100 Communities Named Best in America for Music Education

100 Communities Named Best in America for Music Education

Actually, Make That 101 Communities -- First-Ever Tie Emerges as Leading Music and Education Groups Unveil Results of Annual Nationwide Survey

CARLSBAD, Calif., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- For the sixth year in a row, a survey conducted by a partnership of leading music and educational organizations has identified the "Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America."

Because of an unprecedented tie, this year's "Best 100" actually comprises 101 communities. The 2005 roster includes school districts from 34 different states whose commitment to quality music education -- measured across a variety of economic, curricular and programmatic criteria -- has enabled them to stand out despite the many pressures on music programs across the country. The list is appended below, and the complete results, along with background information on music education and the survey, can be seen in their entirety at http://www.amc-music.org/ .

The unveiling of the survey results coincides with "Music In Our Schools Month," an observance that highlights this vital topic every March. In a 2003 nationwide Gallup Poll, 93 percent of Americans said that schools should offer musical instrument instruction as part of the regular curriculum. The mental and physical benefits of active music making have been well documented over the last decade. However, tight budgets in many of the 50 states have squeezed school music budgets, and music programs remain imperiled even in communities on the "Best 100" list.

This year's survey was conducted jointly by the country's top organizations devoted to music and learning. The American Music Conference ( http://www.amc-music.org/ ) joined MENC: The National Association for Music Education (http://www.menc.org/), The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation ( http://www.mhopus.org/ ), The Music for All Foundation ( http://www.music-for-all.org/ ), The Music Teachers National Association ( http://www.mtna.org/ ), The National School Boards Association ( http://www.nsba.org/ ), Yamaha Corporation of America ( http://www.yamaha.com/ ) and VH1 Save The Music Foundation ( http://www.vh1savethemusic.com/ ) in creating the survey and interpreting the results. Perseus Development Corp. of Braintree, MA ( http://www.perseus.com/ ) donated its time and expertise to implement the web survey and to analyze the data it generated.

Because the criteria in the survey are measured proportionally, large communities and small ones are able to participate on an equal footing - and the results bear out the conclusion that communities of varying sizes and levels of affluence have an equal chance of making the "Best 100" list. Where people value music and resolve that their children won't be denied its benefits, parents and educators find a way to succeed.

"We all know about the pressures that are endangering music programs around the country," says AMC Associate Executive Director Laura Johnson. "As we work to ensure that every child has a quality musical education, it's important to shine the spotlight on those communities that have risen to the challenge so well. Theirs is an example worth following."

A 2001 study published by The College Entrance Examination Board found that students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on the verbal and 44 points higher on the math sections of the SAT than students with no arts participation. U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students indicates that students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show "significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12." And a Canadian study published in the August, 2004 issue of Psychological Science showed that young students who underwent nine weeks of piano or voice training showed increases in IQ that were greater than the increases in kids without musical activity. Similar studies continue to emerge.

Thousands of public school and independent teachers, school and district administrators, school board members, parents and community leaders, representing communities in all 50 states, participated in the Web-based survey during January, February and March. Participants in the survey answered detailed questions about funding, enrollment, student-teacher ratios, participation in music classes, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, participation in private music lessons and other factors in their communities' quality of music education. The responses were verified with district officials, and the sponsoring organizations reviewed the data.

For more information about the nationwide music education survey and the organizations that sponsored it, call the American Music Conference at (760) 431-9124 or visit http://www.amc-music.org/ on the Web.

Note: The complete 2005 Best Communities list is appended below.

School District Name City State Abington Heights School District Clarks Summit PA Aldine Independent School District Houston TX Arlington Independent School District Arlington TX Arlington Public Schools Arlington VA Auburn School District No.408 Auburn WA Avon Lake City School District Avon Lake OH Bay Village City School District Bay Village OH Berlin Boro Board of Education Berlin NJ Binghamton City School District Binghamton NY Bozeman Public Schools Bozeman MT Bucyrus City School District Bucyrus OH Burlington City School District Burlington NJ Camp Hill School District Camp Hill PA Cedar Grove-Belgium Public Schools Cedar Grove WI Central Kitsap School District Silverdale WA Central York School District York PA Cheshire Public Schools Cheshire CT City School District of New Rochelle New Rochelle NY Clarence Central School Clarence NY Clark County School District Las Vegas NV Clovis Municipal Schools Clovis NM Cobb County School District Marietta GA Community Unit School District 200 Wheaton IL Conestoga Valley School District Lancaster PA Converse County School District #2 Glernock WY Corning-Painted Post Area School District Painted Post NY Cranford Public Schools Cranford NJ Cupertino Union School District Cupertino CA Dearborn Public Schools Dearborn MI East Brunswick Twp School District East Brunswick NJ Eastern Lancaster County School District New Holland PA Ephrata Area School District Ephrata PA Fairfax County Public Schools Fairfax VA Forestville School District Forestville CA Fort Bend Independent School District Sugar Land TX Fox Chapel Area School District Pittsburgh PA Frenship Independent School District Wolfforth TX Fulton County Schools Atlanta GA Garden City Union Free School District Garden City NY Garland Independent School District Garland TX Grand Forks Public School District #1 Grand Forks ND Great Neck Union Free School District Great Neck NY Greenwich School District Greenwich CT Gwinnett County Public Schools Lawrenceville GA Henrico County Public Schools Richmond VA Hillsborough County School District Tampa FL Homewood City Schools Homewood AL Horry County School District Conway SC Hortonville Area School District Hortonville WI Howard County Public Schools System Ellicott City MD Hudson School District Hudson WI Kingsport City Schools Kingsport TN Lafayette School District Lafayette CA Lampeter-Strasburg School District Lampeter PA Lewisville ISD Lewisville TX Lincoln Public Schools Lincoln NE Loudoun County Public Schools Leesburg VA Maine Consolidated School District #10 Parks AZ Marshall Public Schools Marshall MN Meade 46-1 School Dist. Sturgis SD Melrose Public Schools Melrose MA Millard School District Omaha NE Mount Pleasant City School District Mount Pleasant MI New Hanover County Schools Wilmington NC New Hope-Solebury School District New Hope PA New Providence School District New Providence NJ Newton Local School District Pleasant Hill OH North Merrick Union Free School District North Merrick NY North Rockland Central School District Garnerville NY Northport-East Northport UFSD Northport NY Nutley Town Schools Nutley NJ Oppenheim-Ephratah Central School St. Johnsville NY Orange County School District Orlando FL Paramus Public Schools Paramus NJ Pearl Public School District Pearl MS Pennsbury School District Fallsington PA Piscataway Township Schools Piscataway NJ Pulaski County Schools Somerset KY Quaker Valley School District Sewickley PA Red Rock Central Schools Lamberton MN Rocky Point Union Free School District Rocky Point NY Saint Lucie County School District Fort Pierce FL School District of Oconee County Walhalla SC Southwestern CSD at Jamestown Jamestown NY Springfield R-xii Public Schools Springfield MO State College Area School District State College PA Summit Hill District 161 Frankfort IL Tippecanoe School Corporation Lafayette IN Torrington Public Schools Torrington CT Trinity Area School District Washington PA Ukiah Unified School District Ukiah CA Van Buren Local School District Van Buren OH Warrensburg R-VI Warrensburg MO Waterford School District Waterford MI West Genesee Central School District Camillus NY West Irondequoit Central School District Rochester NY West Milford Township Public Schools West Milford NJ Wicomico County Board of Education Salisbury MD Williamsport Area School District Williamsport PA Winfield School District 34 Winfield IL Worcester County Public Schools Newark MD

Source: American Music Conference

CONTACT: Ann-Marie Nieves, Giles Communications, +1-914-798-4114, anieves@giles.com, for American Music Conference

Web site: http://www.amc-music.org/ http://www.menc.org/ http://www.mhopus.org/ http://www.music-for-all.org/ http://www.mtna.org/ http://www.nsba.org/ http://www.yamaha.com/ http://www.perseus.com/ http://www.vh1savethemusic.com/

------- Profile: Ent