Ohio Arts Council Definitions

ADA Compliance
See Appendix B: ADA Policy.

American Indian/Alaskan Natives
The federal government defines American Indians as members of any tribe, people or culture that is indigenous to the United States of America.

Appalachian
A person who comes from, or whose ancestors come from, the mountainous area of the Eastern United States defined as the Appalachian region and who identifies or is identified by others as sharing the Appalachian heritage and culture. The multiracial and multiethnic Appalachian population overlaps demographic data on African Americans, Native American Indians and other minority groups.

Artist (Creative)
An artist who creates, makes or originates a work of art using their artistic or intellectual inventiveness (for example, painter, choreographer, music composer, playwright).

Artist (Interpretive)
An artist who interprets the creative work of another into an art form, usually a performance (for example, singer, dancer, musician, actor).

Arts Festival
Public event that features the presentation or performance of a variety of art forms and involves community members and professional artists in planning, jurying and presentation.

Assessment Tools
Also known as "assessment instruments." These refer to the methods of gathering data about learner performance and understanding, and may include questionnaires, written tests, portfolios, checklists and rating scales for projects or performances.

Beginning Operating Balance
Refers to funds in the budget for operating income and expenses at the beginning of an organization's fiscal year.

Brick and Mortar Activities
The OAC does not fund brick and mortar activities.

Capacity
The ability of an organization to fulfill its mission by measurably achieving its objectives through a blend of sound management, strong governance, and a persistent rededication to achieving results.

Capital Improvements
A structure or major piece of equipment built or installed to permanently add value and capacity to property.

Collaborations or Partnerships
Collaborations usually are short-term or temporary arrangements between two or more entities to work on specific projects. Collaborating entities may share costs and contribute resources to the specific projects.

Partnerships usually are characterized by a long-term (one year or longer) working relationship between two or more entities. Members of partnerships are often involved in planning and decision-making for multiple programs and projects over an extended period of time. All entities within a partnership share costs and contribute resources to the programs or projects.

Collaborator
A mutually beneficial association with two or more groups or organizations that center on common or complementary goals and shared work. This term also may refer to two or more artists working together to create a work of art where all parties have ownership of the completed product.

Contact Session
This is a formally scheduled meeting with the residency artist. A total of four contact sessions may be scheduled per day. Usually, one is the core group and the other three are peripheral groups.

Core Group
One or more groups, identified by the artist and residency planning committee, which meet with the artist each day throughout the residency for an in-depth artistic experience. The group(s) may be a classroom size or smaller and comprised of students, teachers, staff, parents and other community members.

Credible Research
This type of research is characterized by:

a. A basis in the accumulated knowledge or literature of research, so that it builds on prior work.
b. Research based on the investigation of useful hypotheses or questions.
c. Transparency of methods, so that readers of research can understand how data were collected and analyzed.
d. Coherency between methods and conclusions, so that a clear chain of logic connects findings to the data.
e. Where possible, replicability, so that others can investigate similar phenomena under similar conditions using similar methods.

Criteria
Minimum standards organizations and individuals must comply with to be considered for funding. Meeting specific criteria does not guarantee a grant award since all OAC programs are competitive.

Curricula
These include instructional materials, related to a unit of teaching and learning within a particular subject area. These may include lesson plans, audio-visual materials, teacher guides, textbooks, etc.

Cultural Participation
The idea that broad participation in the arts allows people to celebrate their diverse backgrounds and abilities, encourages the discovery of a sense of common purpose and understanding, and enhances individual creativity. The OAC requires applicants and grantees to strive for wide cultural participation and to make their arts programs, facilities and opportunities accessible to everyone. For more information on the OAC's Cultural Participation policy, see Appendix C.

Deficit Reduction Plan
A document that explains an organization's plan to retire its accumulated deficit, including specific strategies for adjusting programming, decreasing expenses and/or increasing income as applicable. A deficit reduction plan should be prepared and/or approved by the leadership of an organization, including its board, and include a timeline for accomplishing objectives.

Demographics
Information from a variety of sources used to create a broad profile of any community. May include population trends, age, gender, race or ethnicity, education, income, crime rates, voting statistics and occupations. Obtain this information through U.S. Census Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, development offices or the U.S. Postal Service.

Diversity
Diversity is accomplished when programs, services, activities and governance of an organization are inclusive and engage people of varied demographics, cultures, ethnicities, religions, ages, disabilities, genders, and backgrounds at multiple levels and in multiple ways.

Draft Application
Proposed application including narrative and budget submitted 30 days before the deadline to OAC staff for review, suggested revisions, additions or corrections.

DUNS Number
The Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number is a unique nine-character identification number. DUNS numbers are required of all Federal grant recipients and provided by the commercial company Dun & Bradstreet. The Federal government uses the DUNS number to better identify similar and related organizations that are receiving funding under grants and cooperative agreements. The number also provides consistent name and address data for electronic grant applications. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, go to the Dun and Bradstreet Web site or phone 1-866-705-5711.

Ending Operating Balance
Refers to funds in the budget for operating income and expenses at the end of an organization's fiscal year, after all revenues, expenditures and transfers have been calculated.

Evaluation
For learners, Formative evaluation is the process of judging ongoing, changing process or product for diagnosis, revision, description, information, or comparison. Summative evaluation, final-end judgment serving purposes of persuasion, verification, prediction or validity, is also referred to as outcome evaluation. For programs, formative evaluation occurs during the program planning and implementation. Summative evaluation occurs after the program has been completed.

Evaluation Tools
Used to assess an organization's success in serving a broad constituency and to continually refine programs and services. May include surveys, polls and questionnaires, interviews, discussions, evaluation forms, checklists and documented observations.

Evaluation Strategies
These strategies may be either "qualitative" or "quantitative" in nature. Program evaluation findings are considered credible when the evidence that is collected supports claims being made. Therefore, evidence should be a combination of quantitative data (the results of numerical measurement and statistical analysis) and qualitative data (the results of investigating perceptions, opinions, and behaviors).

Fiscal Agent
An incorporated, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that provides administrative and financial services for projects initiated by unincorporated, nonprofit organizations or incorporated, nonprofit organizations that do not have financial or administrative capability. The fiscal agent accepts responsibility for administering paperwork and project funds throughout the OAC grant process. The unincorporated group or organization completes the project activity.

Fundraiser
An activity or event that is intended to generate money to support a nonprofit organization. The OAC does not fund fundraisers.

In-Kind Donations
Goods or services that are donated and not paid for by the applying organization, including volunteer time by a professional, office space, facilities and equipment rental. If in-kind donations are used to meet a required match, written documentation must be provided. A letter signed by the provider that lists the service provided and its estimated value is adequate.

Interdisciplinary
An art form that crosses two or more disciplines to create a new work; for example, a project that contains elements of visual arts, media and performance art might be interdisciplinary.

Learner Assessment
Learner assessment is the larger process(es) of describing, collecting, recording, scoring, and analyzing information about student knowledge, skills and dispositions against instructional objectives and standards of quality.

Letters of Commitment
These letters should be not longer than one typewritten page, and should directly affirm that the partnering or collaborating entity intends to support the proposed project as stated in the application (budget pages and/or narrative). It should be clear that the writers of the letters are familiar with the proposal. Letters should be addressed to the OAC.

Multidisciplinary
A combination of two or more artistic areas; for example, a project that combines visual arts with music is multidisciplinary.

Multi-generational
Arts Learning programs can serve a wide range of individuals including preschoolers, children, youth, young through older adults.

Ohio's Fine Arts Academic Content Standards
In December 2003, the Ohio State Board of Education adopted the Arts Academic Content Standards in Fine Arts. For kindergarten through grade 12, these standards clearly determine what students should know and be able to do in dance, drama/theatre, music and the visual arts. This is an integral component of an aligned education system that includes the arts as one of the CORE subjects in the No Child Left Behind Act. A comprehensive and sequential guide for student progress in arts education, the standards include major content in: history, culture and social contexts; creative expression and communication; analyzing and responding; valuing the arts/aesthetic reflection; and connections, reflections and applications.

This Ohio Department of Education document includes standards in four domains: 1) Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts; 2) Creative Expression and Communication; 3) Analyzing and Responding; and 4) Valuing the Arts/Aesthetic Reflection plus grade-level bench marks. Standards in arts are challenging, but attainable visions of student outcomes (i.e., what students should know and be able to do and appreciate, resulting from their arts education or arts learning experiences. Grade-level bench marks are interim targets progressing "normally" toward a final standard.

Outcomes
Results that program activities are expected to produce. An outcome is an operationally defined goal (i.e., something that can be measured). For learners, it can be a culminating activity, product or performance. For programs or projects, it can be the positive changes that have occurred in the lives of those being served.

Panelists
Experts in a particular arts discipline who help the OAC staff make funding recommendations to the Council Board. A panelist may be an artist, arts administrator, board member or someone closely associated with the arts.

Panel Process
The procedure followed by panelists in reviewing applications and making funding recommendations to the Ohio Arts Council Board.

Partial Payment
Payment to an organization of as much as 50 percent of a grant before the completion of a project, based on expenses incurred. A partial payment is made only if a request is submitted through OLCA and will be made no later than 60 days before the ending date of the grant.

Partners
Two or more groups or organizations that have agreed to formally work together. Usually the partners have a common vision and goals but want to address the needs and issues that could not be accomplished alone.

Peripheral group
This is a classroom-sized group or smaller that meets with the residency artist less often than the core group for art-making activities.

Planning session
This is a meeting between the professional artist, the sponsor's planning committee and an Arts Learning program representative for the purpose of planning a residency. The meeting lasts approximately two hours and is scheduled four to six weeks before the residency begins.

Presenter
A nonprofit organization that engages touring artists, pays them a fee and handles the local presentation.

Professional Artists
Persons who devote a major portion of their time to creating, practicing, performing or teaching any of the arts.

Program
An area with set goals and criteria in which OAC funds are granted. Most programs fund several disciplines. Examples of OAC programs are Sustainability, Individual Creativity, Arts Learning and Arts Innovation.

Rendering
The finished drawing for a project.

Research
Research is a systematic process of collecting and analyzing objective evidence in order to establish facts and reach conclusions. The purpose of research is to increase common knowledge and understanding in an area of interest and concern.

Residency – Arts Learning
A two-week to nine-month period when a professional artist resides in a community and works in educational settings. The artist collaborates with students, teachers and community members in an in-depth experience that focuses on the creative process of art making.

Residency – Ohio Artists on Tour
Short-term experiences that enhance the actual performance, in which artists relate in other ways to a community. Residencies focus primarily on public and educational performances such as lecture-demonstrations, media events, miniconcerts and other informal performances. While residencies are not designed primarily for training, they often include open rehearsals and master classes.

Short- and Long-Range Plans
Documents used to define desired outcomes, goals and objectives of an organization's programs and services. Include broad goals and objectives, with detailed action steps linked to financial and human resources, timeline and evaluation instruments.

Specific Populations
Black/African Americans, Appalachians, Asians, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indian/ Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, persons with disabilities, seniors aged 62 or older.

Special Project
An activity of an organization that is unique or special and is not a part of the organization's regular programming or operations.

Sponsor
Similar to a presenter. However, "sponsor" is used when organizations or schools have artists in residence rather than in a performance situation.

Service Organizations
Statewide regional and national nonprofit arts organizations that offer broad-based services to individuals and/or organizations in various arts disciplines.

Sponsor's Planning Committee
This group generally numbers eight to twelve and is comprised of individuals key to the residency's success. Members should include the school's or organization's administrator (principal or director), staff/teachers working with core and peripheral groups, arts specialists, community members and students (when appropriate).

Strategic Plan
The result of the ongoing process an organization uses to determine its goals and set measurable targets and outcomes for success. Thorough strategic planning involves visualizing the desired future state of the organization, analyzing the current environment, comparing the future ideal with the present reality, identifying gaps and then making prioritized plans to close those gaps.

Support Material
Supplemental material that must be supplied with an application to document artistic merit, programming, community involvement and financial responsibility. Refer to each program area for specific requirements.

Technical Assistance
Advice or information given to people or organizations to help them acquire management or artistic skills. At the OAC, technical assistance often is provided through consultants, advisors, workshops and written materials through its Capacity Building program.

Under-Served Populations
Potential arts participants, selected by communities, who are not currently served. Under-served populations include but are not limited to members of immigrant or ethnic groups, rural residents, urban or rural youth, unemployed people and homeless people.