Education Department POPS REPORT 2016-2017

Districts Charters Schools Home School Students Instructional Hours Teachers Students

26 28 268 0 5155.5 2887 61371

2

Education Department POPS REPORT 2016-2017 Budget Expenditure and Income Source

Legislative Appro-priation

Funding Leveraged from Other Sources

Total Expenditures on Ap-proved Education Programs

Legislative Appropriation % of Total Expenditures

Personnel 119,289 232,518 351,807 34%

Travel 3,129 6,100 9,229 34%

Materials 737 1,438 2,175 34%

Other (identify) 196,276 382,578 578,854 34%

TOTAL 319,432 622,633 942,065 34%

2016 - 2017 Total Services Provided

Districts Charters Schools Home School Students Instructional Hours Teachers Students

26 28 268 0 5155.5 2887 61371

Description of UFOMT Education Services: Overview

Professional Outreach Programs in the Schools (POPS) funding and over-

sight through Utah State Board of Education (USBE) has allowed Utah Fes-

tival Opera & Musical Theatre (UFOMT) the ability to have a rich tradition

of arts integration in our 25 year history. The Opera by Children (OBC) pro-

gram has been our flagship in-school arts education program for 20

years. This year alone, 61,371 students statewide participated in a range

of scholastic and ennobling artistic learning. Students participated in a va-

riety of projects: creating operas, OBC performance attendance, or cre-

ating an original song in the Festival Songwriter program, watching profes-

sional concerts, opera and musical theatre performances within the Stu-

dent in Attendance offering. Others participated in an adjudicated musi-

cal through the Utah High School Musical Theater Awards (UHSMTA) pro-

gram and in the awards event, learning in “informances”, live response sessions, competing and learning in Utah

and New York workshops and performances. 2,887 teachers also gained professional development and artistic expe-

rience through our programs: Onsite workshops in Logan or at district offices and schools around the state, Teacher

in Attendance offerings of our professional concerts, operas, musical theatre performances, and Festival Academy

during our summer season in Logan, UT. 933 outreach services offered locally and throughout the state reached

“As years have gone on, I’ve seen how much it (OBC) really helps the kids. It helps improve them in all areas of academics.”

Scott Knight, 3rd Grade Teacher,

South Jordan,

Jordan

3

70 Title I designated schools, including several priority focus schools and those recognized for outstanding performance. By design, partici-pants left ennobled through these experiences accomplishing the mission of UFOMT.

UFOMT Education Staff worked with District Arts Coordinators (DAC) and other school administra-tors to coordinate workshops and programs making it accessible to all interested teachers. Special effort was made to contact teachers di-rectly as much as possible. Many teachers con-tact UFOMT directly. USBE provides guidance and oversight on best practices through con-sistent internal evaluation, peer reviews, assess-ment of events for credit or relicensure points

for qualifying teachers through USBE accreditation.

Contacts provid-ed through the USBE office, good communication between the POPS consortium and partnerships with professional artists and arts education provid-er organizations ensure organized coverage of the state. Education Staff coordinate each year with the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Utah Opera, specifically, in order to fill the mandate of theatre and opera programs for statewide coverage.

OBC offers the following services to teachers and schools: A. Teacher Workshops, B. K-6 OBC Classroom Implementa-tion & Songwriting for Middle School and Jr High School Students, C. K-6 Student Performances ; All services de-scribed below:

A. Opera by Children Teacher Training Workshops

Districts Charters Schools Instructional Hours Teachers Students

16 8 86 428 163 -

4

OBC Workshops attended by teachers from 16 Districts were conducted by request of local DAC, school administration

and/or classroom teachers, provided each teacher with improved facilitation and communication skills needed for the

creative process and development of an original opera and allowing teachers to deepen quality

instruction overall. Facilitation skills taught: a) establishing boundaries: time limits and the OBC

three rules/goals: 1-No one gets hurt, 2- Every-

one participates and 3- It is the students’ work

and, b) staying neutral, c) listening mindfully, d)

ask probing questions, e) the “how to” of col-

lecting ideas, f) synthesizing ideas, g) learning

appropriate ways to give feedback, h) para-

phrasing (repeat for clarification), i) summariz-

ing (describe the whole story), j) how to test

assumptions, k) and ways to evaluate objec-

tives being met in the opera. USBE College and

Career Readiness skills, 21st Century learning

skills, ELA core standards and higher order

thinking skills were taught along with the Fine

Arts core/ opera skills: singing, melody crea-

tion with rhythm and harmony, story writing, libretto creation, staging,

painting and creating props, scenery and costumes, organizing perfor-

mances, and self-assessment. In-depth conversations and activities

were conducted enabling teachers to further prepare their lesson

plans and integrate core teaching objectives not only in ELA and Fine

Arts curriculum standards, but also other appropriate core subjects for

lasting learning. The in-depth Opera by Children Teacher Manual prepared by UFOMT education staff was provided to

every participating teacher. It is the “how to” book of instructions giving a complete step-by-step process of opera

creation. Additional resources of “Art Day” and “Introduction to Opera” DVDs, access to our staff and website:

www.operabychildren.org provide further support.

B. Opera by Children and Utah Festival Songwriter Implementation

Since 1997, over 91,500 students K-6 (and in a few cases 7-12), have participated with OBC in individual settings creating original operas or songs. For 20

years, OBC has worked directly with teachers and students in their classrooms providing a unique teacher-development opportunity integrating arts curricula into the core learning of students through-out Utah. This year, side by side mentoring within 197 classrooms, provided 5,910 students the oppor-tunity to write, sing, dance, draw, paint and act their way through creating their own original operas or original song creation projects.

“Watching my stu-dents learn to work together and support one another is my favorite part of doing the Opera! Learning as a teacher that the more they create the more they learn. I am getting better every year at doing this. And when they fail a little in the process they learn!”

- Penny Thigpen, 3rd Grade Teacher, Moun-

tainside, Cache

Districts Charters Schools Instructional Hours Teachers Students

17 7 79 2896 197 5910

5

Once learning the many skills involved with OBC during workshops, teachers may par-ticipate in the Implementation Service where OBC mentors work reciprocally with teachers empowering them to integrate the opera writing and performing experience to meet core standards. OBC mentors demonstrate these new skills and assist the teacher in application as their students learn how to write original stories and adapt them for the opera stage in libretto and music form, create sets and costumes, stage and create movement. The OBC process employs the Utah State Core Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) & Literacy in History/Social Studies and Technical Subjects assisting teachers to easily implement these new standards specifically in K-6 class-rooms. OBC brings equitable arts education access for all students, meeting each indi-vidual students’ needs.

This process allowed teachers choosing to move forward in the implementation process the opportunity for the arts to augment and enhance their students’ cognitive and retentive skills, improve College and Career Readiness and create a desire for lifelong learning. Teach-ers learned how to use the arts to strengthen each student’s self-esteem by extending them trust in his or her own ideas and creative abilities. Because of the opera involvement, and use of our program philosophy of Trust, Risk, Affirmation and Growth (TRAG), students con-sistently participated more fully in the classroom as a whole not only during the opera pro-cess. The great discovery for each teacher was that as students took ownership over the project, they all worked harder, learned deeper and expected more of themselves.

OBC mentors served a total of 2,896 direct hours in student and teacher classroom instruc-tion (POPS funds enabled us to expand this support). These were precious professional in-structional hours that helped teachers and students learn how to integrate democratic, so-cial and emotional skills into the creative process. This in turn, generated a community of student creators and performers while honoring the individual voice. The classrooms be-came a learning TEAM where everyone assisted in the learning of not only themselves but also all the other students in the classroom. This happened through cooperative learning which embraced students at their own level allowing each student to feel and be a contribu-

tor to the education of the whole group.

The rigor of the program encouraged academic flexibility for all grade levels and student abilities. The operas created by the students themselves were naturally made at an appropriate grade level, then measured depth and rigor was

“Opera by children has been one of my favorite ways to ensure a positive learning ex-perience for all of my students. My students of all levels have opportunities to share their ideas and to participate in the entire process of something extraordinary. My particular favorite inclusion is that of my English language learners. This year I have a sweet refugee student from The Congo. He came into my class not know-ing any English and through-out the year I have watched him blossom. He went from having no clue what we were doing, during the opera pro-cess, at the beginning of the year, to being able to fully par-ticipate and have a real role in

the opera.!”

- Marianne Sorenson, 3rd Grade Teacher,

Burch Creek, Weber

“The teacher is just the middle man and assist- ant. The students are the designers and the mentors are the guides. The teacher needs to make sure they are com-municating the students’ ideas to the mentors correctly so that the opera always remains the students’ work.”

- Kristin Huffman, 2nd Grade Teacher,

Lake View, Charter

6

encouraged

through revi-

sion.

Professional

artists in each

discipline

worked in the

classroom with

the students

until the class-

room teacher

was proficient

enough to teach the process without assistance. Continued support for musical scoring was part of that process and

though other assistance will be decreased over time, music scoring is always available as well as consultation for all

art forms as needed.

Expanding and focusing on the OBC music creation process of song development in sec-

ondary classes gave life to the Festival Songwriter program. New matching funds from

POPS allowed the planning and pilot implementation of this modified OBC program for

middle and jr high school students in a format more conducive to the secondary school

system. The program expanded a bit more from last year, but still remains in a pilot state.

18 classes created song structure in genres that naturally galvanized through the creative

process. Two of our professional OBC mentors served as Music Producer & Arranger and

worked alongside the teacher in each classroom setting (Some classes had four profession-

als in the classroom as we trained) during two separate hour-long visits (some classes

three). Additional music professionals assisted each class in realizing their final songs in the

studio recording sessions. We implemented the graphic label design portion in five of

these classes under the direction of an art mentor utilizing graphic design software as well

as handmade creations.

The first visit, students devel-

oped the lyrics for their songs

and in the second, they created

the melody and chord structure.

A third visit for classes who

chose to record their own voic-

ings practiced and recorded

their songs, but if the class

chose to have professional

artists create their “sound”,

they received an mp3 to lis-

tened to and give feedback on

the music. The UFOMT Music Producers and Arrangers worked in studio with professional musicians who fully real-

ized the students’ artistic creations. Last year, songs were featured on the first annual Utah Festival Songwriter Al-

bum of the Year, each student received a CD. This year, all mp3 recordings were made available on Bandcamp.

“We finished our operas in February, and even now in May I still have students asking me, ‘Can we pleeeeease do anoth-er opera?’ "

- Cassie Walker, Drama/Music Teacher K-

5 (19 operas this year), Three Peaks,

Iron

7

Every participant was invited to the online site and has the ability to listen to any of the songs created this year in per-

petuity. The album cover artwork created by the class was also uploaded and featured on the site to identify each

song. Songs were played on intercom systems for the student body at the schools or in classroom end of the year pro-

grams. A link to the Google Drive with all the scores has been made available to each teacher.

This impactful program will expand in scope during the 2017-18 school year to invigorate partnerships with Utah State

University, Cache and Logan School Districts and Utah Afterschool Network in developing after school programming to

further expand on the in-school offering.

C. Opera by Children Student Performances

189 classes per-

formed in an

“Opera by Chil-

dren Festival” at

their school for

the student body

and again in the

evening for par-

ents, extended

family and com-

munity. Perform-

ing for family and

peers is the culmi-

nating experience

for the OBC pro-

gram. This allows not only learning via the creative development process but through perfor-

mance as well, meeting the full purpose of OBC: “To provide an excellent process for educa-

tors to use that will enable them to teach and utilize creative arts in the instruction of essen-

tial core, life skills, and college and career readiness curricula”. This allows our vision to be

accomplished: “Enabling young people to grow by encouraging and affirming the natural cre-

ativity that exists within each one.” The product is not emphasized as the goal, but is part of

the creative process. It is important to share the creation for others to see, enjoy and vali-

date. Many students (and their teachers) report overcoming stage fright. Having an in-

creased ability to communicate with classmates and do other project presentations with

confidence is the result. When OBC classes share their work, other teachers and students are

introduced to the creative process, this becomes a unifying arts-building activity for the en-

tire school. Using the provided supertitles increases the powerful influence of the literacy

process and extends it to the students in attendance.

Our professional staff and mentors assist in the performances by preparing supertitles, pro-

gram covers, and finding materials for costumes and scenery. Upon conclusion of

Districts Charters Schools Instructional Hours Teachers Students

17 6 74 179 2174 57139

“I so often feel like my students don't get to be integrated enough or don't get the same op-portunities as their peers. I was hoping through this Opera that they would really feel a part of this school by getting to per-form for them and also be able to get out of their shells and showcase their talents…The student body gave them a stand-ing ovation."

- Danalee Phelps, Life Skills Teacher, Mt Crest High,

Cache

8

performances, teachers converse with colleagues, their assigned mentors for art, drama and

music, and with UFOMT education staff to assess and report on the progress made and suc-

cess of the program in their classrooms.

An extended experiment with American International School of Utah (AISU) using high

school students mentoring the elementary students at their school in staging their opera,

was again successful. We have made some headway on our service learning support pro-

gram for high school students and university students using Fine Arts skills to support teach-

ers implementing opera in their K-6 classrooms and songwriting in middle and jr high schools

classes. Watch for more progress during the 2017-18 school year.

The Utah High School Musical Theatre

Awards (UHSMTA) offers four services in

the program:

A) Adjudication and Onsite Response, B)

Group and One-on-One Coaching & Re-

hearsals C) Workshops D) Performance

and Attendance at Award Show; All ser-

vices described below:

A. UHSMTA Adjudication and Onsite Response:

Having served Utah for seven years, The Utah High School Mu-sical Theatre Awards (UHSMTA), now with support of POPS and Zions Bank Broadway at the Ec-cles partnerships, continued to expand recognition and support of the amazing accomplish-ments being made around the state in high school musical the-ater productions. This program provides professional develop-ment opportunities to teachers and students helping to magnify

that excellence. These goals were increasingly evident producing the UHSMTA award event in the new George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“It was amazing that my class with so many in resource and so many with special challenges were still able to accom-plish the creation of the opera."

- Elizabeth Hart, 1st Grade Teacher, Windsor,

Alpine

Districts Charters Schools Instructional Hours Teachers Students

13 2 21 112 48 2329

9

Trained industry professionals traveled statewide to adjudicate and respond to partici-

pating high school musical productions. With an extensive evaluation rubric and competi-

tion categories, many learning experiences and award opportunities were offered. Two

professional judges adjudicated each participating high school production. Adjudicators

trained in the official feedback and scoring process prior to attending their first produc-

tion. Judges adjudicated three or more productions for a thorough understanding of high

school musical theatre talent, standards and expectations. Adjudicators conducted an

hour (or more) verbal response and training session directly following the adjudicated

performance with the participating students and their director. Written feedback was also

given to the directors. Judges submitted their scores digitally via google drive within 48

hours of adjudicating each performance. Adjudicators attended the final judges meeting in

the spring to review DVD’s of the finalists and solidify the top ten finalists in each catego-

ry.

B. UHSMTA Group and One-on-One Coaching and Rehearsals:

Top ten finalists were invit-

ed to perform at the

UHSMTA production with professional coaching re-

hearsals occurring long before the day of the show. The

top ten actors and actresses in Best and Supporting cat-

egories prepared and rehearsed medleys prior to the

day of the show with UFOMT professionals traveling to

and coaching in the students’ local area. Further coach-

ing rehearsals with professional mentors occurred the

day of the production in choreographed staging rehears-

als.

C. UHSMTA Workshops:

All participating high school students and teachers were invited to attend free daytime workshops as well as the even-

ing production regardless of their school’s finalist placement. Workshops were offered throughout the day on topics

such as choreography, costuming, stage combat, staging, auditioning, running a successful high school program, fund-

raising, marketing, improvisation, etc. Our professional judges returned to offer these sessions and presenters from

other professional companies through partnerships and collaboration. Workshops were well attended during the day

of the awards show on May 13, 2017 largely because the venue moved from Ogden to Salt Lake.

“It's bringing all the like-minded children in the state together in one place, so that they can each show what they can do and celebrate every-one's accomplishments”

- Jana Coates, Theatre Teacher,

Northridge High, Davis

Districts Charters Schools Instructional Hours Teachers Students

11 2 17 56 28 415

Districts Charters Schools Instructional Hours Teachers Students

12 2 20 52 23 446

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D. Performance and Attendance at Award Show:

POPS funding enabled UHSMTA to move from Ogden High School to

George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hold-

ing the event in a centralized location increased attendance not only of

the daytime workshops, but also the “Tony Awards” style production.

The production celebrated Utah’s high school musical theater programs

in the following ways: 1) featured the Top Ten Musicals in a full cast pro-

duction number, 2) Highlighting Best Cameo finalists in cameo perfor-

mances throughout the evening, 3) each of the Top Ten categories: Best

Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting

Actor and Actress, performed a med-

ley of their individual featured charac-

ter’s song. (The group numbers were

prepared in previous one-on-one coaching rehearsals and then again within groups

during their day of production rehearsals.), 4) The announcement was made of the

two students, out of all those that auditioned and applied throughout the state, who

would receive two paid UFOMT performance internships, 5) The winners in the cate-

gories of Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best supporting Actress

each received a $500 scholarship, 6) Teachers and students were also recognized

and celebrated for technical creation and support. Every student finalist in a tech-

nical area such as costumes, scenic design, scenic lighting or choreography was

offered a free mentorship opportunity alongside industry professionals during UFOMT summer season. 7) A new

award was added this year to celebrate and support student generated new works in musical theatre. The event was a

polished and refined production which the community at large attended as well as all the high school Fine Arts stu-

dents who participated in the program, including their families, friends and teachers. Every audience member regard-

less of school affiliation celebrated and applauded the hard work and talents of our Utah students and educators.

POPS funding helped to offset the cost of school participation fees making this the best attended event for the Utah

High School Musical Theatre Awards (click link for list of winners).

E. UHSMTA Best Actor & Actress

UHSMTA Best Actor and Actress winners received once-in-a-lifetime experiences with additional learning alongside

Broadway professionals in the field of musical theatre in coachings, rehearsals and workshops in New York. Best Actor

and Actress winners had a ten day intensive experience studying, performing, and competing for scholarships at the

National High School Musical Theatre Awards (or Jimmy Awards) held at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.

Prior to competing in NYC, these two winners received individual sessions with UFOMT professionals coving everything

from coaching their musical theatre pieces to résumé editing and professional head shots. All these expenses are cov-

ered for these students to participate in the NHSMTA. This year, both our Utah finalists received top awards and

$2,500 scholarships at the NHSMTA, a new record for our program.

Districts Charters Schools Instructional Hours Teachers Students

13 2 21 84 34 795

Districts Charters Schools Instructional Hours Teachers Students

2 1 1 146 0 2

11

UFOMT Educational Services onsite:

A. Dress Rehearsals and Professional Performances for Teacher and Student in Attendance:

Each summer, UFOMT holds final orchestra dress rehearsals

and free tickets are offered to special needs community

members (including students) and UHSMTA and OBC teach-

ers. Further, we offer FREE tickets to each OBC and UHSMTA

student and half priced tickets for a parent (attending with

their child) to the professional season productions.

OBC & UHSMTA teachers receive buy-one-get-one-free tick-ets to season performances of their choice so they need not attend alone. All students and teachers outside our educa-

tion program participation may also attend using special discount pricing. Any teacher attending may register for USOE relicensure points through our Teacher in Attendance service to enjoy further career benefits.

These events introduce stu-dents and teach-ers to the great works of opera and musical the-ater. Each work is typically sung in its original language, with English subtitles. An hour before each perfor-

mance, the students and teachers are invited to a free “Informance,” where members of the artistic and production staff discuss how the pro-duction was conceived, the history of the opera/musical theater piece, the melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic structure of the piece, and answer any questions from the students and teachers. This is a vital component of This is a vital component of the process for students to see the pro-fessional application of what they have accomplished in the classroom and have the ability to respond to it in a knowledgeable and motivating way. Additionally, Festival Academy offers teachers free attendance to enrichment courses associat-ed with production themes. 426 professional perfor-mance events were viewed and enjoyed by teachers and students alike.

Districts Charters Schools Instructional Hours Teachers Students

21 15 161 1202.5 220 335

“We do a lot to recognize

sports and education,

which are awesome and

super important, but the

arts are important, too.”

- Abby Watts, student Woods Cross High,

Davis

“It was such an inclusive environment that

my students really fell in love with musical thea-

ter all over again. Myself and many of the other

teachers last night have discussed how special it

was last night. As the participants were getting

ready to take their seats for the show, the

cast members of several casts lined the dressing

room halls and gave high fives to ALL cast mem-

bers from all schools. I want to thank you for

creating a venue and an environment where

once a year, students can gather to really thrive

in the presence and talents of their peers. After

the show, I saw students from different schools

congratulating each other.”

- Rick Kimball, Drama Teacher Park City High,

Park City

12

Three Year Rotation of Districts :

13

1. UFOMT Education Self Evaluation:

A. Cost Effectiveness: As a strategy for USBE educational equity, qual-ity learning and leadership and culture initiatives, funding provided for UFOMT education programs from the Utah State Legislature through the POPS program, is dedicated to training and mentoring teachers and students in the methods of creating original operas and songs in the classroom, introduction to professional opera and musicals as audience members, the training of young performers and interns in professional theatre, professional instruction in musical theatre production and edu-cational arts integrated professional development. Strategic planning for use of funds comes in balance of material needs and professional instruction. No funds from this source are utilized for the maintenance and operation of the company, as funds are matched more than 2:1.

Providing professional artists is the most essential and basic element of our programs to instruct each OBC teacher in the classroom, as well as for high school productions in adjudication and training sessions. Workshop training is vital to the success of our programs, so great emphasis is placed on workshop development and accessibility. Workshops beyond the home of UFOMT, in locations around the state, increase effectiveness because of the per-sonalized training in familiar and accessible areas. One on one coaching in preparation for the Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards production in regional locations aids personalized service at the convenience of the partic-ipant. The benefits to teachers and students far outweigh the increased cost. Students and teachers are best served in small groups and as individuals for deepest learning. Teachers learn how to facilitate the students’ crea-tivity, and gain the confidence for a foundation of sustainability knowing UFOMT is a continuous resource for sup-port.

UFOMT provides internet website services, as well as education staff and mentors give access to personal numbers and emails making communication accessible nearly 24 hours a day! The website - www.operabychildren.org - is a useful resource in assisting OBC teachers by providing access to current training materials as they come available and the manual for quick ref-erence. The site provides a place for teachers working within the program to com-municate ideas with OBC staff and other teachers working in the program.

B. Procedural Efficiency:

25 years of refinement in providing arts education op-portunities for Utah students and teachers over the years

has emphasized procedural efficiency while maintaining artistic merit of our program-ming. Continuous assessment and in-depth training and orientation is key. Evaluation of how best to meet the needs of teachers and students in their educational goals during visits as time available permits has brought clarity and structure to our processes. This allows flexibility in meeting the needs of specific schools and districts. It also allows for accessibility and a meaningful experience for the teachers. Workshops and orientations are small enough to connect with each teacher assuring quality instruction and follow-through. Continual trainings and workshops are available such as OBC Returning Teacher Conferences and Art Workshops.

Guidelines are in place for the necessary learning tools to be taught and demonstrated as youth and teachers pro-ceed through the creative processes in all our programs. Each interaction is valuable as everything accomplished

14

connects to teachers’ objectives of teaching the whole child through integrated arts learning. OBC Mentor visits to the classroom are impactful and precise, lasting 45-60 minutes, with the scenery paint day 2-3 hours in duration. Songwriter projects include three sessions, each an hour. Additional support is provided as needed. Teachers par-ticipate during side-by-side aesthetic learning processes in the classrooms. UHSMTA interaction also varies as needed beyond the adjudicator’s live responses, workshops, coaching and rehearsals. Continual assessment of program processes and integrity ensure impact is not decreased for the sake of minimizing time with instruction and development as depth in learning is the goal.

Internal office reporting ensures education pro-gram services are rendered efficiently in re-sponse to teachers’ and students’ needs in a timely manner. It assures that staff help teachers understand how to incorporate the arts experi-ences effectively within the classroom and pro-duction while not creating a loss to other essen-tial studies. Awareness of all that happens in classrooms as well as live responses and work-shop sessions through mentor reports helps avert problems before they are well-advanced; a proactive approach not a reactive one. The gath-ering and organization of data is vital to support the work occurring in schools throughout Utah.

The use of Google tools and other programs enable teacher friendly data entry for registrations and communica-tion, mentor and adjudicator efficiency in communicating information and an open approach for all involved with the data and knowledge needed to be highly effective in providing services.

C. Collaborative Practices:

UFOMT programs celebrate collaboration within the creative process, but UFOMT staff also believes in and advocates for arts in the education system and community. A few UFOMT practices which ensure collaboration to provide meaningful experiences in the arts for the students and teachers of Utah are:

Communicate with District Arts Coordinators to offer our services to each district and school.

Inform school administrators/educators of the positive nature and educational rigor of all POPS programs being implemented in schools so the education community is aware of arts support avail-able both locally and statewide.

Participate in civic, community and school meetings and forums throughout the state where views may be expressed, results evalu-ated and programs implemented utilizing the power of the arts.

Assist and coordinate efforts with other statewide and local arts education organizations toward similar goals.

UFOMT staff work closely with district and school administrators to provide onsite training and in-class mentoring for teach-ers.

Advocate for all arts programs in local and statewide venues USBE, POPS, PTA, UA&M Change Leader program, education symposiums, state nonprofit collaboration agencies, as well as Cache Valley Arts Summit (CVAS) - a regional organization of professional arts associations.

Partner on district, community and public grants.

15

Provide teacher development activities that enable teachers to earn in-service or USBE Credit and partner with local arts agencies as presenters and share venues with Utah Opera and Beverly Taylor Sorenson school sites.

Connect with Beverly Taylor Sorenson Specialists in the schools, training them in OBC practices and utilize as a continuous resource for participating OBC teachers especially.

Attend and actively participate in all POPS collaborative and evaluative meetings.

Utah Opera, Utah Shakespeare Festival and UFOMT collaborate extensively with workshops and statewide coverage not only in extending our programs but also in building unified education soundness. As often as possible tap into local profession arts community to assist in providing programs.

D. Educational Soundness:

UFOMT education programs employ collaborative learning activi-ty and aesthetic teaching techniques, it is project-based learning. Our programs become the curriculum by which many core stand-ards are met not only in the fine arts but also with hand and glove fit to the Utah State Core Standards as it assists teachers in maintaining and meeting required criteria through its implemen-tation and identification of desired outcomes. All services pro-vide a learning environment which gives a foundation for cooper-ative effort in learning. Individual and community learning in the classroom is highlighted through our processes and not an over emphasis on productions as the sole purpose and outcome. Our process based learning structure allows dynamic and personally powerful growth within OBC, Songwriter and UHSMTA programs by teaching individual artistic integrity and determination with an

emphasis on teachers helping students attain “production perfection” through artistic integrity to self and the group of fellow creators through social-emotional learning. OBC is an entry-level collaborative integrated learning program. It is “active” learning and uses cooperative learning strategies throughout its application in the class-room. It meets the needs of a diverse classroom in academic and culture ranges. For these very rea-sons OBC is the perfect application for utilizing and teaching the Utah State Core Standards for ELA and Literacy in History, Science, Social Studies and Technology aspects through the reading and writing standards and objectives. This is whole child learning and community building as OBC uti-

lizes the Top Ten Core Standards for ELA writing and reading and incorporates history science, social studies and technology as the students make connections. Songwriter program builds on this format and is a great bridge into refinement processes also used in the UHSMTA program. The area of College and Career Readiness in Read-ing, Writing, Speaking, Listening and Language are fully integrated into the Fine Arts core within all our pro-grams.

16

While developing creatively together, students must come to understand one another’s culture, background and perspectives as they communicate their sto-ries, songs and characters; especially when utilizing history and social studies curriculum as a basis for their work. This process encourages and enables the students to develop respect for one another.

UFOMT staff and mentors and other professional artists assist the teachers in creating a plan for the greatest impact and results for their students. Teachers evaluate the effectiveness of our programs and we respond every year not only at year end but continually throughout the year as we serve in each program.

E. professional Excellence:

Dr. Michael Ballam, General Director of UFOMT, in 1993 established the UFOMT Education Department. Opera by Children was created and unveiled in 1997, Utah High School

Musical Theatre Awards, 2010 and Utah Festival Songwriter, 2016. Under his direction, a high stand-ard of excellence in both teaching and performance set the path for professional standards required of the UFOMT education programs, staff and profes-sional artists/mentors. Mentors are required to have either a university degree or professional experience in the art they teach, all practicing artists as well as educators. They must also complete extensive train-ing, following the instruction and model of Dr. Bal-lam, which requires them to demonstrate excellent skill in teaching children and youth in the classroom and workshops while mentoring and supporting teachers through the Trust, Risk, Affirmation and Growth (TRAG) cycle in OBC and Songwriter pro-grams and in musical theatre excellence in UHSMTA programs. Continued professional excellence is as-sured through oversight using in-depth daily, weekly and year-end assessment. During the school year education staff, mentors and adjudicators not only make classroom and school visits, they also com-municate and interact with teachers via email and telephone from their own home offices. OBC men-tors complete a weekly report tracking their com-munication and classroom visit outcomes. The men-tors record what was discussed, how it was re-ceived, and what was accomplished in the classroom or in workshops. The Weekly Mentor Report posted on Google Drive helps with future planning and con-current progress assessment by the education team. The subsequent feedback helps to ensure the continued integrity of UFOMT programs. In this way, profes-sional excellence is maintained.

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The resultant goals and/or plans for continued evaluation and improvement:

Impact objectives:

1) Learning: Change in knowledge awareness and skill development for teachers and stu-dents in the Fine Arts, ELA and other core standards.

2) Action / Behavioral: Change in teaching and student learning behavior.

3) Environment: Increase desire for school attendance and attitude for both teachers and students creating a positive learning environ-ment.

Process objectives:

Maintaining program integrity through process training, art workshops conveniently available in far reaching districts.

Continue to hold the UHSMTA production event in a central location of the state and maintain best practices in adjudication and regional coaching and rehearsals.

Expand the USU undergraduate online course to connect to the Utah Festival Youth Fine Art Service Clubs through internships and partner with more universities to offer course to more undergraduates.

Fully develop the Youth fine Art Service Club in Cache Valley and Logan School Districts as well as in the Salt lake area.

Pilot an afterschool Utah Festival Songwriter program in Cache School district.

Continue to expand the Utah Festival Songwriter program to additional school districts both in school and after-school offer-ings.

Continue to increase services annually and expand partnerships with other POPS organizations, utilize community arts pro-grams to bring OBC to rural areas and strengthen the community at large not only local schools.

Continue to improve teacher use of the new state core standards and articulation of how Utah Core Standards are being met with OBC.

Utilize fully: teacher evaluations (giving responses that comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the programs) to improve the teaching and learning with the above objectives and Education Staff and the Mentor TEAM year-end re-view meeting and individual exit interviews with the same type of feedback for improvement. Utilize administration feedback for program growth and effectiveness in the classroom. Progress is measured by the growth of the programs and the vocal and financial support that UFOMT receives for the program. We will work to increase the number of classes that follow through, seek and obtain additional corporate and NEA grant funding and increase the number of education donors.

G. Evidence of non-profit status: 87-049825