1997 Designing, implementing and sustaining arts education programming year after year takes a lot of work. Evaluation can help chart a positive course for growth and refinement. By identifying what worked, what did not and how things could work better, evaluation can be used to build stronger programs in the future based on previous arts education programs.
Evaluation is about finding information for growth and change.
It is a teaching and learning instrument in itself. Over time, incorporating the results of evaluation can help a program run more smoothly and maximize the benefits for its participants. During student feedback sessions they learned that many participants had after school activities, such as jobs or sports, that conflicted with rehearsals. As a result, the company devised a way to schedule around these conflicts at the beginning of each residency. Evaluation takes planning, time and coordination.