Survey Introduction Emails

Initial email/introduction (from agency heads)

(OMB insert number here)

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is working with WestEd to conduct a study about assessment in the arts. In the coming days you will receive a survey invitation via email on behalf of WestEd. WestEd is a nonprofit, public research and development agency. The team conducting the survey is experienced in arts evaluation and research, and has conducted multiple projects for the NEA. This nationwide online survey, with participants from many art forms and disciplines, will provide important data for the study.

The role of arts assessment in today’s environment is becoming more prevalent in the areas of accountability, funding opportunity requirements, and program improvement. Creating, identifying, and implementing effective assessment tools that support quality arts instruction is a major challenge for arts educators who provide instruction in schools and communities. Through this project, the NEA seeks to collect and analyze information on current practices and trends in the assessment of student learning in the arts. Identifying needs is the first step in moving toward meeting these needs and to help advance the state of student assessment in the arts in this country.

We encourage you to watch for the survey invitation in your email and participate in this valuable study.

Survey link email (from WestEd)

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On behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), we request your participation in a survey regarding assessment in the arts.

This online survey is an important part of a research study examining the current state of assessment in the arts. Creating, identifying, and implementing effective assessment tools that support quality arts instruction is a major challenge for arts educators who provide instruction in schools and communities. Through this project, the NEA seeks to collect and analyze information on current practices and trends in the assessment of student learning in the arts. Identifying needs is the first step in moving toward meeting these needs and to help advance the state of student assessment in the arts in this country.

Survey topics include:

• assessment tools you have used in the past and their usefulness

• what you consider to be the needs in the field

• what you need in terms of arts assessment

Responses from this nationwide survey will only be published in aggregate form. The study results will be made available on the NEA’s website for use in the arts community. To access the survey, please click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your web browser.

[insert survey link]

Username: Please use your email address

Password: artsnea

You can complete the survey in more than one sitting; you may return to the survey and resume where you left off at any time.

Thank you for your time and participation. If you have any questions, please contact the WestEd research team at arts@wested.org.

Portal (on-screen survey instructions)

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Welcome to the NEA arts assessment survey. Your participation is important and is greatly appreciated.

The survey asks a series of questions regarding arts assessment. As you complete the survey, you will periodically reach a SUBMIT button. If you are continuing the survey, click SUBMIT and continue. If you need to leave the survey at any time, you will be able to return via the link and resume the survey at a later time. Simply, click the SUBMIT & LOG OUT button to save your responses.

Please respond to each question as directed – for example, some items ask for a single response, and some items ask you to mark all that apply. If a question does not apply to you, please select the Not Applicable or Unknown response option.

Responses from this survey will only be published in aggregate form – your answers will be pooled with other responses nationwide to provide an overview of arts assessment.

Thank you for your time and participation.

First reminder (from Sarah @ NEA)

(OMB insert number here)

You recently received an email requesting your participation in a national arts assessment survey. WestEd is conducting this survey on behalf of the NEA to provide rich data regarding the current state of arts assessment nationwide. If you have already completed the survey, thank you very much for your time and input. If you have not already done so, please take the time to complete the survey. To access the survey, please click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your web browser.

[insert survey link]

Username: Please use your email address

Password: artsnea

Through this project, the NEA seeks to collect and analyze information on current practices and trends in the assessment of student learning in the arts. Identifying needs is the first step in moving toward meeting these needs and to help advance the state of student assessment in the arts in this country. Your participation in the survey is needed to represent the experiences and needs of arts agencies, practitioners, educators, and more.

We strongly encourage you to take part in this important research study – your input is valuable and appreciated.

If you have any questions about the survey or the research study in general, please contact the WestEd research team at arts@wested.org.

Second reminder (from WestEd)

(OMB insert number here)

You recently received an invitation to participate in an online survey regarding assessment in the arts. If you have already completed the survey, we would like to thank you for your input. Information from this survey is feeding an important NEA-sponsored research study regarding the state of arts assessment. If you have not completed the survey, please take a moment to do so, as everyone’s input is valuable.

The accuracy and value of this study depends heavily on the degree of participation from those in a position to provide information. The NEA is seeking to identify and address needs in the arts community, but they cannot do so effectively without hearing from a wide variety of arts agencies, practitioners, educators, and more.

If you have not already done so, please click the link below and participate in the survey. The survey does not need to be completed in one sitting, so if you only have a few moments please begin the survey anyway and provide whatever information you can. While we encourage you to participate fully, you do not need to complete every question.

To access the survey, please click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your web browser.

[insert survey link]

Username: Please use your email address

Password: artsnea

Thank you for your attention and participation. If you have any questions, please contact the WestEd research team at arts@wested.org.