The study will provide the National
Endowment for the Arts (NEA) a better understanding of
student-level outcomes associated with the Poetry Out Loud program.
Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program supported by
the NEA, the Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts
agencies, which encourages high school students to learn about
poetry through memorization and recitation, helping students master
public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about
literary history. Now in its twelfth year, POL serves more than 3
million students and 50,000 teachers from 10,000 schools in every
state plus Washington, DC, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
The current evaluation study will be the first since 2008. The
study supports the Agency’s FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, which
seeks in part to “expand and promote evidence of the value and
impact of the arts for the benefit of the American people”
(Strategic Objective 3.2). The study will focus on assessing
student outcomes in poetry appreciation and engagement, as well as
on social and emotional development, and academic achievement using
a rigorous quasi-experimental design combined with qualitative data
collection and analysis of program implementation in a purposive
sample of 10 schools. The quasi-experimental design will include
pre- and post-student surveys of POL program participants and
non-participants, statistical analyses of student record data (e.g.
test scores, attendance) for all students (treatment and
comparison) in the 10 schools, coupled with qualitative data
collection in 10 schools to help understand POL program
implementation and the experiences of those in the comparison
group. Qualitative data collection at each of the 10 schools will
include one 60-minute focus group with students, two 45-minute
student interviews, two 45-minute teacher interviews, one 30-minute
administrator interview (either a school principal or State Arts
Agency administrator).
This study is a new data
collection request, and the data to be collected are not available
elsewhere unless collected through this information collection. The
data collection activities are planned for July 2018 through June
2019. The study will provide the National Endowment for the Arts
(NEA) a better understanding of student-level outcomes associated
with the Poetry Out Loud program. Poetry Out Loud is a national
arts education program supported by the NEA, the Poetry Foundation,
and state and jurisdictional arts agencies, which encourages high
school students to learn about poetry through memorization and
recitation, helping students master public speaking skills, build
self-confidence, and learn about literary history. Now in its
twelfth year, POL serves more than 3 million students and 50,000
teachers from 10,000 schools in every state plus Washington, DC,
the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. The current evaluation
study will be the first since 2008. The study supports the Agency’s
FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, which seeks in part to “expand and
promote evidence of the value and impact of the arts for the
benefit of the American people” (Strategic Objective 3.2).
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.