Franchising Success: Understanding Obstacles and Boons Offered by Model OST Arts Organizations and Their Affiliates

• In Event: Out-of-School-Time Youth Arts Programs: What Are the Big Juicy Questions?

Abstract

Objectives
This inquiry builds upon existing literature focused on successful practices in OST arts programming for historically marginalized youth . Pursuing questions established in prior Wallace Foundation reports in this domain (Montgomery et al., 2013), I investigate the following: 1) Are there model organizations whose practices may be replicated to provide high-quality, effective programming at scale? 2) What are the key challenges, tensions, and benefits presented by "franchising" successful organizations across the U.S.?

Theoretical Perspective
This scholarship leverages investigations and surveys into OST arts organizations that resemble the scope and mission of the larger research program supporting this work. In particular, this project centers previous research funded by the Wallace Foundation (Montgomery et al., 2013; McClanahan & Hartmann, 2018), the funder of this current research program, to identify connections between successful practices and obstacles uncovered in this new body of evidence and conclusions and recommendations from previous reports.

Modes of inquiry
I employ a comparative case study (CCS) (Bartlett & Vavrus, 2017) of two “affiliate” arts programs (an OST youth arts model that has been replicated in sites across the country), affording multiple axes of comparison. Each case is constituted of the original model and affiliate locations. CCS outlines the significance of looking horizontally--comparing affiliates across organizations and art forms--and vertically--comparing the national models to their regional centers. Finally, a transversal axis helps situate findings in this moment in relation to historic trends in OST arts practices and funding.

Data sources
Model organizations selected for analysis were each pioneered by MacArthur Fellowship recipients. Each organization has 10-12 affiliates (including one internationally). The body of data analyzed consists of audio and transcripts from a) Two interviews, one with the founding figure of each model organizations', and b) Two focus groups: one featuring 6 leaders from 5 affiliates from a dance-focused organization, and another with 3 leaders from 3 affiliates from a visual arts-focused organization.

Results
Interviews with founders of OST arts organizations and focus groups with affiliate site leaders revealed the principles guiding their work inadvertently aligned with those outlined in earlier Wallace reports, corroborating the importance of dedicated, high-quality studio space, professional teaching artists, and public showcases. . However, localizing an organization’s work always yields challenges unique to each region; overcoming them requires nimble, adaptable leadership sensitive to their communities. Successful adaptation required one leader to bring programming to rural schools, while the difficulties of using a model are present where leadership struggles to move past dialoguing on how to appropriately adapt programming for Native American community members.

Scholarly Significance
The dearth of high-quality arts programming available to historically marginalized youth beckons a resource-rich response. Constructing a blueprint for organizations that can fit the needs of myriad unique communities would herald rapid expansion of essential programming at scale (Montgomery et al., 2013). Understanding the affordances and constraints of expanding arts programming through multiple affiliates based on singular models is necessary to responsibly and effectively extend these meaningful arts-based learning experiences.

Authors

• Andy Stoiber, University of Wisconsin

• Kailea Saplan, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Erica Rosenfeld Halverson, University of Wisconsin - Madison