From the Editor A Music Parents Guide to No Child

							From the Editor: A Music Parents Guide to "No Child Left Behind"
by Bob Morrison

The single biggest issue facing music education programs today is the federal legislation knows as “No
Child Left Behind” (NCLB). There are a great many myths that have come out of the passage of this law. In
many places administrators are threatening to cut music programs because of the need to be in
“compliance” with this law. Others say they are now forced to focus only on “core subjects”. Still more say
there is no money in this legislation to support music programs. When parents hear these reasons many just
shake their heads in agreement since, after all, the school board and administrators must know the law.

There is only one problem: NONE OF THESE STATEMENTS ARE TRUE!

I am not suggesting your schools are intentionally misleading you. Regardless of the motivation, programs
are now being cut because of misinformation! The biggest problem is not with the law. The biggest problem
is in the way states and local communities are INTERPRETING (or actually misinterpreting) this law.

I am sure you have heard all of the reports about music and arts education cutbacks due to NCLB. The
report, Academic Atrophy, was the first document to show the negative impact of the implementation of
NCLB on arts programs (implementation being the key word here). The findings in our report, The Sound of
Silence, reinforced much of what was in the earlier commentaries.

We are now three years into NCLB. You may love it, though I know a lot of people who do not. Some object
to the law for good reason (more on this in a moment). At the very least, it has been a great topic people in
education have used as unending source of parody: No Child Left in Band, No Subject Left Behind, No
Child Left in Public School, No Child Left Untested… you get the drift.

Here is the reality: No Child Left Behind is here to stay. Even if there was momentum to significantly change
the law it would take another five years just to get something else in place. The changes occurring in
education now will drive education policy for the next decade, or longer.

So, to be successful in our collective efforts to expand access to music and arts education in our
public schools, we need to examine the opportunities NCLB provides to music programs and
things you, as a parent, can do to use this law to support your own local program.

Here are just a few of the advantages to keep in mind:

    •    NCLB Mandates the Arts and Music as a Core Subject – There is nothing in the law that states,
         suggests, or implies that music should be cut in the name of reading, math or testing mandates. If
         you can… I will send you a check for $1 million! Programs have been reduced or eliminated due to
         uniformed decisions made by local interpretation of the law. So, if someone says we need to
         cutback the music program because of NCLB mandates, tactfully point out the error in their ways.
         The best way to do this is to use the letter* sent to all school superintendents by then-Secretary of
         Education, Rod Paige. In the letter he points out the dangers of the “narrow interpretation” of the
         law and hammers home the point that the arts are a core subject to be included in education reform.
         Indeed, the arts are an important part of any real reform agenda. Arkansas Governor Mike
         Huckabee, who serves as the chairman of the education commission of the states went so far as to
         say that schools can not be in compliance with NCLB if they DO NOT have music and arts
         programs. Strong stuff for you, as parents, to know and bring to the attention of your own school
         board and administrators.
    •   Follow the Money – That’s right. There is money tied to the law and your school district have the
        right to apply for it for use with music. DO NOT look for the words “Music” or “Arts” in the bill for
        funding. Look for the words “core subjects.” Since the arts are defined as “core subjects” then any
        funding available for “core subjects” can be used for music! This is an often overlooked fact. Title I
        provides funds for states to use as part comprehensive reform plans, including the arts. Title I also
        provides funds that may be used to support music programs for disadvantaged students. Title II
        provides funds for teacher training, including music. Title IV provides funds for after-school
        programs (including music), and Title V provides money to support model programs, as well as
        grants for professional development.* Get the picture?

    •   State Plans: Where the Real Action Is – State education policy and planning is where the rubber
        meets the road. They can add or remove barriers that will directly impact YOUR school. Music, arts
        education groups and PARENTS in every state should be at the table when developing the State
        Plans. Some questions to ask of your music teachers:

            o    Does your state define the arts as a core subject? If not why not?

            o    Does your state have standards for music and arts education in place?

            o    In your local community, is your own local curriculum is aligned with state standards?

            o    Does you school assess the music programs?

    •   Highly Qualified Teachers – By the end of the 2005-2006 school year all teachers of core academic
        subjects must be highly qualified. Since we know that music and arts education are considered
        core subjects then all music teachers must be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-2006 school
        year.

    •   In an Era of Accountability … Be Accountable – OK everyone, repeat after me: “Data is my
        friend. Data is my friend…” It really is. The problem we have had in the music education
        community (and the arts, in general, for that matter) is that we have not gathered data on our
        programs in any meaningful way. Now, I am certain some communities do, but most places I have
        visited in my travels do not.

Some data gathering ideas to for your consideration that may help support your program. This
can be a project a group of parents take on to help support the entire music education program in
a school district:

    •   Number of students enrolled in each arts discipline – total and by grade, by school, and ideally, by
        district (we will call these “arts” students).

    •   Percentage of students enrolled in each art form by grade, by school, and district-wide.

    •   School attendance rate of these students vs. non-arts.

    •   Dropout rate of these students vs. non-arts.

    •   Average Standardized Test Scores, arts vs. non-arts.

    •   Impact of Arts students on AYP scores vs. non-arts students. (AYP is NCLB lingo for Adequate
        Yearly Progress. This is the number you hear everyone yelling about when they dub a school “low
        performing”).
By gathering and providing this kind of information we are able to make a compelling case for the impact our
music and arts programs have on our children, schools and communities.

Since “accountability” is the buzzword of this law, we must hold our policy-makers accountable for all the
provisions of this law. Use the facts of the law to your advantage. By being informed about the law you will
be empowered to use NCLB as a tool to strengthen your own local programs and expand access to music
and the arts for all of our children.

A list of resources and information listed in this article may be found at: http://music-for-all.org/parents.html