| This study consisted of the development and field test of a model for evaluating elementary string programs. It can be used for students in grades 3 to 6 in urban, suburban and rural areas. It covers eight aspects of a string program: Goals and Objectives, Leadership, Staff Curriculum and Scheduling, Materials, Equipment, Facilities and Outcomes. Each section may be tested independently or as a battery of tests.;Each of the test items are based on the National Standards (1994) for music and studies done by string pedagogues and researchers. CIPP, an acronym for Context, Input, Process and Product Evaluation was the evaluative approach used. These four evaluations serve as the stages in a program's development. The Context stage assesses the program's present state; the Input stage identifies weaknesses and procedures for remediation; the Process stage examines the implementation of selected strategies; and the Product stage re-assesses the program's state.;All four stages were executed for the Goals and Objectives section with statistically significant improvements found in the Product stage. The other seven parts were limited to the Context and Input stages. Three districts which were described in the Procedures chapter participated in the evaluation.;The Goals and Objectives section is divided into two broad areas: General Musical Competencies (GMC) and Specific Playing Competencies (SPC). Further division is made according to age and playing experience. A scoring manual and suggested "testing materials," section are included in the appendixes. Both strong internal consistency and interjudge reliability are reported for GMC and SPC.;Conclusions of the evaluation offer the following: a summary of the evaluation, a discussion of the Goals and Objectives sections where relationships with other research are formed; and recommendations for future study which include correlating different parts of the model and developing a cost analysis for the evaluation. |
