Project Director: Carmen Febo San Miguel, M.D. Taller Puertorriqueño, Inc. 2600 North 5th Street Philadelphia, PA 19133 215-423-6320 [email protected]
Grant Award #111-16
Total Project Period: Academic Years 2016 - 2018 (24 months) Reporting Period: Final Report July, 2018
Education Project Consultant/Evaluator: Tessie Varthas [email protected] 267-987-2857(c)
1 Contents
I. Introduction (pg. 3)
II. Milestones 1-4: Key Stages and Deliverables of the Program (pgs. 3-11)
A. Milestone #1 - Expanding Student Enrollment. B. Milestone #2 - Strengthening and Improving the Instructional Practices of Teaching Artists. C. Milestone #3 – Better Integrate Classroom Teachers into the Program. D. Milestone # 4 - Familiarize Students and their Teachers with Taller Puertorriqueño Resources. E. Milestone #5 – Further Development of Electronic Curriculum Manual/Guide.
III. Program Evaluation System – Marking Periods 1-4 (pgs. 11-21) A. Project Data: Arts/Culture Assessment B. Project Data: Surveys, Student Focus Groups and Observations C. Project Data: Student Attendance and Suspensions
IV. Lessons Learned (pgs. 22-23)
V. Appendices – (pgs. 24 - 34) 1. Appendix A - Memorandum of Understanding 2. Appendix B - Classroom Teacher Agreement 3. Appendix C - Classroom Observation Protocol 4. Appendix D - Classroom Teacher Workshop - Powerpoint Presentation* 5. Appendix E - Unit Planning Guide and Content Vocabulary List 6. Appendix F - Agenda of Program Finale 7. Appendix G - Visítenos Program Manual/Guide* 8. Appendix H - Arts/Cultural Assessment Image
* see e-mail attachments
2 I. Introduction This document is the final report for Grant Award #111-6 (Year II – Phase II) of Taller Puertorriqueño’s Visítenos Artist Residency Program that provided weekly, standards-based Arts focused instruction to students attending K-12 Philadelphia Public Schools during the 2017-2018 Academic Year. The primary goal of the program is to develop basic Arts skills, visual literacy, and knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Latino Arts and Culture to students under the instructional leadership of highly skilled Teaching Artists (TA). Through that Latino-focused curriculum lens, students in grades K-12 were offered instruction in Art, Music (vocal and instrumental), and Dance (Latin and Hip Hop). Classes were conducted for one academic school year covering four Report Card Marking Periods (MP). The program was implemented during the following time period: 9/5/17 – 6/12/18. Sessions were conducted weekly for an average of 25 weeks of instruction for the school year. TA’s daily schedules consisted of 4-5 instructional periods that required the presence and involvement of the classroom teacher (CT) and one planning preparation period. A comprehensive researched- based evaluation was conducted in 7 School District of Philadelphia (SDP) schools and 1 Charter H.S. as indicated in the chart below. These schools located predominately in the North Philadelphia catchment area involved the participation of a total of 1,735 students and 51 CTs.
SDP Neighborhood Networks Visítenos Participating Schools 3 Moffet 4 Cramp and Sheppard 5 Welsh and McKinley 7 Ellwood Turnaround Potter Thomas Charter Olney High School
The original evaluation plan administered and supported by the SDP’s Office of Research and Evaluation during the initial grant period (2014-2015) was approved for implementation for the Phase II, two year grant (2016-2018). Additionally, all fees related to the administration of the Evaluation Plan and requests for data were waived by the SDP for this 2-year grant period.
II. Milestones 1-4: Key Stages and Deliverables of the Program The following is a report of activities and metric data that document the progress made to date by the program. The five milestones reached by Taller Puertorriqueño’s Visítenos Program Grant are described by the completion of key activities and deliverables of the program.
A. Milestone #1: Expanding student enrollment to 3,300 students from just over 2,300. During this grant year, a total of 1,735 students attending 8 Philadelphia Public Schools participated in Visítenos Program classes. By the end of two years of funding, Taller was expected to reach a total enrollment of 3,300 students. However, with the approval of the funder, the program’s design changed from two reporting semesters to one full year of Visítenos instruction thereby decreasing the overall number of students serviced. The decision to alter the program’s reporting schedule was made from an analysis of findings from previous years that demonstrated a greater positive impact of long term sustained Arts and Cultural instruction on students’ acquired knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors.
3 The chart below gives the breakdown of participating schools and student enrollment for Year II, Phase II of the Grant.
Marking Periods 1-4 Participating Schools Total School Population Total # of• PA School (2017-2018) Participating Performance Students Profile • (2016-2017)* Cramp 558 440 (79.0%) 51.1 Ellwood 330 138 (4.2%) 41.7 McKinley 497 223 (45.0%) 38.9 Moffet 343 134 (39.0%) 60.2 Olney Charter High School 1,974 283 (14.3%) 41.4 Potter Thomas 657 158 (24.0%) 36.3 Sheppard 204 127 (62.2%) 52.1 Welsh 442 232 (52.5%) 51.7 TOTAL 5,005 1,735 (35.0%) 53.1 ** *Academic Performance Score (PSSA/Keystone Scores; Promotion Rate; Standards-based Competency Standards). ** Average of PA School Performance Profile of all 8 participating schools.
For the last five years of the grant, the Visítenos Coordinator has executed the responsibilities for all organizational functions of the program that included the implementation of agreed upon policies and practices with the schools. Employing a two-tiered approach to planning the program, the Coordinator met once with each returning school and twice with each of the two new schools (McKinley and Welsh) added to the program. By September, 2017, all 8 participating schools including two new schools were confirmed to participate in a full year of Visítenos Program instruction. Confirmed participation included the following: 1) signed MOUs (see appendix A) by all principals; 2) signed Classroom Teacher (CT) Agreements (see appendix B) that outlined the terms and details of their administrative/instructional requirements and responsibilities; 3) approved program calendar developed in alignment with the SDP’s 2017-2018 academic year activities; and 4) approved class schedules with names of teachers, students and grades.
Below is the calendar of meetings that took place before the start of the Program.
School Dates of Visits w. Arts Discipline Principal & School- based Teacher Leaders (SBTL) Cramp 9/29 Dance & Vocal Music Ellwood 9/25 Art McKinley 8/17; 9/27 Dance & Instrumental Music Moffet 8/8; 9/19 Art Olney Charter H.S. 8/24; 9/28 Dance & Instrumental Music Potter Thomas 9/27 Art & Dance Sheppard 8/16 Art and Instrumental Music Welsh 9/19; 10/9 Dance & Vocal Music
B. Milestone #2: Deepen gains made in strengthening and improving the instructional practices of teaching artists by providing a professional-development training series. Activity 1: November 2017, develop a focused training-curriculum syllabus. Activity 2: Identify and recruit teacher mentors and develop training schedule. Activity 3: Schedule and carry out at least one training per semester.
• Activities #1-3 In order to augment the “pull out” approach to professional development that includes attendance at workshops, lectures and museums etc., a Mentorship Program was established in Year I, Phase II of the grant. The initiative matched a Teaching Artist (TA) with a seasoned veteran Arts Teacher (MT) to serve in a mentorship capacity. The rationale to initiate such a program resulted from persistent findings from evaluation feedback that 4 indicated the need to provide more intensive support of the TAs primarily in the areas of lesson preparation and instructional practices. The goals of the mentorship initiative were to promote professional growth rather than a performance evaluation and address the need to provide individual support to each TA to advance their skill-set in the classroom. The strategy of “teachers observing teachers” was employed to nurture a collegial exchange of ideas and promote a level of trust among the Mentor/TA teams. Mentorship support was based on what TAs needed at any given time as it related to preparation and delivery of their lessons. In Year II-Phase II, three mentors were identified to provide support for the Program. Music and Art Mentors returned from Year I and a senior career artist/educator was confirmed for the Dance TA position. As in the previous year, roles and responsibilities were clearly articulated in signed written contracts that included the following terms - Mentor Teachers (MT) were contracted to: 1) review TA lesson plans; 2) conduct pre and post classroom observations; 3) plan and deliver demonstration lessons to model effective teaching practices; 4) submit written reports; and 5) participate in debriefing sessions with TAs to provide feedback. Working as a team, a schedule of visits was developed between MTs and TAs to be executed periodically throughout the academic year. To ensure consistency across observers, MTs used the same observation tool (see appendix C) the Evaluator employed during site visits in order to provide highly specific individualized feedback with regard to clearly defined areas that are consistently recorded across for all TAs.
Mentorship Planning Meeting Date: 12/13/17; Location: Taller Puertorriqueño, 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm Attendees: Dora Viacava, Program Coordinator; Tessie Varthas, Evaluator; Teaching Artists: Ursula Majer (Art), Tony Mendez (Instrumental Music), Angel Sanchez (Vocal Music) and Bryant Lee (Dance); Mentors: Virginia Lam (Music), Eileen Rudnick (Art) and Carla Washington (Dance).
• Summary of Activities • Overview of mentorship program: observation, demonstration lessons, reflection/examination of student work, problem solving, application. • Review of Observation Protocol; comments/questions. • Sharing summary of findings from mentorship reports (Year I, Phase II). • Coordinating schedules of visits between MTs and TAs for 2017-1018 Academic Year. • Individual MT/TA team meetings; peer to peer discussions.
Table #1. Mentor Teacher/Evaluator Observation/Demonstration Lesson Visits –Marking Periods 1-4 Arts Discipline 1st Observation Demonstration 2nd Observation Observations by Lesson Evaluator Art 1/29 3/18/18 - 10/25, 3/13, 5/17 Music (vocal) 2/1 4/16/18 6/7 11/1, 5/23 Music (instrumental) 2/6 3/13/18 5/29 10/18, 5/16 Dance* - - - 10/25, 5/14 *Dance TA mentorship cancelled. Table #1 shows the dates of all visits to the schools by the MTs and Evaluator to conduct mentorship activities and observations.
Table #2. Mentor Teacher/Evaluator Observation Scores – Marking Periods 1-4 Lesson Elements Lessons A Lesson B Lesson C Lesson D Average Art Music Music Dance Score (instrumental) (vocal) Instruction/Planning/Prep 4 4 2.5 * 3.5 Student Engagement 4 4 4 * 4 Program Fidelity 4 3 2 * 2.5 (CT collaboration) Classroom Management 4 4 4 * 4 Professional 4 3 3 * 3 Responsibilities (Communication Attendance) * Dance TA mentorship cancelled.
5 A numeric rating system was used to quantify the degree to which each lesson satisfied the elements classified under one of the following six categories: Instruction; Planning and Preparation; Program Design Fidelity; Student Engagement; Classroom Management; and Professional Responsibilities. Score rating: 0=Not Applicable, 1=Not Observed; 2=Further Development; 3=Satisfactory; 4=Well Demonstrated, 5 = Outstanding. Table #2 shows the range of marks for each lesson element. On average, the TAs received the highest average score mark (4.00) for Classroom Management and Student Engagement. The lowest score (2.50) is related to the involvement of the CTs by evidence of their communication with the TA and their contribution to the instructional component of the lesson.
Key Findings: Classroom Observations-Strengths - Scored Satisfactory (above ( 3+) • Evidence of culturally rich and grade appropriate lessons in alignment with thematically-based program curriculum. • Clarity of presentation: modeling; clarifying and providing clear directions. • Positive teacher –student relationships. • Use of realia (Latino foods, musical instruments) and comprehension aides (hand-outs; board illustrations; videos). • Organization of materials and equipment to support flow of lesson. • Evidence of high level student engagement with students understanding the purpose of instruction/assignment. • Opportunities for partner and collaborative work. • Evidence of students’ perseverance and persistence through planned interaction. • Quality examples of student projects and performance, • Demonstrated flexibility in adjusting instruction when internal school circumstances occurred ie. fire drills, change of schedule/class location.
Key Findings: Classroom Observations - Areas in Need of Further Development - Scored less than Satisfactory (< 3) • Strategic questioning to encourage insightful thinking and learning and assess understanding. • Lessons competently delivered but can be enriched by providing opportunities for individual creativity and independent thought and process. • Pacing of lesson to include an appropriate closure and reflective practice to broaden students’ meaning in their work. • Variability of level of participation by CTs; some served as co-teachers, the majority provided classroom management support but minimal instructional intervention. • Use of approved lesson plan format and submittal of plans at appropriate intervals. • Maintenance of accurate attendance records. • Use of technology to enrich curriculum content; employment of Smartboards when available. • Use of musical instruments (rhythm sticks, bells, finger cymbals) with vocal instruction to enrich vocal instruction.
Teaching Artist Quotes Thanks to the Art Mentor Teacher, I grew as an educator. My students’ work improved. I am now more aware of the learning process and how to expand my students’ creativity. It was a wonderful experience. Teaching Artist - Art. The Mentor gave me tips on other ways to go about teaching certain students that had difficulty picking up the rhythms I was teaching. I did incorporate some of those options into my class setting. It was nice to have someone in the music field watch and give options or critique in a positive way. Teaching Artist - Instrumental Music.
• Making Meaning Sessions Cultivating a roster of well-prepared TAs has been a major goal of the program since its inception and throughout the term of the grant. It continued to be a priority in the last year of Phase II programming. Guided by the findings and analysis of the data from the previous year, the Making Meaning session conducted this grant year expanded upon the opportunity for TAs to consider which aspects of their instruction are effective and what practices are in need of remediation to support successful student engagement and learning. Feedback from mentorship observations added to the reflective discussion of the meeting. Time was also designated to discuss the new thematic unit of study Cultural Traditions and select an appropriate image to be used in the 6 arts/cultural assessment. To add to this, part of the discussion focused on the use and availability of technology resources (Smart Boards) and scaffolding to further illustrate the skill and concepts of the program’s curriculum content.
The following Making Meaning session was held at Taller Puertorriqueño facilitated by the Program Evaluator and attended by key staff: Date: 9/13/17; Location: Taller Puertorriqueño, 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm Attendees: Dora Viacava, Program Coordinator; Tessie Varthas, Evaluator; Teaching Artists: Ursula Majer (Art), Tony Mendez (Instrumental Music), Angel Sanchez (Vocal Music) and Bryant Lee (Dance).
• Summary of Activities: • Reviewed Evaluation findings from February, 2017- June, 2017, Year I, Phase II (MP 3&4). • Data collection and analysis of arts/cultural assessment task, teacher surveys and student interviews. • Planning a full year of program instruction; adapting lesson plans; use of approved program template; lesson closure strategies. • Discussion of new theme for Phase II of Grant Year II: Cultural Traditions; review of new image for arts/cultural assessment task; Thematically-based Unit Planning Guide; content vocabulary list. • Instructional resources to support development of lessons on the theme of Traditions. • TA feedback: shared observations; reactions; recommendations for improvement of program. • TA Roles and responsibilities for CT professional development workshop; Open Discussion.
To further support the professional development of the TAs, meetings were scheduled with the TAs on 12/13/17; 3/19/18, 5/22/18. Additionally, the following opportunities were arranged in collaboration with community and online resources:
Title: Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse Presenter: Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance Date: September 9, 2017 A 3-hour training that meets requirements under Act 126 (Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse) and Act 31 for required training of mandated personnel.
Title: American College Dance Association Conference Moving Reflections; From Concrete to Abstract: Creating Dance from Text Date: March 15, 2018 A Dance composition workshop focusing on conceptual tools: body, space and time categories. How to use these tools to create choreographies for one dancer or groups.
Title: Lindamood Bell (archived webinars) Presenter: Nanci Bell Date: April 6, 2017 and April 20, 2017 • An online workshop that identified the strengths and weaknesses that affect artistic performance; guidelines on how to create individualized instruction plans. • Instruction that builds an imagery language foundation that enables students of all backgrounds to learn.
Title: Approaching Conversations on Social Justice in the Classroom. Presenter: The Philadelphia Orchestra Date: June 8, 2018 Ways to provide the Music classroom as a venue to promote and accelerate new ideas and help students to develop critical thinking, collaboration, and self-reflection skills necessary to foster a better society.
7 C. Milestone #3: Better Integrate Classroom Teachers (CT) into the program. Activity 1: By November, 2017 develop a workshop format and content. Activity 2: Identify and recruit workshop trainers and develop training schedule. Activity 3: Schedule and carry out at least one training per semester. Plan at least one session per year.
• Activities #1-3 - Teaching Artists and Classroom Teacher Training/Collaboration Taller planned and delivered an all day paid CT Professional Development Meeting on Saturday, 11/4/17 (8:45am – 12:00pm) for participating program staff. The following participants attended the session: 6 Teaching Artists; 32 Classroom Teachers (CT); 7 School-based Teaching Assistants; 1 Principal and 2 Volunteers for a total of 48 attendees. Planning meetings on 9/21; 10/17, and 11/1 were held to identify the trainers and prepare the workshop’s format and menu of activities. Informal meetings were also held with TAs to prepare them to serves as trainers for facilitation of the CT workshop. The plan for the CT Professional Development Meeting focused on the following four activities: 1) an overview of the Visítenos grant program to reinforce CT roles and responsibilities and explanation of findings from previous year’s grant evaluation activities (see appendix D, power point presentation); 2) Mini-Arts workshops conducted by TA trainers engaging CTs in art making, dancing singing and drumming; 3) Behavioral Development session, Applied Improvisation: Listening and Letting Go presented by Experiential Coach, Bobbi Block on skill development and practical application of leadership and teamwork concepts and exercises; and 4) review of Program’s thematically-based Unit Planning Guide, Cultural Traditions and Content Vocabulary list (see appendix E) and TA/CT collaboration on development of interdisciplinary connections to the lessons addressing academic content. A 5 point Likert Scale Teacher Survey consisting of 8 selected response questions and 4 constructed response questions was administered at the conclusion of the workshop. A total of 32 CT attendees (100%) completed the survey.
Selected Response Questions Strongly Neutral Disagree Agree/Agre e 1. Objectives of the workshop were clear to me. 100% (32) 2. The content was relevant to my role as a participant in the Visítenos Program 100% (32) 3. I now have a better understanding of my role as a participant in the Visítenos 100% (32) Program. 4. The activities in this workshop gave me sufficient information about the Visítenos 100% (32) instructional program. 5. I will be able to use what I learned in this workshop and participate more effectively 100 % (32) in the Visítenos Program. 6. The workshop was a good way for me to learn more about the Visítenos Program. 100% (32) 7. This workshop lived up to my expectations. 100% (32) 8. This workshop increased my awareness of programs and services offered by Taller 93.7% (30) 6.2% (2) Puertorriqueño. 9 The session presented by Experiential Faciliator was of value to me as a participant in 100% (32) the Visítenos Program. 10 I found the information presented in the session by the Experiential Facilitator useful 100% (32%) and applicable to my teaching.
Summary of 4 Open-ended questions. 1. How would you improve this workshop? 37.5% (12) no suggestion for improvement 37.5% (12) more time to meet with TAs 9.4% (3) start the meeting on time 9.4% (3) choose what mini-arts session to attend. 6.2% (2) no answer
2. What was least valuable about this workshop? 87.5% (28) all parts of the meeting were valuable 9.4% ((3) Behavioral Development Workshop 3.1% (1) no answer
8
3. What was most valuable about this workshop? 50.0% (16) Behavioral Development Workshop 28.1% (9) Communication and engagement with TA 9.4% (3) Learning about the Visítenos Program 12.5% (4) no answer
4. What would you like to know more about? 21.9% (7) No answer 37.5% (12) Other Taller Programs 18.8% (6) Field trips and tours 21.8% (7) no answer
68.8% (22) Classroom teachers provided contact information on the survey in order to receive additional information about afterschool/Saturday Programs for students, educational materials/workshops and e-mail updates from Taller.
Table #3.- Classroom Teacher Workshop Participant Profile Range No. of Years of Teaching Experience
Less than 1 year 5 (15.6%) 1-3 Years 7 (21.8%) 3-5 Years 3 (9.4%) 5 – 10 years 4 (12.5%) 10 or more years 12 (37.5%) No answer 1(3.1%) Table #3 provides a profile of Classroom Teacher participants by number of years of teaching experience.
No. of Years of Teaching Experience
Less than 1 year 1-3 Years 3-5 Years 5 – 10 years 10 or more years
Figure #1
• Summary of Classroom Teacher Workshop Survey Analysis of the findings from the CT Workshop Survey illustrate very high satisfaction with all components of this professional development opportunity thereby meeting the goals and objectives for this activity. CTs were satisfied (53.1%) with the presentation by Bobbi Block, on the topic of personal skill development through interactive methodology. Most importantly, the majority of CTs recognized its applicability to their teaching practices. The opportunity to meet directly with the TAs to collaborate on lesson plans to ensure the connectivity of arts/cultural content with their specific academic curriculum also proved to be beneficial (28.1%) to the CTs.
D. Milestone #4: Familiarize Students and their Teachers with Taller Puertorriqueño’s Resources. Activity 1: Continue incorporating information about Taller and its offerings and provide to principals and teachers. 9 Activity 2: By December 2016, develop a brochure including a schedule of tours to Taller’s facilities so that students and teachers visit Taller at least once. Activity 3: Starting with first tours, ascertain success through surveys and collect information pre and post the visit. • Activity #1 – Promoting Taller Puertorriqueño Programs and Resources Since the opening of Taller’s El Corazon Cultural Center in 2016, the mission has been for the North Philadelphia Community to view this facility as a space for inspiration and connection to cultural identity through participation in its educational opportunities, events and resources. To that end, Taller invests great time and effort in developing new advocacy tools and modifying those that have successfully informed the community of its Arts and cultural assets. Arts classes offered through the Youth Artists Program, gallery exhibitions, theatrical performances, lectures, book signings and numerous cultural events at the Center are on- going throughout the year. The utilization of social networking plays a huge role in informing the public of Taller’s resources along with traditional modes of communication such as direct mail. Advocacy strategies were also employed in the delivery of Visítenos programming in the schools during Year II, Phase II. The vehicle of in-school performances and exhibitions attended by parents and community members to promote Taller Puertorriqueño and this grant program occurred several times this year. A major highlight of the grant year, was the final culminating event held at Taller on 5/31/18 attended by a total of 260 students from 6 schools. The event showcased 9 different performing groups (see appendix F) prepared extensively in their schools for their music and dance performances many in traditional dress to an audience composed of their peers, parents and community members. The addition of a colorful art exhibition displayed works from the Visítenos Art Program documented the wide variety of culturally thematic art lessons taught to K-8 participating students. The chart below lists additional program activities conducted in the schools that promote and celebrate the creative accomplishments of participating Visítenos students. Events at the following schools were not scheduled due to lack of preparation as a result of excessive cancellation of classes and/or scheduling conflicts: Welsh and McKinley (Vocal Music); Potter Thomas and Cramp (Vocal Music and Hip Hop Dance); Olney HS (Dance, instrumental music).
School Date Description of Event Cramp - - Ellwood 6/7 Art Exhibition McKinley - - Moffet 6/1, 6/8 Art Exhibition Olney Charter H.S. - - Potter Thomas May/June Art Exhibition Sheppard 6/1 Instrumental/Dance Performance Welsh 12/21; 6/7 Latin Dance Performance Taller Puertorriqueño 5/31 End of year Visítenos Performance and Art Exhibition.
• Activity #2 - Visítenos Brochure Last grant year, Taller invested significant organizational resources to design informational materials that have proven to be vital communication tools to attract attention to El Corazón Cultural Center’s programs and educational opportunities. Three brochures/pamphlets were created and continue to be used for such a purpose. This year, new program schedules were inserted in the brochures to provide updated information. Plans are in place to review and revise Taller literature in the upcoming school year. • Activity #3 - Visítenos Student Tours In Year II of Phase II of the grant, Taller was sufficiently prepared to host student groups from schools. Taller’s objective for Year 2017-18 was to start early in the fall to work with the principals, School-based Teacher Leaders (SBTL) and CTs to plan and confirm at least one trip/tour for each school. To raise awareness of this opportunity, CTs received a short presentation by the Director of Education Programs at the Classroom Teacher Professional Development Meeting in November that provided the audience with information on the various Taller Puertorriqueño programs available to their students. This was followed by a distribution of informational 10 materials. As planned, CTs were offered the opportunity to bring their classes for a culturally focused workshops on topics that were in direct alignment with the Visítenos Program content. To facilitate participation without the barrier of cost, Taller, through a different funding source, offered free bus transportation to the 8 participating schools in need of funding to support a trip. Working around the PSSA and Keystone testing period, Taller arranged four trips (Olney-12/18 & 3/9; Cramp-3/28; Ellwood-4/5) for a total of 225 student visitors. At Taller, students took a tour and engaged in hands-on experiences in the visual arts conducted by members of the teaching staff. The opportunity to work in an artist studio proved to be a very unique and exciting experience for the students. School trips also served to introduce students who predominately live in the North Philadelphia community the availability of various afterschool/Saturday/summer programs that appeal to their interest in the Arts.
E. Milestone #5: Further develop the electronic curriculum manual/guide adding information on lessons learned during Phase II. Activity 1: Update standard operating procedures, such as applications for artists, contracts, and evaluation procedures if any, to examine continual improvements and the overall impact of the program Activity 2: Analyze evaluation results; create charts that correlate with each aspect of the program to ensure the guide is easily digestible and compelling to read.
• Activities 1-2 Operating procedures are routinely reviewed and modified to best meet the needs and improve the impact of the program. Since the inception of grant in the schools, TA contracts, MOUs, TA contracts and CT agreements have been revised annually to ensure the roles and responsibilities of all entities are explicitly stated for compliance with the terms of these agreements. These amended documents are contained in the Visítenos Program Manual/Guide (see appendix G) that continues to be updated every grant year. Currently, the Guide contains Visítenos Program information, evaluation procedures, methodology and tools, protocols, revised procedures forms/applications, and photos documenting activities. To date, at the request of the Advisory Committee, the document has not been uploaded to Taller’s website (tallerpr.org) as an internal review process is taking place to determine what intellectual property needs to be preserved and what can be released to the public domain. Additionally, Taller is working on formatting the Guide into a downloadable form so it can be viewed as a PDF.
III. Program Evaluation – Marking Periods 1-4; Year II, Phase II A. Project Data: Arts/Culture Assessment
• School District of Philadelphia (SDP) Approved Visítenos Program Evaluation Plan Year II, Phase II of the Visítenos Program employed the same Evaluation Plan approved by the SDP’s Office of Research and Evaluation (Study #2014-05-293) that covered the 2017-18 Academic Year. As in the past, all fees to cover administrative support and data retrieval were waived. The evaluation plan included the same methodology, samples of instruments and protocols used previously to determine the following: 1) program effectiveness and impact on student growth in acquisition of knowledge, appreciation and understanding of Latino/Puerto Rican Arts and Culture; 2) improvement in non-academic indicators; and 3) preparation of Teaching Artists (TA) for the classroom. The only modification to the plan was the schedule of evaluation site visits. This occurred as a result of a programmatic change from two semesters of instruction (2 sets of classes) to one full year of Visítenos instruction (1 set of classes). Other components of the evaluation plan include reporting on the MT observation visits and the CT workshop held at Taller in November, 2017. A requisition for attendance and discipline data covering the 2017 -18 Academic Year was submitted on June 29, 2018 and the expectation is this information will be received by August, 2018.
11 The following Key Evaluation Questions developed and agreed upon at the beginning of evaluation planning have served as the basis for determining data collection, analysis and reporting:
Evaluation Questions Data Sources 1.To what extent is Visítenos Program instruction is broadening and deepening students’ • Arts/Cultural knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Puerto Rican and Latino Arts and culture? Assessment Task (pre/post) • Student Focus Interviews • Teacher Surveys 2. What is the effect of Visítenos Program instruction on students’ attendance and number of • District Data for suspensions? Marking Periods 1-4 *Reques 3. To what extent are Teaching Artists prepared to provide substantive, grade appropriate Arts • Classroom Observations instruction that address the goals of the Visítenos Program. • Making Meaning Sessions • Classroom Teacher Workshop •Mentorship Activities
Project Data - Program Profile - Marking Periods 1-4 Table #4. SCHOOL Total # of Arts Discipline Total # of Total # of Total # of Special Total # of District Students ESOL Education Sessions Participants by Arts Students Students Program Cramp 5 Classroom Hip Hop Dance 161 9 10 21 Teachers Cramp 5 Classroom Vocal Music 279 11 16 19 Teachers Ellwood 1 Art Teacher Art 138 0 2 20 4 Classroom Teachers McKinley 5 Classroom Latin Dance 123 19 10 20 Teachers McKinley 4 Classroom Instrumental Music 100 12 14 16 Teachers Moffet 5 Classroom Art 134 13 8 31 Teachers Olney HS* 5 Classroom Instrumental 283 156 76 24 Teachers Music/Latin Dance Potter 1 Art Teacher Art 88 25 5 20 Thomas 3 Classroom Teachers
Potter 4 Classroom Hip Hop Dance 70 10 3 11 Thomas Teachers Sheppard ** 1 Classroom Art/Instrumental 127 25 17 18 Teacher Music Welsh 5 Classroom Latin Dance 125 12 16 24 Teachers Welsh 4 Classroom Vocal Music 107 8 9 23 Teachers TOTAL 51 Teachers 1,735 325 (19.0%) 203 (11.7%)
* Olney H.S. data is combined for all classes. ** Sheppard – same students for Art and Instrumental Music Table #4 provides a breakdown of the student population serviced by the Visítenos Program in each of the participating schools. A total of 1,735 students received instruction during Year II, Phase II of the Program.
Descriptive Statistics for Arts Assessment Pre-Test and Post-Test – Marking Periods 1-4 The data below was generated from the implementation of a Unit of Study on the theme: Cultural Traditions for Art, Dance (Latin & Hip Hop, Music (Vocal/Instrumental). A pre/post writing assessment was administered to participating students using an image (see appendix H) that incorporated elements of the theme (musical instruments; cultural symbols, traditional dress, foods and crafts; dance 12 etc.) Two grade appropriate rubrics (Grades 4-6 and 7-12) were utilized to score the answers to the questions based on the following constructs: Arts/Cultural Content; Information Gathering Skills; Word Score; Focused Writing; Conventions; and Vocabulary. A Unit Planning Guide outlining the theme and a list of correlating content vocabulary served as a curriculum resource for TAs to develop lessons in their respective Arts discipline.
Table #5. Pre/Post Test Information I – Marking Periods 1 -4 School Dates of Dates of Post-tests Grades Total No. of Arts Discipline Pre-tests Tested Participating Classes Cramp 10/10/17 5/24/18 5 1 Hip Hop Dance 11/1//17 Vocal Music
Ellwood 10/12/17 5/17/18 4 1 Art McKinley 10/18/17 5/16/18 4,5, 7,8 6 Instrumental Music 10/25/17 Latin Dance Moffet 10/31/17 5/29/18 4 1 Art Olney HS 11/17/17 5/23/18 9-12 4 Instrumental Music Latin Dance
Potter 10/9/17 6/4/18 4, 7 3 Art Thomas 10/30/17 Hip Hop Dance Sheppard 10/10/17 5/23/18 4 1 Art Instrumental Music Welsh 10/9/17 5/23/18 4 2 Instrumental Music 10/11/17 Latin Music Table #5 provides an informational profile of the dates of the pre/post tests, grades tested and number of participating Arts classes.
Table #6. Pre/Post Test Information II – Marking Periods 1-4 Total # of Students in Program Total # of Pre-tests Scored Total # Post-tests Scored Total # of Tests Not Assigned a Score 1,735 463 (26.7%) 234 (50.5%) 229 (44.0%) * Table #6 provides an informational profile of the pre/post Arts/Cultural assessment writing task. Two 4th grade Dance (Hip Hop) Classes (45 students) eliminated from post-test activity due to lack of consistent instruction.
Table #7. Level of Performance on Pre/Post Tests by No. of Students – Marking Periods 1-4
Below Basic -1 Basic - 2 Proficient - 3 Advanced -4 Pre-Test 151 (64.5%) 81 (34.6%) 2 (.008%) 0 Post- Test 98 (41.8%) 107 (45.7%) 29 (12.4%) 0 Change -53 (22.6%) +26 (11.1%) +27 (11.5%) 0 Table #7 shows the performance data on the number of students that made gains by advancing to higher levels of achievement on the post-test in MPs 1-4. 53 (22.6.%) fewer students scored Below Basic; 11.1% (26) progressed to Basic on the post-test; 27 (11.5%) students advanced to proficient. No students scored Advanced.
Table #8. Descriptive Statistics of Scores by Arts Discipline - Marking Periods 1-4 Mean Mean Standard Deviation Statistics Arts Discipline N Pre- Post- Pre Post Test Test ART Class A 13 1.65 2.64 0.4381 0.5039 MD= 0.99 Ellwood -Hanton p=0.000 Class B 15 1.61 2.41 0.4484 0.6573 MD= 0.80 Moffet - Reidy p=0.000 Class C 10 1.80 2.80 0.4216 0.4830 MD= 1.00 Sheppard – Kohn p= 0.000 Class D 12 2.20 2.11 0.5618 0.7042 MD= (0.09) Potter Thomas - Curcio p=0.2010 DANCE (Latin) Class A 21 1.71 2.11 0.4941 0.5409 MD= 0.40 Olney - Lao p=0.000 Class B 8 1.60 2.00 0.3978 0.5634 MD= 0.40 Mckinley - Hicks p=0.0104 Class C 12 1.72 1.92 0.4569 0.4898 MD=0.20 McKinley - Corso p=0.0231 13 Class D 17 1.54 2.11 0.4469 0.6150 MD= 0.57 McKinley - Comitalo p=0.000 Class E 15 1.56 1.99 0.4484 0.4248 MD= 0.43 Welsh - Walsh p=0.000 DANCE (Hip Hop) Class A 16 1.90 2.15 0.3814 0.5363 MD= 0.25 Cramp - Albany p=0.004 Class B 17 1.60 1.68 0.5206 0.5666 MD= 0.08 Potter Thomas -Herrmann p=0.1772 Class C 6 1.53 1.58 0.4271 0.2528 MD=0.05 Potter Thomas - Beyer p=0.3475 MUSIC (vocal) Class A 11 1.70 2.06 0.4820 0.5337 MD=0.36 Cramp – Fisher p=0.0691 Class B 11 1.21 1.58 0.4082 0.4311 MD= 0.37 Cramp - Fitzsimmons p=0.0023 Class C 15 1.36 1.79 0.4313 0.5727 MD= 0.43 Welsh - Wenstrup p=0.0006 MUSIC (Instrumental) Class A 12 1.58 2.26 0.4633 0.6907 MD= 0.68 McKinley - Eckman p=0.000 Class B 11 1.57 1.85 0.3656 0.7123 MD= 0.28 McKinley - Straiton p=0.093 Class C 12 2.25 2.32 0.4234 0.6870 MD= 0.07 McKinley - Carman p=0.338
N= 234, MD=Mean Difference, p= < 0.05 Null Hypothesis: Students participating in the Visítenos Program did not increase their knowledge about Puerto Rican and Latino Arts and Culture. Table #8 shows the results of a T-Test performed on the scores from each class to determine if any statistical significance existed between the pre-test scores and post-test scores. The predicted main effect of receiving the intervention was statistically significant in the following 12 out of 18 classes: Art Classes A,B,C,; Latin Dance Classes A-F, Hip Hop Dance Class A, Vocal Music Class A and Instrumental Music Class A. These values indicate the probability of the null hypothesis being true is .05 or less in the above referenced classes. Therefore, the data shows a 95% confidence level that the test scores for these 12 classes are statistically significant.
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Figure #2
* Art Class C also received Music (instrumental) instruction. Figure #2 represents the mean difference of assessment task scores between Arts classes using the following rating scale: 1-Below Basic; 2-Basic; 3- Proficient; 4-Advanced. All classes targeted for the pre/post test evaluation showed improved achievement on the task with the exception of Art Class D. The average mean difference between pre and post test results for all classes was calculated to be 0.41. Art Class C showed the highest mean score increase (1.00) followed by Art Class A (0.99) and Art Class B (0.80). Art Class C was the only class in the test sample that received both Art and Instrumental Music instruction throughout the academic year.
Table #9. Descriptive Statistics for Assessment Total Scores by Test Construct – Marking Periods 1-4 Mean Mean Standard Deviation Statistics Pre- Post - Test Pre Post Test Arts/Cultural Content 1.55 2.01 0.2765 0.3401 MD = 0.46 p= 0.000 Information Gathering Skills 1.60 1.89 0.2066 0.3050 MD = 0.29 p= 0.001 Word Count (actual number of 2.15 2.72 0.4745 0.5361 MD = 0.57 words) p= 0.000 Focused Writing 1.61 2.07 0.2807 0.3098 MD = 0.46 p= 0.000 Conventions 1.53 1.83 0.3521 0.3741 MD = 0.30 p= 0.002 Vocabulary 1.75 2.20 0.3595 0.5413 MD = 0.45 p= 0.001 N= 234, MD=Mean Difference, p=<.05
Null Hypothesis: Students participating in the Visítenos Program did not increase their knowledge about Puerto Rican and Latino Arts and Culture.
Table #9 shows the results of the T-Test performed on the scores of each test item to determine if any statistical significance existed between the pre- test scores and post-test scores. The predicted main effect of receiving the intervention was significant in all 6 constructs. The probability of the null
15 hypothesis being true is .05 or less for the above referenced test items. Therefore, the data shows a 95% confidence level that indicates scores for the above referenced constructs are statistically significant.
Figure #3 Average Mean Scores by Arts Construct
Vocabulary Conventions Focused Writng Word Count Info skills Arts/cultural
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Avg Mean Diff PRE POST
Figure #3 represents the mean difference of arts assessment task scores by test construct of all classes using the following rating scale: 1-Below Basic; 2-Basic; 3-Proficient; 4-Advanced. All students showed improved achievement on the test items. The average mean difference between pre- test and post-test scores for all constructs was 0.42. The test items showing the largest growth were as follows: Vocabulary (0.64); and Arts/Cultural Content (0.44). On the post-tests, students used newly acquired content vocabulary in their answers to the questions about the image. These indicators coupled with improved content knowledge enabled students to answer questions with enhanced verbal acuity.
Comparative Summary of Arts/Cultural Assessment Task Data (Grant Year II - Grant Year III)
Grant Year II (half yr. program) Grant Year III (full year program) N=1,416 N=1,735 19.3% (35) fewer students scoring Below Basic 22.6% (53) fewer students scoring Below Basic 7.7% (14) advance to Basic 11.1% (26) advance to Basic 16.6% (30) advance to Proficient 11.5% (27) advance to Proficient 4 /6 Test Constructs - statistically significant scores 6 /6 Test Constructs - statistically significant scores 0.34 - Average mean difference between pre/post 0.41 - Average mean difference between pre/post test results test results 0.88 - Highest mean score increase 1.00 - Highest mean score increase 87.0% -13 of 15 classes show improved scores on 94.4% - 17 of 18 classes show improved scores on test test 73.3% -11 of 15 classes - statistically significant 67.0% 12 of 18 classes - statistically significant test test scores scores 3 of 7 schools had fewer suspensions of students 6 of 8 schools had fewer suspensions of students
In Grant Year II, all classes received a full year of Visítenos programming. The impact of additional instruction is demonstrated in the increased number of students advancing to a higher level of achievement (Below Basic to Basic) and improved score outcomes on the 6 pre-post test constructs. Also, the higher mean difference between pre and post test results indicate some degree of growth as a result of increased instructional time (full year). This data highlights the potential for significant gains with increased exposure to program content and hands-on Arts experience. However, it stands to reason the 4-6 week gap in the program’s schedule due to standardized testing coupled with the instability of key teaching staff members contributed to the minimizing the full effect of the added treatment in the study on post-test results.
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B. Project Data: Teacher Surveys, Student Focus Groups and Observations
• Summary of Selected Response Questions – Classroom Teacher Survey The observations, recommendations and opinions of CTs expressed on surveys have been of immeasurable value to track their level of satisfaction with the Visítenos Program and determine the amount of support needed to improve educational outcomes. Data and analysis of teacher surveys are used by Taller to make changes that strengthen and improve all aspects of the Program’s organization and delivery of instruction and resources. This grant year, CT surveys were distributed during the last two weeks of classes at the conclusion of the academic year. The survey contained 27 selected response questions and 6 constructed response questions and 47 out of 51 CTs (92.2%) completed a survey.
All cooperating (100%) CTs indicated they would choose to participate in the Program again and believed their students’ involvement in the program helped them to learn about their own culture and that of their peers (89.4%). Survey responses also indicate satisfaction with: planning of the program (81.0%); preparedness of the TAs (89.4%); grade appropriateness of the lessons (98.0%); and program’s emphasis on building cooperation, teamwork and interactive experiences (89.4%). CTs perceived their students as positively impacted by Visítenos lessons in a variety of ways: feeling better about themselves (91.5%); and the development of positive skills that transfer to other subjects (81.0%). Survey results indicate CTs (87.2%) are now more interested in incorporating cultural content relevant to their students in their curriculum. The predominant critical recordings were the lack of evidence of reading and writing activities (61.7%) which has been de-emphasized in this current and past years of the program and the perception that behavior of the students as being less disruptive in the program (64.0%). A closer view of the surveys indicated lower score recorded by CTs in Dance (Hip Hop) on the question of TA/CT collaboration. Given the many changes in the Dance TA assignment it stands to reason that CTs would find it challenging to establish a strong working relationship. Additionally, observation reports on the Dance classes document the decline of management in those classes that correlates directly with CTs responses on the surveys. The instability of the TA made it a very challenging teaching and learning environment. This finding demonstrates the urgency of maintaining a stable and consistent TA throughout the program who is fully vetted and well prepared to teach the curriculum content of the program. The following represents the results of the CT survey:
Strongly Neutral Strongly Disagree/Disagree Non- No Answer Agree/Agree Applicable 82.0% 11.3% 5.20% 1.02% 0.47%
Strongly Visítenos Program Teacher Survey Agree/Agree Questions MP 1-4 Selected Response Questions
1 89.4% The Visítenos Program was carefully explained to me prior to the start of the classes. 2 91.5% My role and responsibilities in the Visítenos Program were clearly defined. 3 81.0% The Visítenos Program was well planned. 4 89.4% The Teaching Artist prepared well for each session 5 97.9% The Teaching Artist taught lesson that were grade appropriate. 6 61.7% The Teaching Artist infused reading and writing into the lessons. 7 87.2% There were opportunities for my questions and concerns to be addressed to Visítenos Program staff. 8 89.4% Participation in the program helped my students learn about their own culture and that of their peers. 9 85.1% A variety of artistic traditions were explored from Puerto Rico and other Latin cultures. 10 83.0% The Visítenos Program enhanced a sense of community through fostering improved relations across diverse student groups. 11 64.0% When participating in Visítenos activities, my students were less disruptive/more engaged. 12 68.0% Participation in the program enabled us to reach "difficult to teach" students. 17 13 64.0% I acquired new Arts techniques to use in my classroom. 14 72.3% Program enhanced my confidence in using Arts integration strategies to meet student needs. 15 87.2% This experience has increased my interest in incorporating more content about my students' culture in my teaching. 16 89.4% Activities were designed for my students to be active learners. 17 68.0% The Visítenos Program gave my students intellectual tools (critical thinking skills, problem solving) they can apply in other academic areas. 18 93.6% My students enjoyed working with the Teaching Artist. 19 91.5% The program provided opportunities for students to express their thoughts and ideas. 20 89.4% Arts Instruction emphasized cooperation, interactive learning and team building. 21 91.5% Participation in the program helped my students feel better about themselves. 22 78.8% Participation in the program helped improve my students' ability to work together cooperatively. 23 81.0% Participation in the program gave my students' skills they will be able to transfer to other projects. 24 83.0% The Visítenos Program met my expectations. 25 70.2% The Visítenos Program provided the Teaching Artist with the necessary supplies/equipment/instruments to satisfactorily teach the content. 26 70.0% Collaboration between Teaching Artist and Classroom Teacher on the planning and implementation of Program lesson/curriculum was evident and consistent. 27 100% If I could choose to participate in the Visítenos Program again, I would do so.
Summary of Constructed Response Questions on Teacher Surveys – Marking Periods 1-4 The following common themes were represented in the 6 constructed response questions on teacher surveys: • Expressed student enjoyment and excitement with the arts/cultural experiences. • Enhanced student perceived self-worth, self-confidence and pride. • Enhanced level of understanding and appreciation of one’s culture.
1. What was your overall impression of the residency? • Sequential articulated curriculum content and instruction that addresses students’ cultural heritage. • Well planned and prepared Teaching Artists. • Joyful teaching and learning environment that engages students in building knowledge and physical skills in the Arts.
2. As a classroom teacher what pleased you most? • Student centered instruction that increased attentiveness and motivation. • Growth in confidence and self-esteem. • Opportunities for all students to participate and succeed without fear of being judged or graded.
3. List the 3 most significant things students learned through participation in this program. Consistent with findings from previous grant years, classroom teachers acknowledge the value of program’s historical/cultural curriculum content and its importance and relevancy to their students. • Teamwork and collaboration in order to achieve success. • Pride in one’s accomplishments • Knowledge of cultural history, traditions, food, music, dances, celebrations etc.
4. List 3 things we could do to improve this artist residency experience. • 27.6% indicated no improvement necessary. • provide larger drums for upper grade students (7-12) • continue program through PSSA testing. • notify school in the event TA is absent or late • set dates for performances in advance of the last weeks of school. • provide trainings for TAs to work effectively with Kindergarten students. • submit lesson plans prior to the class so the CT can prepare and follow-up with students. 18 • provide TA with laptop computer (Dance – Hip Hop). • consistency in the organization and management of classes (Dance –Hip Hop) • differentiate activities and/or provide additional instructional tasks for students finished with assignments.
5. Comment on the impact of the program had on your students. • Students more culturally aware and sensitive to accepting of differences. • Expressed willingness to try new things • Students with behavior problems receptive to instruction and activities. • Opportunities for creative expression through the exploration of different Arts modalities.
6. Comments about this residency you may have heard from your students’ parents and/or other teachers. This question was unanswered by 51.0% of the CTs. The remaining respondents reported hearing students conversations with their peers about the various program activities and expressing excitement about upcoming performance events. Some students were especially excited to invite their parents to the end of year culminating program at Taller.
Classroom Teacher Quotes: They (students) really missed him when he wasn’t here during PSSA. 1st Grade CT, Cramp. I see my students more interested in the instruction because of the connection to their culture. 3rd Grade Classroom Teacher, McKinley. My students were inquisitive about Puerto Rico’s way of life. They asked questions about lifestyle, Dance, food, and Art. 4th Grade Classroom Teacher, Ellwood.
Summary of Student Focus Groups – Marking Periods 1-4 Table #10.
School Dates of Group No. of Classes Grades No. of Students Interviewed Arts Discipline Interviews Cramp 5/29 1 3 8 (2 groups) Dance Ellwood 5/17 2 1, 4 12 (3 groups) Art McKinley 5/16 6 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 32 (8 groups) Dance and Music Moffet 3/13, 5/29 3 K, 1, 4 12 (3 groups) Art Olney* - - - - Dance P.Thomas 6/4 3 K, 4, 7 12 (3 groups) Art, Dance Sheppard 5/22 3 2, 3, 4 16 (4 groups) Art, Music Welsh 5/14, 5/23 5 K, 2, 3, 4 24 (6 groups) Vocal Music, Dance TOTAL 23 Classes 116 * No students interviewed due to scheduling conflicts. Table #10 provides the dates of qualitative student interviews and breakdown of grades and number of groups of students interviewed.
A total of 116 students interviewed. A subset of students from selected classes were interviewed and represent the following grades: Grades K-5 – 80 students; Grades 6-8 - 36 students.
During the student interview process, the following re-occurring themes were noted: • Expressed level of gained confidence and understanding that one’s contributions have value. • Expressed joy and excitement with artistic and cultural experiences. • Enhanced ability to listen, focus, and contribute to what is being created or performed.
1. What was your favorite part of what you did with the teaching artist? Why? • Watching videos and seeing/touching/tasting things the TAs brought to class eg. Vejigante masks, costumes, flan, cassava. • Learning new things and doing projects about my culture. • Working with my classmates (dancing, group projects) • Calm and peaceful learning environment; no stress. • Sense of pride and self worth with one’s artistic accomplishments • Spanish speaking TAs.
19 2.What was your least favorite thing about what you did with the teaching artist? Why? • Cancellation of classes. • Writing assignments . • Behavior problems that wasted class time.
3. If you could change something about the program, what would that be? • Majority of students expressed satisfaction with the program. • Expand program to more than one time per week. • Use the Smartboards so more videos can be included in the classes. • Expand the instrumental music program (percussion) to include guitars. • Include more TAs to help students with difficult choreography, ª Add breakdancing to the repertoire of dance lessons.
4.What have you discovered about yourself since participating in this program? • Discovery of talent in the arts that never surfaced before this program. • Increased understanding of personal heritage and traditions that heightened appreciation of one’s culture. • Ability to persevere and accomplish challenging tasks without being graded.
5. What have you learned about other cultures and/or your own in this program? Students sited specific vocabulary words introduced specific to the image on the assessment: Flan, cassava, plantains, yucca, güiro, pandero, maraca, cuatro and explained what they learned in that context.
6. What things have you learned in this program that you can use in other subjects? • Communicate and cooperate better with my classmates. • Patience; learning to share and wait your turn and keep trying even if you fail.
Student Quotes: I discovered I’m now more kind by not saying to my friend you’re wrong. 2nd Grade Student, Sheppard. I’m so glad to know about PR and DR. My whole block is Black and now I know about them. 3rd Grade Student, Welsh. I really want to go to Puerto Rico because I learned so much about it. I want to see it for myself. 4th Grade Student, McKinley. I have more Puerto Rican in myself that I didn’t know about. It’s in my brains. 4th Grade Student, Moffet. At first, I asked my mom to get me out of this program, but now I love it. 8th Grade 8 Student, McKinley.
C. Project Data: Student Attendance and Suspensions Analysis of Attendance and Suspension Data – Marking Periods 1-4
Table #11. Average Attendance Data by School School Average Daily School Average Attendance on Percent Attendance Date of Program Change Cramp 92.6% 91.6% (1.0%) Ellwood 94.3% 94.6% 0.3% McKinley 92.2% 92.8% 0.6% Moffet 95.0% 95.8% 0.8% Potter Thomas 92.0% 92.4% 0.4% Sheppard 91.6% 94.3% 2.7% Welsh 92.9% 92.0% (0.9%) Table #11 provides the Average Attendance data for the full Academic Year. An analysis was conducted to determine if student participants exhibited better attendance on the day of the Visítenos class compared to attendance on other days of the week. The data indicates marginal growth in student attendance of participating students with the exception of Sheppard (2.7%).
20 Table #12. Average Attendance Data – Marking Periods 1-4
Marking Periods 1-4 Average Daily Attendance – Average Daily Attendance of Percent Change All Students in Participating Participating Students on Dates of the Schools Program 92.9% 93.4% +.05% Table #12 shows a comparison of the average daily attendance of all participating schools to the average daily attendance of all participating classes on the dates of the program. The data indicates a negligible increase of 0.5% in participating student attendance on the date of the program compared to average daily attendance for all students in participating schools.
Table #13. Suspension Data by School - Marking Periods 1-4 Total # of Total # School Total # of Participating Total # of Suspensions of School Students in each Suspensions Students in each School Participating Students School Cramp 558 4.0% (22) 440 4.3% (19) Ellwood 330 10.0% (33) 138 3.0% (4) McKinley 497 11.4% (57) 223 9.0% (25) Moffet 343 1.5% (5) 134 0.7% (1) Olney HS 1974 18% (353) 283 9.9% (28) Potter Thomas 657 14.0% (92) 158 11.4% (18) Sheppard 204 6.0% (12) 127 7.9% (10) Welsh 442 20.4% (90) 232 17.0% (39)
Table #13 shows the data collected on the total number of student suspensions in the schools and the total number of suspensions of students participating in the program. A comparison analysis was conducted to see if participating students are less inclined to be engaged in disciplinary infractions that result in suspension from school than the general student population. The data shows that 6 out of the 8 schools had fewer suspensions of participating students than non-participating students. Schools experiencing the largest drop in number of suspensions were Ellwood School and Olney Charter HS.
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IV. Lessons Learned – Marking Periods 1-4 • Teaching Artist - Retainment During Summer, 2017, Taller recruited two new Dance TAs to join the Visítenos staff to teach in Academic Year (2017-18). These instructors came highly recommended for their experience working in public schools and expertise in Latin and Hip Hop styles of dancing. After a few months into the program, the first Dance TA (Hip Hop) unexpectedly gave notice of his departure due to a more lucrative fulltime job offer. This was followed by a succession of three new Dance TA hires joining and then abruptly leaving the program at different times throughout the school year. Given the urgency of filling the position in the schools, each Dance TA came into the program with a very short orientation and limited preparation. However, all made an effort to quickly learn the curriculum to ensure some semblance of continuity. In the past, Taller accepted the inevitability of an occasional disruption due to the absence of a TA. However, this grant year, it occurred many times over and had a less than positive impact on CT and student satisfaction. As best they could, CTs and students adapted to the changes but also expressed their frustration and disappointment as noted on surveys and in interviews. With each departure, came cancelled classes until a suitable Dance TA was hired. To add to this, students and their teachers had to adjust to a new teaching style and classroom management approach employed by each new TA, which made the environment more challenging. The issue of hiring and retaining a stable and consistent Dance TA also surfaced last grant year and was addressed by having a short list of qualified Dance educators available for the assignment. However, this year, Taller exhausted that list and was left to quickly search for a qualified instructor to fill the position. In addition to developing a new list of potential Dance candidates, Taller is now exploring the idea of including a forfeiture of salary clause in the TA contract in the event a full year of work is not provided. It is expected that the consequence of a breach of the agreement will serve as a deterrent from accepting the position without full commitment to the program.
• Mentorship Program Stability With the exception of the Music (vocal and instrumental), the overall outcome of the Mentorship Program in Year II fell short of the expectations for this intervention. This was largely due to unforeseen programmatic and personal issues that occurred during the grant period. The Program experienced the departure of four different Dance TAs who were hired and then unexpectedly departed the program for other more lucrative employment opportunities. To add to this, the Dance MT took ill for a few months only to return in May, 2018 near the end of the school year when the last but newly hired Dance TA instructed the remaining weeks of the school year. Another issue occurred at the initial planning meeting (12/13/17), when the Art TA expressed disagreement with the outcome of the observation/recommendations of her art lessons. This required the intervention of the Coordinator to facilitate a private dialogue between the TA and MT to resolve any issue that would impede the mentorship process. In spite of the precarious start to the relationship, the MT was able to conduct her responsibilities as specified in the contract and establish a more collegial relationship with the TA. However, personal misfortune occurred in March when the Art TA was involved in a serious car accident and was unable to complete the final observation visit. In spite of setbacks with Art and Dance component of the program, the Music MT fully executed all her duties and provided high quality evidence and actionable feedback with the goal of leading to instructional improvement in drumming and vocal music. By maintaining an affirmative attitude, celebrating success and creating dialogue, the Music MT garnered the trust and support of the TAs and created a very positive perception of her role in this mentorship endeavor. Both Music TAs expressed a positive assessment of their mentorship experience.
• Commitment to the Program – Participating Schools One of the hallmarks of the Visítenos Program, has been the strong commitment of the group of selected schools that have benefited from participation since the beginning of the grant. Over the course of the years, only four schools have self-selected to leave the program or were eliminated by Taller due to lack of internal support from the administration and/or CTs. The remaining schools have demonstrated a strong commitment to the goals and outcomes of the program by providing permanent designated spaces for instruction and a supportive administration that is readily accessible for communication. This grant year, one of the new schools added to the roster assigned the drumming class to the auditorium. However, due to other events scheduled in that space, the Visítenos drumming class was asked to relocate throughout the building with very short notice to the TA. Plans to show videos, display prints or use of a white board and other instructional tools were thwarted every time the drumming class was displaced. Time required to quickly move the drums to a new location took 22 away valuable instructional time from the sessions. On an observation visit by the Evaluator, the Music TA was observed teaching in the auditorium. However, over the course of that one day, was asked to move three times (Gym, Classroom, Library) because of an 8th grade auditorium program. After further inquiry, it was described as a typical occurrence at the school to relocate when the auditorium was reserved for other uses. Students excited about the drumming Program, adjusted to the changes but the long-term impact of the consistent chaotic nature of the class was demonstrated in the low performance (p=0.093; p=0.338) by two out of the three tested classes of the students on the Arts/Cultural Assessment Writing task. This situation is indicative of the lack of support by an administration that scheduled events in the auditorium without regard for the needs of the Visítenos Program. Continuation of programming in that specific school will require a strong commitment from the principal that designated spaces for Visítenos classes will require a permanent location to ensure consistency in the delivery of instruction and performance.
• Continuity of Instruction PSSA testing (Grades 3-8; 4/3 -5/5) and Keystone Exams (5/13 -5/24) in the spring consumed all of the month of April and part of May. Strict rules enforced by the District during testing period include the elimination of any activities, events or trips that interfere with the testing block. Last grant year, scheduling Visítenos class dates during the testing weeks proved to be a challenge in two schools but not a problem in others. To avoid complications with scheduling and honor the request of two schools, Taller made a universal decision to cancel the program during the entire month of April in all schools and resume grant activities in May. Aside from disappointing the TAs because of their loss of income, this decision was also not well received by the CTs who expressed the desire for the Visítenos Program to continue teaching during the testing period. It was suggested by CTs to schedule classes around the testing period when students would be finished with the exams. CT comments indicated students were shortchanged at a time when they could best benefit from a release from the rigors of academic testing with the joy of an Arts experience. Students anxious, worried and depressed over the exams would welcome the opportunity to release some of their stress through creative engagement. Non-tested grades (K-2) unaffected by the exams could continue with their regular scheduled classes during the testing period. It was also suggested that each TA coordinate directly with the school’s SBTL to plan out a schedule that takes into consideration the testing block and their availability thus eliminating the need for the Coordinator to create new “testing period” schedules for 8 schools. Make-up days could also be arranged internally to ensure each program had completed the same number of instructional sessions. Taller is currently re-visiting the “testing period” hiatus and its impact on the continuity of the program. When reviewing the data, it appears the 4-6 week instructional gap compounded by the lack of a stable TA had an impact on some classes particularly the Dance (Hip Hop) component of the program who did not perform on par with their peers on the Arts/cultural assessment.
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V. Appendices Appendix A
TALLER PUERTORRIQUEÑO, INC. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
This Memorandum of Understanding, (this “MOU”) is dated as of ______and is between ______School (the “School”) and Taller Puertorriqueño, Inc. (“Taller”) with respect to the provision of art classes at the School during school or after school hours to occur on a weekly basis from October through June of each year. Classes will be coordinated and managed by Taller in collaboration with the School to school students in the determined grades. Thanks to a grant from the William Penn Foundation, Taller is able to provide these classes at no cost to the school. This MOU establishes the relationship between School and Taller as partners in the provision of these classes. Taller Puertorriqueño is committed to provide educational cultural programming for schools in Philadelphia and has a long-standing history of providing these services in collaboration with the School District of Philadelphia.
Taller is a multidisciplinary community-anchored arts and cultural organization whose primary purpose is to preserve, develop and promote Puerto Rican arts and culture, grounded in the conviction that embracing one's cultural heritage is central to community empowerment. Taller is also committed to the representation and support of other Latino cultural expressions and our common roots. Through this project we will be able to help children appreciate theirs and other’s culture, understanding that this knowledge opens a world of new possibilities to enjoy. In addition to the specific art skills taught, the activities will be fun, practical, and tangible learning experiences aimed at promoting self-understanding, self-respect, and appreciation for Puerto Rican/Latino culture and for cultural diversity.
Taller will provide art classes, in different disciplines i.e. drawing, crafts, music, folkloric or modern dance, among others. Taller ’s model of co-teaching places a lead professional arts instructor, the Teaching Artist (TA) with the classroom teacher (CT) who is expected to fully embrace the program, partnering with the TA to strengthen the curriculum and stay in the room. This partnership would collaborate to provide the creative space for participating in art training sessions and producing works of art that reflect the culture, making every effort to make connections with the class specific curriculum. Ideally classes should not be more than 30 participants. This model is designed to demonstrate the student’s talent and ability and to learn about the power of art as a tool for promoting societal change and for educating, giving the participants skills and allowing them to develop the self esteem and experience necessary for them to succeed as responsible members of the community. Classes and disciplines will be negotiated with the School staff and will be based on interest and artist availability. Classes will consist of 45-minute sessions one day a week. With the School’s assistance Taller can arrange for opportunities for the participants to exhibit their work at the end of a course period. The year will be divided in two semesters:
Fall-Winter-Spring-Summer From October 2017 through June 2018
1 day a week 45 minutes per session
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List of Tasks:
• Taller will, in coordination with the School, decide on the disciplines and levels of the classes to be provided, coordinate the recruitment of artist instructors, and secure that artists have all the required documentation and requirements up to date. • Taller will supervise and monitor the performance of artists to guarantee the quality of instruction, including direct observation and communication with the School involved staff, particularly with the classroom teacher. Taller will be responsible to monitor the quality of the classes and to intervene when issues arise regarding the classes. • Taller understands that it will provide art classes in a manner that is satisfactory to the School needs and in tune to the school’s and students’ curriculum. • Taller is responsible to monitor the quality of the arts curriculum in accordance to the School’s needs and expectations. • The School will provide an appropriate classroom space to conduct sessions. This may include storage, in the case of classes that involve materials and or equipment. • The teacher will assist Taller in confirming artists punctuality, and notify Taller of irregularities in attendance and or punctuality of artists, so Taller can take action. • Both the School and Taller will carry liability insurance relative to any service that is performed under this Agreement. • The School will provide Taller with all the tools it needs to keep class attendance list for each class including names and categorized by grades and class. • The classroom teacher will also be expected to assist the process of supervision, evaluation and monitoring of classroom impact and outcomes. Some of these tools are in the process of being developed. • LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. NEITHER PARTY SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THIS MEMORANDUM FOR CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES EVEN IF IT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
TALLER School Principal Carmen Febo San Miguel, MD ______Print Name Print Name
Sign Name Executive Director Print Title Sign Name School Principal Print Date Print Title
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Appendix B
TALLER PUERTORRIQUEÑO VISITENOS PROGRAM IN SCHOOL RESIDENCY PROGRAM CLASSROOM TEACHER AGREEMENT
Taller Puertorriqueño (Taller) is a community based cultural organization whose primary purpose is to preserve, develop and promote Puerto Rican arts and culture, grounded in the conviction that embracing one's cultural heritage is central to community empowerment. Taller is also committed to the representation and support of other Latino cultural expressions and our common roots. Since its founding in 1974, Taller has provided quality Latino arts and cultural programming to its community and the city at large, now coalescing in the realization of a beautifully-designed state of the art, El Corazón Cultural Center. The overarching goal of the Visítenos Program is to develop basic arts skills, visual literacy, and knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Latino Arts and Culture with an emphasis on Puerto Rico. Through that curriculum lens, classes are offered in Art, Music, Theatre and Dance that foster teamwork, improved self-esteem and patience and pride in the students’ cultural heritage. Our intent is to help students learn about different art disciplines and learn about Latino cultures. We also integrate teaching about values to help build stronger self-esteem, respect, patience and sharing.
SCHOOL______CLASSROOM TEACHER______TEACHING ARTIST ______
By accepting the opportunity for my class to participate in the Visítenos Artist Residency Program, I agree to the following
1. Remain in the class with my students during the Visítenos Program session.
2. Take attendance for the Teaching Artist and address behavior issues when necessary. 3. Provide nametags and/or seating chart for the Teaching Artist. 4. Contribute to instruction by reviewing the Teaching Artist’s lesson plans prior to each class in order to: a) ensure grade appropriateness. b) conduct pre-class preparation activities with my students. c) link arts lessons to other academic subjects in the curriculum of my class to show connections and reinforce learning. d) enrich lessons by providing additional resources: readings, posters/pictures, videos, websites, community resources etc. 5. Support the Teaching Artist during the class to ensure efficient delivery and effectiveness of instruction. 6. Build a collaborative working relationship with the Teaching Artists to develop a learning environment that fosters students’ creativity, reinforces reading and writing and improves acquisition of content vocabulary.
7. Attend an introductory meeting before the start of the program to learn about the roles and responsibilities required of classroom teacher participants.
8. Attend a paid professional development workshop ($25 per hr.) on Saturday, November 4th, 2017 (9:00 AM – 12:30 PM) to receive training on the Visítenos co-teaching model.
9. Support the evaluation component of the program by completing an end-of-program classroom teacher survey.
10. Consistently communicate with the Teaching Artist via e-mail in order to share information and collaborate on lesson planning.
______
Teacher’s Signature
26 Appendix C – Observation Form
Taller Puertorriqueño – VISÎTENOS PROGRAM Classroom Observation Form
Date:______Arrival time:______Departure time:______School:______Grade:______Teaching Artist: ______Check one: Art______Music/Vocal______Music/instrumental ______Dance ______Storytelling/Art______Type of classroom (art room, music room, classroom etc.):______Number of students present: ______Classroom Teacher: ______Other staff present______Mentor______
0=NA 1=Not Observed 2=Further Development 3=Satisfactory 4=Well Demonstrated 5=Outstanding
INSTRUCTION 0-5 Evidence/Notes Clear statement of purpose/lesson objective.
Communicates the objective/expectations of the lesson.
Arts lesson focused on Puerto Rican/Latino culture or other related content.
Gains the attention of the learner.
Reviews relevant past learnings.
Presents new material.
Introduces and explains the meaning of new vocabulary.
Models the skill that students are expected to perform.
Asks questions to assess the level of understanding.
Guides students in performing the skill.
Students perform the skill independently.
Teaching Artist incorporates critiques/reflection of students’ art products/performances.
Lesson was appropriately paced. Teaching Artist includes an appropriate closure to the lesson.
PLANNING AND PREPARATION 0-5 Evidence/Notes Lesson presented reflects written plan submitted for the week/month. 27
Strategies, activities and use of materials indicate knowledge of students’ skill levels, grade appropriateness and interests.
Visuals (charts, posters, samples) and/or other resources are used as part of instruction and relate to the lesson objective.
Teaching Artist has all the necessary supplies, instruments, equipment to effectively implement the lesson.
PROGRAM DESIGN FIDELITY 0-5 Evidence/Notes Classroom teachers assist with instruction. (classroom management, co-teaching)
A reading/writing activity is part of the arts lesson.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 0-5 Evidence Students raise their hands to ask/answer questions relevant to learning.(Verbal Participation) Students follow directions and are focused on the learning activity. (Consistent Focus)
Students exhibit body postures that indicate they are paying attention to the teacher and/or other students. (Positive Body Language) Students exhibit confidence (Student Confidence) Students initiate and complete assigned tasks. (Student Confidence) Students exhibit fun and excitement.
0-5 Evidence CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SKILLS Rules, routines and procedures are established and implemented.
Student behavior/misbehavior is responded to in a timely manner.
Teaching artist directs student preparation for next class. 28
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES 0-5 Evidence Teaching Artist maintains attendance records.
Teaching Artist communicates with classroom teacher.
Classroom teacher contributes to the instruction of the lesson.
Rate the level of participation of the classroom teacher during the lesson.
Overall impression of teaching effectiveness: Describe what is happening and for how long.
Strengths observed:
Suggestions for improvement:
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Appendix D- Powerpoint Presentation (see e-mail attachment as PDF)
Appendix E - Unit Planning Guide
Theme: Cultural Traditions
Objectives: 1. To develop knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the rich and diverse cultural traditions around the world with emphasis on Latin Cultures.
2. To develop respect for the cultural traditions in the U.S. and around the world with emphasis on Latin Cultures.
Prior Knowledge: What is a cultural tradition? The unique attributes which have been passed through generation to generation that define the lifestyle of the people (beliefs, customs, celebrations, ideas, information, legends) usually passed down in oral form.
Guiding Questions:
1. What is the tradition? Have you and your family practiced this tradition? 2. When and why did the cultural tradition start? What is the origin? 3. What do you value most about the tradition? Why? 4. How has it changed over time? 5. How is your family passing the tradition to future generations? Are you and others learning and practicing the tradition 6. What are your impressions of this tradition?
I. Why do people practice cultural traditions? a. preserve one’s heritage; provide an opportunity to celebrate one’s culture b. contribute a sense of belonging; brings families and friends together. c. reinforce values such as family; faith, integrity; education; work ethic. d. offer a chance to say “thank you” for the contribution that someone has made. e. create lasting memories for families and friends.
II. Cultural Traditions – a. Customs; folklore; mythology; legends; holidays; commemorations; national observances- country’s independence; seasonal/historical events; religion/spirituality folklore/superstitions; entertainment; etiquette. b. Public street party: festivities, masks, ethnic dress Parades/festivals (people, sights, sound, revelers, decorated floats/costumes/figures) celebrated with family, friends and community c. Folk Art- originating among the common people of a nation or region reflecting their traditional culture; festive items produced or decorated by unschooled artists. d. Music - singing/chanting songs, marching bands, e. Musical instruments - e.g. maracas, guitar, tamboriles; tiple; and congas. f. Dance – salsa, merengue, plena, bomba, samba, reggae.. Enjoyment of a public outdoor celebration/festival with family, friends and community. g. Ethnic foods – e.g. picadillo; rellenos de papa; sorullos; sofrito; arroz con pollo; mofongo; pastelon; flan; tamales; moles; ceviche; tortillas; tacos; fajitas; burritos.
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III. Origins of Cultural Traditions a. Ethnic; historical; religious significance – patron saints; political; satirical b. Influence of settlers- customs and traditions brought to the new world; transmitted/acquired from a predecessor. c. Ancestry of the country –fusion of different cultures (Indian/Taino, Spanish and African elements). IV. Some Traditions Around the World Hispanic: Quinceañera; Las Posados; El Nacimento; Cinco de Mayo; Las piñatas; Día de los Muertes; Novenas; Nochebuena; Año Viejo; Parranda; Día de las Velitas. Puerto Rico: Día de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day - 1/6); Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián; Feast of San Juan Bautista (patron saint of Puerto Rico’s capital); Catholic Feast Days –celebration of patron saints. Africa: maskmaking; China: Chinese Lunar New Year/Spring Festival; mooncakes; lanterns Germany: Octoberfest; bratwurst India: Holi – Festival of Colours, end of winter on the Hindu calendar; Hindus worship Lord Ganesha and chant a mantra. Middle East Communities: Eid al-Fitr – end of Ramadan; henna; zaffe (dance); kaftans; hijab New Orleans: Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) Northern Ireland/United States: St. Patrick’s Day; Legend of Irish Leprachaun; Irish potatoes Puerto Rico: Three Kings Day (1/6); Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián; Feast of San Juan Bautista (patron saint of Puerto Rico’s capital); Old San Juan’s San Sebastian Street Festival; Catholic Feast Days – celebrate town’s patron saint. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Carnaval (beginning of Lent) South Africa: AfrikaBurn; Zulu culture Spain: Flamenco; siesta; bullfighting; tapas, paella; La Tomatina Italy: Carnival of Venice; 9/19 - Feast of San Gennaro
On-Line Resources: Africa - http://www.victoriafalls-guide.net/african-traditions.html
Africa’s Best Cultural Festivals: https://www.africanoverlandtours.com/overland-africa-blog/africas-8-best-cultural-festivals/
Indian/Hindu - http://www.hinduismfacts.org/hindu-customs-and-traditions/
Italy - https://www.livescience.com/44376-italian-culture.html
Spain - https://www.tripsavvy.com/spanish-customs-and-traditions-1644353
Puerto Rican Carnival: amhistory.si.edu/ourstory/activities/puerto/
Vision of Puerto Rico Carnival: http://amhistory.si.edu/vidal/
Ponce Carnival: www.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/t/target/CarnivalCelebrationsPonceCarnival.pdf
Scholastic: Puerto Rico: www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3748242
Top Ten Festivals Around the World: http://www.placestoseeinyourlifetime.com/top-10-celebrations-around-the-world-1937/
Websites for Learning about World Cultures: http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2010/08/11/the-best-sites-for-learning-about-the-worlds-different- cultures.
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32 Content Vocabulary - Cultural Traditions Theme allegiance fiesta research ancestry flags revelers ancient folklore rhythm architecture foods ritual artists foreground salsa artisans friends script authentic geography settlers background global shapes beliefs Google show Bing guiro siesta Bomba heritage sights Bongo heroes singing buildings historical society Cabezudos holiday sounds carnaval honor Spanish Carribean hymn spectators celebrate/celebration identity spiritual ceremony independence street party characters instruments superstitions claves Latino(a) symbols civilization legacy Taller Puertorriqueño colors/colorful legend Taínos commemorations Lent teacher community library traditions computer maracas values conga marching bands Vegigante costumes masks vendors country morals video crafts movement village crowds musician voice cuatro museum YouTube culture mythology customs nationalism dancing national observance descendants native design practice diversity parade drama parents drawings patron saint drumming people entertainment performance ethnic photographs excitement picture expert plena explorers practice fair pride families quinceañera feast race festival religion 33
Appendix F - Finale Agenda
ARTIST RESIDENCIES IN SCHOOLS - FINAL PERFORMANCE 2017-2018 THURSDAY MAY 31, 10:AM- 12:PM Welcome : Ellie Dilapi, Dora Viacava, Tessie Varthas Introduction of Teaching Artists: Christina Castro-Tauser, Latin Dance Ursula Majer, Visual Arts Anthony Mendez and Julise Burgos, Bomba & Plena Angel Sanchez, Voice and Precious Roberts, Hip Hop.
Ursula Majer, Visual Art presents Coquí, song by students from Moffet Elementary School (Katrina Gilpin, Kindergarten students)
Christina Castro-Tauser, Latin Dance presents 1. Merengue dance by students from Welsh Elementary School Ms. Keli Walsh, 4th grade 2. Salsa dance by students from McKinley Elementary School Ms. Jacqueline Lamboy, 3rd grade
Anthony Mendez and Julisa Burgos, Bomba & Plena presents Doña Tierra Plena by students from Olney High School Ms. Sarah Apt, ESOL 9-12 grades
Christina Castro-Trauser, Latin dance presents 1. Merengue dance by students from Welsh Elementary School Ms. Judith Clime, 3rd grade 2. Bachata/merengue by students from Olney High School Mr. Walmer Lao, 12th grade
Anthony Mendez, Traditional music from Puerto Rico presents Bomba Anda y Ve by students from McKinley Elementary School Ms. Ashley Carman, 4th grade
Christina Castro-Trauser, Latin dance presents Merengue by students from Olney High School Mr. Walmer Lao, 12th grade
Anthony Mendez and Julisa Burgos, Bomba & Plena Suénalo, by students from Sheppard Elementary School Mr. Michael Trauner, 4th grade
34 Appendix G – Program Manual/Guide (see e-mail attachment) Appendix H – Arts/Culture Assessment Image
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