Permission to Teach: Program Evaluation of the A+ Schools Model

This study examines teacher response to year one implementation of the A+ Schools Program arts integration model. Twenty-two randomly selected teachers from three school sites were observed over a 12-month period to gather baseline and year one data. Performance results indicated no significant changes in teacher behaviors based on Friedman's test assessing teacher growth. Focus group perceptual data indicated teachers endorsed the A+ Schools Program model as having benefit and giving them "permission to teach" even as they reported a need for more professional development and support with arts integration pedagogy.