Arts Integration and Students' Reading Achievement: A Formative Evaluation Stud

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate essential components of an arts-integration program that may contribute to improved student achievement in elementary reading at the school of study through a formative evaluation. Stufflebeam's CIPP model of program evaluation served as the conceptual framework for the study's findings. Creative pedagogy, constructivism, and multiple intelligences served as the theoretical framework for this study by relating the need for students to have learning experiences that can be facilitated through instruction with and through the arts.;The study was designed to answer three research questions: To what extent does the frequent inclusion of arts integration influence student reading achievement? To what extent do teachers' perceptions toward arts integration influence students' reading achievement? In what ways do teachers' perceptions toward arts integration influence students' reading-achievement scores? A mixed-methods analysis using student reading achievement, teacher instructional, and teacher perceptual data from the 2015--2016 academic year was conducted. This study used regression analysis to determine the extent to which frequency of arts integration affected reading achievement and repeated measures ANOVA determined the extent to which teacher perceptions toward arts integration affected reading achievement. The qualitative data were analyzed through a consensual-qualitative-research method. This study indicated some effect on reading achievement of third-grade students and a relationship between teacher attitude and reading achievement. An outline of recommendations for action was presented through the CIPP framework model of evaluation. Further research is needed to explore and confirm the relationship of arts integration and its impact on student achievement.