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PAINTING A PICTURE OF CHANGE: VETERAN ART TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES OF STANDARDS, ASSESSMENTS, AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE ART CLASSROOM by DREW BROWN (Under the Direction of Carole Henry) ABSTRACT This qualitative study examined veteran art teachers’ perspectives of change with the recent implementation and increased emphases of Georgia’s state visual arts standards on their work with elementary level visual arts students. To understand art teachers’ perspectives on how their teaching had changed over time, data was constructed from interviews, field notes and documents such as lesson plans. Operating in a constructivist paradigm, I asked the following questions: How do teachers incorporate the state standards in their thinking and planning for art instruction? How do teachers incorporate assessment of state standards in their thinking and planning for art instruction? How do teachers describe how their teaching has changed over time with implementation of state standards? How do art teachers characterize accountability in their daily work? Findings were discussed through four themes connected to three teachers’ interwoven stories: art teachers building, art teachers surrendering, art teachers maintaining and art teachers evolving. To understand art teachers’ experiences with change, I examined the data within the perspective of John Dewey’s theory of experience. This study offered a deeper understanding of the impact of the national and state standards movements on art education. For policymakers, stakeholders, administrators, and educators, this research can be used to extract issues from the field in regard to planning for and teaching with state standards and implementing assessment strategies. Problematic issues in regard to art teachers’ experiences with standards and assessments are explored. This research may also invoke questions and discussions about the direction of educational reform and standards implementation. INDEX WORDS: Education standards, Performance standards, Standards-based teaching, Art education, Curriculum and planning, State standards, Accountability, Visual arts, Assessments PAINTING A PICTURE OF CHANGE: VETERAN ART TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES OF STANDARDS, ASSESSMENTS, AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE ART CLASSROOM by DREW BROWN B.A., Clemson University, 1988 M.A.Ed., University of Georgia, 1994 Ed.S., Augusta State University (Georgia Regents University), 2006 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2015 © 2015 Drew Brown All Rights Reserved PAINTING A PICTURE OF CHANGE: VETERAN ART TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES OF STANDARDS, ASSESSMENTS, AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE ART CLASSROOM by DREW BROWN Major Professor: Carole Henry Committee: Kathryn Roulston Elizabeth DeBray Electronic Version Approved: Suzanne Barbour Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia December 2015 iv DEDICATION To my husband Kirk who has supported me in my pursuit of this research with his kind words, gentle encouragement, and action around the house when I was not there. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful for those who have supported me during my time at University of Georgia. First, I would like to thank my major professor Dr. Carole Henry, who encouraged me when I expressed interest in pursuing this journey. The past four years at University of Georgia’s Lamar Dodd School of Art have been transitional ones, as the department experienced a turnover in teaching personnel and department leadership. Dr. Henry, the consummate professional, was there for me every step of the way with her support and expertise as an advisor, mentor, professor and scholar. I am also appreciative of my committee members, Dr. Elizabeth DeBray and Dr. Kathryn Roulston, who have challenged my thinking in their respective classes and given me the confidence to finish this dissertation. Dr. Kathleen deMarrais and Dr. Corey Johnson deserve special acknowledgment for their guidance in the area of qualitative research design. I would also like to recognize those colleagues who have been part of my support group during this process. Sharing ideas and laughter along the way made this experience so much more special and memorable. Special thanks go to Dr. Gloria Wilson and Nancy Herlily for their support and friendship. I appreciate the encouragement I received from both Dr. Kathleen Jackson and Dr. Jackie Ellett. I am so appreciative to Dr. Richard Siegesmund and Dr. Lauren Phillips for initially encouraging me and believing in me as I began this process. Many thanks to Kirby Meng and Pam Morgan for being willing to engage in the initial dialogue and sharing ideas early in this research that helped shape this study. To Debi West and Ivey Coleman thank you for always being my cheerleaders. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................................x LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION: PUZZLING OUT THE PROBLEM ..............................................1 Gaps in the Literature...............................................................................................5 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................6 Significance of the Study .........................................................................................6 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ........................................................................................9 Standards-Based Reform on the National Level ......................................................9 Standards-Based Education in Georgia .................................................................19 Influential Policy and Initiatives in Standards-Based Reform ...............................22 Teachers’ Experiences with Standards-Based Reform ..........................................28 Theoretical Framework ..........................................................................................35 Pilot Study ..............................................................................................................36 3 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................45 Paradigm ................................................................................................................45 Purpose and Research Questions ...........................................................................46 vii Theoretical Assumptions .......................................................................................47 Research Design.....................................................................................................48 Participant Selection ..............................................................................................49 Collecting and Generating Data .............................................................................51 Criteria for Evaluating Quality ..............................................................................56 Limitations of the Study.........................................................................................56 Audio Recording and Photographs ........................................................................57 Privacy/Confidentiality ..........................................................................................58 Subjectivities Statement .........................................................................................58 4 DESCRIPTION OF APPLE COUNTY, SCHOOLS, AND PARTICIPANTS ..........60 Apple County .........................................................................................................60 Waterfalls Elementary ...........................................................................................62 Pinedale Elementary ..............................................................................................65 Rivers Elementary ..................................................................................................66 Interwoven Threads and Stories of Change ...........................................................69 5 ART TEACHERS BUILDING....................................................................................71 Building Strategies for Test Success......................................................................71 Building through Technology ................................................................................75 Building Strategies for Assessments ......................................................................76 Building Together: Increased Collaboration with Colleagues ...............................82 6 ART TEACHERS SURRENDERING ........................................................................86 Surrendering Freedom ...........................................................................................87 Surrendering Curiosity ...........................................................................................91 viii Surrendering Imaginative Play ..............................................................................92

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