View of Reach out and Dance…………………………………………..5

AN EXAMINATION OF ECONOMIC DIVERSITY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REACH OUT AND DANCE PROGRAM

A Thesis

Presented to

The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Masters of Arts Administration

Kara M. Stewart

December 2011

AN EXAMINATION OF ECONOMIC DIVERSITY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REACH OUT AND DANCE PROGRAM

Kara M. Stewart

Thesis

Approved: Accepted:

______Advisor Dean of the College Mr. Durand L Pope Dr. Chand Midha

______Committee Member Dean of the Graduate School Mr. Neil B. Sapienza Dr. George R. Newkome

______Committee Member School Director Ms. Krista Arico Neil B. Sapienza

______Date

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF TABLES ………………………………………………………………………. v

CHAPTER

I. INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………….. 1

Current State of Dance Education in the Public Schools……………………...1

History of National Dance Institute………………………………………...... 4

Overview of Reach Out And Dance…………………………………………..5

Reach Out And dance Pedagogy………………………………………………6

II. PROGRAM IMPACT AREAS….……………………………………………….13

Arts Appreciation …………………………………………………………....15

Self Confidence In Teamwork……………………………………………….16

Self-Efficacy………………………………………………………………...18

NEOUCOM Results and Implications…………………………………...…19

III. SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHICS………………………………………………….20

Demographic Verification…………………………………………………. 21

Case Elementary School…………………………………………………….21

Preston Elementary School………………………………………………….22

Silver Lake Elementary School……………………………………………..22

Overview of Research Methods…………………………………………….23

Limitations of the Study…………………………………………………….24

IV. METHODS AND RESULTS…………………………………………..………25

iii

Research Methods…………………………………………………………..25

Arts Appreciation……….…………………………………………………..26

Results Overview: Arts Appreciation………………………………………28

Self-Confidence in Teamwork……………………………………………...29

Results Overview: Self-Confidence in Teamwork…………………………31

Self-Efficacy………………………………………………………………..32

Results Overview: Self-Efficacy…………………………………………...34

Limitations of the Study…………………………………………………….35

V. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………37

Summary……………………………………………………………………37

Suggestions for Further Research…………………………………………..39

Conclusion...………………………………………………………………..40

VI. WORKS CITED..……..……………………………………………………….41

VI. APPENDICES…….…………………………………………….……………...44

APPENDIX A. REACH OUT AND DANCE STUDENT SURVEY...……….45

APPENDIX B. NEOUCOM STUDY RAW DATA…………………..…….....46

APPENDIX C. FEDERAL FREE LUNCH GUIDELINES……………………49

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

4.1 Arts Appreciation……………………………………………………….…28

4.2 Total Arts Appreciation Scores……………………………………………29

4.3 Self-Confidence in Teamwork…………………………………………….31

4.4 Total Self-Confidence in Teamwork Scores………………………………32

4.5 Self-Efficacy……………………………………………………………....34

4.6 Total Self-Efficacy Scores……………………………………………..….35

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Current State of Dance Education in the Public Schools

In the United States, it is widely accepted that Arts Education is a valuable part of public school curriculum and is key for developing well-rounded students. Forty- nine states have established content standards that outline what students should know about the arts, and forty-three states require arts instruction as part of the school day

(Ruppert 3). Music, visual art, and even drama, which are often a part of language arts curriculum, are a regular parts of most students’ school week. Notably, the art of dance is absent from the standard list of arts programming provided during the school day, and experts are beginning to questioning this omission (Horowitz 2003).

In the past, the art of dance has been limited to those who could afford private lessons or those lucky enough to have it offered as part of after school programming.

Growth of in-school programming has increased over the last two decades as research has identified the unique benefits of dance education. In addition to presenting the fundamental mechanics of the art- steps, musicality, choreography, phrasing, and physicality- dance education inherently teaches life skills such as persistence, self- control, and confidence (Snyder 2009). In 2003, content standards for dance were established by the Ohio Department of Education to delineate what K-12 students should gain from dance programming. This codification process grew out of the No Child Left

Behind mandate from the Federal Government which states that the arts should be

considered a “core” subject, and that all students should have the opportunity to

participate in arts programming (Ruppert 7).

Benchmarks of the academic content standards for fine arts are identified by grade

clusters (K-4, 5-8, and 9-12). These benchmarks allow educators to monitor students’ progress toward meeting the fine arts standards. For example, by the end of grade 4, dance education in the public schools should address and ultimately achieve the following standards:

1. Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts: Students should be able to

identify and perform dances from a variety of cultures, explain why

and when dance is found in their lives and the lives of others, and

recognize how choreographers, dancers, and dance contributes to

cultural heritage.

2. Creative Expression and Communication: Students should be able to

create, perform, and improvise with kinesthetically aware movement,

use the elements of dance to express an idea or mood, and be able to

invent different solutions to a movement problem that has varying

space, time and energy components.

3. Analyzing and Responding: Students should be able to use dance

vocabulary to describe their movement experiences, participate in

discussions about interpretations of dance performance, and explain

the relationship between the audience and the performer.

4. Valuing the Arts/Aesthetic Relationships: Students should be able to

recognize and discuss their feelings and impressions about dance

experiences, and demonstrate inquiry skills when stating their views of

dance.

5. Connections, Relationships and Applications: Students should be able

to relate ideas from other art disciplines to the art of expressive

movement, apply basic skills and processes of other disciplines to the

study of dance and discuss how dance contributes to healthful living

(Ohio Department of Education 64-66).

The success of reaching these benchmarks and ultimately integrating dance into the public schools relies heavily on the expertise of teachers and the opportunities for

students to receive dance instruction on a regular basis (Ohio Department of Education

2). An article in The Journal of Dance Education states that “Its marginalized status in

pre-collegiate education means that it is too often absent from schooling. When taught at

all, it is often used for the purpose of increasing student engagement or advancing

understanding in another subject. In such a role, the standards, concepts, and methods of

dance are not usually upheld (Rhoades, 2006).” Effectively addressing academic content standards in dance requires the presence of teachers with expertise in the area of dance.

While a physical education teacher may be well equipped to teach a square dancing pattern, he/she may not be well versed in the intricacies of the choreographic process, the history of dance, or the mechanics of movement that are required to perform intricate sets

of steps to music. Just as music teachers are educated in their specialty and have either instrumental or choral performing experience, a highly trained dance professional with a performance background should be present if students are going to gain full understanding and benefit of the art. While the majority of Ohio’s public schools employ music and visual arts teachers, do not have a dance teacher on staff (Ohio

Department of Education). It is therefore often necessary for educators to seek outside assistance from dance organizations if they are dedicated to providing their student body with dance education programming.

History of National Dance Institute

The National Dance Institute of New York, and its affiliates across the country, serve as excellent examples of how non-profit dance organizations can support their public schools’ need for dance programming. National Dance Institute (NDI) was founded in 1976 by former New York City Ballet dancer Jacques d’Ambois to bring dance to boys who would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the art. He began by inviting his sons and their friends to Saturday morning dance classes in their school gym. The unique pedagogy of NDI was born when Jacques employed the structure of a ballet class, to instill discipline and self control, into the classroom but used highly accessible movement such as marching and jumping, to engage his students. The boys jumped, spun, posed, and stomped their way through exacting choreography, each week learning more and more steps and becoming increasingly more dedicated to the process. Word quickly spread, the class grew exponentially, and d’Ambois was encouraged to include girls. These highly energetic classes were built on d’Ambois’

belief that “the arts have the unique power to engage and motivate children to develop discipline, a standard of excellence, and a belief in themselves that will carry over into other aspects of their lives”(Oppenheimer 17). Today this quote is the mission statement for more than 10 programs that are NDI affiliated around the country.

Like George Balanchine, New York City Ballet founder and d’Ambois mentor, d’Ambois believed that dance should be as highly regarded as math or science and therefore should be a part of students’ school day. Thirty-four years later, NDI serves over 4,000 children each week and reaches an additional 40,000 people through performance and educational activities (NDI 2010). NDI’s dedication to providing dance education opportunities to children reaches beyond New York as the organization nurtures programs around the country through the formation of the Association of

National Dance Institute (ANDI). ANDI provides training resources for teachers, a mentoring program for administrators, and a peer group for NDI associates to share tactics and ideas.

There are now several outgrowth programs of the National Dance Institute around the country. Programs exist in Santa Fe, Richmond, El Paso, Aspen, Chicago, Columbus, and Akron, Ohio. The Akron program, Reach Out And Dance, was one of the first satellite programs and now serves 1200 children each week. Founded in 1998, Reach

Out And Dance (ROAD®) was introduced as the educational arm of the Cuyahoga

Valley Youth Ballet. The Reach Out And Dance program is the subject of this research.

Overview of Reach Out And Dance

Unlike most single performance or day-long workshop efforts in dance education,

ROAD is a year-long artist in residence program. Students see their ROAD instructors for one 45 minute class period each week. Key to the success of all NDI based programs is that teachers have been extensively trained in NDI pedagogy, with a minimum of two years as apprentice teachers, and have had significant performing careers. Catherine

Oppenheimer, founder of NDI New Mexico states, “NDI teachers have had rigorous professional training, have expressed it at the highest levels, and have a codified pedagogy on which to call for classroom framework.” The fact that NDI based programs like ROAD are integrated into the school day and are in residence throughout the school year makes them uniquely qualified to address the full spectrum of content standards

(NDI-NM).

The Reach Out And Dance Program serves fourteen elementary schools in the

Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, and Wooster communities in Ohio. Class sizes range from 15-85 students, depending on the district and the circumstances of space availability. ROAD requires each building to provide a wide open space such as a gym, a tuned piano, and an in-school coordinator who will act as a liaison between the Artistic Director of the program and the school, participants, and parents. While class size varies, curriculum across school districts does not. All children who participate in ROAD experience a systematically developed curriculum throughout the school year and are provided with the same number of hours of programming. The fact that curriculum stays consistent in participating school districts throughout the year provides ROAD with a strong comparative sample when assessing the effectiveness of the program.

Reach Out And Dance Pedagogy

Each Reach Out And Dance class progresses from beginning to end in a systematic way much the same way a ballet class unfolds. A warm-up is used to make the students comfortable, physically loosen up the dancers, and to establish the transition in authority from academic teacher to dance teacher. Right away, expectations of quiet concentration and striving for excellence are established. While simple moves are executed, they are to be executed with excellence. For example, a reach of the right arm overhead is only acceptable if the elbow is straight, the shoulder is stretched, and the fingers are “crispy” or spread with energy. Each movement is assigned value and given importance. Even the simple act of moving across the room to take their place for warm- up is an event for students in a ROAD class. Students are instructed to walk with lightness or heaviness, with the bounce of a ball or with the stiffness of a robot, like a bubble floating or a porpoise swimming. Quality of movement as well as execution is stressed in all segments of the class, and it begins in the warm up which takes approximately 5 minutes of class time.

The introduction of a theme is presented next, and consists of a story or game to engage the students. For example, one of the first lessons taught is that of stage directions. Students hear a humorous story about the building of stages and learn why we call the back of the stage “up stage” and the front of the stage “down stage”. They quickly identify “stage right”, “stage left”, and “center stage”. The children start to look at their space as a stage inside a theater instead of a gym floor. To test their new found knowledge, the ROAD instructor will play one of two games with the students to reinforce what they have learned.

The first game requires the student to sit with legs crossed facing down stage. The

instructions require the children to spin on their “po-po’s” until the teacher calls out a

new stage direction. Instructions can be given to the entire group or in smaller groups.

For example, the instructor might have all of the girls face stage right while the boys face

down stage. Or, all of the students with blue jeans on could be directed to face center

stage while everyone else faces stage left. Listening skills are imperative for success and

the students quickly learn not to follow their neighbor. This game is highly effective at

orienting students to their space while remaining cognizant of their peers spatial needs.

The second game is a teamwork game which involves both stage directions and the

ability to communicate without the use of voices. The instructor divides the class in to

two groups. NDI trained instructors will invariably split up “best-friend” pairs and

encourage non- traditional mixes of children by assigning groups themselves. Groups

have a designated amount of time to complete a stage direction oriented task and they

must do so without speaking to one another. For example, the instructor might have the

“Apples” group make a perfectly shaped circle “up stage right” while the “Bananas”

group has to make a perfect diagonal from “up center stage” to “down stage right. Both

teams must do so in 30 seconds and in silence. Several rounds are played and points are deducted for talking and not completing the task. The group with the highest number of points at the end of the game is the victor and will get to stand up front for the good-bye.

This fun game builds camaraderie, reinforces classroom behavior and bolsters students’ confidence in their knowledge of stage directions. Other main lesson topics include counting music, the use of levels in choreography, exits and entrances, theater etiquette, and performance quality. Each lesson employs a special teaching technique, story or

game to keep the students engaged and excited to learn. This section of the class lasts

approximately 10 minutes and is designed to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for the art of dance.

Teachers then move on to the main body of instruction: the introduction of new choreographic material. New material always builds on previous work with steps that will easily combine to become choreography. Students will have learned that dancers count in sets of eight and that their steps are created in sets of eight to match the music.

Choreography becomes a lesson in “stacking the eights” and is relatable to legos. If you want to build a house with legos, you start with just one block and keep adding until you reach your goal. Similarly, if you want to build a dance, you begin with just one step and add until you have created an entire dance. Students become aware of the process of dance as they begin with simple patterns and expand their proficiency to more complex combinations of steps. Eight claps, eight stomps, eight reaches and eight twists quickly progresses in to two four count box steps followed by a pivot turn, four step kicks, and a giant tour in the air landing in a striking pose. ROAD employs the NDI technique of naming steps in sets of eight “chapters”. This technique reinforces the concept that while the steps are important by themselves, they are part of a much larger picture. Chapter names often relate to the theme of the dance itself. For example, in a piece about health and wellness, one chapter might be called “cardio” and another one “biceps”. A dance about Italy might have a pizza section with chapters like “dough, “sauce”, “pepperoni”, and “cheese”.

During the choreography section of the class, NDI techniques are used to keep the students engaged and motivated to persist at their task. ROAD teachers are demanding

excellence, after all, and excellence requires repetition. A single step might be executed over 20 times in a row before everyone has it correctly. An underlying tenet of an NDI

class is that it does not progress until all of its members have mastered the steps first.

While this can be frustrating for students who learn quickly, they promptly look for ways

to help their classmates move ahead which promotes teamwork among peers.

The necessary repetition to ensure excellence of execution and mastery of steps

by all participants is kept interesting in several ways. First, the teachers are continually switching the “front” of the room. Students will face all four directions as the teacher moves from side to side and front to back in every ROAD class. Rows also change systematically throughout the class. The front row will be asked to become the back row and the remaining rows will take a step forward and replace the row in front of them.

This happens quickly and without much fanfare as a part of the regular classroom mechanics. Using these methods, every student at one point during the class is dancing

in the front row so that no child can “hide in the back” or go unnoticed. Ample

opportunity is given for each student to develop confidence in performing steps in the

front of the class.

New material is also reviewed during class using theater terminology. A teacher

might assign a group of students to be the “performers” and another group to be the

“audience.” Performers would dance and the audience would respond appropriately.

Roles are reversed and performances are discussed in a constructive manner. Another

way to teach peer assessment is to ask the children to role play the part of a newspaper

critic. Students are paired up and each member of the pair will act as critic and dancer.

Students are encouraged to be honest and helpful in their assessments and to look for

positive points as well as areas that need improvement.

Another way that new material is reinforced uses musical concepts to keep the

focus off the repetition of the steps and on a new set of details. For example, introducing

a simple cannon or round is most useful when students have mastered four sets of eight.

The cannon can be used in two ways. In the first scenario, each group starts their step eight counts behind the group in front of them and performs the 4 counts of eight.

Students quickly see that the group that starts first is finished first and the group that starts last finishes last. Claps are introduced as a tool to further demonstrate the cannon and the importance of counting, even when it’s another group’s turn to dance. The first group will perform 4 sets of eight and clap for two sets. The second group will clap for one set, perform 4 sets of eight, and finish by clapping for one set. And finally, the last group will clap for two sets of eight and then perform their 4 sets of eight. When executed properly, the clapping becomes mesmerizing and the students will want to try out the other group’s pattern. Another use of cannon or a round would be to split the

classroom into the three groups and have the four steps rotate through the groups so that

group one performs step a, group 2 performs step b, group 3 performs step c, and group 1

performs step d. The round isn’t complete until all three groups have performed all 4

steps. This version requires ultimate concentration in order to know which step will be

come your groups way next. Remember, while the children are concentrating on the

cannon, reinforcement of execution and sequence are also occurring. The NDI pedagogy

makes use of teaching techniques such as these to engage and inspire students as new

material is being presented each week. Introducing new material in the classroom

typically takes 15 minutes.

A review period follows the introduction of new material. The review will

connect the lesson of the day with previous work to further the progression of the

choreography being learned for the end of the year performance. Students are challenged to remember what they have learned and are given the opportunity to shine individually and show what they know. While review strengthens execution of movement and reinforces choreographic patterns, the primary goal of the review is to provide the opportunity for the students to feel success as a result of their efforts.

A closing goodbye song that underscores the lesson of the day concludes the

ROAD class. Students gather around the pianist and sing a goodbye that ends as a ballet class would; properly thanking the teacher and pianist.

The ultimate objective of a ROAD class is to leave the children filled with knowledge, self-confidence and joy. A basic tenet of the program is that the arts have the unique ability to inspire and motivate children. As dance pioneer Margaret H’Doubler states, “Young life loves to imitate and make believe, and this love of pretense, along with man’s innate urge to express what he feels, is the chief motive from which dance, music, song, poetry, and drama develop as independent expressive arts” (H’Doubler,

1957). ROAD builds on this innate need for expression and provides a safe environment in which children can explore their artistic abilities and creativity.

CHAPTER II

PROGRAM IMPACT AREAS

While teaching the fundamentals of dance and achieving content standard

benchmarks are at the heart of the Reach Out And Dance program, ROAD has set

additional goals related to the impact areas of arts appreciation, self-confidence in

teamwork, and the self-efficacy of its participants. In conjunction with Dr. Clint Snyder

of Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine (NEOUCOM), Reach Out And

Dance conducted a year-long assessment on the effectiveness of the programs ability to

affect positive change in program participants. The three impact areas studied in the

NEOUCOM research grew out of the subjective observations that 1. students learn to appreciate the art of dance through first-hand experiences in the classroom (art appreciation), 2. students learn to be confident in groups and behave in a socially acceptable manner through participation in dance related activities (self-confidence in teamwork), and 3. students can achieve a sense of accomplishment and pride through the systematic progression of dance education (self-efficacy). The study was initially executed to elevate ROAD from a best-practices program to an evidence-based program in order to substantiate claims of participant enrichment.

The NEOUCOM study was conducted in the Reach Out And Dance classrooms in the Akron, Cuyahoga Falls and Wooster public schools. The pre-test, which was

administered in September 2008 (prior to the beginning of yearly programming) and

post-test (which took place in May 2009 after the culminating performance) were

designed to elicit responses to questions that related to the aforementioned impact areas:

arts appreciation, teamwork, and self-efficacy ( see Appendix A). Fourth and Fifth grade

students responded to the questionnaire by indicating whether they (1) Strongly

Disagreed, (2) Disagreed, (3) Agreed, or (4) Strongly Agreed to the sixteen statements

provided. Of the sixteen statements, five were indicators of arts appreciation, three were

indicators of self confidence in teamwork, and six indicated self-efficacy in participants.

The remaining statements were indicators of overall satisfaction with participation in the

Reach Out And Dance program and had no bearing on the impact areas studied.

Arts Appreciation

Arts appreciation is a vague term. Are we seeking appreciation of arts aesthetics,

appreciation of the artistic process, or appreciation of the artists themselves? How can

we measure appreciation? Arts appreciation is defined in a number of ways. First, as the

ability of a viewer to form an opinion about an art form, arts appreciation is a specific act;

the act of forming an opinion. While having an opinion about the dance you saw or the

music you heard is important for comparative analysis, it is only part of the picture, especially for students. According to the Ohio Department of Education Fine Arts content standards (2003), 4th and 5th grade students should be able to decide intrinsically if they 14

like something or not, be able to think about the effort that went into the piece of artwork

or choreography, and evaluate the likelihood that they would like to experience similar processes to have a full appreciation of the arts. Additionally, as defined as an educational benchmark, appreciation includes the ability to understand and evaluate the structure and form behind a great piece of visual art or choreography (Ohio Dept. of

Education 2003). Following the National Dance Institutes pedagogy (Oppenheimer

2000), Reach Out And Dance provides its participants with the proper educational tools and vocabulary with which they will be able to evaluate dance performance. The program itself identifies arts appreciation with participating students’ enjoyment of dance class, their willingness to participate in additional dance activities, and their likelihood of attending the theater.

The NEOUCOM study (Snyder 2009) which assesses pre and post-programming student responses, asked the students to rate the following statements on a scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree to assess arts appreciation:

I think dance is fun.

I like to go see plays.

I would like to take more dance classes.

I think other kids would like Reach out And Dance.

And, I think being a dancer is a good profession.

Self Confidence in Teamwork

The second impact area being assessed in the NEOUCOM research is the self- confidence of students to participate in teamwork. ROAD, and NDI programs across the 15

country, view self-confidence and teamwork as essential life skills for becoming a

responsible artist and individual in today’s world (d’Ambois 1983). Teamwork is stressed

in every ROAD classroom and the NDI based class does not progress until every member

of its team progresses (Oppenheimer 2000). Self-confidence is defined as confidence in

one’s power and abilities, while teamwork is defined as the cooperative or coordinated

effort on the part of a group of persons working together as a team or in the interests of a

common cause (Merriam-Webster 2010). Self-confidence and teamwork skills are

nurtured in class when students participate in group games, are intricately linked with classmates in the building of choreography, and are members of a larger team as they represent their school in the culminating performances held at the end of the year. A study conducted by RMC Research Corp. (2006) of the National Dance Institute pedagogy indicated that students’ self-confidence was significantly increased due to participation in the program.

The concept of teamwork is also reinforced in the Reach Out And Dance program by giving participating children the opportunity to be part of an audience at a live dance performance. This experience provides the student with the opportunity to see confident teamwork in action. Participants learn that reaching the ultimate goal of performing on stage is not a solitary endeavor, but requires a coordinated team effort on the part of students, teachers, musicians, and schools (Horowitz 2003).

The following statements were used in the NEOUCOM study (Snyder 2009) to

assess teamwork and self confidence in a team setting:

I am good at working in a group.

I am comfortable performing in front of people.

I am afraid to try something new in front of my friends.

Self-Efficacy

The third impact area of the NEOUCOM study addressed the goal to increase

self-efficacy in ROAD participants. According to Social Learning Theory (Bandura

1994), self-efficacy is defined as the belief that one is capable of performing in a certain

manner to attain certain goals and as a person’s belief in their own capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives. The idea of self-efficacy is also one of the center points in Bandura’s Social

Cognitive Therapy which focuses on factors that create a meaning in individuals’ lives.

Bandura states that our personalized ideas of self-efficacy affect our social interactions in almost every way.

Fostering the development of self-efficacy is a vitally important goal for programs that work with children because it can lead to living a more productive and happy life

(Bandura 1977). Since self-efficacy is built on the sequential experiences of mastery

(Urdan 1997), it is vital to provide opportunities for children to work through a series of steps to achieve success. In the NDI pedagogy, mastery of musical concepts leads to mastery of choreography and, ultimately, mastery of performance. Students are given multiple opportunities to conquer each lesson, ultimately leading to greater probability of success and self-efficacy. Students are also encouraged to strive for excellence and are given the tools to reach their goal. Goals that are challenging but attainable are ideal 17

(Urdan 1997). Working toward a goal over time (such as learning and executing

choreography) and assigning value to that goal (performing in front of family and

friends) increases the likelihood that the student will experience a sense of mastery and accomplishment when it is reached.

Providing new activities for students to master is an excellent way to build self-efficacy in children (Bandura 1994). Since the majority of ROAD participants have not had dance training, each class presents a new set of challenges and an opportunity for mastery of those challenges. Reach Out And Dance participants may feel a sense of satisfaction as they try something outside of their comfort zone. Ideally, each step brings more confidence and more confidence leads to the willingness to try new activities. Self- efficacy in the NEOUCOM study is measured by considering the following statements answered by students:

I am a good dancer.

If I work hard, I can reach a goal.

With enough practice, I can do anything.

I like to try new things.

Dance class makes me feel successful.

With practice anyone can learn to dance.

NEOUCOM Results and Implications

Overall, the NEOUCOM research results from 2008-2009 were positive (See

Appendix B). A noticeable increase in participants’ appreciation for the arts, self- confidence to be a part of a team, and positive feelings about their abilities to succeed and 18

try new activities has been evidenced in the research (Snyder, 2009). The NEOUCOM research results were categorized by school, age, gender, and by the sum of all ROAD participants’ responses (See Appendix B).

While the NEOUCOM study has provided Reach Out And Dance with the raw

statistics necessary to move towards more data-driven programming, it does not address

the effects of economic diversity. Determining the effects of programming on

economically diverse populations may be beneficial when NDI Program Directors are

seeking new schools to serve, or must make the choice between two schools on a waiting

list. It would also provide Development Directors with clear data supporting those

choices. It is anticipated that analysis of the current NEOUCOM research, in light of the

Reach Out And Dance programs participants’ economic demographics, will help to

narrow target populations and will shape future programming decisions.

CHAPTER III

SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHICS

This study purports that it would be valuable to take the data presented in the

NEOUCOM study and re-examine the three areas of interest based on the participating schools economic demographics. For the purposes of this research, a schools economic status will be categorized into one of three groups; a low-income group, a moderate income group, and a high income group. During the 2008-2009 school year, ROAD served a total of fourteen schools. Of those schools, three schools had at least 90% of their students living below the poverty line (low income), several schools were near the

50% poverty margin (moderate income), and one school consisted of what would be considered “privileged” students where only 1.1 % of the students lived below the poverty line (high income). By analyzing a representative school from each of these three economic groups, a clear picture should emerge of which group(s) show escalated positive effects for the three impact areas (Art Appreciation, Teamwork, and Self-

Efficacy) and if there are significant differences in the data due to economic demographics.

The three schools selected as being representative of low, middle, and high income levels from the NEOUCOM study are Case Elementary (lowest income

demographic), Preston Elementary (moderate income demographic), and Silver Lake

Elementary School (highest income demographic).

Demographic Verification

Aggregate income levels for each school were systematically verified for this study by examining their student populations’ participation in the Federal Free and

Reduced Lunch Program. In the state of Ohio, a child is considered to be living below the poverty line (and therefore eligible for free lunch) if their total household income falls below established guidelines for a family of X number of people (See Appendix C). For example, a child in a family of four whose household income is $20,500 or less is considered as living below the poverty line and therefore eligible for the Federal Free and

Reduced Lunch Program (Federal Register, 2010). Using the Federal Free and Reduced

Lunch guidelines as a determinant of participants’ income level provides an equitable evaluation across participating school systems.

Case Elementary School

Case Elementary School, part of the Akron public School system, is a K-5 elementary school located in Akron, Ohio. With an average population of 217,000,

Akron is the largest municipality in Summit County and the Akron Public School district is the largest public school system (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). The median household income in Akron is $31,835, and 70% of Akron Public School children are eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch program.

Case Elementary began participating in the Reach Out And Dance program during the 2007-2008 school year. With an average enrollment of 417 students, it is one of the largest and most disadvantaged of the 33 elementary schools district wide. Fifty- nine 4th grade students completed both pre-tests and post-tests for the NEOUCOM study during the 2008-2009 school year. According to 4th grade teacher Jen Williams, 91% of the students who completed the pre and post tests were eligible for the Federal Free and

Reduced Lunch program.

Preston Elementary School

Preston Elementary School is a K-5 elementary school in the Cuyahoga Falls City

School district. The City of Cuyahoga Falls is the second largest city in Summit County,

Ohio with 49,374 residents. Median household income is $42,263 (U.S. Census Bureau,

2010). Average student population at Preston Elementary is 280. Thirty-four 4th grade students completed pre and post test surveys for the 2008-2009 NEOUCOM research study. Of those students, 45% were participants of the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch

Program (Cuyahoga Falls City Schools, 2010).

Silver Lake Elementary School

Silver Lake Elementary School is located in the township of Silver Lake, Ohio.

Silver Lake is an affluent community located next to the cities of Cuyahoga Falls and

Stow in Summit County. The township of Silver Lake has a population of 3,019. Median household income is $79,286 and only 1.1% of residents in the Village of Silver Lake live below the poverty line (United States Census Bureau, 2010).

As a priority for Reach Out And Dance is to serve students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the art of dance due to economic disadvantages, it is unusual to find Reach Out And Dance programming in an environment such as Silver Lake. However, because Silver Lake Elementary belongs to the City of Cuyahoga Falls Public Schools district, Reach Out And Dance began serving these students in 2005 to fulfill the Cuyahoga Falls City Schools districts desire to provide every student district-wide with the opportunity to experience dance education.

Silver Lake Elementary is a K-5 school with an average enrollment of 245 students. It is one of six K-5 elementary schools in the Cuyahoga Falls school district.

Thirty-four 4th grade students from Silver Lake Elementary participated in the

NEOUCOM study during the 2008-2009 school year. Of those students, only 2.6% were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program (Cuyahoga Falls City Schools,

2009).

Overview of Research Methods

Research methods used in this study include identifying demographic differences in participating schools, extracting raw data on three economically diverse schools from the existing NEOUCOM study, categorizing each schools data by impact area (arts appreciation, teamwork, and self-efficacy), comparing the results, and drawing possible conclusions.

While the three schools were selected for their differences in economic demographics they were also selected based on a variety of similarities in order to keep extraneous variables to a minimum. For example, the Reach Out And Dance program as

a whole serves both 4th and 5th grade students; however, participants at the three schools examined in this study were all enrolled in the 4th grade during the 2008-2009 school year. Grade level, therefore, can be considered a constant factor across participants and should not influence the results of the data reassessment.

The number of class periods, curriculum, instructors, and time of day were also taken into consideration when choosing schools for this assessment. Each school received one 40 minute dance class a week for thirty weeks; this consistency in time frame thereby minimizes inequality in experience time. Weekly curriculum was also presented systematically in each school by the same dance instructor and pianist. This constancy in curriculum and instructor should minimize the potential for data differences due to personality preferences or differences in presentation of materials. Finally, all three schools had morning class meeting times. Silver Lake and Preston had Reach Out and

Dance from 9:35 to 10:15a.m. and Case received programming from 9:15 to 9:55a.m.

Choosing schools with similar meeting times should reduce the possibility of data disparity due to differences in students’ energy level and concentration ability that may occur as the school day progresses.

CHAPTER IV

METHODS AND RESULTS

Research Methods

Research methods used in this study include: identifying demographic differences in participating schools; extracting raw data on three economically diverse schools from the existing NEOUCOM study; categorizing each schools data by impact area (arts appreciation, self-confidence in teamwork, and self-efficacy); comparing the study’s results; and drawing possible conclusions. The original NEOUCOM study assessed changes in participants’ responses from pre-test to post-test by comparing mean scores attained from a paired t-test method. The current study uses the post-test data from the NEOUCOM research to compare the differences in the three impact areas on three economically diverse schools. Mean scores were calculated based on the participants’ responses of either: Strongly Agree (mean score = 4), Agree (mean score = 3), Disagree

(mean score = 2), or Strongly Disagree (mean score =1).

While the three schools were selected for their differences in economic demographics, they were also selected based on a variety of similarities in order to keep extraneous variables to a minimum. For example, the Reach Out And Dance program as a whole serves both 4th and 5th grade students; however, participants at the three schools

examined in this study were all enrolled in the 4th grade during the 2008-2009 school

year. Grade level, therefore, can be considered a constant factor across participants and

should not influence the results of the data reassessment.

The number of class periods, curriculum, instructors, and time of day were also

taken into consideration when choosing schools for this assessment. Each of the schools

received one forty minute dance class a week for thirty weeks; this consistency in time

frame thereby minimizes inequality in experience time. Weekly curriculum was also

presented systematically in each school by the same dance instructor and pianist. This

constancy in curriculum and instructor should minimize the potential for data differences

due to personality preferences or differences in presentation of materials. Finally, all

three schools had morning class meeting times. Silver Lake and Preston had Reach Out

and Dance from 9:35 to 10:15a.m. and Case received programming from 9:15 to 9:55a.m.

Choosing schools with similar meeting times should reduce the possibility of data

disparity due to differences in students’ energy level and concentration ability that may

occur as the school day progresses.

Arts Appreciation

Statements presented in the NEOUCOM study that identified arts appreciation

were (1) I think dance is fun, (2) I like to go see plays, (3) I would like to take more

dance classes, (4) I think other kids would like Reach out And Dance and (5) I think

being a dancer is a good profession.

Results for Case Elementary, which represents the lowest economic demographic, show an overall positive score for arts appreciation (See Table 4.1). Case scored higher

than Preston and Silver Lake in their responses to two statements: ‘I think dance is fun’,

and ‘Being a dancer is a good profession.’ In response to ‘I like to go see plays,’ and ‘I would like to take more dance,’ Case scored slightly lower than Preston but higher than

Silver Lake. Although the responses to these two questions were positive, perceived

economic barriers to purchasing a ticket for a play and paying for dance lessons may

have been a factor in the reaction to these two statements. And finally, in response to ‘I

think other kids would like Reach Out And Dance,’ Case participants equaled Preston participants in positive responses and were more positive than Silver Lake.

Preston Elementary school, the median income group, showed positive responses to all five arts appreciation impact statements. Highest were their responses to ‘I like to go see plays’ and ‘I would like to take more dance.’ Interestingly, there seem to be no perceived economic barriers to inhibit positive responses in these statements, although based on previously stated demographics, these barriers may exist for roughly 45% of

Preston’s participants. The statements ‘I think dance is fun’ and ‘Being a dancer is a good profession’ were answered more positively than Silver Lake but not as positively as Case.

And finally, Preston’s response to ‘I think others would like Reach Out And Dance’ equaled that of Case and were more positive than Silver Lake.

Silver Lake Elementary, the highest income demographic, showed overall positive responses for arts appreciation, but on the whole were clearly the least impacted group. In response to all five statements, Silver Lake scored lower than both Case and

Preston.

Table 4.1 : Arts Appreciation

4 3.5 3 2.5 Mean 2 Scores 1.5 Case 1 Preston 0.5 Silver Lake 0 I think dance I like to go I would like I think others Being is fun see plays to take more would like adancer is a dance ROAD good profession Impact Area Statements

Results Overview: Arts Appreciation

In the category of arts appreciation, mean scores from the impact area statements

were collected and averaged by school. A total mean score was then derived and assigned

accordingly to each school (See table 4.2). Case Elementary (lowest economic

demographic) had a mean score of 3.28, showing a strong positive effect of the Reach

Out And Dance program on participants’ arts appreciation. Preston Elementary (median economic demographic) scored a 3.29, also a strong positive effect that was not

significantly greater than Case. Silver Lake Elementary (highest economic demographic)

still showed a positive result for arts appreciation, but had the lowest mean score of the

three schools: 2.81.

Table 4.2: Total Arts Appreciation Scores

3.3

3.2

3.1

3 Case Total Preston Mean 2.9 Scores Silver Lake 2.8

2.7

2.6

2.5 Arts Appreciation

Self-confidence in Teamwork

Statements identified in the NEOUCOM study that identified self-

confidence in teamwork were (1) I am good at working in a group, (2) I am

comfortable performing in front of people, and (3) I am afraid to try something

new in front of my friends. Overall, all three schools showed positive responses to

the three self-confidence in teamwork impact statements, and were similar in their

responses to two of the three statements (See table 4.3).

Case Elementary scored highest in response to the statement ‘I am

comfortable performing in front of people’ however, their response was only

slightly higher than both Preston and Silver Lake Elementary schools and would

29 not be considered statistically significant (Snyder 2009). Responses to ‘I am good at working in a group’ also showed a slightly higher positive response than

Preston and Silver Lake, but again, would not be considered statistically significant. The statement “I am afraid to try something new in front of my friends’ shows a decrease in mean scores overall, however, this is a positive result as greater disagreement with this statement means that students are less afraid to try something new in front of their friends (Snyder 2009). Case Elementary responded positively to this statement, meaning that as a group, they were still somewhat afraid to try something new in front of their peers. Case scored higher than Silver Lake but lower than Preston in response to this statement, meaning they were less afraid than Preston but more afraid than Silver Lake to try something new.

Preston Elementary scored the highest in their response to the statement ‘I am afraid to try something new in front of my friends.’ Again, a positive response to this statement would indicate a reluctance to try something new in front of their peers. The statements ‘I am good at working in a group’ and ‘I am comfortable performing in front of people,’ although positively responded to by Preston participants, were statistically not significantly different from the other two schools.

The statement ‘I am afraid to try something new in front of my friends’ proved to be the most statistically significant statement for Silver Lake

Elementary. Silver Lake’s strong negative response to the statement is actually a positive, because it indicates that students are less afraid to try something new.

Silver Lake’s response was lower (and therefore more positive) than both Case

and Preston Elementary school respondents. Silver Lake’s positive response to the

statements ‘I am good at working in a group’ and ‘I am comfortable performing in

front of other people’ were statistically similar to both Case and Preston.

Table 4.3: Self-confidence in Teamwork

3.5

2.5 Mean 2 Scores 1.5 Case Preston 1 Silver Lake 0.5

0 I am good at working I am comfortable I am afraid to try in a group performing in front of something new in people front of my friends Impact Area Statements

Results Overview: Self-confidence in Teamwork

In the category of self-confidence in teamwork, mean scores from each impact

area statements were collected and averaged by school. A total mean score was then

derived and assigned accordingly to each group (See table 4.4). Case Elementary (lowest economic demographic) had a mean score of 2.87 showing a positive effect of the Reach

Out And Dance program on participants’ self-confidence in teamwork. Preston

Elementary (median economic demographic) also scored a 2.87. Silver Lake Elementary

(highest economic demographic) still showed a positive result for self-confidence in

teamwork, but had the lowest mean score of the three schools: 2.69. While not

significantly lower than Case and Preston Elementary (based on a scale of 1-4), Silver

Lake’s responses were again the most divergent from the group.

Table 4.4: Total self-confidence in Teamwork Scores

2.9

2.85

2.8 Case Total Preston Mean 2.75 Scores Silver Lake 2.7

2.65

2.6 Self Confidence in Teamwork

Self-efficacy

Statements in the NEOUCOM study indicating self-efficacy in respondents were (1) I am a good dancer, (2) If I work hard, I can reach a goal (3) With enough practice, I can do anything, (4) I like to try new things, (5) Dance class makes me

feel successful, and (6) With practice anyone can learn to dance. Overall, all three schools showed positive responses to the six self-efficacy impact statements, however, noteworthy differences do exist (See Table 4.5).

Case Elementary scored highest in their response to four of the six statements: ‘I am a good dancer,’ ‘With enough practice I can do anything,’ ‘I like to try new things,’ and ‘With practice anyone can learn to dance.’ The remaining two statements, ‘If I work hard I can reach a goal,’ and ‘Dance class makes me feel successful’ were responded to more positively than Silver Lake Elementary, but less positively than Preston

Elementary.

Conversely, Preston Elementary responded more positively to ‘If I work hard, I can reach a goal’ and ‘Dance class makes me feel successful’ than both Case and

Silver Lake Elementary. The widest margin in responses was noted in ‘Dance class makes me feel successful,’ where Preston respondents scored significantly higher than both Case and Silver Lake. Preston Elementary responded more positively than Silver

Lake Elementary in response to every statement except ‘I am a good dancer.’

Silver Lake Elementary scored lowest in response to every statement except ‘I am a good dancer.’ This statement elicited responses from Silver Lake that were more positive than Preston but less positive than Case Elementary. Overall, Silver Lake responded positively to all six statements but not as positively as Case and Preston

Elementary.

Table 4.5: Self-efficacy

4.5 4 3.5 3 Mean 2.5 Scores 2 1.5 Case 1 Preston 0.5 Silver Lake 0 I am a If I work With I like to try Dance class With good hard, I can enough new things makes me practice dancer reach a practice, I feel anyone can goal can do successful learn to anything dance Impact Area Statements

Results Overview: Self-efficacy

In the category of self-efficacy, mean scores from each impact area statement’s were collected and averaged by school. A total mean score was then derived and assigned accordingly to each school (See table 4.6). Case Elementary (lowest economic demographic) had a mean score of 3.44, showing a strong positive effect of the

Reach Out And Dance program on participants’ self-efficacy. Similarly, Preston

Elementary (median economic demographic) scored a 3.47, which also indicates a strong

positive effect. Silver Lake Elementary (highest economic demographic) still showed a

positive result for self-efficacy but had the lowest mean score of the three schools: 3.07.

While not significantly lower than Case and Preston Elementary (based on a scale of 1-

4), Silver Lake’s responses deviated from the group most notably.

Table 4.6: Total Self-efficacy Scores

3.5

3.4

3.3 Case Total 3.2 Preston Mean Scores 3.1 Silver Lake

2.9

2.8 Self-Efficacy

Limitations of the Study

Limitations of this study may include classroom sample size and assessment of data that was collected from only one academic year. Sample size may be of concern because the three schools being compared had different numbers of participants. While

Preston and Silver Lake had a similar number of 4th grade survey respondents, 34 and 37 students respectively, Case Elementary had 59 students who completed the survey. The larger classroom at Case may affect comparative results as larger sample sizes lessen the margin of error (Hunter, 2010).

Additionally, only one year of data was available at the time of this analysis. A more comprehensive scope of the impact of the Reach out And Dance program may be derived by assessing multiple years’ worth of data at same school locations.

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

Summary

Research methods used in this study included: identifying economic differences in participating schools; extracting raw data on the three economically diverse schools selected from the existing NEOUCOM study; categorizing each schools’ data by impact area (arts appreciation, self-confidence in teamwork, and self-efficacy); comparing the study’s results; and drawing conclusions. The original NEOUCOM study assessed changes in participants’ responses from pre-test to post-test by comparing mean scores attained from a paired t-test method. The current study used the post-test data from the

NEOUCOM research to compare the differences in the three impact areas on three economically diverse schools.

Results were generally uniform across impact areas. It is important to note that all three groups showed a positive response in all three categories, indicating that the Reach

Out And Dance program has a positive impact on its participants regardless of economic differences in the areas of arts appreciation, self-confidence in teamwork, and self- efficacy. Interestingly, however, data reveals that the lowest income level participants

(Case Elementary School) and the median income participants (Preston Elementary

School) were positively affected with a greater significance than the highest income group (Silver Lake Elementary School) in each category.

In the area of arts appreciation, Silver Lake Elementary School showed the least change in attitudes from pre-tests to post-tests. It may be surmised that the economically advantaged children of Silver Lake Elementary School would have had the opportunity to experience the arts outside of the school environment and that those experiences may have given them an appreciation of the arts prior to their Reach Out And Dance experience. Conversely, economic barriers to experiencing the arts (i.e. purchasing a ticket for a play or paying for dance lessons) may have made the opportunity to participate in the Reach Out And Dance program more impactful for the low and median income level groups (Case and Preston Elementary Schools, respectively). It is worth noting that there was no statistically significant disparity between the low and median income schools in the area of arts appreciation. If the assumption is valid that having prior arts experiences affects the impact of the Reach out And Dance programs’ ability to increase arts appreciation, this data may indicate that arts experiences outside of the school setting may only be provided outside of the school setting by parents whose economic means are significantly above the average income level.

In the area of building self-confidence in teamwork, data reveals that the Reach

Out And Dance program produces positive results across all participating groups. Once again, however, Silver Lake Elementary School was the least positively influenced by programming. While not significantly different from Case Elementary and Preston

Elementary Schools, Silver Lake Elementary School was the most statistically divergent from the group. Pre-test data suggests that the students at Silver Lake Elementary already

possessed substantial self-confidence in performing teamwork skills prior to Reach Out

And Dance programming. One might attribute this to the fact that the economically

advantaged children of Silver Lake Elementary school may have had more opportunities

to participate in after school activities such as sports and music groups that promote

teamwork, and therefore were more likely to have already possessed this skill.

Similarly, in the area of self-efficacy, though all three groups were positively

affected by their participation in the Reach Out And Dance program, data from Silver

Lake Elementary School was less significant than data from both Case and Preston

Elementary Schools. Silver Lake Elementary School participants’ responded more

positively on post-tests to all six self-efficacy indicator statements but not as positively as

Case and Preston Elementary School participants’. Overall, data suggests that

participation in the Reach Out And Dance program positively impacts participants’ sense

of self-efficacy regardless of economic diversity.

Suggestions for Further Research

More detailed research is needed in several areas if the results of this study are to

be substantiated. Accounting for the effect of prior arts experiences on arts appreciation

scores would help identify which participants’ responses may have been influenced by past experiences, and therefore may not be attributable to the effects of the Reach Out

And Dance program. Similarly, gathering information on a participant’s prior team participation activities (i.e. sports, music, etc.) may provide insight into which improved self-confidence responses may have been clouded by past experiences with teamwork. A 39

larger sample size in each participating school may have altered the preliminary results of this study. However, larger sample sizes are unlikely to change the overall comparative significance of the research (Hunter, J. E., & Schmidt, F. L, 1990). Analyzing data based on age of participants (as opposed to grade level), gender, and cultural differences might also be beneficial. Since preceding National Dance Institute literature did not provide any background information on economic diversity as it relates to arts appreciation, self- confidence in teamwork, and self-efficacy, comparative data for this study was not available. However, the data from this study may offer a starting point for future research and will be useful if the National Dance Institute pedagogy employed by Reach Out And

Dance is revisited for another demographically based study.

Conclusion

Results of this study will inform the selection of future participants in the Reach

Out And Dance program. Additionally, results of both the initial NEOUCOM research and the supplementary research presented here are potentially valuable for several other entities. First, educators can reference the data to assess the value of dance education in their schools and make a case with administrators and school boards for including dance education in their weekly rotation of arts curriculum. Second, dance teachers can use the results to select participating populations and to hone their pedagogy to enhance participants’ classroom experience. Finally, foundations and patrons of the arts can be

reassured that their vital resources are affecting a positive change in the participating population and that their vital resources are being well spent.

WORKS CITED

BOOKS:

Bandura, A. Social Learning Theory. New York, New York: General Learning Press, 1977. Print. d’Amboise, Jacques, Hope Cooke, and Carolyn George. Teaching The Magic Of Dance. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1983. 9-16. Print.

H’Doubler, Margaret, Mary Alice Brennan. Dance: A Creative Arts Experience. Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1957. 6. Print.

Oppenheimer, Catherine. Teaching Excellence: A Guide to Establishing an Elementary School Dance Program Based on the Work of The National Dance Institute. Santa Fe, New Mexico, National Dance Institute of New Mexico: 2000, 2006. 17-21 . Print.

Ohio Department of Education, Center for Curriculum and Assessment. Academic Content Standards: K-12 Fine Arts. Columbus, Ohio: State Board of Education, 2004. 2, 64-66. Print.

ARTICLES:

Bandura, A. “Self-efficacy.” Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, Volume 4 (1994). Print.

Rhodes, Alison M, Ed.M. “Dance in Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning.” Journal of Dance Education, Volume 6, Number 2. (2006). Web.

Ruppert, Sandra S. “Critical Evidence: How the ARTS Benefit Student Achievement.” National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. (2006). 3, 7. Print.

Hunter, J. E., & Schmidt, F. L. “Methods of meta-analysis: Correcting error and bias in research findings.” Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. (1990). Print.

Urdan, T. “Achievement goal theory: Past results, future directions.” In M. L. Maehr & P. R. Pintrich (Eds.), Advances in motivation and achievement, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. (1997). Print.

RESEARCH:

Horowitz, Rob, PhD. “Evaluation of the National Dance Institute’s In-School Education Programs.” 2003. Print.

Snyder, Clint, Ph.D. “Reach Out And Dance Student Survey” 2007. Print

Snyder, Clint, PhD. “Reach Out And Dance 2008-2009 Program Evaluation.” 2009. Print.

INTERVIEWS:

Williams, Jennifer. Personal Interview. 12 august 2010.

WEB SITES:

United States Department of Commerce: United States Census Bureau, 2009. Web. 11 August 2010.

United States Department of Commerce: United States Census Bureau, 2010. Web. 2 November 2010.

Cfalls.summit.k12.oh.us. Cuyahoga Falls Public School District, 2009. Web. 12 August 2010.

Cfalls.summit.k12.oh.us. Cuyahoga Falls Public School District, 2010. Web. 17 December 2010.

Merriam-Webster.com, 2010. Merriam-Webster Open Dictionary and Thesaurus, 2010. Web. 5 October 2010.

Ohio.gov. Ohio Department of Education, 2010. Web. 8 September, 2010. National Dance.org. National Dance Institute, 2009. Web. 10 September, 2010.

NDI-NM.org. National Dance Institute of New Mexico, 2009. 10 September, 2010.

USDA.gov. United States Department of Agriculture, 2010. Eligibility Manual For School

Meals, Federal Policy for Determining and Verifying Eligibility. Web. 17 December, 2010.

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

Reach Out and Dance Student Survey

Name

School

What grade are you in?

Please tell us how you feel about the following statements. Please answer if you STRONGLY AGREE, AGREE, DISAGREE or STRONGLY DISAGREE.

Strongly disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree I think dance is fun I am a good dancer I am afraid to try something new in front of my friends I am comfortable performing in front of people Working hard can be fun If I work hard, I can reach a goal With enough practice, I can do anything I think other kids would like Reach Out and Dance I like to try new things I like to go to see plays I like to be on stage I am good at working in a group I would like to take more dance classes Dance class makes me feel successful With practice, anyone can learn to dance Being a dancer is a good profession

APPENDIX B

NEOUCOM RAW DATA

School Case Elementary School

Grade 4

Gender All Number 59

Please tell us how you feel about the following statements. Please answer if you STRONGLY AGREE, AGREE, DISAGREE or STRONGLY DISAGREE. (Mean score, 1=SD. 2=D, 3=A, 4=SA). Statistically significant differences are highlighted.

Pretest Posttest Significance

I think dance is fun 3.46 3.51 0.63 I am a good dancer 2.92 3.10 0.18 I am afraid to try something new in front of my friends 2.24 2.19 0.77 I am comfortable performing in front of people 3.02 3.10 0.61 Working hard can be fun 3.24 3.33 0.44 If I work hard, I can reach a goal 3.44 3.73 0.01 With enough practice, I can do anything 3.36 3.56 0.06 I think other kids would like Reach Out and Dance 3.39 3.61 0.05 I like to try new things 3.31 3.44 0.27 I like to go to see plays 3.24 2.83 0.01 I like to be on stage 3.16 3.33 0.25 I am good at working in a group 3.45 3.34 0.33 I would like to take more dance classes 3.02 3.15 0.37 Dance class makes me feel successful 3.19 3.17 0.92 With practice, anyone can learn to dance 3.52 3.66 0.23 Being a dancer is a good profession 3.45 3.31 0.26

School Preston

Grade 4

Gender All Number 34

Pretest Posttest Significance

I think dance is fun 2.91 3.45 0.01 I am a good dancer 2.48 2.79 0.12 I am afraid to try something new in front of my friends 2.47 2.26 0.46 I am comfortable performing in front of people 2.26 3.03 0.01 Working hard can be fun 2.70 3.30 0.02 If I work hard, I can reach a goal 3.27 3.85 0.00 With enough practice, I can do anything 3.12 3.55 0.02 I think other kids would like Reach Out and Dance 3.09 3.61 0.00 I like to try new things 3.30 3.36 0.71 I like to go to see plays 2.88 2.94 0.82 I like to be on stage 2.55 3.36 0.00 I am good at working in a group 2.94 3.33 0.07 I would like to take more dance classes 2.67 3.42 0.00 Dance class makes me feel successful 2.88 3.65 0.00 With practice, anyone can learn to dance 3.45 3.64 0.18 Being a dancer is a good profession 2.97 3.06 0.64

School Silver Lake

Grade 4

Gender All Number 37

Pretest Posttest Significance

I think dance is fun 3.03 3.08 0.64 I am a good dancer 2.70 2.84 0.34 I am afraid to try something new in front of my friends 2.54 1.70 0.00 I am comfortable performing in front of people 2.65 3.08 0.02 Working hard can be fun 2.97 3.00 0.89 If I work hard, I can reach a goal 3.41 3.57 0.32 With enough practice, I can do anything 3.08 3.11 0.88 I think other kids would like Reach Out and Dance 3.08 3.08 1.00 I like to try new things 3.14 3.08 0.74 I like to go to see plays 2.95 2.70 0.18 I like to be on stage 2.78 2.97 0.27 I am good at working in a group 3.14 3.30 0.31 I would like to take more dance classes 2.49 2.38 0.54 Dance class makes me feel successful 2.95 2.70 0.16 With practice, anyone can learn to dance 3.19 3.14 0.77 Being a dancer is a good profession 2.84 2.81 0.89

48 APPENDIX C

FEDERAL FREE LUNCH GUIDELINES

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 58 / Friday, March 27, 2009 / Notices