Are Teacher Evaluations Designed for Arts Education?
In the last decade, educational researchers neglected to study the effects of teacher evaluation models on arts education and, by extension, undervaluing the importance of arts education within our public education system. In response to this research gap, I am currently examining the effects of the teacher evaluation model on Colorado arts educators using a creative critical critique research method. My research questions are: (1) To what extent do art teachers perceive the Colorado teacher evaluation model as inclusive of arts education? (2) To what extent does the use of critical arts-based research methods affect teachers’ perceptions of their evaluation model as inclusive of arts education?
Our state endorsed teacher evaluation model, developed in response to Senate Bill 191, has neglected the perspective of arts education by focusing primarily on literacy and mathematic content. Consequently, this approach has devalued the importance of arts education, compelling arts educators to adapt their instructional content to align with these other content areas (Elpus, 2011; Gates et al., 2015). Drawing on my experience as a former visual arts teacher for over 10 years, I have witnessed the negative impact of these models on arts teachers, leading to a decline in the retention of effective arts educators.
This study is framed from a critical arts-based research (ABR) and activist lens incorporating activist art methods inspired by various artists, including Jenny Holzer. Colorado arts educators serve as the research participants and are invited to participate as co-researchers through a participatory-social justice approach. The research is conducted in collaboration with the Colorado Art Education Association (CAEA). The integration of the study’s critical ABR method and design presents an important contribution to the research field as an innovative methodological approach that leverages the strength of the arts, activism, and research methods.
Research Design and Findings
The first phase of the study involves repurposing a 2014 Colorado Department of Education’s (CDE) teacher survey used to examine Colorado teacher perspectives of the newly endorsed evaluation model. I adapted the same survey by adding the word ‘art’ to the questions and redistributing it to Colorado Art Education Association (CAEA) members in 2022. For instance, the arts education language in italics: “The teacher evaluation model used to evaluate me as an art teacher: Is based on current arts education research”.
Comparing the data from CDE’s 2014 responses and CAEA members reveals statistically significant differences, with an overall 23% gap in responses. Notably, 56% of CAEA members express negativity compared to CDE’s reported 23% regarding the Colorado teacher evaluation model. Conversely, CDE reported 49% positivity while only 28% of CAEA members reported positivity about the Colorado teacher evaluation model. This data suggests the need to reconsider the CDE’s survey and separate the data by content area, a step neglected in their 2014 survey report.
Arts-based Research
In the second phase of the study, CAEA members were tasked with using an arts-based research method to critique the CDE’s teacher evaluation model. Members redacted anything on the evaluation model rubric that does not include arts education. The results are displayed on this websites online gallery. The visual evidence observed in these images strongly indicated that the existing evaluation models are ineffective for Colorado arts teachers. The public and education community, like you, are invited to participate in this study by responding to these research data artworks produced through this arts-based research method. You can share your voice by responding to this survey.
Recognizing the vital role of the arts in education, Colorado’s current teacher evaluation model lacks acknowledgment of this significance. This research emphasizes a need for arts educators and arts community members to contribute their perspectives, playing a crucial role in reshaping the teacher evaluation model to include the arts. Your voice is instrumental in advocating for an inclusive evaluation model, evaluation, ensuring the retention of high-quality arts educators not only for Colorado but for the broader educational landscape in the future.
Learn more on Arts Education Partners (AEP), ArtsEd Amplified.
About
Jenny Crawford is currently an Ed.D. candidate at the University of Denver, where she is working towards the completion of her dissertation and research study using a critical arts-based method. She has 15 years in arts and education, and currently serves as the Research Grant Developer at the Colorado School of Mines. She hopes to make an important contribution to the research field using an innovative methodological approach that leverages the strength of the arts, education, activism, and research methods.
