An Action Research Project: Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Project with the Philadelphia Schools

RFA provided the PMA education staff with a series of professional development sessions. The sessions focused on the skills and practices of program assessment and evaluation. The research focused on two Museum programs: an after-school arts club for middle school students and a program that employs a series of arts posters and their curriculum in individual teacher classrooms. Museum staff wanted to learn more about the impact and value of these programs, as well as answer larger questions concerning the role that art (and the Museum) plays in the lives of Philadelphia public school students and their families. Museum staff did the bulk of the fieldwork, analysis of data, and writing up of the final report, with RFA staff serving primarily as coaches and consultants.