For the tenth consecutive year, Orange County Public Schools has been named one of the best communities for music education in the United States.
On Thursday, OCPS was honored with the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) Award from the NAMM Foundation. This national award honors and celebrates school districts across the country that consistently provide all students with access to high-quality music education.
To qualify for the BCME Award, OCPS answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, and support for the music program, among other topics. These responses were then verified by school officials and tabulated by a national independent research and evaluation firm specializing in education and the arts.
“We are thrilled to receive this national recognition of our music education program for the 10th year in a row,” said Jason Locker, OCPS Senior Director for Visual and Performing Arts. “This honor reflects the passion, dedication, and expertise of our music educators, and reaffirms our commitment to equitable access to an outstanding arts education for every OCPS student.”
In a media release, OCPS stated that research into music education “continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who learn music.” According to this research, participants who received two years of music education “showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers.”
In addition, the research reportedly shows that students involved in music are more likely to graduate high school and attend college.
For more information, visit the Orange County Public Schools website.
The NAMM Foundation is the charitable arm of the National Association of Music Merchants, which is the global trade association for the music products industry. The foundation aims to remove systemic barriers that limit access to music-making and career pathways in the music industry.