Harris Interactive Poll: Music Programs in Public High Schools Contribute to Higher Attendance and Graduation Rates
—High school
principals strongly believe that music education promotes the academic
success of their students, according to a study released by NAMM and
MENC: The National Association for Music Education.
A key finding of the study, conducted by Harris
Interactive, shows that the vast majority of school administrators
interviewed believe that music education has a powerful and lasting
impact upon their students, making music education an essential element
of every child’s education. In fact, 96 percent of public school
principals interviewed believe that participating in music education
encourages and motivates students to stay in school longer, and 89
percent agree that music education contributes to higher graduation
rates.
“We have seen firsthand how music education provides a
solid foundation for children to become productive, successful adults,
and so have school administrators from across the nation,” said Joe
Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM. “Music benefits every generation, but
it is particularly important to the development of children, providing
them with more opportunities for success early in life.”
While the majority of school principals agree that
music education is an important element in enabling students to be
successful, (on average) less than 10 percent of a high school’s
instructional budget is allocated to its music program. In fact, on
average, more than 20 percent of a school’s music budget is funded from
outside the school through fundraising efforts. This lack of funding is
one of the reasons why only 50 percent of public high schools include
music as a core academic subject, and only two thirds of these high
schools require participation in a music or other arts course for
graduation.
NAMM is taking steps to close this divide by partnering
with groups such as MENC to provide school administrators with the
evidence they need to institute or maintain music education in their
schools.
“We’ve always known that music education is critical to
keeping our students competitive and successful in school and in life,”
said John J. Mahlmann, executive director of MENC. “The study makes
clear that America’s principals also understand the strong link between
vibrant school music and student success.”
Though the arts, which includes music, was designated
as a core academic subject by the No Child Left Behind Act, the act
does not specify standards for arts education. Instead it focuses on
requirements for traditional subjects of math and reading, and prompts
schools to focus more on their testing results. Twenty percent of
principals feel that the No Child Left Behind Act has had an effect on
the quality and scope of their schools’ music programs, and about half
of these principals identify the effect as negative. Fortunately, four
out of five school administrators who do have music programs ensure
that their students receive the best music education possible, basing
their music curriculum on district, state or national standards and
requiring their music teachers to be credentialed.
About MENC: The National Association for Music Education
MENC:
The National Association for Music Education, the world’s largest arts
education organization, is the only association that addresses all
aspects of music education. More than 130,000 members represent all
levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC
has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced,
comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by
qualified teachers. MENC’s activities and resources have been largely
responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession,
for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of
the school curriculum, and for the development of the National
Standards for Arts Education.
About NAMM
The National Association of Music Merchants, commonly called NAMM in
reference to the organization's popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-
for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17
billion global musical instruments and products industry. NAMM’s
activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people
of all ages. NAMM is comprised of more than 9,000 Member companies.
For more information about NAMM, interested parties can visit www.namm.org or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).
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