Shaker Makes List Of Best Schools For Music Education

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH - The Shaker Heights School District has been named one of the for music education by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. The award honors districts for high-quality music education offered from grades K-12.

NAMM celebrates districts every year for their commitment to music education. The districts are chosen based off a survey, a variety of factors, and research done with the The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. Specifically, the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) program and the SupportMusic Merit Award evaluate schools and districts based on funding, staffing of highly qualified teachers, commitment to standards and access to music instruction.

The Shaker Heights Chamber Orchestra recently won second runner-up in the National Orchestra Cup. The band also won the Forte Award for displaying best spirit and passion.

The BCME program has been around for 18 years. The goal of the program is to encourage music education across the nation.

“Studying music has intrinsic benefits and, on its own, is core to learning. Also, the links between student success and music education have now been demonstrated by brain researchers in multiple studies,” said Mary Luehrsen, executive director of The NAMM Foundation, in a press release. “The schools and districts our foundation recognizes are building on that connection between music and academics. These schools and districts are models for other educators who see music as a key ingredient in a well-rounded curriculum that makes music available to all children, regardless of zip code.”

You can find a complete list of BCME districts by clicking here.

Photo from Beachwood Schools