United Independent School District received the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for the 6th consecutive year. Now in its 25th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in providing music access and education to all students.
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, United ISD answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
“A quality music education is as essential as reading, writing, and arithmetic to the life-long development of a child. Our music teachers inspire and educate students with an array of knowledge and skills through diverse music programs. Receiving this distinction for the 6th year in a row validates the hard-work and dedication that our teachers provide to our students on a daily basis,” said UISD Director of Fine Arts Gerardo Rodriguez.
Research continues to demonstrate educational, cognitive, and social skill benefits for children who make music. Researchers have found that students in music programs show more substantial improvements in how their brains process language than their less musically involved peers. Furthermore, students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college. Everyday listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than in those without music training. Listening skills are closely tied to the ability to perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention, and keep sounds in memory. Adults who have taken music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound. Social benefits of school music program participation include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and giving and receiving constructive criticism.
About The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its 15,000 global member companies and individual professionals worldwide. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.
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