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

Abstract

This study investigated three arts education partnerships in California elementary schools. The research questions that guided the inquiry were exploratory in nature and intended to reveal the day-today functioning of these partnerships, the challenges they faced, and the factors that contributed to their success, through the recounted experiences of the various institutional actors involved. The participants (n=21) comprised school principals and teachers, arts organizations administrative staff, and teaching artists. Qualitative inquiry methods (in-person interviews, classroom observations, and review of relevant documents) were used to analyze the data. The findings showed that the schools' administrators and faculty appreciated the arts residencies, and they reported the programs' positive impact on students. Despite many benefits, the arts partnerships held a small place in the schools' life: the arts programs were considered supplemental to the core curriculum at one school, rather than being fundamental to student learning, and the two other partnerships reached only one grade level (second grade). The study uncovered several ongoing challenges: lack of proper facilities for the residencies, finding the right teacher-teaching artist match, and inconsistencies in the arts programs. The findings also demonstrated that the teacher-teaching artist relationship was key for the programs' success. The study concluded with a discussion of recommendations for practice and future research. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation is the culmination of a long journey, through which I have grown professionally and personally. Many people have accompanied me along this path and believed in me. I am forever thankful for their support. My deepest gratitude goes to the College of Education faculty for accepting me into the program, and for trusting me to complete this journey. Thanks, also, to my professors for their help and their dedication to seeing me succeed. I appreciated the diverse opinions and perspectives they presented. There was something to take away from each and every class, and my practice was made better because of this program.