Awareness and Levels of Support for Arts Education

Compiled by Michele Cranwell, Evaluation Coordinator

The following is an analysis of the five questions on the Vermonter Poll related to public funding for the arts and awareness of Internet-based arts education in Vermont, specifically the Vermont Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) Project, Art Responding Through Technology (ARTT), and Vermont Young Playwrights Online (VYPO).  The Vermonter Poll asked these questions as follows:

•  How important is it for state government to provide funding to support arts programs such as arts education in   schools, community arts organizations, and arts programs provided through social services agencies?

• How many of your state tax dollars would you be willing to spend to provide additional support for the arts?

• Which of the following would be your top priority to receive funding from this pool of money? Local organizations that offer arts events and programs; arts education programs in schools; arts programs provided by local social service agencies such as Head Start or Youth Service Bureau.

• Are you aware that Internet-based arts education programs exist in Vermont?

• Have you heard of the Vermont MIDI Project?

• Have you heard of Art Responding through Technology?

• Have you heard of Vermont Young Playwrights Online?

The first question was closed ended, providing the option of  "Very important", "Important", "Neither important nor unimportant", "Not important" and "Not at all important."  The next question was open ended.  The third question was closed ended, providing the three responses given above and the final four could be answered with “yes” or “no”.  Options were given to the interviewer in case a respondent refused to answer a particular question or did not know the answer.  

The following statistical analysis was completed through the use of the software package SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Initially, a descriptive analysis of the data was conducted to provide the frequency of responses given to each individual question.   Second, a  prescriptive analysis was conducted to examine how the demographics of gender, income, education, age, having children living at home under 18 years, and geographic location play a role in the awareness and support of funding for arts education.

Results

Eighty percent (80%) of respondents reported that it is either important or very important for state government to provide funding to support arts programs (Figure 1).   Nine percent (9%) held a neutral opinion and 11% felt that this funding is either not important or not at all important.

 Figure 1.  Importance of State Government to Provide Funding to Support Arts Programs (N=702)

Regardless of education, geographic location, having children at home under 18, and income, the majority of respondents feel that it is either important or very important for state government to provide funding to support arts programs such as arts education in schools, community arts organization, and arts programs provided through social services agencies.  The variable of income is approaching significance (x²= 3.678; p=.16) as 83% of people earning less than the median income in Vermont indicated the importance of this funding compared to 79% of people earning at or above median income.

Gender

·        Females (86%) are more likely than males (73%) to feel that it is either important or very important for state government to provide funding to support arts programs such as arts education in schools, community arts organization, and arts programs provided through social services agencies (x²= 19.304; p<=.01). 

Age

 ·        People who are younger (mean 47.9) are more likely to feel that it is either important or very important for state government to provide this support compared to those who responded with neither important nor unimportant (mean 51) and not important (mean 51.5) (F= 2.6; p<.10).

The mean dollar amount that respondents would be willing to spend to provide additional support for the arts is $128.  The median amount is $100 and the mode is also $100.  Table 1 depicts detailed responses provided in dollar ranges from $1 to greater than $500.

Table 1. Amount of State Tax Dollars Respondents would be Willing to Spend to Provide Additional Support for the Arts (Dollar Range) (N=251)

 Variables including education, income, age, and gender were not significant influences on the amount of tax dollars a person would be willing to spend to provide additional support for the arts.  However, having children at home under age 18 and geographic region were significant variables.

 Having children at home under age 18

 ·        Persons who do not have children at home are significantly more likely to be willing to spend between $51-100 in tax dollars (34%) to provide additional support for the arts compared to those with children at home (25%).  Further, persons who do not have children at home are more likely to spend between $1-25 in tax dollars (34%) compared to 23% of persons with children at home (x²=14.441; p<.05).

 Geographic region

 ·        People living in the Northeast Kingdom (Caledonia, Essex, or Orleans County) (43%) are more likely to be willing to spend between $51-100 in tax dollars compared to 33% of persons in Chittenden County and 30% of those in the rest of the state of Vermont.  However, people in the rest of the state (35%) are more likely to be willing to spend between $1-25 in tax dollars, specifically in Addison, Rutland, Lamoille, Orange, and Washington Counties, compared to 27% in Chittenden County and 10% in the Northeast Kingdom (x²= 22.533; p<.05).

Figure 2 shows that 59% of respondents selected arts education programs in schools as their top priority to receive funding from this pool of money.  This was followed by 25% supporting local organizations that offer arts events and programs and 15% supporting arts programs provided by local social service agencies such as Head Start or youth Service Bureau. 

 Figure 2.  Priority Area to Receive Funding from this New Pool of Money (N=560)

Variables including whether or not persons had children under 18 living at home, geographic region, income, age, and gender had any significance towards a persons support of a specific organization to receive funding from this new pool of money.  Regardless of these characteristics, the majority of persons support arts education programs in schools to receive this funding.

Education

·        Education seemed to be the most influential factor in a person's support for different organizations.  Respondents with at least some college or more education (29%) are more likely to support local organizations that offer arts events and programs as a top priority to receive funding from this new pool of money compared to those who have not had at least some college or more education (16%).   However, respondents with a high school diploma or less education (23%) are more likely to support arts programs provided by local social service agencies compared to those with at least some college or more education (11%).   Sixty-one percent (61%) of those with a high school diploma or less and 60% of those with some college or more education support arts education programs in schools to receive funding from this pool of money (x²=18.036; p<.01). 

Twenty-six percent of respondents reported that they were aware of Internet based arts education programs in Vermont, while almost three quarters were not aware.  Nine percent reported having heard of the Vermont MIDI Project, 14% ARTT, and 13% VYPO (Table 2). 

 Table 2.  Awareness of Internet based Arts Education Programs

 Variables including having children under 18 at home, geographic region, income, age, and gender were not significant factors for awareness of Internet based arts education programs in VT and having heard of the VT MIDI Project.  Income was the only significant variable for having heard of ARTT and education and gender were significant for having heard of VYPO.

Education

 ·        Respondents with a high school diploma or less education (36%) are more likely to be aware that Internet based arts education programs exist in Vermont compared to those with some college or more education (23%) (x²= 11.514; p<.01).

 ·        People with some college or more (11%) are more likely to have heard of the Vermont MIDI project compared  to persons with a high school diploma or less education (5%) (x²=5.696; p<.05).

 ·        People with a high school diploma or less education (16%) are more likely to have heard of VYPO compared to persons with some college or more education (11%) (x²=2.807; p<.10).

Income

 ·        Respondents who are at or above the median income in Vermont (15%) are more likely to have heard of ARTT compared to those at less than the median income (10%) (x²= 2.703; p<.10).

 Gender

 ·        Female respondents (15%) are more likely to have heard of VYPO compared to males (10%) (x²=3.698; p<.05).  

 Figures 3 through 6 depict the responses to these four questions about awareness of Internet based arts education programs in Vermont by county. 

Figure 3.  Awareness of Internet based arts education programs in Vermont by county

 Figure 4.  Awareness of the VT MIDI Project by county

 Figure 5.  Awareness of ARTT by county

 Figure 6.  Awareness of VYPO by county

 Conclusions

 Regardless of education, geographic location, having children at home under 18, and income, 80% of respondents feel that it is either important or very important for state government to provide funding to support arts programs such as arts education in schools, community arts organization, and arts programs provided through social services agencies.   Females and people who are younger (mean age 47.9) are significantly more likely to feel that this funding is either important or very important. 

 The mean dollar amount that respondents would be willing to spend to provide additional support for the arts is $128.  The median amount is $100 and the mode is also $100.  Table 1 depicts detailed responses provided in dollar ranges from $1 to greater than $500.   Highest percentages were received in the dollar range of $51-100 (32%) and $1-25 (31%).  Those who do not have children under 18 living at home and those living in the Northeast Kingdom are significantly more likely to spend $51-100 in tax dollars. 

 More than half of respondents (59%) selected arts education programs in schools as their top priority to receive funding from this pool of money, followed by local organizations (25%) and local social service agencies (15%).  Respondents who have some college education or more are more likely to support local organizations, however respondents with a high school diploma or less education are more likely to support arts programs provided by local social service agencies.   Almost equal percentages of these two education categories supported arts education programs in schools. 

 Twenty-six percent of respondents reported that they were aware of Internet based arts education programs in Vermont, while almost three quarters were not aware.   Nine percent reported having heard of the Vermont MIDI Project, 14% ARTT, and 13% VYPO. Respondents with a high school diploma or less education (36%) are more likely to be aware that Internet based arts education programs exist in VT and to have heard of VYPO.  However, people with some college or more are more likely to have heard of the Vermont MIDI project. Respondents who are at or above the median income in Vermont are more likely to have heard of ARTT and female respondents are more likely to have heard of VYPO.

For comments or questions about this report, please email Michele Cranwell

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