Student Art Assessments, Teacher Evaluations, and Job Satisfaction among Art Teachers

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and recognize if district-created student art assessments and teacher evaluations influenced the job satisfaction of art teachers due to the increased teacher turnovers and teacher shortages. The experiences, beliefs, and perceptions of the art teachers were critical in understanding and establishing if the increased implementation of the accountability measures added to the stress level and job satisfaction experienced by art teachers. The sample for this case study comprised of 10 male and female art teachers who were certified to teach art within the State of Florida for at least five years and were currently or formerly employed in the Central Florida region. The art teachers were invited first through email invitations and subsequent participants were recruited through the snowball method. Data gathered in this study was collected through audio and visual recordings through the semi-structured interview process. The data collected were analyzed using NVivo 11 Pro (QSR International, 2017) software to uncover themes, patterns, and critical phrases shared by participants. The five themes were: (a) there is a greater level of stress is experienced by teachers from student art assessments and teacher evaluations than ever before; (b) there is much confusion and lack of information on the purpose, procedures, and calculation of student art assessments and VAM scores; (c) class size and an overloaded schedule are detrimental to both the already heightened stress level of art teachers; (d) a supportive, understanding, and appreciative leadership team at each school has a positive impact on an art teacher; (e) a teacher evaluation system that is applicable and fitting for performing arts courses is a necessity within the district. Research findings from this qualitative study exposed the experiences, perceptions, and challenges art teachers have encountered in relation to the district-created student art assessments and teacher evaluations, while teaching in the Central Florida region.