the administration has provided 

opportunities for in the structure of the school 

day through the arts infusion program. At 

Windsor Hill, skilled, reflective art teachers 

work with a collaborative staff in a supportive 

culture.
98
99

Charles R. Drew Charter School is a public charter that opened in Atlanta, 

Georgia in 2000. It began with 240 students 

in kindergarten through fifth grade. Since then, 

the school has expanded its constituency to 

serve over 1,200 students in Pre-K through 

ninth grade. The school is located in the East 

Lake neighborhood in the city of Atlanta where 

it has been a strong part of the revitalization 

of that community. They are a Title I school, 

serving a student body with a 68% free and 

reduced lunch rate. Next year the school will 

open a second campus for its growing high 

school. Drew was named Georgia Charter 

School of the Year in 2013 and the elementary 

and middle school programs have been 

ranked very highly on Georgia’s College and 

Career Ready Performance Index. The school 

has ongoing partnerships with a variety of 

organizations including Atlanta Public Schools, 

the Center for Civic Engagement at Oglethorpe 

University, the Center for Teaching at The 

Westminster Schools, Children’s Healthcare 

of Atlanta, Georgia State University School of 

Music, the Georgia Institute of Technology’s 

Center for Education Integrating Science, 

Mathematics, and Computing, and the Rollins 

Center for Language and Learning at the 

Atlanta Speech School.

Drew has adopted a STEAM focus, 

adding Arts to the STEM model (Science, 

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). 

In their current charter contract, they have 

also identified problem-based learning as an 

emphasis. The school has been held up as a 

model of STEAM in practice by the STEM to 

STEAM Initiative of the Rhode Island School 

of Design (RISD). According to the RISD 

profile on Drew, their approach to STEAM has 

four guiding principles:

•	 An interdisciplinary program 

integrating the five areas of science, 

technology, engineering, arts, and 

mathematics

•	 Inquiry-based instructional program 

with real world context

•	 Emphasis on design and problemsolving leading to applications

•	 Child-centered, community-based 

school focusing on science, technology, 

engineering, arts, and mathematics 

(Marland, 2014)

Elementary visual art instruction at Drew 

is multifaceted and supported by at three 

specialists, non-arts teachers, and artists from 

partner organizations. K-5 students receive 

Art and Design 

in the primary and elementary academies

at Charles R. Drew Charter School 

Atlanta, Georgia

Joel Baxley, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
100

dedicated instruction in visual art from two art 

teachers: Renee Ruffin and Collins Anderson, 

but they also learn and apply visual art skills 

and ideas in Engineering Design, a class taught 

by Courtney Bryant, a qualified art educator. 

Students and teachers refer to the learning 

process in visual art at Drew as “hands on.” 

The teachers cultivate a working environment 

in which students think and act as designers 

and artists. The language of the elements and 

principles of design and the creative process is 

shared among these contexts. 

The art program is resourceful in its 

navigation of a complex schedule in a growing 

school. The teachers are flexible in their 

classroom practice, their acquisition of needed 

materials, collaboration with colleagues, and 

the development of partnerships with artists 

and institutions in the community. 

Access to Visual Art Instruction

Students at Drew receive instruction in 

visual art and design primarily in the two art 

classes and the Engineering Design class. 

The art classes focus on traditional art media 

and take primary responsibility for the 

fulfillment of state and national standards 

in visual art. The Engineering Design class 

provides students with a variety of practical 

problem-solving experiences, but the work 

is guided by the elements and principles 

of design and a creative design cycle. The 

program has also partnered with teaching 

artists for larger collaborative projects 

like the courtyard sculpture facilitated by 

outdoor sculptor Jeff Mather. 

Growing numbers of students and a 

large number of rotational classes like visual 

art and engineering result in a complex 

schedule. This reality is seen as both a 

challenge and an opportunity. Drew has 

grown considerably since its establishment 

in 2000, and the school continues to 

attract students to its program. Visual Art 

and Engineering Design are classified as 

enrichment classes. The school has many of 

them, including Visual Art, General Music, 

Chorus, Orchestra, Band, Dance, PE, Golf, 

Swimming, Engineering Design, Technology 

and Robotics. Accommodating all of these 

options, particularly for growing numbers 

of students in the lower grades, means that 

visual art instruction happens in the context of 

an irregular schedule. School administrators 
101

have worked to give students access 

to all of these opportunities, and 

this structure is constantly under 

review and revision. At Drew, the 

art teachers meet with kindergarten 

and first grade for 35 minutes each 

day. They see each class in a rotation 

of five to seven weeks. Most K-1 

classes, then, take visual art twice 

in the year, once with each of the 

school’s two visual art teachers. One 

kindergarten and one first grade class 

have only one visual art rotation 

and two kindergarten classes have three. The 

Engineering Design class, where Mrs. Bryant 

applies the creative process and the elements 

and principles of design, meets on the same 

rotation. Second and third grade students meet 

with enrichment teachers on a quarterly basis 

for the same amount of time each day. Fourth 

and fifth grades operate on an A/B rotation 

with longer classes. So these students meet 

with the art teachers for an hour and fifteen 

minutes every other day.

Beginning in second grade, students may 

be pulled from Visual Art instruction for 

performing arts classes that run for the entire 

year. In second and third grades chorus and 

dance run for the year, and in fourth and fifth 

grades, chorus, dance, band, and orchestra take 

students for the whole year. Therefore, the 

class sizes in fourth and fifth grades for both 

visual art teachers and the engineering classes 

tend to be small. In classroom observations, 

classes ranged from six to ten students in 

fourth and fifth grades. The teachers are 

conflicted over the absence of some of the 

students in older grades, but see the smaller 

classes as an opportunity for closer attention 

and more of the “hands on” work that such 

closer attention allows. Mrs. Bryant worked 

with one such small class to construct a large 

sculptural egg display in front of the school to 

advertise an upcoming egg drop competition. 

The smaller group allowed her to safely and 

effectively coach 5th graders in their use of 

drills and a miter saw to construct a wooden 

base and assemble the PVC pipe and large 

plastic hemispheres that comprised the eightfoot construction.

Resources

The art and design classes at Drew Charter 

School are well provided for in terms of 

space and supplies. Art classes occur in two 

rooms on the upper floor of the building. 

Each is an adequate space for the size classes 

observed, with natural light from windows. 

The engineering design class occurs in a 

very spacious room on the lower floor with a 
102

storage room and added space for tools and 

materials. In all three rooms, the teachers have 

posted art vocabulary including the elements 

and principles of design and charts of design 

processes. 

“Nice large room ...lots of 

southern exposure natural 

light.” –Teaching Artist

While the school provides basic materials, 

each teacher has pursued outside partnerships 

and funding to support efforts in art and 

design. They have made use of resources 

like Donors Choose17 and local benefactors. 

Ms. Anderson and Mrs. Ruffin have obtained 

needed technology for their classrooms. Mrs. 

Ruffin acquired computers and a printerscanner for the program. Ms. Anderson 

obtained the donation of a smart board and 

used Donors Choose to fund the creation of a 

cart of materials called a tranquility cart that 

other teachers can check out for use with their 

students. Mrs. Bryant’s engineering design 

class operates with tools supplemented by 

donations and grant funding including a 3D 

printer. 

“She and I get together and go 

through the [supply list] from 

last year.” –Art Teacher

“We have not ever been told 

how much we can or can’t.” 

–Art Teacher

“We get it. We may not get it 

the next day, ...but we’ll get it 

eventually.” –Art Teacher

The art teachers at Drew have been 

supported through professional development 

targeted at their discipline. They have been 

able to attend the National Art Education 

Association convention for the past three 

years. The school sent the arts team to a 

conference sponsored by Harvard’s Project 

Zero. The teachers have been able to obtain 

support for workshops that they identify in 

addition to opportunities the school provides, 

like the workshops they have attended as part 

of Drew’s partnership with the Center for 

Teaching with the Westminster Schools in 

Atlanta. 

“We take quite a few 

workshops together.” 

–Art Teacher
103

Teacher Quality

The art and design teachers at Drew 

Charter School are qualified educators with 

Art and Art Education degrees and experience 

teaching visual art. They each bring valuable 

skills and experience to the program. Mrs. 

Ruffin is an active artist who continues to 

exhibit her own work. Ms. Anderson is widely 

travelled and has led professional development 

in visual art for her colleagues. Mrs. Bryant 

has published about earlier work as an art 

teacher in Art Education, the journal of the 

National Art Education Association. 

All three are flexible, resourceful educators 

who collaborate with each other, with teachers 

of other content areas, and members of the 

community. The art teachers regularly share 

materials and ideas about instruction. They 

work together to identify supply needs for 

each year. Mrs. Ruffin and Ms. Anderson 

assist with the Designorama event coordinated 

by Mrs. Bryant. They have all taken part in 

larger projects involving artists from partner 

institutions. As classroom teachers prepared 

projects for a PBL (Project-Based Learning) 

event, the art and engineering teachers 

collaborated on the construction of a miniature 

installation. Students designed and constructed 

a ski lodge consisting of a mountain with 

trees and a working ski lift. In January and 

February, Mrs. Bryant worked with sculptor 

Jeff Mather on the construction of an outdoor 

“Tinker Yard.” Mrs. Ruffin and Ms. Anderson 

collaborate on regular exhibits of student work. 

During my visit, they assembled a large display 

intended for an upcoming PTA meeting. They 

used a built-in glass display area and took 

delight in discussing the different approaches 

they had each taken to the creative challenge of 

putting together African-themed display panels 

using student work.

“I would say they have to be 

flexible. Willing to learn or have 

some knowledge of the context 

of all grade levels.” 

–Classroom Teacher

At Drew, students are engaged in the 

cognitive, social, and practical material 

processes of creation. Art students are asked 

not only to make quality products, but also 

to be able to talk about the processes they’ve 

engaged in and how others have used them 

before.

“We learned about artists like 

Pablo Picasso and other famous 

artists that used collage and 

bright colors and contrast.” 

–5th Grade Student

“The children explain the work. 

Mrs. Ruffin and Ms. Anderson 

sit back and the children lead 

the art exhibition.” 

–Classroom Teacher

“We see different kinds of 

things that we don’t even know 

yet. She shows us. We look.” 

–1st Grade Student

 Ms. Anderson had fifth graders work 

together to redesign the school’s logo for 

inclusion on a pennant. Mrs. Ruffin’s students 
104

created mixed media collages influenced by the 

works of Picasso and Romare Bearden. In the 

“Tinker Yard” project, first graders were called 

on to assist in digging postholes and removing 

dirt to prepare for the installation of outdoor 

interactive sculptures that they had helped 

design with Mrs. Bryant and Mr. Mather.

Teachers and students at Drew praised the 

visual art teachers for their attention to the 

individual child. This description is borne 

out in observations. Each teacher employed 

a variety of teaching strategies in her classes. 

Each provided a level of freedom or structure 

appropriate for the age group she worked with. 

In her fifth grade class, Ms. Anderson had her 

students craft short written responses to clay 

masks they had recently completed as part of 

a project with a visiting artist. She provided 

clear criteria to the whole group, and then 

spent time in discussion with them as they 

looked together at the pieces, still drying on 

a table. She gave the students time to work, 

coaching one or two in process. Then she had 

each student share his or her writing with the 

class. Students were comfortable with the 

process. The ease with which they entered 

the sharing suggested that they had done this 

before. Ms. Anderson paraphrased points 

from each student’s writing and used some 

of the responses as opportunities to assess 

understanding of vocabulary and provide 

clarification for the class. 

Mrs. Ruffin also coached and mentored 

a first grade class, but provided the younger 

children more structured routines. She 

provided very clear instructions for a drawing 
105

task to the whole class, and then spent time 

in individual consultation with students as 

they worked. She occasionally highlighted 

interesting ideas in students’ work for the class. 

She provided a short time for students to share 

their work, showing drawings to the class and 

describing each. Like Ms. Anderson with 

the older students, Mrs. Ruffin paraphrased 

students’ words, validating their responses and 

sometimes clarifying them for the class. Both 

teachers employed clear routines for cleanup, 

a vital component for short classes with young 

children.

In Mrs. Bryant’s work with her older 

engineering students, she gave them more 

independent tasks with coaching and 

supervision. The group working on the 

outdoor egg display was shown how to use 

the tools to create and assemble components, 

and the teacher stepped back and let them do 

the work. She stepped in to maintain safety 

or assist with a problem, but she moved them 

toward more independent work. 

“The biggest thing is that they 

teach to the individual child.”

 –Classroom Teacher

“We’ll move through one part 

then she’ll take us to the next 

part when we get it. She’ll say 

things three times till we get 

it.” –5th Grade Student

Curriculum

The art and design teachers at Drew have 

developed curricula that look to state and 

national standards in visual art as a starting 

point. The art teachers took on the challenge 

of developing their own curricula. Each 

teacher has a set of projects in which they 

engage each grade level based on the needs 

they have identified for their students. Ms. 

Anderson described a process of working back 

from her experiences teaching older students 

at the high school level and the lessons she’s 

learned from her students at Drew. Mrs. 

Ruffin identified training in Discipline Based 

Art Education (DBAE) some years ago as a 

foundation for her approach. They look on 

the art curriculum as a thing under constant 

revision. They have had to learn to negotiate 

the demands of the visual art standards with 

the realities of the schedule and the desire to 

collaborate with non-arts colleagues.

“There’s a lot of freedom. 

We’re lucky we can try out new 

things and if something doesn’t 

work, throw it out.” 

–Art Teacher

The engineering design class had to be 

built from the ground up. There were no state 

standards for engineering at the elementary 

level. So Mrs. Bryant crafted her curriculum 

by looking to entry-level high school 

expectations for the Engineering Pathway in 

Georgia’s state standards. Students are guided 

through projects that emphasize two and three 

dimensional design, particularly sculptural 

construction processes. Students are given 

the opportunity to use tools of increasing 

complexity.
106

In visual art classes, students experience 

a range of media and processes. Works on 

display and student interviews indicate the 

use of paint, collage, clay, graphic design, and 

drawing media. The children understand an 

emphasis on drawing from direct observation 

and the vocabulary of the elements and 

principles of design. 

“You could look out the window 

at real trees and see how they 

look and make it just like them. 

You could draw branches, put 

leafs on them.”

–1st Grade Student

“We’ve learned different 

colors and how to mix them, 

definitions and how to draw 

things.” –5th Grade Student

“As far as the art curriculum 

itself is concerned, I like 

my students to have a large 

art vocabulary. That’s very 

important to me.” 

–Art Teacher

Assessment

Art and Design 

teachers at Drew use a 

variety of tools to assess 

student learning. They use 

quizzes and critiques, and 

they employ criteria that 

students have to apply to 

their projects. The most 

evident kind of assessment 

that occurs is informal, 

formative assessment given as part of the 

process of coaching student artists. 

The teachers give quizzes over vocabulary 

and call on students to use vocabulary 

accurately. In self-assessment writing, Ms. 

Anderson requires students to use words 
107

from a word wall of relevant vocabulary. Mrs. 

Ruffin gives students pretests at the beginning 

of rotations with a given class to gauge their 

level of skill before entering into new projects. 

These pretests involve creating drawings and 

talking about their work. 

“When they talk about it I 

get to see, when I question 

them, their level of knowledge 

in terms of art vocabulary.” 

–Art Teacher

The method of assessment seen most 

often in the visual art classrooms is informal 

and formative. The teachers constantly 

moved among working students and offered 

probing questions, reminded students of task 

criteria, and asked for their opinions about 

their work thus far. They were responsive to 

students’ questions, and their observations of 

student needs informed their adjustment of 

instruction. In one instance, Ms. Anderson 

called a few students together to demonstrate a 

technique. She didn’t call on everyone, just 

the few whose work indicated a need. In 

interviews, students talked about Mrs. Ruffin 

or Ms. Anderson coming by and talking to 

them about their work or offering corrections 

or suggestions. 

“I get to see how they use 

crayons, how they use the 

pencils, and based on what 

they do with those things I have 

an idea of what experiences 

they’ve had or have not had.” 

–Art Teacher

 

School Culture

The culture at Drew is busy. A variety 

of in and out of school activities in arts and 

non-arts content were a near constant during 

the site visit. Art and design (and the arts 

in general) are a strong component of the 

culture and identity of the elementary school 

at Drew Charter. The art and design teachers 

have taken leadership roles by hosting events 

that highlight the role of art and design in the 
108

world outside of school and that showcase the 

role of creative work in the lives of the Drew 

community. The “hands on” art and design 

program at Drew presents an opportunity to 

understand and develop a specific, practical 

understanding of what a STEAM school is. 

The arts are an evident part of school life 

for students and teachers in the elementary 

school at Drew. In addition to visual art, there 

are classes offered in vocal music, instrumental 

music, and dance. There are visible displays 

of students’ work created in the art classes and 

work created with non-arts teachers. Teachers, 

students, and administrators spoke with pride 

of student work, particularly noting the outdoor 

sculptural work that was recently created in the 

courtyard. Teachers and students in separate 

interviews referred to the culture of the school 

as “interwoven” or “flowing together”. They 

perceived the arts to be part of an integrated 

whole rather than something off to the side. 

“It really is organic ....they get 

the whole picture.” 

–Classroom Teacher

“I think everything flows 

together in the school.” 

–5th Grade Student

The art and design teachers have taken 

a leadership role in two events that show 

students the place of art and design in the 

world around them. Mrs. Bryant coordinates an 

event called Designorama that invites working 

designers and artists to demonstrate and 

discuss their work for the Drew community. 

Mrs. Ruffin and Ms. Anderson have assisted 

in that effort by helping to contact artists and 

craftspeople for the event. The focus of art 

exhibits sponsored by schools is typically 

to highlight the work of students. While 

such showings occur on campus regularly, 

Mrs. Ruffin began an annual exhibit that 

emphasized art as a part of the lives of 

the Drew community. This event, called 

“Soaring,” invited teachers and parents to 

submit artwork for display in a gallery space. 

Drew families and members of the community 

attended the exhibit each year. The event 

has been supported by the other art forms at 

the school through musical performances by 

members of the Drew community willing 

to share their talents. Art is validated in this 

exhibit as a valuable part of life in the world 

outside of school. Administrators, teachers, and 

parents displayed their drawings, paintings, 

photographs, and other work beside artwork by 

the art teachers and artists from the community. 

Arts advocates faced with the popularity 
109

of the STEM movement in education have 

proposed the integration (or perhaps reintegration) of the arts into this problem-based 

model. This integration of the creative process 

and functional design thinking has been called 

STEAM. Acronyms in education can quickly 

become little more than jargon (Bequette, 

2012), but there is merit in its use in Drew’s 

employment of isolated visual art instruction 

and dedicated time to the application of 

aesthetic thinking as part of the design process. 

In visual art classes and in the engineering 

design class, students are challenged to learn 

with and through material (Eisner, 2002). 

They see a spectrum of creative effort from the 

purely functional, to the purely aesthetic, and 

the abundant opportunities between. 

“I want to be an artist when I 

grow up. An artist is a person 

who really likes art and they 

have all the things that you 

can use. It’s different kinds 

of artists, you know? There’s 

artists that do sculpture, artists 

that draw in books, and artists 

that paint and use markers.” 

–1st Grade Student

“STEAM means you put your 

hands onto all the stuff.” 

–5th Grade Student

Conclusion

At Drew Charter School, students receive 

instruction in visual art as a fine art and as 

a way of thinking. The vision of a STEAM 

curriculum is evident in the design thinking 

that permeates several of the instructional 

contexts at this school, but in particular the 

art rooms and the Engineering Design class. 

The administration and teachers at Drew work 

together to provide learners with opportunities 

to make art and solve design problems, and 

students are introduced to members of the 

Atlanta community who apply those skills in 

their professional lives. 
110
111

Bob Jones High School is a fairly large 9-12 public high school located in 

Madison, Alabama, a suburban community 

near Huntsville in the north of the state. It 

serves approximately 1,850 students with a 

faculty of 98 teachers. The school has been 

recognized for its high levels of achievement. 

The graduation rate is over 90% and over 70% 

of its students go on to college. 

The visual art program at Bob Jones is a 

source of particular pride for the school and 

the community of Madison. With only a few 

teachers, the students have produced work 

that has been consistently recognized in the 

state and nationally. In 2007 and 2008, the 

head of the art department at Bob Jones was 

awarded the Golden Apple Teacher award by 

the Scholastic Art and Writing competition for 

the most student awards. Students continue 

to submit portfolios to that competition and 

others each year and continue to be recognized. 

Bob Jones art students have received 

scholarships to prestigious visual arts programs 

around the country. 

The art department at Bob Jones High 

School continues a history of skillful, 

dedicated visual art teachers who have served 

as mentors for their students and champions 

for the program. The following profile looks 

through six lenses: access to arts instruction, 

school culture, resources, curriculum, 

assessment of student learning in the arts, and 

teacher quality. 

Access to Visual Art Instruction

Visual art courses are made available to 

all students at Bob Jones. Courses are listed 

in the catalog that is provided to all students 

prior to registration. The largest numbers of 

students attend the Art I course. Many of these 

do so in part to fulfill the fine arts graduation 

requirement set by the state, but many go 

on to attend the other available courses (Art 

II, III, and IV and Advanced Art). There is a 

recommended fee for participating students of 

$25, but that fee is waived for students who 

are unable to pay. The visual art courses are 

electives, and the number of offerings available 

each year depends upon the number of students 

enrolling.

Students are drawn to the program 

primarily by the visibility of high quality 

student work. Bob Jones art students exhibit 

regularly in the community. Each fall, the 

school has a booth at the Madison Street 

Festival, and each spring, students’ artwork is 

Visual Art

at Bob Jones High School 

Madison, Alabama

Joel Baxley, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
112

shown at Panoply, an arts festival in nearby 

Huntsville. Parents and children from the 

Madison area see this work. Most notably, the 

school hosts exhibits on its campus regularly. 

In particular, they host an arts day at Bob Jones 

High School in which students from all schools 

in the area are invited to submit work for show. 

At these events, elementary and middle school 

students and their parents have the opportunity 

to see what the high school program is doing. 

Senior Advanced Art students at Bob Jones are 

given their own exhibit area at these events. 

“I would come and see the 

art and say, these walls! The 

seniors have these walls! I want 

a wall!” –Student

School Culture

The community in Madison is supportive 

of the arts programs in its schools. The 

Madison Street Festival, run by the local arts 

council, raises funds that contribute to the 

visual and performing arts programs. Crowds 

turn out for the art shows on the Bob Jones 

campus that consist not only of the families 

of exhibiting students, but members of the 

surrounding community.

The school community at Bob Jones High 

School is proud of the success of its visual art 

program. The school board and other public 

officials have recognized art students who have 

received awards or scholarships for their work. 

The school administration recognizes and 

supports the efforts of teachers and students in 

visual art. 

“I’m in awe of the students and 

what they do. They create.” 

–Administrator

“The kids talk about us, and the 

teachers talk. Teachers know 

that we have a good program.” 

–Art Teacher

This recognition of the visual art program in 

the school community has grown over several 

years through continual advocacy on the part 

of the teaching staff. The program has come to 

be recognized through a ground level effort on 

the part of dedicated teachers who showed the 

community what could be accomplished. Even 

now, the teachers not only work to show the 

students what they can do, but to continually 

show the community what they have done. 

While finding the time and space for 

collaboration in a public high school schedule 

is challenging, the staff at Bob Jones 

demonstrates an interest and willingness to 

collaborate across subject area lines. The 

school produces a literary magazine, The 

Eclectic, each year. The magazine collects 

prose, poetry, visual art, and comics created 

by Bob Jones students. The school publishes 

a print version of the magazine as well as 

an online version that adds student-created 

animation and video. In addition to the 

inclusion of artwork submitted by students, the 

editor of the magazine approached the visual 

art department to ask for one student each year 

to create artwork to be used for the section 

divisions within the magazine. 

The art department participated in 
113

efforts with the engineering teacher to 

foster collaborative efforts between art and 

engineering students to consider not only 

the functionality of a design solution, but 

the aesthetics of the product as well. The art 

department invited a group of professors from 

the art and engineering departments at the 

University of Alabama to come and discuss the 

need for artistic thinking in engineering and 

the decision they had made to require drawing 

classes from their majors. In February of 2014, 

several of the arts and non-arts staff chose to 

participate in a series of optional experiences 

on Fridays led by different teachers inspired 

by the artistic and scientific works of Leonardo 

Da Vinci. As an optional design task, the 

librarian called on the art honor society to help 

her create new book jackets for some of the 

books in the library. 

Resources

The art department at Bob Jones has 

produced award winning student work through 

the intentional, resourceful, creative use of 

limited resources. Visual art classes at Bob 

Jones are held in two dedicated rooms along 

the hallway leading toward the auditorium 

and one of the gymnasiums. The rooms are 

relatively large with high ceilings and windows 

on one wall. Large worktables occupy most 

of the central space in each room. Cabinets 

and storage are on one end of each room with 
114

a small sink. A short hallway links the rooms. 

This contains access to rooms that serve as 

storage spaces for supplies. Each room also 

has a small office space, which in fact acts as 

more storage for art supplies. The rooms are 

cluttered, but the clutter consists of work in 

progress and the paraphernalia of ongoing still 

life drawings in each space. Tables provide 

ample workspace for many projects, but it 

does become more problematic when students 

require easels or larger working areas. 

Technology is evident, but limited. Each 

art room has one computer linked to a CRT 

television and a printer. The computers have 

Internet access and each teacher uses it as an 

instructional tool in class. Mrs. Lakso used 

the computer as a station for small groups of 

students to view online tutorials produced by 

a colleague. Mrs. Norton brought up images 

of artwork for students to respond to for her 

Art I class. But 

the availability 

of the image was 

limited given 

the size of the 

screen. She 

called on her 

students who had 

smart phones 

or other devices 

available to bring 

up the same 

image, making 

the image more 

accessible to 

students around 

the room.

One thing that is surprising about the 

Bob Jones program given the high quality of 

the students’ work is that there are only two 

visual art teachers currently on staff: Robin 

Lakso and Jennifer Norton. These two are 

responsible for all students taking Art I, II, 

III, IV, and Advanced Art. There had been a 

third position, but it was moved to a new high 

school that recently opened in Madison to 
115

accommodate 

the fastgrowing 

population. 

This shift 

created a 

challenge 

in that the 

schedule 

would not fit 

all the courses 

needed with 

just these 

two teachers. 

They chose to 

give up their 

planning time 

for this year in order to maintain the Advanced 

Art program. 

Students and teachers generally describe 

the supplies they have as ample for what they 

need to do. Students recognized the privilege 

of working in a program that gives them access 

to these materials. Students in art classes pay 

a $25 fee that provides most of the funding 

the department receives. The supplies visible 

during site visits were mostly drawing and 

painting materials. The teachers and students 

have demonstrated resourcefulness in their use 

of recycled and available materials. Teachers 

and advanced art students described using 

wood, cardboard, and found objects as part 

of their work out of interest, but also out of 

necessity. To their credit, teachers spoke 

of that reality as an opportunity for creative 

thinking.

“If you don’t have it, they’ll get 

it, or it’s buried back in a closet 

somewhere.” –Student

Curriculum

The visual art curriculum at Bob Jones 

starts with the end in mind. The aim of the 

program is clearly to prepare students to enter 

a competitive college art program. The art 

teachers pay attention to state standards and 

expectations, but they see them as a base from 

which to build rather than as the bar for which 

to aim. 

“What we’re doing now 

is focused on getting into 

college.” 

–Advanced Art Student

In 2002-3, Melissa Hughey, then Bob Jones 

art department head, was asked to work with 
116

the system’s art teachers to develop a K-12 

alignment of the visual art curriculum. The 

process they worked through began not with 

kindergarten, but with the high school. Each 

level determined the skills and knowledge that 

the level before it had to prepare for. That topdown structure is still evident in the visual art 

course structure. 

There are five courses available in visual 

art: Art I, Art II, Art III, Art IV, and Advanced 

Art. The course content proceeds from skillbased tasks with very specific criteria to 

open-ended challenges to create works that 

demonstrate a personal approach by the 

student artist. Courses are not broken down 

by medium. Multiple media are addressed in 

each course. There is an emphasis on twodimensional work, but some sculpture is part 

of the available instruction. These limitations 

are due in part to the small staff available 

and the limitations of the schedule. Art I is 

an introductory course that introduces the 

elements and principles of design and in which 

students spend the majority of their time on 

drawing projects that emphasize structure, 

perspective, proportion, and value. In Art II, 

skills from Art I are expanded and developed, 

with a greater focus on color media. In Art 

III, students are challenged with more openended tasks that call on them to respond to a 

topic, theme or idea. Art IV emphasizes the 

development of a personal style and calls 

on the student to choose areas of focus or 

emphasis. Finally, the Advanced Art course 

is described as an “accelerated portfolio 

preparation course for students focusing on 

art as a career.” It is focused entirely on the 

production of bodies of work that can be 

submitted to chosen regional and national 

competitions and for scholarship opportunities. 

At this level, projects are student-driven with 

coaching and assistance from the instructor.

Assessment

Formative assessment is embedded 

throughout the work of the visual art teachers 

at Bob Jones. The creation of artwork in the 

studio environment is open to an ongoing 

conversation about the process between 

teachers and students. The greatest part of the 

visual art teachers’ time is spent looking at and 

talking about student work in progress. The 

instructional choices within each classroom 

are guided by this informal assessment of 

student progress. Formative assessment is 

also embedded in the design of projects for 

lower level courses. In the Art I classes, small 

tasks had to be completed by the student and 

approved by the teacher before the student 

could move on to more complex challenges. 

Students are continually encouraged to 

assess themselves and one another. There is a 

climate of mutual support and critique in the 

visual art classrooms, particularly in the upper 

level classes. Students were seen to stop as 

they traveled to get supplies and talk with a 

classmate about his or her work. In one class, 

a student completed her painting ahead of 

the rest of the class and spent the remaining 

time watching a classmate work through hers, 

offering advice or asking questions. Students 

turn to one another and ask for feedback. 
117

Advanced students described looking to one 

another for inspiration, advice, and friendly 

competition. 

Summative assessments occur through the 

final completion of projects based on criteria 

established at the beginning. Formal critiques 

are part of the process, but are more likely 

to appear in upper level classes. Neither the 

visual art teachers nor students emphasized 

grades when discussing the assessment of 

student work. More important to both groups 

was feedback toward making good work. 

The portfolios produced by Advanced Art 

students for the Scholastic Art Competition 

and for college applications serve as a kind 

of capstone project for demonstrating the 

skills each student has acquired. Additionally, 

Advanced Art students are expected to create a 

display of their work under teacher 

supervision for the art show held 

on campus each spring.

Teacher Quality

“They have it down. 

They do it right. It’s 

instruction at its best” 

–Administrator

The art teachers at Bob 

Jones are skilled facilitators of 

a working studio environment. 

They provide differentiated levels 

of structure and feedback based 

on the needs of the course and 

the student. They foster a warm, 

informal affective atmosphere in 

the classroom. And they push 

students toward the level of work 

needed to pursue collegiate and professional 

ambitions. 

There is a level of freedom in making 

choices about work that grows with the skill 

level of the student. Tasks are more structured 

in Art I, which focuses on drawing and twodimensional design. They continue to build 

skill in color, painting, and other media, as 

they move toward the Advanced course which 

centers on individual portfolio development. 

In lower level classes, the students work 

through short, structured assignments that 

move students toward a larger task. For 

instance, an Art I portrait project began with 

sketches of individual facial features followed 

by studies of facial measurements before 
118

the student completed a large-scale portrait 

drawing. In higher-level classes, tasks are 

more open-ended, calling on students to pursue 

individually originated projects that employ the 

skills they built in earlier instruction. Advanced 

students described a task in which 

they were told to make a work that 

showed how others perceive them. 

Neither of the two teachers 

was observed to spend much time 

at all lecturing or talking to the 

whole class. Whole class speech 

was limited to taking roll, making 

announcements, and occasionally 

drawing student attention to a 

conversation or resource that might 

be beneficial to the group. The 

majority of the teachers’ time was 

spent rotating through the class in 

individual consultations with students who 

were working at various points on the task 

at hand. Classes were seen working on two 

or three different projects, some students 

ahead of others in a sequence of tasks. Mrs. 

Lakso and Mrs. Norton both moved around 

the space, looking at each student’s work in 

progress and offering prompting questions 

or suggestions based on the work thus far. 

That feedback took different forms. In some 

cases, it was simply a prompting question or 

a reminder in passing—“Measure first. If you 

don’t, it will get you in trouble.” Or she might 

notice a few students having a similar issue 

and call a small group together for a short 

demonstration. In one class, Mrs. Norton 

gathered several students together at one 

table to demonstrate drawing noses while the 

rest of the class continued working. Teachers 

referenced completed student work which 

hangs around the room. They also employed a 

computer linked to a CRT television to access 
119
120

tutorials on different components of the task at 

hand. 

In both classrooms, the students feel 

comfortable, particularly the upper level 

students who’ve spent more time with Mrs. 

Lakso and Mrs. Norton. The art teachers 

build a warm, informal working environment 

in which students who are working have the 

freedom to focus and interact about their work. 

Disciplinary redirections happened as needed, 

but were not often necessary. 

“It’s not very restrictive. The 

teacher is friendly.” –Student

“The students just seem so 

relaxed.” –Teacher

It should also be noted that Mrs. Norton 

and Mrs. Lakso work very well together. 

Conversations occurred between them 

throughout the day during observations. Other 

staff, students, and the art teachers themselves 

noted how well they are able to collaborate. 

They work together to continue to revise and 

develop their program of courses. They offer 

feedback to one another’s students. In one 

course this year, the two of them are team 

teaching a group of higher level students. The 

two teachers at Bob Jones also talk frequently 

with the art teacher at the new high school. 

They share tutorials and ideas through an 

online system called SOPHIA.

“They get along really, really 

well.” –Student

“They help each other out.” 

–Student

A student pursuing visual art through 

all the available courses at Bob Jones 

is led toward a very clear end: the 

development of a college level portfolio. 

The portfolios that students develop 

are aimed at the entry expectations of 

colleges and universities. Non-arts 

teachers, administrators, and students 

all describe the work the department 

has done to bring university professors 

from Auburn, the University of Alabama, 

and other institutions. They seek out 

portfolio reviews with college art 

departments. They work with students to 

look at what colleges are requesting for 

inclusion within applicants’ portfolios.
121

“[Mrs. Lakso and Mrs. Norton] 

...seem very focused. If they 

want a scholarship, they know 

how to direct the kids to get 

the maximum for what they can 

get. I’ve always been impressed 

with how much they work to 

get kids scholarships to where 

they want to go.” –Teacher

The art teachers at Bob Jones High School 

are dedicated to their work. They spend long 

hours after school preparing student work 

for exhibit, transporting work to shows and 

competitions, and preparing materials for an 

entire art program run by two people. They 

have given up their planning time to maintain 

the students’ opportunity for an Advanced Art 

course. Both teachers show concern for the 

growth and development of the students in 

their care. 

“There’s a piece of me in each 

of my kids’ pieces.” 

–Art Teacher

“She cares about each 

individual child” –Teacher

“If you don’t try, she tries 

harder.” –Student

Conclusion

The visual art program at Bob Jones High 

School is driven to guide students toward 

success as artists. The program sets its sights 

on the expectations of entrance portfolios at 

high-level art university art programs. The 

program operates as successfully as it does 

because of its dedicated, skilled teachers. The 

art teachers at BJHS operate working studio 

spaces for students to enter and excel at being 

artists.
122
123

3. Cross-Case Analysis
124

Each of the programs we examined had its 

own personality, its own strengths, and its own 

needs. However, some themes emerged in 

our analysis of the data across cases. Issues 

of leadership and collaboration and the 

position of the arts within the school and the 

relationship of the arts program to the world 

outside of school were indicated frequently 

among participating sites, and the way that 

these issues manifested themselves at each site 

led us to categorize multiple ideas into four 

broad findings: 

In in-school arts education programs identified 

as high quality in the South...

•	 Relationships matter.

•	 The arts program is part of a shared 

vision.

•	 The arts are core.

•	 Students experience the working worlds 

of artists.

1. Relationships Matter.

All stakeholders in these quality programs 

repeatedly identified a sense of community, 

feelings of acceptance and accomplishment, 

and the importance of their personal 

contributions to the success of the arts 

programs in which they participated. Pride in 

these programs was a thread wound throughout 

every interview and observation among the 

many stakeholders participating in this study. 

Teachers spoke often about administrative 

support at both the school and district levels, 

and principals often identified strong district 

support for the arts programs at their schools. A 

key trait across all programs is effective onsite 

management and shared decision making 

between stakeholders. 

“Whenever we need [our 

district administrator], he’s 

here to provide support, give 

input. He is our advocate–our 

cheerleader” 

–School Administrator 

Administrators were also quick to 

acknowledge the importance of teacher-student 

relationships among their staffs: 

“As a fine arts teacher you 

have one of the hardest jobs 

at the school. You have 800 

children rotating through 

your classrooms each week, 

and those kids want you to 

know them just like their math 

teacher does. And they [the 

arts teachers] do a great job of 

building those relationships” 

–School Administrator 

The importance of collegial relationships is 

likewise evident through the implementation 

of diverse collaborative projects and teacher 

flexibility in scheduling, particularly regarding 

the give-and-take required to accommodate 

students with multiple arts interests and 

engagement. 

“It’s about creating a culture. 

Program momentum relies 

on established culture, the 
125

routine of the curriculum, and 

the teachers and students all 

working together” 

–High School Band Teacher 

Students repeatedly identified the power 

of a relationship-oriented focus in their 

descriptions of these rich programs. 

“We’ve kind of grown up with 

all these [dance] teachers. 

That’s another thing that helps 

me learn a lot.” 

–High School Student

All observers noted evidence of strong 

positive affect in teacher-to-student as well as 

student-to-student interactions. 

What we’re doing musically is 

important, but our character is 

more important. [Our teacher] 

always tells us, ‘The type of 

musician you become is not as 

important as the type of person 

you become.’ Our teachers get 

to know us on a personal 

level. We all take care 

of each other, and our 

teachers promote that.” 

–High School Band 

Student

Community partnerships 

are another relationship-based 

quality factor in these programs. 

Stakeholders spoke about the 

importance of maintaining and 

growing quality programs and their 

desire to honor the high reputation enjoyed 

in their communities. In each participating 

school, stakeholders explained the positive 

impact of financial resources accessed through 

corporate sponsorships, parents’ fund-raising, 

and a myriad of out-of-district financial 

supports. Volunteer efforts also represent a 

significant part of community partnerships 

contributing to program quality. Parents, 

community members, students, and teachers all 

described the generous contributions of time 

on tasks ranging from transportation and dry 

cleaning to food preparation and chaperoning 

for out-of-town exhibits and performances. 

“Our volunteers are a crucial 

part of broadening our 

students’ education. Visiting 

artists and community 

members contribute to our 

program in a number of ways.” 

–Arts Coordinator 

Strong relationships across communities 

are critical. Maintaining an active and visible 
126

presence for the process and products of 

arts education is vital for the growth and 

maintenance of these quality programs. Arts 

teachers, parent support groups, and students 

actively promoted the work of teachers and 

students in their communities. 

“[Our fundraising] program 

brings in funds in various 

ways from the community: 

advertising, concert tickets, 

program acknowledgments. 

That is run by parents and is 

supported throughout the 

community. This resource 

brings in much more than 

just money - the community 

is critical. They take personal 

pride in these programs. It’s 

good for everybody - parents 

and students like their positive 

reputation in the community 

and the process feeds itself.” 

–High School Band Director

In summary, a key trait in quality arts 

education programs is the critical 

affective importance of building, 

nurturing, and maintaining collaborative 

relationships among all stakeholders. 

The following implications may serve as 

a summary to guide the development of 

future programs. 

Implications

•	 Positive reinforcement and explicit 

communication acknowledging the 

strengths and diverse contributions 

of all stakeholders results in community 

pride, a rich work ethic, and the 

promotion of a culture of success.

•	 Administrative support reflects respect 

for onsite decision-making and a 

participant-oriented leadership style.

•	 Collegial relationships are built 

on a foundation of shared goals, 

administrative support, and day-to-day 

flexibility.

•	 Attention toward student growth goes 

beyond arts knowledge and skills, but 

endeavors to reach the whole child 

through a teacher-parent-community 

triad of support.

•	 The maintenance and growth of quality 

arts programs requires greater fiscal and 

personnel resources than are typically 

available through standard public 

education, thus the engagement of 

community partners must address both 

fiscal and personnel requirements.
127

2. The Arts Are Part of a 

Shared Vision/Mission.

Stakeholders in these programs identified 

a shared vision or mission in their descriptions 

of their quality arts education programs. Seidel 

et al. (2009) noted that arts programs serve 

multiple purposes, sometimes simultaneously. 

These shared visions are not the same across 

all cases, but within each context there is a 

strong common understanding of the purpose 

of the arts program as part of the school 

setting. Shared visions are supported by 

strong leadership, made visible to the school 

and the community, and maintained through 

the tenacity of a variety of stakeholders who 

champion the work.

Strong leadership

Strong leadership goes beyond 

administrative support. Many programs 

addressed in this study benefit from 

multiple stakeholders as leaders, including 

administrators, teachers, students, parents, 

and community members. Strong leadership 

cultivates buy-in at the administrative level and 

among faculty, parents, and the community at 

large. At Wando High School, for example, the 

administration identifies student needs as the 

driving force behind decisions in all content 

areas including the arts:

“Students are the center of our 

decision-making. The schedule 

is generated based on student 

requests.” –Wando High School 

Administrator

Throughout the case studies, we noted strong 

leadership that set high standards for arts 

learning as part of the mission of the school. 

At Windsor Hill Elementary, strong support 

from district and school level administration 

provides flexibility and security for the visual 

art teachers to develop their instruction. 

Leaders give a sense of purpose to everyone 

involved in the program. 

“Leadership has high 

expectations in the arts.” 

–Bradley Academy Classroom 

Teacher 

“I make my vision very clear 

for this school... to make 

this a worldwide, known 

institution for the performing 

and visual arts in education.” 

–Northwest School of the Arts 

Administrator

Visibility

All of the programs studied have cultivated 

reputations for good work, and stakeholders 

repeatedly commented on the high visibility 

of students’ work in their communities. 

The leaders of these programs, notably 

the arts teachers, reach out to share their 

vision for student learning in the art form 

through community events, competitions, 

performances, and exhibits. Bob Jones High 

School participates every year in the Scholastic 

Art and Writing program. One reason for 

this participation is the scholarship money 

and attention it can bring to participating 
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students, but more importantly, participation 

offers the opportunity to highlight honors 

and awards for Bob Jones art students to the 

school administration, school board, and other 

civic leaders in the Madison community. This 

constant stepping forward by the program 

has helped cultivate a sense of pride in the art 

program among the community. 

The architectural spaces of the school 

campuses reflect the strong presence of the 

arts every day through both the dedicated 

physical facilities such as dance studios, music 

practice rooms, and art studios and through 

temporary and permanent displays highlighting 

students’ arts learning. Purposefully curated 

displays at Pine Street feature arrangements of 

lesson descriptions, photographs of students 

in arts classes, and samples of students work 

to tell the stories of different curricular units. 

Large colorful murals permanently installed 

at Northwest School of the Arts beautifully 

convey the place that visual art, music, dance, 

and drama have as central to the school’s 

mission.

The leaders in these programs also share 

the vision of quality arts learning through 

events within the school context. Casey, 

Bradley, Drew, and Windsor Hill all described 

performances and exhibits at the schools for 

parents at PTA meetings or special events. 

These smaller events are no less important in 

the role they play communicating the vision 

for quality student work among the school 

community. 

“Constant Activities. Every 

year, the art department has 

like this family night. They 

have staff, parents, kids, 

exhibit art. But they also have 

performance art. People do 

poetry. Somebody might sing, 

and they’ll have some artwork 

exhibited.” –Drew Charter 

School Administrator

Tenacity

Across all of the arts programs, many 

students demonstrate significant personal 

passion for their arts work, driven in part by 

the strong models their teachers provide. These 

arts educators have dedicated years—decades, 

in many cases—to the study and practice of 

their art form, and in speaking about their work 

many evidenced a strong personal, creative, or 

spiritual drive motivating their engagement in 

teaching.

“I knew I could combine dance 

and academics and get them to 

think deeply and become—Oh! I 

just dream for them to be these 

awesome people! And now I’m 

working toward community 

service and let’s give this 

back...I love what I do! I love it!” 

–Northwest School of the Arts 

Dance Educator

This love for the arts, for their students, and for 

the process of teaching and learning is indeed 

powerful, and in many cases provides support 

and resolve as teachers weather a multitude of 

changes impacting their work. 
129

Change is the only constant and leadership 

is a process of navigating change (Barker, 

2002). Stakeholders in the quality arts 

programs included in this study have a shared 

vision and never lose sight of it. Across cases, 

we saw how programs persevered during 

moments of uncertainty. In national and local 

school policy, the arts tend to be one of the 

first areas to receive budget cuts (Remer, 

2010; Seidel et al., 2009). The amount of 

available financial support ranges among these 

programs; some are in affluent communities 

while others serve more economically 

disadvantaged populations, but all have had to 

find ways to adapt to changing circumstances 

and limited resources. Stakeholders in 

programs with a shared vision and mission 

spoke directly about this, reflecting how 

they did not lose sight of their purpose and 

persevered through challenges. 

“We are proud of our 

accomplishments, but we are 

aware that we’re not perfect. 

It’s always a battle fighting 

against everything else to keep 

the arts alive. We are able to do 

this work in spite of everything 

else.” –Casey Elementary Fine 

Arts Coordinator

“I have seen programs with 

a lot more resources and 

sponsorships and parental 

involvement. But the kids 

here, they consistently step 

up to the plate in the midst of 

personal struggles and shine 

and have the opportunity to 

push through. I have seen this 

blossom in other parts of their 

lives and see this carry with 

them when they leave here.” 

–Bradley Academy Parent

In these programs, stakeholders often 

take on the role of champion, sticking to 

a belief in the importance of and future of 

the arts program, defending its value when 

necessary. For some schools, that champion 

is a district or school level arts coordinator, 

a teacher, or an administrator who acquires 

resources, writes grants, or finds valuable 

research to support advocacy or aid instruction. 

Sometimes they do this without specific district 

or school level support in place. At Bob Jones 

High School, the art teachers make contact 

with universities, coordinate competitions, 

arrange and set up community exhibits, and 

make the administration and the community 

aware of students who have won honors for 

their work. At Owensboro High School and 

at Windsor Hill Elementary, the district level 

arts coordinators champion their arts teachers’ 

programs with administrators and the public.

“Whenever we need him, he’s 

here to provide support, give 

input.” 

–Windsor Hill Administrator

 “There has been a history 

here of making sure things are 

taken care of. Some years are 

stronger than others, but if you 
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are consistent with what you’re 

trying to do ... they will respond 

and be able to use the funds in 

a very responsible way and not 

be wasteful.” –Owensboro Fine 

Arts Coordinator

Implications

•	 Arts programs should be thoughtfully 

included in conversations around the 

mission and vision of the school. Arts 

teachers should be represented on 

leadership or school improvement 

committees.

•	 Arts teachers need the time and support 

to arrange and market exhibits and 

performances. 

•	 Practices should be consistent with 

vision and mission statements. Students 

understand the mission and vision of a 

school not primarily through explicitly 

stated placards on a wall, but through 

the practice of its teachers 

and administrators (Eisner, 

2002). 

•	 Because many arts 

educators are motivated 

by personal passion and 

strongly held beliefs 

consistent with missions of 

their schools, they—like 

many educators--will often 

repeatedly go above and 

beyond the duties outlined 

in their employment 

contracts. Care must be 

taken to recognize the appropriate 

limitations of arts teachers’ time and 

energy, respecting their desire for quality 

work while avoiding the very real 

possibility that their strong passions and 

motivations may lead to burnout.

3. The Arts are Core.

Core curriculum refers to content that 

is considered essential for all students. In 

2001, art and music were included among 

the subjects listed in the No Child Left 

Behind Act as “core academic subjects.” In 

implementation, however, the arts have not 

always been treated as essential (Chapman, 

2005). In quality arts education programs 

in the South, the arts are core curriculum 

not only in word, but also in practice. They 

are planned according to state and national 

standards, scaffolded across grade levels, and 

purposefully connected to other disciplines. 

In programs that consider the arts as core, arts 
131

instruction is not relegated to an extracurricular 

option; rather, the arts are perceived as an 

important part of the whole curriculum. 

At Owensboro High School, stakeholders 

described the drama program as contributing 

to a comprehensive education that supports 

the whole child. Wando High School has 

a similar approach as evident by the music 

program’s high expectations and its shared 

vision for each student to achieve excellence in 

the arts. Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary 

School students receive dedicated instruction 

in visual art apart from scheduled time for 

interdisciplinary lessons. Where the arts are 

core, we saw authentic assessment, a clearly 

articulated curriculum, and strong pedagogy. 

Authentic Assessment

In authentic assessments, learners 

demonstrate their skills and understandings 

through performance tasks that approach the 

practice of a given discipline in the world 

(Wiggins & McTighe, 1998). Such tasks are 

employed for student assessment throughout 

these sites. Teachers and students engaged in 

artistic work consistent with the practices of 

the art form in the world outside of school. 

The drama specialist at Owensboro frequently 

described assessment tasks as an opportunity 

for students to solve problems as actor, 

designer, or director. When students work on 

a project, the expectations include criteria in 

the art form and expected behaviors such as 

level of participation or being able to work as 

a group. Owensboro drama students do not 

receive grades just for completing a task and 

assessments focus on the student’s growth 

in arts learning. At Northwest School of the 

Arts, students are critiqued and corrected in 

the studio setting in exactly the same way they 

would be as professionals. They are held to 

high performance standards and expected to 

engage in choreographic thinking as part of 

their program of study.

Assessing arts learning strengthens and 

supports the place of arts education programs 

by focusing on skills, knowledge, and 

understanding that can only be taught in artistic 

disciplines. Wando High School’s music 

program includes individual and ensemble 

assessments, which provides students with 

multiple opportunities to receive feedback 

and reinforce musical understandings. During 

both classroom instruction and rehearsals, 

students demonstrate professional behaviors 

while practicing musical skills and knowledge 

in a developmentally appropriate context. 

Windsor Hill art students participate in gallery 

walks that introduce the collegial atmosphere 

of critique that is cultivated further at the high 

school level at institutions like Bob Jones High 

School.

“Kids need to know the 

purpose of each exercise, 

and our feedback must be 

purposeful. They need time to 

develop and understand the 

vocabulary. Outcome-based 

instruction must be evident.” 

–Wando High School Music 

Faculty
132

“Instead of trying to play with 

a bunch of other people- we’re 

trying to make music.” –Wando 

High School Music Faculty

At Bradley Academy, assessments 

are designed to reflect the work of actors 

developing a character. While the assessment 

tasks are developmentally appropriate 

for elementary students, the children are 

nonetheless engaged in a professional context. 

For example, as Bradley Academy 4th grade 

students prepared a monologue they made 

vocal choices based on textual evidence, 

which is how an actor works with a script in 

developing a character. The feedback students 

receive reinforces expectations and does not 

merely reward them for participation. When 

arts are at the core, assessments focus on the 

growth of arts learning: 

“We have a guide for giving 

each other feedback and 

helping us get better. ... Ms. 

Isom helps us and gives lots of 

chances to practice.” 

–Bradley Academy Student

A Clearly Articulated Curriculum

A quality curriculum is well articulated, 

standards-based, and sequential, and such 

curricula are present in many of the quality 

arts programs. The arts are given dedicated 

instructional time even in programs that 

provided interdisciplinary opportunities in 

non-arts classrooms. At Windsor Hill, all 

students receive dedicated instruction in the 

arts as well as interdisciplinary instruction in 

grade-level classrooms. Bradley Academy and 

Pine Street Academy have similar approaches 

where arts integration is as a core instructional 

model, but such integrated instruction does not 

replace dedicated instruction in the arts. For 

example, at Windsor Hill, Casey Elementary, 

Pine Street Academy, and Bradley Academy 

students attend art form-specific classes as a 

part of their weekly schedule. In these classes, 

arts specialists have curricula based on state 

and national arts standards. Similarly, at Drew 

Charter School, the STEAM model does 

not replace the study of art with a focus on 

design thinking. Rather, the study of visual art 

maintains its own identity within that broader 

structure, sitting alongside the abundance of 

other subjects students explore.

“Students show up for fine arts 

time and we’re expecting for 

those 40 minutes to be focused 

on the visual arts standards. 

And they are. That’s the core 

of what they’re teaching.” 

–Windsor Hill Elementary 

Administrator

Programs emphasizing a comprehensive 

education that includes the arts also have 

clearly articulated curricula. Owensboro High 

School frames its curriculum around a series 

of project-based units that are standards-based 

and align with the state of Kentucky’s core 

content for Arts and Humanities. Arts faculty 

have developed a curriculum map which is 

used as a living document that changes based 
133

on student needs. The visual art curriculum 

at Bob Jones High School is designed with 

the end in mind. Similar to Owensboro, Bob 

Jones offers a series of sequential courses that 

build specific art form skills and knowledge: 

in Art I & II, students are introduced to and 

explore the elements and principles of design. 

Later courses call on them to apply these skills 

through increasingly independent projects.

Pedagogy

Quality arts education programs where 

the arts are core curriculum have faculty 

with backgrounds and expertise in art form 

pedagogy. We observed arts educators who 

are masters at their craft but also understand 

how to design and deliver arts instruction. 

They routinely facilitate opportunities for 

students to present and perform their work 

while emphasizing arts learning outcomes;

furthermore, they speak about their 

work reflectively, revealing the layers of 

preparation and pedagogical study that drive 

their choices. For example, the visual arts 

teachers at Bob Jones High School facilitate 

quality arts learning experiences in a studio 

environment, spending most of their time as 

coaches and consultants for students’ ongoing 

work. Bradley Academy’s drama specialist 

distinguishes the drama classroom from play 

rehearsals, which reinforced drama skills and 

knowledge that need to be taught in order to 

prepare students for performance opportunities. 

“In class she is teaching drama. 

In rehearsal, it’s more about the 

performance- glitter, sets, and 

costumes. You get a little of 

that in class but a lot more of 

that after school. It’s different 

because she is teaching you 

how to perform, but it’s not 

the same kind of performing 

like after school. We don’t 

rehearse for a play in class. We 

learn how to act.” 

–Bradley Academy Student
134

Arts educators also bring extensive content 

knowledge and teaching experiences to their 

programs. The Pine Street Elementary dance 

educator, recognized as a South Carolina 

Dance Educator of the Year, has taught 

dance in a variety of setting and brings 

extensive content knowledge and pedagogical 

understanding into her teaching. The art and 

design teachers at Drew Charter School bring 

diverse skillsets to the program and are very 

active in their fields; the engineering design 

teacher there has published in the journal 

of the National Art Education Association. 

Teachers are very dedicated to their profession 

as evident by the extra hours spent beyond 

teaching in the classroom to help students 

prepare for a performance or exhibit. 

“She stays right with them. If 

they are here late, she is with 

them. If they have to be here 

early, she is there. She’s just 

remarkable. She is modeling 

the behaviors that she is 

expecting. I really appreciate 

that.” –Owensboro High School 

Parent 

Arts educators in quality programs 

focused on process over product. 

They are reflective—flexible in 

their approach and willing to make 

adjustments to their curriculum. At 

Owensboro, the drama specialist’s 

reflective practice allows the program 

to fully embrace a project-based 

approach. Projects shift based on 

student needs, which requires the 

drama specialist to think through 

possible adjustments. The arts 

educators focused on process spend time 

with students as facilitators, guiding students 

through the development of work rather than 

simply covering information.

“One of the things that Ms. 

Stuck and Ms. Harper really 

do well is focusing on the 

process, as opposed to the end 

result that kids walk out with 

and everyone looks good.” 

–Windsor Hill Elementary 

Administrator

Implications

•	 Quality arts education does not exist on 

the periphery. It aligns with the school’s 

curriculum.

•	 Programs that identify arts integration 

are strong when dedicated instruction in 

the arts is strong.

•	 Where the arts are treated as core 

curriculum, the methods of assessment 

are consistent with the disciplines. 

Artistic work is assessed through artistic 
135

work.

•	 Meaningful and ongoing professional 

development in the arts, embedded 

into teachers’ work at their schools, 

is essential to the development and 

maintenance of strong arts programs. 

4. Students experience 

the working worlds of 

artists.

In the programs we examined, across art 

forms and age levels, arts teachers construct 

learning environments where students are 

given the opportunity not only to make art, 

but also to learn to be artists. Lave & Wenger 

(1991) describe the growth of the learner 

as more than the delivery of content and 

highlight the need for an awareness of the 

learner’s appropriation of the social context 

of a given practice. In Studio Thinking, one 

of the habits of mind the writers attribute to 

an education in visual art is “Understanding 

Art Worlds,” which they define as learning 

about the historical and current practice of 

art, and “Learning to interact as an artist with 

other artists and within the broader society” 

(Hetland, Winner, Veeneema, & Sheridan, 

2007, p. 6) At Pine Street Elementary, children 

learn to enter into the dance space with a 

warm-up ritual and understand its importance 

for their bodies. At Wando High School, young 

musicians meet high expectations to enter 

rehearsals as opportunities to shape music 

rather than simply to learn it. At Windsor 

Hill Elementary, Ms. Harper and Ms. Stuck 

cultivate a structured, organized workspace 

that students help to maintain.

“They’re really learning how to 

be a functioning dancer. How to 

take class and how to be able 

to do that and dance with one 

another.” –Northwest School of 

the Arts Dance Teacher

“Instead of trying to play with a 

bunch of other people – we’re 

trying to make music.” –Wando 

High School Music Teacher

 The arts programs we examined 

tend to emphasize process over product. 

While teachers effectively use summative 

assessments that employ rigorous criteria, 

the better part of teachers’ and students’ 

attention is on the work in progress. Formative 

assessments are embedded in all that teachers 

and students do together. The teacher takes on 

the role of facilitator, setting parameters for 

student work through prompting, provoking, 

and questioning. In visual art classes across 

grade levels, teachers spent at least half their 

time or more in what Hetland, et al. (2007) 

refer to as “students at work.” 

“They are masters at providing 

formative assessment to 

their kids and differentiating 

instruction.” –Bob Jones High 

School Administrator

“The feedback that they give 

is pushing them to the next 

level.” –Windsor Hill Elementary 

Administrator
136

“[Our ballet teacher] treats it 

as if we are professionals...so if 

we don’t do something right, 

she’ll give us the correction, 

but she doesn’t just let it go.”

—Northwest High School 

Student

As part of this process-oriented work, 

students are called on to think like artists, 

designers, musicians, dancers, and actors. 

They are also called on to speak and write in 

these disciplinary roles through lessons that 

emphasize appropriate vocabulary in each art 

form. 

“I like my students to have a 

large art vocabulary. That’s 

very important to me.” –Drew 

Charter School Art Teacher

Ms. Woodham at Pine Street Academy 

cultivates an environment rich in oral and 

written language in which students apply 

dance vocabulary during the critical analysis 

of the works they see and create; students 

learn to readily move across unique forms 

of representation. Similar applications of 

language unfold in other schools as well.

“Mrs. Davis teaches us how 

to describe music, and how it 

makes us feel. Right now, we’re 

learning how to listen carefully 

and describe what we hear.”

 –Casey Elementary Student

“The children explain the work. 

Mrs. Ruffin and Ms. Anderson 

sit back and the children lead 

the exhibition.” –Drew Charter 

School Classroom Teacher

Students come into contact with 

professional work through varied encounters. 

When possible, classes take field trips to 

see performances or visit galleries, but the 

educators at these schools also make an 

effort to bring active professionals into the 

school. Pine Street has a firmly established 

artist-in-residence program, with multiple 

artists providing daily lessons during a muchanticipated Arts Week each year. At Drew, the 

Designorama event brings in professionals 

in fields like graphic design and architecture 

to talk about their work with students. The 

school also brought artists in as collaborators 

on outdoor sculpture projects in which the 

students were engaged in the design and 

construction of each work. Dance teachers at 

Pine Street Academy and Northwest School of 

the Arts include video viewing of professional 

work as part of their instruction. At Bob Jones 

High School, the visual art teachers have 

brought in professors from regional university 

art departments for portfolio reviews and for 

wider lectures that in one case involved a 

collaborative discussion with professors in 

visual art and engineering.

Students, particularly those at the high 

school level, strongly identify as preprofessionals in their chosen arts forms, 

frequently indicating their desire to participate 

in the practices of professionals in the field. 

Dancers at Northwest discussed the importance 

of auditioning for outside performances 
137

with community or professional companies, 

referenced their individual participation 

in various summer dance intensives, and 

expressed the desire for more networking 

opportunities with professional artists.

The artistic process defined in the 

upcoming revision of the national standards 

in the arts is Create, Perform, Respond, 

Connect18. Implicit in this process is that 

students not only make works of art, but also 

learn to share their work through productions, 

exhibitions, discussions, and documentary 

projects in both formal and informal settings. 

Student dancers, actors, and musicians perform 

their work for large and small audiences while 

visual art students have the opportunity to see 

their work published and exhibited. At Bob 

Jones High School, Advanced Art students 

are prompted to create exhibits of their own 

work, and their creations are also published in 

print via the school’s publication The Eclectic.

At Pine Street, photographs chronicling the 

rehearsal and performance process of recent 

productions adorn colorful bulletin boards 

alongside displays of students’ paintings, 

drawings, and collages. 

The artistic process functions as a 

cycle within these dynamic arts education 

environments, with performances and exhibits 

functioning as catalysts for discussion and 

further learning. A class sharing of short 

dance studies in Beginning Modern Dance at 

Northwest prompted a burst of raised hands as 

students were eager to comment on what they 

had seen and ask questions of the performers. 

Implications

•	 Quality working environments in the 

arts don’t necessarily look like quality 

working environments in other fields. 

Patterns of work and classroom activity 

in quality arts classrooms may not 

look like those in high quality math or 

language arts classes.

•	 While appropriate classroom facilities 

are essential to quality education in 

dance, drama, music, and visual arts, the 

working environment extends beyond 

the classroom or studio walls. Functional 

performance and exhibition spaces, 

opportunities for interaction with guest 

artists, and participation in field trips 

to arts settings are vital for students to 

become part of the working world of 

artists. 

•	 Administrators responsible for 

evaluating teachers in the arts should 

be made aware of the expectations for a 

working environment in each art form.

•	 Student work should be taken seriously 

at all age levels. A work of art is not 

complete until it is seen and discussed. 

The process of presentation and 

performance are part of the learning.

•	 Students and teachers should find ways 

to interact with a variety of professionals 

in their disciplines.
138
139

4. Conclusions & Recommendations
140

Limitations of this study

This study is descriptive in nature. It seeks 

to create a picture of what “high quality” arts 

education programs in the South look like. We 

did not evaluate the programs prior to inclusion 

in this study with a priori criteria, but worked 

from an assumption that programs nominated 

represented what regional stakeholders held 

to be “high quality.” As such, our role on 

campuses (respecting the generous access 

that schools provided to us) was explicitly not 

evaluative. As researchers, we strove to bracket 

aside our own standards for quality and instead 

document what was happening at programs 

determined by others to have earned the 

designation “quality.” Had our task included 

program evaluation, we may have looked more 

closely toward potentially problematic areas 

within curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and 

art form practice, offering a critical discussion. 

Such was not the intent of this particular study.

Additionally, this study was not intended to 

build a statistical sample of school programs, 

but rather to identify information-rich cases for 

in-depth study (Patton, 1990). As such, these 

cases are not intended to demonstrate what 

all arts programs in southern schools are like. 

Rather, it is understood that these accounts 

provide a narrative description of quality in 

practice. Neither should it be assumed that 

the programs selected were chosen because 

they were better than all other programs in 

each state, for we know that many other 

commendable programs exist in each state. 

The nine sites selected represent at least one 

program in each state with a wide dispersal 

across the region and at least two programs 

in each art form. All grades are represented, 

but the representation of the middle grades 

is weaker than elementary and high school. 

Two middle school programs were chosen 

for inclusion, but were unable to participate. 

Grades 6-8 are represented by the dance 

program at Northwest School of the Arts, 

a 6-12 program, and Bradley Academy, an 

elementary school whose program extends 

through grade 6. 

Recommendations for further research 

These case studies provide a regional 

picture of the places and people that form 

the context of quality arts instruction. If we 

allow that the arts are disciplines understood 

through the building of individual cases like 

law and medicine (Efland, 2002), then these 

pictures should not be seen as a final authority, 

but the beginning of a conversation. Where 

we narrowed the focus from a national view 

to a regional one, further studies should look 

closely at cases in a single state or district or 

cases that represent a single feature, such as 

school type, size, or context. 

Challenges, opportunities, constraints, 

and affordances within one art form can 

differ markedly from those found in other arts 

disciplines. The cross case analysis in this 

study considered those issues that arose across 

all art forms and grade levels. This leaves 

room for questions that probe the concerns of 

each art form. Questions of quality in music, 

drama, dance, or visual art alone are interesting 

and we considered them in our analysis, but 
141

such questions were beyond the scope of this 

inquiry. As arts education in the region is 

probed further, we encourage researchers to 

compare dance, music, drama, or visual art 

programs with one another to uncover those 

issues unique to each discipline.

Conclusion

Other explorations of quality arts education 

have sought to establish standards by which 

quality should be measured. The President’s 

Committee on the Arts and Humanities report 

on the Turnaround Arts Initiative (Stoelinga, 

2013) identifies principles by which arts 

programs in the context of the Turnaround 

initiative should be judged. In The Qualities 

of Quality (Seidel, 2009), the authors not only 

looked at case studies of arts education in 

practice, but examined the literature and talked 

with experts to consider the field prescriptively. 

Other groups have published lists of quality 

traits and standards for arts education programs 

(Lehman, 1994; Rushlow, 1999; Stoelinga, 

2013). The intention of this research was 

to look at quality from the ground up—we 

sought to investigate what quality looks like in 

practice. 

Our findings across cases align with many 

of the issues indicated by earlier research 

and policy. Standards and policy statements 

often indicate the need for strong supportive 

principals, collaborative work, and community 

partnerships. Our findings about these issues 

do not disagree but seek to contextualize 

those ideas. For instance, where we found 

strong support from administrators, we also 

found the role of leader and champion for 

these programs to be shared among multiple 

stakeholders including the principal, but also 

the arts teachers, district personnel, parents, 

and community organizations. 

We found strong evidence of collaboration 

between arts teachers and non-arts teachers 

but discovered also a broader network of 

relationships that sustained each program. 

Those networks took on a different character 

at each site. In addition to strong collegial 

relationships between teachers, we found 

relationships with community organizations 

that were more than occasional visits by artists 

in residence. These relationships provided 

schools with physical resources that allowed 

teachers and students to exceed the limitations 

of their buildings and classrooms. They also 

provided experiences that expanded learners’ 

engagement with each art form.

One aspect of leadership is the persistent 

work of arts teachers and their supporters 

to make their programs visible. That sort 

of marketing process is one that seems a 

particular challenge for teachers in the arts. 

Quality lists and standards call for school 

environments that welcome exhibitions and 

performances (Lehman, 1994; Rushlow, 1999; 

Stoelinga, 2013), but it is the diligence of 

dedicated instructors and their supporters that 

makes those exhibitions and performances 

happen. 

To recap our findings: in high quality inschool arts education programs in the South, 

relationships matter; the arts are a part of a 

shared vision and mission; the arts are core—
142

an essential part of the school’s community 

and day-to-day function; and students 

experience the working worlds of artists. 

As examinations of quality arts programs in 

this region go forward, we do not insist on 

one specific prescription for quality. The 

personality of each program must be worked 

out in the context of the values and needs of 

each community. We suggest the following 

questions to focus further inquiry:

Relationships – What sort of support 

network for the program exists among 

teachers, administrators, and other 

stakeholders? What opportunities are 

there in the community to meet the 

needs of the program and overcome 

challenges? Who are the champions for 

the program?

Shared Vision/Mission – What is the 

belief among arts specialists, non-arts 

teachers, administrators, students, and 

other stakeholders about the purpose 

of arts education? How are those 

beliefs evident in instructional and 

administrative practice? To what extent 

are arts teachers a part of decision 

making processes that impact the 

program?

The Arts are Core – To what extent 

are the arts a part of the overall 

planning processes and daily practices 

for the school? How does arts 

assessment impact overall student 

achievement? Are the instructional 

practices and environments in the arts 

consistent with the needs of each art 

form? 

Working Worlds of Artists – In 

what ways do students come into 

contact with professionals who use 

the knowledge and skills of the arts in 

their work? What partnerships does 

the school have to bring professionals 

in or to take students to professional 

environments? At the high school 

level, how are students introduced to 

the expectations for entering arts fields 

in higher education or professional 

practice?

Artists and teachers each struggle with 

quality in the practice of their respective 

crafts. How much more then, those whose 

craft is to teach an art form? There should 

never be an end to the pursuit of and struggle 

with questions of quality. We hope that the 

findings we have put forward here and the 

issues we found among these quality programs 

can contribute to higher and better and deeper 

thinking among the practitioners and decision 

makers responsible for implementing high 

quality arts education in this region and around 

the country. 
143

Endnotes

1 South Arts’ constituent states are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North 

Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

2 For the full Phase I report, go to www.southarts.org

3 As reported in South Carolina Department of Education. Pine Street Elementary School Annual Report Card 

2013. http://ed.sc.gov/data/report-cards/2013/elem/c/e4207082.pdf

4 As reported by principal.

5 As reported in South Carolina Department of Education. Pine Street Elementary School Annual Report Card 

2013. http://ed.sc.gov/data/report-cards/2013/elem/c/e4207082.pdf

6 As reported by principal.

7 From Sean Layne and Focus Five Arts Integration consulting. See http://educationcloset.com/2013/05/31/

actors-toolbox-script/

8 See Arts Curriculuar Innovation Grants: http://ed.sc.gov/agency/programs-services/62/Arts_Curricular_

Innovation_Grants.cfm

9 See South Carolina Arts Commission http://ed.sc.gov/agency/programs-services/62/Arts_Curricular_

Innovation_Grants.cfm

10 As reported on the school’s website: http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/northwestHS/Pages/AboutOurSchool.aspx

11 As reported on the school’s website: http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/northwestHS/Pages/AboutOurSchool.aspx

12 As reported in Tennessee Department of Education. Bradley Academy- An Arts Integrated School Annual 

Report Card 2013 available at https://www.tn.gov/education/reportcard/2013.shtml

13 https://www.tn.gov/arts/vp_about.htm

14 As reported in Kentucky Department of Education. Owensboro High School Annual Report Card 2012-2013 

available at http://applications.education.ky.gov/SRC/Default.aspx

15 http://riverparkcenter.com

16 http://www.mswholeschools.org

17 http://www.donorschoose.org

18 The revised standards are due for release in June of 2014. Information about the standards and their 

development can be found at http://nccas.wikispaces.com 
144

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146

A. Personnel and Acknowledgements

B. Instruments

Interview Guides

Observation Protocol

C. State Arts Standards

APPENDICES
147

A. Personnel and Acknowledgements

The Southeast Center for Education in the Arts

The Southeast Center for Education in the Arts is an outreach organization housed at the 

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. SCEA was founded in 1987 through a partnership 

between the Getty Center, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and the State of 

Tennessee for the purpose of research and training in arts education. SCEA’s mission is to 

strengthen and deepen arts-rich curriculum and instruction in a variety of interdisciplinary 

learning environments. 

For more information about the Southeast Center, visit www.utc.edu/scea

SCEA’s Research Team for this project:

Joel Baxley, MEd

SCEA Director of Visual Art Education

Joel-Baxley@utc.edu

Susanne Burgess, MM, EdD

SCEA Director of Music Education

Susanne-Burgess@utc.edu

Laurie Melnik, MFA, MPA

SCEA Interim Executive Director

And Director of Theatre Education

Laurie-Melnik@utc.edu

Marissa Nesbit, MFA, PhD

Assistant Professor, Dance Education

East Carolina University

nesbitm@ecu.edu
148

South Arts

South Arts, a nonprofit regional arts organization, was founded in 1975 to build on the South’s 

unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts. South Arts’ work responds to the arts 

environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. South Arts offers an annual portfolio 

of activities designed to address the role of the arts in impacting the issues important to our 

region, and to link the South with the nation and the world through the arts. Its mission: South 

Arts strengthens the South through advancing excellence in the arts, connecting the arts to key 

state and national policies, and nurturing a vibrant quality of life.

Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the ten-employee nonprofit organization provides a broad portfolio 

of programs and services for arts organizations in its nine-state region. South Arts works in 

partnership with the state arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, 

Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. South Arts is funded by the National 

Endowment for the Arts, member states, foundations, businesses and individuals.

For more information about South Arts, visit www.southarts.org
149

Special Thanks to:

Jane Dewey

Jette Halladay

Althea Jerome

Jeff Mather

Pamela Sofras

Kathe Stanley

Jan Woodward

Sara Wright

This study was made possible with funds from 

Alabama State Council on the Arts

Georgia Council for the Arts

Kentucky Arts Council

Mississippi Arts Commission

North Carolina Arts Council

South Carolina Arts Commission

Tennessee Arts Commission

And an Art Works Research Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

The Institutional Review Board of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 

(FWA00004149) has approved this research project #13-058.
150

B. Instruments

1. Interview Guides for Semi-structured Interviews

1. Access

What steps are taken at the administrative, site, or personal level to attract students to your arts 

programs?

What steps are in place that guide students into arts classes? [Are they sequential, auditioned/

open, repeatable?]

2. Teacher Quality

How would you describe the skills, knowledge, and preparation demonstrated by the arts faculty 

at this school? [Explicit example, please.]

What evidence of teacher quality is demonstrated regularly by the arts teaching faculty?

3. Assessment

How is student learning in the art form demonstrated?

Through what means are programmatic assessments made?

4. Resources

What steps are in place to support resource acquisition?

What obstacles or challenges to the work impact student opportunity to learn? 

5. School Culture

Describe the arts community at your school.

How are the arts embedded in this school culture?

6. Curriculum

How is course content developed in this art form at your school?

In what ways do performances or showings reflect student growth?

7. Other
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2. Interview items for student focus groups

1. Access

How much time do you spend in [art form] classes each week?

Do you think you have enough time in [art form]?

Are there opportunities for [art form] classes after school? If so, how do students get involved in 

them?

How do your parents find out what’s going on in the [art form] program?

2. Teacher Quality

How do your teachers work together?

Tell me about ____________________ what is he/she like as a teacher?

How does your teacher guide your learning in [art form]?

3. Assessment

Tell me about what you’re learning in [art form]?

How do you know how well you’re doing?

How does your teacher give you feedback?

How does teacher feedback affect your work?

4. Resources

Do you have everything you need for your work in [art form]?

Does your teacher have what she/he needs?

What do you wish your [art form] program had?

5. School Culture

Describe the arts community at your school.

How is the importance of [art form] made evident at your school?

If you were to recommend the [art form] program at your school to a friend, what would you 

say?
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6. Curriculum

How does your teacher choose what you will do as part of the [art form] program here? 

What does instruction in your [art form] class have to do with the productions, performances or 

exhibits that your school puts out for parents and the community?

7. Other

What else would you like me to know about your [art form] program?

3. Observation Protocol

Note for observers:

The purpose of this study is to examine this program in terms of the following:

Access to arts instruction, teacher quality, methods of assessment, resources, school culture, 

and the quality of the arts curriculum. Consider these as you take notes during the observation 

time.

1. Learning Environment – [Before Class]

Describe the physical environment where learning occurs. Note the arrangement of the room 

and availability of resources. Attach photos and/or include sketches in your notes.

2. Observer Notes

Describe below the behaviors of students and teachers during the lesson.

Record what is happening, taking particular note of teacher-to-student and student-to-student 

interactions. Make note of the time for each observation.

Consider behaviors like:

Teacher

Talking or Telling

Listening & Responding

Monitoring & Mentoring

Other

Student

Attention & Engagement

Peer Interactions or Collaboration

Inquiring & Problem Solving
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3. Observer Reflections

In your responses, please consider and identify specific examples of access, teacher quality, arts 

assessment, resources, school culture, and arts curriculum.

Access

How prepared did the students appear to be for the task(s) you observed?

Teacher Quality

What did you notice about student-teacher interactions?

In particular, how did the teacher differentiate instruction among students? 

Methods of Assessment

What did you notice about how student learning in the art form was formatively and/or 

summatively assessed?

School Culture

What did you notice about the affective environment in the classroom (how students relate to and 

engage with one another, how the teacher fosters a community of learners, and how instructional 

practices promote positive student affect)?

Resources

What obstacles or challenges to the work did you notice and how did the teachers & students 

work through them?

How did the physical environment affect learning?

How did interruptions to instruction affect learning?

What questions are you left with?

4. Deconstruction Interview with Teacher

Spend about 15-30 minutes with the teacher, apart from the students, to discuss what was 

observed. You may address questions that arose for you during observation. Use the following 

items as suggestions, but please feel free to include questions you have generated that may be of 

use in developing this study of access, teacher quality, assessment, resources, school culture, and 

arts curriculum.
154

Tell me how the work you’ve done so far has led up to what I saw today.

What will happen next?

How do you feel about the work today?

Tell me about ______________ ---refer to specific events or students in the instruction you 

witnessed. Ask for elaboration on what you observed. 

C. State Standards in Arts Education

Each participating state has its own set of standards in the visual and performing arts. Links to 

each are provided below.

Alabama

http://web.alsde.edu/home/Sections/SectionDocuments.aspx?SectionID=54&Subsection=1

Georgia

https://www.georgiastandards.org/standards/pages/browsestandards/finearts.aspx

Kentucky

http://education.ky.gov/curriculum/arts/Pages/Arts-and-Humanities---Curriculum-Documents.

aspx

Mississippi

http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/curriculum-and-instruction/visual-and-performing-arts

North Carolina

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/artsed/scos/

South Carolina

http://ed.sc.gov/agency/se/Instructional-Practices-and-Evaluations/VisualandPerformingArts.cfm

Tennessee

http://www.tennessee.gov/education/ci/arts/