Session B3. The Odd Couple: Data Collection and Arts Education

Presenter:
Elizabeth Winkelhoff, Data and Evaluation Manager, DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative

Data collection is vital when telling an accurate story, particularly in identifying whose story you’re telling and how to share it with a receptive audience. Identifying what you have and how to use it is a vital step in narrative impact work. During this session, attendees will be led through a 101 on surveying and program evaluation techniques, including ethics, capacity, and understanding their why. In the second half of the session, attendees will participate in a “survey sprint”, an activity in which they’ll design an in-person, interactive survey with a clear goal using only the information and items provided. There is a difficult history of data collection in our sector. DC Collaborative strongly believes, and has experienced firsthand, that understanding the information your community is giving you is the best way to adapt to them, and support sustainable growth in the arts. “Data” doesn’t only mean test scores, it’s about impact, it’s about holistic student experience. This session is in response to the oft-clerical evaluations, and how it doesn’t need to be like that all of the time.