The program did well at two branches but struggled
at the third. Rather than walk away from the
perceived failure, the school did a careful analysis.
It showed that SMS needed to fine-tune the classes
to the socioeconomic makeup of its local branches,
taking into account each community’s musical traditions,
cultural traditions, and social networks. As
the school continued to innovate and look into why
certain programs took hold in one community and
not in another, the MVIS team found it could begin
to predict the success rates of new offerings. Its success
helped SMS earn a coveted grant from the Pew
Charitable Trusts to support further investment in
innovative programs.