Designing a System of Measurement and Management for a Community-Based Theater Program

The 52nd Street Project (The Project) is a community-based arts organization that connects kids from the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood with professional artists to create original theater productions. Facing increasing pressure from funders to demonstrate outcomes, The Project sought to track the development of the kids they serve, with a special focus on non-cognitive skills (for example, self-control and self-efficacy). The Capstone team held focus groups and interviews, and conducted an extensive literature review to identify the appropriate metrics. The team identified a set of non-cognitive skills that are developed by The Project’s programming and also associated with long-term success, as grounded in social science research, and conducted best practice research to examine how other organizations measure the development of these skills. The team then developed valid and reliable tools for data collection, as well as an implementation plan for launching and maintaining the system of measurement.