Selected Demographic Variables,School Music Participation,and Achievement Test Scores of Urban Middle School Students

Abstract

Nontransient 6th- and 8th-grade urban middle school students' achievement test scores were examined before (4th grade) and during (6th or 8th grade) enrollment in a performing ensemble. Ensemble participation (band, choir, none) and subject variables of socioeconomic status (SES) and home environment were considered. Fourth- and 6th-grade achievement tests consisted of Reading, Math, Citizenship and Science; 8th grade included Reading, Math, Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts. Analyses indicated significant differences yet small effect sizes for main effects of SES and ensemble participation. Higher SES students scored significantly higher on all subtests except 4th-, 6th-, and 8th-grade reading. Sixth-grade band students scored significantly higher than choir students and nonparticipants on every subtest of 6th- and 4th-grade achievement tests. Eighth-grade band students scored significantly higher than nonparticipants on 4th-grade Reading and Math and every subtest of the 8th-grade achievement test except Social Studies. Similar results for both cohorts suggest that band may attract higher achieving students from the outset and that test score differences remain stable over time.

Keywords

music students test scores achievement tests standardized tests socioeconomic status urban schools

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Astone, N.M. , & McLanahan, S.S. (1991). Family structure, parental practices and high school completion. American Sociological Review, 56, 309-320.

Brooks, M.G. (1988). An analysis of variables for predicting the student achievement of the Atlanta public schools. Atlanta, GA : Atlanta Public Schools Division of Curriculum and Research Services. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 295988)

Caldas, S.J. (1993). Reexamination of input and process factor effects on public school achievement. Journal of Educational Research , 84, 325-326.

Caldas, S.J. , & Bankston, C. (1997). Effect of school population socioeconomic status on individual academic achievement. Journal of Educational Research, 90, 269-277.

Catterall, J.S. (1998). Involvement in the arts and success in secondary school. Americans for the Arts Monograph series, Vol. 1, No. 9. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts.

Catterall, J. , Chapleau, R. , and Iwanaga, J. (1999). Involvement in the arts and human development: General involvement and intensive involvement in music and theatre arts. In E. B. Fiske (Ed.), Champions of change: The impact of the arts on learning. Washington, DC: Arts Education Partnership.

Circle, D. (1983/1989). Cognitive growth of students in music as measured by ITBS. Unpublished report. Shawnee Mission Public Schools, Music Library and Fine Arts Center, Shawnee Mission, KS. (Available from Music Library and Fine Arts Center , 7200 Belinder Road, Shawnee Mission, KS 66208)

Clark, R.M. (1983). Family life and school achievement: Why poor Black children succeed in school. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Desimone, L. (1999). Linking parent involvement with student achievement: Do race and income matter? Journal of Educational Research , 93, 11-30.

10.

Fitzpatrick, K.R. (2006). The effect of instrumental music participation and socioeconomic status on Ohio fourth-, sixth-, and ninth-grade proficiency test performance. Journal of Research in Music Education, 54, 73-84.

11.

Gillespie, R. (1992). The elementary pull-out crisis: Using research effectively. American String Teacher, 22, 79-80.

12.

Goldhaber, D.D. , & Brewer, D.J. (1997). Why don't schools and teacher seem to matter? Assessing the impact of unobservables on educational productivity. Journal of Human Resources, 32, 505-523.

13.

Granoff, S. (1996). Predictors of Ohio ninth grade proficiency test performance. Unpublished master's thesis, Ohio State University , Columbus.

14.

Groff, F.H. (1963). Effect on academic achievement of excusing elementary school pupils from classes to study instrumental music. Dissertation Abstracts, 25, 5014-5015. (University Microfilms No. 64-3536)

15.

Hanshumaker, J. (1979). The effects of arts education on intellectual and social development: A review of selected literature. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 61, 10-28.

16.

Huck, S.W. (2000). Reading statistics and research (3rd ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman.

17.

Ingersoll, G.M. , Scamman, J.P. , & Eckerling, W.D. (1989). Geographic mobility and student achievement in an urban setting. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 11, 143-149.

18.

Johnson, C.M. , & Memmott, J.E. (2006). Examination of relationships between participation in school music programs of differing quality and standardized test results . Journal of Research in Music Education, 54, 293-307.

19.

Keith, T.Z. , Keith, P.B. , & Troutman, G.C. (1993). Does parental involvement affect eighth- grade student achievement? Structural analysis of national data. School Psychology Review, 22, 474-496.

20.

Kempter, D. (1980/1986). Academic achievement of fifth grade band and orchestra students. Unpublished report. Albuquerque Public Schools, Albuquerque, NM. (Available from Albuquerque Public Schools, Curriculum Supervisor of Fine Arts, 725 University Boulevard, SE, PO Box 25704, Albuquerque, NM 87125)

21.

Kerbow, D. (1996). Patterns of urban school mobility and local school reform. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 1, 147-169.

22.

Kinney, D.W. , & Forsythe, J.L. (2005). The effects of Arts IMPACT school curriculum upon the Ohio Fourth-Grade Proficiency Test scores. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 164, 35-48.

23.

Klinedinst, R. (1990). Predicting performance achievement and retention of fifth-grade instrumental students. Journal of Research in Music Education, 39, 225-238.

24.

Kvet, E.J. (1985). Excusing elementary school students from regular classroom activities for the study of instrumental music: The effect on sixth-grade reading, language, and mathematics achievement. Journal of Research in Music Education, 32, 45-54.

25.

Lanese, J. (1992, April). Statewide proficiency testing: Establishing standards or barriers? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED347196)

26.

McCarthy, J. (1980). Individualized instruction, student achievement, and dropout in an urban elementary instrumental music program. Journal of Research in Music Education, 28, 59-69.

27.

McCrary, J. , & Ruffin, M. (2006). Seventh-grade music ensemble participants' and non-ensemble participants' academic achievement and school attendance. Paper presented at MENC's 60th National Biennial In-Service Conference , Salt Lake City, UT.

28.

McLanahan, S.S. (1985). Family structure and the intergenerational transmission of poverty. American Journal of Sociology, 90, 873-901.

29.

Nichols, J. (2003). Prediction indicators for student failing the state of Indiana high school graduation exam. Preventing School Failure, 47, 112-120.

30.

Peters, E.B. (1973). A study of student attitudes relating to certain instructional and socio-economic factors in junior high school general music classes in eight Baltimore City public schools (Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland, College Park). Dissertation Abstracts International , 35, 1147.

31.

Robitaille, J.P. , & O' Neil, S. (1981). Why instrumental music in elementary schools? Phi Delta Kappan, 63, 213.

32.

Rumberger, R.W. (2003). The causes and consequences of student mobility . Journal of Negro Education, 72, 6-21.

33.

Schuler, D.B. (1990). Effects of family mobility on student achievement . ERS Spectrum, 8, 17-24.

34.

Wallick, M.D. (1998). A comparison study of Ohio Proficiency Test results between fourth grade string pullout students and those of matched ability . Journal of Research in Music Education, 46, 239-247.

35.

Wolff, K. (1978). The nonmusical outcomes of music education: A review of the literature. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 55, 1-27.

36.

Young, W. (1971). The role of musical aptitude, intelligence, and academic achievement in predicting the musical attainment of elementary instrumental music students. Journal of Research in Music Education, 19, 385-398.

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.02 MB

0.00 MB