Research Proposal into Instrumental Music Program Benefits ...
Research Proposal: Instrumental Music Program Benefits on Student Achievement and Success
By
Lisa Hollenbeck
EDU 505 – Action Research
Prof. Faith Maina – SUNY Oswego
May 2, 2007
Abstract:
Student’s involved in Instrumental music programs achieve higher success in core academic subjects than students who are not involved in instrumental music programs. This research will aid in the support to continue and develop strong instrumental music programs in the public school system. The preliminary findings of my research show that the greater the involvement in instrumental music and arts programs the greater the impact on SAT achievement scores. My preliminary findings are the instrumental music program student involvement positively affects student achievement.
Introduction:
The number one issue of state mandated testing has been reduced budgets and time limitations placed on programs in the arts. The unspoken message to students regarding music and high stake-tests is that the arts, a core subject as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act, are not important. From my experience, I have found that music has a profound impact on student achievement through out academic subjects. I feel that skills used in instrumental music programs, such as time management, thinking skills, social skills, discipline, motivation along with the reading, language and mathematic skills developed through instrumental music directly impact the achievement of students in other core subject results. My primary purpose in researching this topic is to provide evidence to support Instrumental music programs fighting to retain instrumental music programs during the public school day along the continued funding necessary to run a successful program.
Research Context:
My research goal is to prove that instrumental music impacts student success outside of the music classroom in other academic areas. My goal is to provide evidence to support arts advocacy to continue support to instrumental music programs, which are still functioning and provide support to instrumental music programs that are in decline due to the effects of the No Child Left behind Act. Castro and Janc’s, study reported decreases in instructional time for the arts and especially large decreases in high-minority schools. The range of decreases was found between twenty-five to forty-two percent in instructional time for the arts, with over a third of the forty-two high-minority schools expecting large future decreases.(Zastrow, 2004, pg 7-8) This is very disturbing as the student’s with less are loosing more important resources to assist them in their struggle to succeed in the public school system today. The decrease also affected low-minority schools, but not as drastic. This makes my study of the positive affects on music especially important. There is a gap in the research, which needs to be filled, so that administrators can make more accurate measures to increase important test results in reading and math. There are profound effects of reducing instruction in other core areas of instruction to try to increase the score results in another.
The methodology used for this research combined a mail survey of 956 elementary and secondary public school principals in four states along with focus groups of principals from across the United States. The mail survey’s were sent to a stratified random sample of 3000 principals in Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, and New York. Each survey was accompanied by a cover letter explaining its purpose. Principals in the sample also had the option to complete the identical survey on line. The 956 returned surveys, yielded a response rate of approximately 32%: 417 surveys were returned from Illinois, 155 from Maryland, 56 from New Mexico and 310 from New York. The remaining 18 surveys included no information about state of origin and were not included in the state-by-state analysis. Two focus groups sessions were conducted in Washington, DC: one with elementary school principals and one with secondary school principals. Principals were from across the country and engaged in open discussions concerning recent changes to their school curriculum. (Zastrow, 2003, pg.32)
Ruppert, describes in non-technical terms how study of the arts contribute to academic achievement and student success. It offers impartial, to-the-point reporting of the multiple benefits associated with students’ learning experiences in the arts and based on sound educational research. (Ruppert, 2006, pg. 2) One benefit of this study is the use of current research and resources. There has not been a lot of research performed in the field of instrumental music and this can be a challenge to the collection of current information and materials, which are pertinent to performing research in music. It is very encouraging that the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Arts Education Partnership, National Endowment of the Arts, and the Music Educators National Association are strongly encouraging and supporting the need for research in the arts and specifically in my case providing sources to support instrumental music.
When I began looking at my topic and the No Child Left Behind Act, and actually read the Act. I found that the Arts, including instrumental music, are considered a core subject area. In fact, the NCLB Act states, that the arts share equal importance with reading, math, and science, as a core academic subject. “In fact the arts, can contribute to improved student learning outcomes.”(Ruppert, 2006, pg.1) With the emphasis, on literacy and math to achieve passing score levels for schools to achieve adequate yearly progress I feel there is an unconscious lack of importance placed on arts education. . I also feel individuals do not realize that music is considered a core subject, hence the reductions of music budgets, reducing time for music programs, or lose of instrumental music programs is a dangerous path to walk down if we want students to achieve success.
“Shifting priorities and budget cuts are quietly reducing and diminishing opportunities for students to participate in high-quality arts instruction and activities, and adversely affecting low-income families children, who are less likely to be consistently involved in arts activities or instruction than children from high-income families.”(Ruppert, 2006, pg 1)
There is support for the arts in various locations. Some states to have taken some steps to encourage arts education. “Forty-nine states have established content and/or performance standards that outline what a student should know and be able to do in one or more of the various art forms and forty-three states require schools or districts to provide arts instruction.”(Ruppert, 2006, pg 1) It has also been found that, “schools integrating the arts into the curriculum as part of a comprehensive education reform strategy are documenting positive changes in the school environment and the improvement of student performance.”(Ruppert, 2006, pg, 6)
“American’s in a New Harris Poll revealed that strong support for arts education. Ninety-three percent of Americans agree that arts are vital to providing a well-rounded education for children. Eighty-six percent, agree an arts education encourages and assists in the improvement of a child’s attitude toward school. Eighty-three percent believe that arts education helps teach children to communicate effectively with adults and peers. Seventy-nine percent agree incorporating the arts into education is the first step in adding back what is missing in public education today. Fifty-four percent rate the importance of arts education as a ten on a ten-point scale. Seventy-nine percent believe that it’s important enough for them to get personally involved in increasing the amount and quality of art education.”(Americans for the Arts, 2005)
So, if so many individuals strongly support education and the results documents positive results from arts inclusion in school curriculums of instruction, why are instrumental music programs being reduced and how can individuals become better educated as to the positive effects of arts programs such as instrumental music? I hope my research will help to educate society about the positive effects, which the arts and specifically instrumental music has upon student performance in the public school system.
There are various ways that music is having an impact on student success. “Music students are outperforming non-music students on the Scholastic Aptitude test (SAT). College-bound seniors with coursework or experience in music performance scored 52 points higher on the verbal portion and 37 points higher on the math portion of the SAT than students with no coursework or experience in the arts.” (Ruppert, 2006,pg 9)
To establish Instrumental music as a motivation for success, I have drawn resources from, “Understanding the Linkages between Music Education and Educational Outcomes a report, which used surveys developed by Harris Interactive and directed by the Music Educators National Conference.
• As the percentage of students enrolled in a music class increases, so does the graduation rate of the school
• For those who say their music program is stable or growing, graduation rates are directionally better than those who say their music program is eroding
• Those schools that have awards for their music classes and/or performing groups have higher overall graduation rates than schools than have not won awards for music program
• Those schools that offer music classes with a clear sequence of knowledge and mastery have higher overall graduation rates than schools that do not follow this path
• Those schools that have credentialed music teachers have much higher graduation rates than those schools that do not have a full credentialed music staff”(MENC, 2007)
Research Questions:
My question is to determine if student’s involvement in instrumental music programs is beneficial to their success in academic areas compared to non-arts students. The prior research shows that SAT scores are impacted by student involvement in the arts. The highest impact is seen when students are involved in performing arts, which include orchestra, band, and chorus. My research is relevant in relationship to the goal of viewing the implications, which instrumental music involvement and participation have upon high-stake test results dictated by the No Child Left Behind Act. Research of instrumental music’s impact has not been performed in regards to high-stake tests mandated by the NCLB Act.
Research Methods:
In this section, I will discuss the methods I will use for my research. My research focuses on the success of students on high-stakes tests from grades ten, eleven, and twelve. Grades from the previous years high-stake tests will be logged into Excel to determine the mean scores of students grouped into the categories of Instrumental music, Instrumental music and other arts, Non-music, Visual arts, Choir, and Drama/Theatre by grade level of students and displayed in a pie and chart format. The students will be drawn from the Oswego High School in Oswego, New York. Participation in this study will be voluntary and participants will be anonymous. My sampling will be from individual students in grade tenth through twelfth grade. I will invite my desired sample to participate by providing a cover letter explaining the purpose of the study and a permission slip for parents/guardians to sign and return to the high school. To be ethical all students will be anonymous, as I will only be viewing high-stake test grades grouped by grade level and arts participation classification.
Validity:
I am only using one source of data collection to provide evidence for my research. I therefore am hoping that the population, which I will be drawing from, will be a large number of students. I will be using a mean score of high-stake test scores to give a clear representation of each student classification to provide a more balance presentation of data. Because high-stake test are an observation of one moment in time students results may vary due to personal circumstances. I am therefore observing three grade levels to view a large cross section of individuals.
Preliminary Results:
My preliminary findings are that majorities of instrumental music students are more successful in academic areas outside of instrumental music than non-instrumental. Arts students will also score higher than non-instrumental students will, but not as high as instrumental music students and participants. My preliminary thoughts about the study are determined from my personal experiences as a student, a teacher, and through general discussions involving other music teacher’s general thoughts and observations involving my research.
Implications:
The implications of this research are important to anyone interested in the success of society and our student who will make up our future society. If this study is not done, the effects of instrumental music programs being reduced could negatively affect the outcomes of success our government has defined as the necessary grades to produce and promote success for students, parents, teachers, and administrators in public school systems through out the country. The impact of losing instrumental music programs would be felt for generations, as educators would reduce the number of professionals to be trained in instrumental music. Students success would be impacted through out the period of rebuilding educated professionals and achievement of students would be reduced.
Bibliography:
Americans for the Arts (2005), “New Harris Poll Reveals That 93% of Americans Believe That the Arts are Vital to Providing a Well-Rounded Education,” News Release, Retrieved on February 26, 2007 from
Arts Education Partnership (2005), No Subject Left Behind: A Guide to Arts Education Opportunities in the 2001 NCLB Act. Washington, DC: AEP.
Barry, N., Taylor J., & Walls K. (2002), “The Role of the Fine and Performing Arts in High School Dropout Prevention.” Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC: AEP.
Bloom B., B. Mesia, and D. Krathwohl (1964). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (Vol.1 & Vol. 2). New York. David McKay.
Catterall, J.S. (2002), “Involvement in the Arts and Success in Secondary School.” Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC: AEP.
Catterall, J. S., Chapleau R., & Iwanaga J. (2002), “Involvement in the Arts and Human Development: Extending an Analysis of General Associations and Introducing the Special Cases of Intensive Involvement in Music and Theatre Arts.” Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC: AEP.
Daugherty, J. F. (1996) Why Music Matters: The Cognitive Personalism of Reimer and Elliot, Australian Journal of Music Education,1996, No.1: 29-37, retrieved online on February 23, 2007 at
Dave R. (1970) Psychomotor levels. In Developing and Writing Behavioral Objectives. Armstrong RJ, ed. Tucson, AZ :Educational Innovators Press.
Deasy, R. J. (editor) (2002), Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC:AEP.
Deasy, R. J., “Don’t Axe the Arts!” National Association of Elementary School Principals, Volume 82, Number 3 (Jan/Feb 2003).
Diamond, M. & Hopson, J. (1998). Magic trees of the mind: How to nurture your child's intelligence, creativity, and healthy emotions from birth to adolescence. New York: Plume.
Elliott, D. (1995). Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education. New York: Oxford University Press.
Gardiner, M., Fox, A., Knowles, F, & Jeffrey D.(1996) Learning improved by Arts training. Nature.
Goodman, J. R. (2002), “A Naturalistic Study of the Relationship between Literacy Development and Dramatic play in Five-Year-Old Children.” Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC: AEP.
Hassler, M., Birbaumer, N. & Feil, A. (1985). Musical talent and visual-spatial abilities: a longitudinal study. Psychology of Music, 13, 99-113.
Herbert, D. (2004), “Finding the Will and the Way To Make the Arts a Core Subject: Thirty Years of Mixed Progress,” The State Education Standard, Vol. 4, Number 4, Washington, DC: National Association of State Boards of Education.
Kennedy, J. R. (2002), “The Effects of Musical Performance, Rational Emotive Therapy and Vicarious Experience on the Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem of Juvenile Delinquents and Disadvantaged Children.” Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC: AEP.
Jacobson, L. (1998). Education policymakers embrace brain findings. Education Week.
Lamb, S. J., & Gregory, A. H. (1993). The relationship between music and reading in beginning readers. Educational Psychology, 13 (1).
Murfee, E. (1995), Eloquent Evidence: Arts at the Core of Learning: Washington DC: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
Nelson, C. A. (2002), “The Arts and Education Reform: Lessons from a Four-Year Evaluation of the A+ Schools Programs, 1995-1999.” Executive Summary. In Deasy, R. J. (Ed) Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC: AEP.
Music Educators National Conference, “Facts about Music and Music Education” retrieved online on February 25, 2007 at
Music Educators National Conference, “ Understanding the Linkages Between Music Education and Educational Outcomes” retrieved online on February 25, 2007 at
Page, A. (2002), “Children’s Story Comprehension As a Result of Storytelling and Story Dramatization: A Study of the Child As Spectator and Participant.” In Deasy, R. J. (Ed.), Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC: AEP.
Rauscher, F.H. , Shaw, G.L. & Ky, K.N. (1993). Music and spatial task performance. Nature, 365, 611.
Rauscher, F.H., Shaw, G.L.,Levine, L.J. & Wright, E.L. (1993). Pilot study indicates music training of three-year-olds enhances specific spatial reasoning skills. Paper presented at the Economic Summit of the National Association of Music Merchants, Newport Beach, CA.
Reimer, B. (1989). A Philosophy of Music Education. Second edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Ruppert, S. (2006). Critical Evidence, How the ARTS Benefit Student Achievement. National Assembly of State Arts Agencies: National Endowment for the Arts.
The College Board, Profile of College-Bound Seniors National Report for 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. Retrieved online on April 20, 2007 at
Vaughn, K. (2002), “ Music and Mathematics: Modest Support for the Oft-Claimed Relationship.” Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC: AEP.
Vaughn, K. & Winner E. (2002), “SAT scores of Students Who Study the Arts: What We Can and Cannot Conclude and the Association.” Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC: AEP.
Von Zastrow, C. & Janc, H (2004). Academic Atrophy. The Condition of the Liberal Arts in America’s Public Schools: Council for Basic Education.
Appendix A Timetable for Research
|Month |Activity |Comments |
| |Selecting Topic |Think about issues I’m concerned with at school |
|January | | |
|February - April |Critical Review of Literature |Use ERIC database to search for related |
| | |literature and search Penfield library’s |
| | |materials |
|March 2007 | | |
| | |Create research questions |
| |Action Research Proposal |Detail research methods |
| | | |
|May 2007 |Present Research Proposal |PowerPoint presentation |
| | |Obtain approval from the Campus Human Subjects |
| | |Committee on surveys |
|May 2007 |Talked to High School about procedure to gain | |
| |approval for research |Fill out paperwork for High school Approval |
|June 2007 |Submit Research proposal to Oswego High School |Submit research paperwork to second floor office|
| | |at the Board of Education, Oswego, NY |
|July 2007 |Attend Board of Education Meeting | |
| | |Gain Approval of Board of Education, Oswego, NY |
|September- December 2007 | |Obtain grades for high-stake tests from Oswego |
| | |High Schools Counseling Department |
| |Collecting Data | |
| | | |
|December 2008 |Analyze Data |Analyze data from all questionnaires |
| | | |
| | |Key Idea Identification of 2003 Math Assessment |
|February-May 2008 |Write up Results |Write up action plan using results of research |
| | | |
| | | |
|May 2008 |Presentation of Thesis |PowerPoint Presentation of Thesis project (Lit. |
| | |review & Research methods) |
| | | |
Appendix B Consent Letter to Oswego School District
Dear Sir or Madam:
My name is Lisa Hollenbeck. I am currently working on my master thesis at SUNY Oswego. To finish my graduate program, I need to research and complete my thesis by May 2008.
I will be comparing grades from high stake tests between instrumental music students, other arts areas, and non-instrumental music students. I will not need any access to identities other than if students are involved in any of the various arts activities available at the Oswego High School.
My Action Research has been approved by the Faculty Research Committee on Human Subjects of the State University of New York at Oswego.
By participating in this research, I will be observing the effects of participation in instrumental music, other participation in arts, and non-participation in arts programs in relationship to test results on high-stake tests. It is my intention to release a summary of my study to all participants. I hope my study will positively affect arts programs support to increase student achievement in non-arts area’s of study.
Your participation in this research is voluntary. If you have any questions about your rights as a subject, please contact the Human Subjects Committee, SUNY Oswego.
Sincerely,
Lisa Hollenbeck
Curriculum and Instruction, Graduate Student
I have read the above statement about the purpose of the nature of the study, and I freely consent to participate.
_________________________ ________
Participant’s Signature Date
_________________________ __________
Researcher’s Signature Date
***Please send back the signed portion of the consent letter
Appendix c Request for Permission from Parents
Dear Parent/Guardian,
My name is Lisa Hollenbeck, and I am an alumni of the Oswego High School School district. I have been a professional musician in the United States Marine Band and also a music teacher in New York and Maryland. This year I will be conducting some research for the completion of my master’s degree at SUNY Oswego in Curriculum and Instruction to become certified as an Instrumental Music Teacher in NY state.
I would like to use students high-stake test grade results this year as data for my research and would, therefore, like your permission to use your child’s grade’s in my study.
I assure you that confidentiality will be maintained and your child will not be identified by me in any way.
If I have permission to use _____________________________ high-stake grade results for my research, please return this form with our approval.
Sincerely,
Lisa Hollenbeck
I grant permission for the use of __________________________________
High-stake test grade results in research conducted during the 2007-2008 by Master’s Degree Student, Lisa Hollenbeck. I understand that every good faith effort will be made to maintain confidentiality in any reports of this research; I understand that if I do not grant this permission, my child will not be denied any educational opportunity.
___________________________ _______________
Parent/Guardian Date
***Please send back the signed portion of the consent letter
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