Arts Impact Dissemination and ExpansionArts Impact Dissemination and Expansion (AIDE) studied the feasibility of replicating the Arts Impact teacher leader model outside of the greater Seattle metropolitan region

Arts Impact Dissemination and Expansion (AIDE) was a U.S. Department of Education Arts Education Model Development and Dissemination grant for 2010-2014. The four-year project was a partnership of Puget Sound Educational Service District’s Arts Impact program, Seattle Public Schools, Northeast Washington Educational Service District 101 (NEWESD), local arts organizations and key rural and low-performing schools from each region. The project studied the feasibility of replicating the Arts Impact professional development teacher leader model into rural Eastern Washington schools and created a sequential K-5 arts-infused math curriculum to complement its newly developed K-5 arts-infused literacy curriculum.

Outcomes

• The Opportunity Gap was closed, as measured by performance based assessments embedded in the Arts Impact project’s lesson plans
• Teachers showed growth in confidence and competence to teach arts-infused lessons in the classroom setting
• Teachers gained the ability to independently plan, teach and assess arts-infused lessons
• Arts Impact classrooms out-performed control site classrooms on measures of Powerful Teaching and Learning as measured by the STAR Protocol
• The project successfully developed local administrators and an instructional team of Artist Mentors who successfully implemented the Arts Impact professional learning program in four remote rural and small town schools
• The Hexagon Tool, a tool to measure readiness for implementation of an evidence based program such as Arts Impact, was recommended in order to insure successful implementation and sustainability

Project Goals

• Replicate the Arts Impact model in diverse geographical regions statewide, including a large city, remote town, and rural regions
• Strengthen standards-based arts instruction in the elementary grades across the state by providing intense and sustained professional learning in the arts
• Improve elementary grade student academic performance in math and literacy and skills in creating, performing and responding to the arts, including student groups traditionally identified as low-performing and from rural schools
• Develop and disseminate grant products, evaluation tools and project results through Open Educational Resources to facilitate further replication statewide and nationally

Project Design

The AIDE project used an experimental evaluation design. In each of the target districts, project staff identified a pool of eligible K-5 schools to participate. For the local district, six schools were randomly selected from the pool, and three schools assigned to the Treatment Group and three schools to the No Treatment Controls. For each of the dissemination districts, four schools were randomly selected from the pool, and two schools assigned to the Treatment Group and two schools to the No Treatment Controls. This yielded a study of seven Treatment schools and seven Control schools.

A multiple measures, mixed methodology design provided both formative and summative feedback. Data was collected to obtain information on fidelity of program implementation, barriers to implementation, and factors affecting outcomes. Instruments included:

• Autonomy Rubric for Teachers (ART) (text version)
  
• STAR Observation Protocol, a tool that assesses the presence of Powerful Teaching and Learning at the classroom level as evidenced by observation of students’ and teachers’ skills, thinking, knowledge, application, and relationships. For further information on the STAR Protocol, go to www.bercgroup.com.
• District math and literacy assessments
• Performance-based assessment (text version) of student and teacher learning in the arts and arts-infused content
• Measurements of Student Progress: Information about the Washington State Assessments, Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) Tests, can be found on the  OSPI website
• Teacher journals (text version)
• Teacher, staff, and Artist Mentor interviews

Professional Development Components

• Teacher Leader Teams
• Locally trained Artist Mentors and administrative team
• Local cultural partners
• Two year course: 45-51 total hours of instruction per year include:
  • Experiential Summer Institute: 30 hours per year
  • Classroom mentorship: 10 hours per year
  • Supplementary Workshops
  • Professional Learning Communities
  • Cultural study trip to museum exhibition, dance or theater performance
  • Up to 51 clock hours or 4 graduate credits per year

Curriculum

• Arts & Reading Infusion
  
• Arts & Math Infusion