A Ship with Two Prows: Evaluating Professional Development for Contemporary Art Educators

This chapter describes a multi-methods evaluation using dialogue, survey data, and video documentation. In 2009, Art21 Educators, a professional development program for Art21, an organization producing a video series on contemporary art, invited art teachers to a summer institute in New York City. During the following year, teachers built a professional community through distance learning webinars and shared content on an asynchronous social networking platform. More systematic evaluation began in year 2 to address multiple needs: supporting program development and co-developing longitudinal surveys about participant outcomes. Early on, the evaluation seemed in conflict with itself. Ultimately, all stakeholders learned from the evolving approaches, leading to a theory of change about professional development that emerged from the process.