Turnaround Arts Initiative Final Evaluation Report

8 low-performing US schools, no randomisation and no matched comparison group

US School Improvement Grant schools receiving an intensive arts-based turnaround package

Recorded because it is the single most-cited piece of evidence in American arts advocacy and it does not support a causal claim. The design is pre-post across eight self-selected schools, benchmarked informally against district averages and other School Improvement Grant schools. Reported gains are percentage changes in proficiency RATES, not effect sizes, and are not convertible to one. The eight schools were simultaneously receiving federal turnaround funding, new leadership and other reforms, so the arts component cannot be isolated even in principle.

Seven of eight schools improved reading proficiency and six of eight improved mathematics proficiency, with reported average gains of 22.6% in mathematics and 12.6% in reading - figures that are percentage changes in proficiency rates rather than standardised effects. The report does not meet ESSA Tiers I-III and would not be reviewable by the What Works Clearinghouse.

Unmanaged and severe - schools volunteered, and the comparison is to a national average rather than to a counterfactual for these schools.

Not applicable; no comparison design exists to replicate.