Teaching Program Evaluation in the Visual and Performing Arts

Abstract

The literature indicates that the demand for program evaluations is likely to increase and that those evaluations will be conducted across diverse disciplines. Preparation of discipline-specific evaluators may present challenges. This study reviews the experiences of a group of arts educators who participated in a discipline-specific evaluation course that combined a summer residence experience with Saturday meetings. The primary aim of the course is for participants to develop an evaluation plan for implementation in their settings. Through use of a reflective survey and a focus group, the authors investigate the extent to which the course addressed participants' needs as arts educators in program evaluation. In their feedback, the arts educators indicate that the development of an evaluation plan was one of the strongest aspects of the course; however, they also indicate that future offerings of the course should provide models of evaluation plans and reports specific to the arts.