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Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
5-1-2026
Year of Publication
2026
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College
Fine Arts
Department/School/Program
Arts Administration
Faculty
Rachel Shane
Faculty
Jill Schinberg
Abstract
This dissertation examines how a structured evaluation training and subject-based evaluation tool can strengthen evaluation practices among Community Arts Extension professionals in Kentucky. Community Arts programs often support outcomes such as belonging, connection, skill development, and cultural engagement, yet those outcomes can be difficult to document within standardized public reporting systems. Guided by Theory of Change and Open Systems Theory, this mixed-methods study combines an environmental scan of FY2020–FY2025 Community Arts indicator records and agent-authored Success Stories with three survey waves administered before training, immediately after training, and approximately 60 days later.
Findings show that routine reporting captured substantial activity and participation, but made some arts outcomes less visible, especially those requiring participant reflection or more intentional evaluation design. Baseline survey results suggest that agents could identify meaningful arts outcomes but often lacked practical support for turning those outcomes into aligned indicators, usable questions, and reporting-ready evidence. Post-training and follow-up findings suggest that the training and tool improved reported clarity, confidence, and early tool use, while time constraints, competing demands, and the need for more program-specific examples continued to shape adoption.
This study contributes a reporting baseline, an arts-specific evaluation workflow, and an evidence-informed revision process for strengthening arts evaluation in public systems.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.259
Archival?
Archival
Recommended Citation
Bond, Melissa G., "IMPROVING EVALUATION PRACTICES OF COMMUNITY ARTS EXTENSION AGENTS: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY LEVERAGING THEORY OF CHANGE AND OPEN SYSTEMS THEORY" (2026). Theses and Dissertations--Arts Administration. 10.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/arts_admin_etds/10
