MUSIC ADVOCACY: Caring Enough to Put the Student First
June 22, 2005
Music: Curricular, Co-curricular, or Extra-curricular? (Part II)
In Part I of "Music: Curricular, Co-curricular, or
Extra-curricular?" I provided a brief presentation of the complexities
associated with the different perspectives of music in education. In this segment I will provide you with
definitions that should assist you in bringing clarity to your administration
and board as to the academic legitimacy of music education.These definitions should also assist you in
deepening your understanding of the budgetary process, thereby giving broader
justification for music as a curricular entity.
State laws are inconsistent in their categorization of music
education.Legal definitions tend to be
unclear and confusing; and in other cases may use, combine or interchange
terms. Therefore the local school district administration or school board has
little legal guidance regarding the academic status of the music
curriculum.State laws may completely
ignore the status of music education altogether, may mandate certain (usually
very broad) standards, or may provide detailed standards that are only
classified as guidelines.In nearly
every case, the local district administration is given a great deal of
flexibility in how to interpret the laws as related to the implementation of
the music curriculum and music staffing.
I strongly recommend that you use the categories as defined
below to describe each and every aspect and activity in your music curriculum.
The curriculum should be submitted to your school board for adoption as
official district policy. The official status of music education may become a
significant factor in preserving your program in times of crisis.
Curricular:Music education is curricular.It
is primarily an cognitive event, not just a "thought-less"
activity.It contributes substantially
to the social, academic, intellectual, expressive and communicative development
of the student.
Music education is also curricular for some very practical
reasons.
Music
classes, including rehearsals, are held during the regular school
day.This is one of the reasons why
it is so important to maintain performance rehearsals during regular class
time. Moving your performance program outside the regular schedule places
it in the extra-curricular category and makes the program even more
vulnerable to cuts, since extra-curricular programs are generally the
first to go.
The
regular salaries of music teachers are funded by the same budget as other
academic teachers.
Music
teachers have an FTE (full-time equivalent) value that is defined on a
similar basis as other classroom teachers. Ensemble classes, especially at
the secondary level, usually have a greater financial value to the
district than other classroom teachers because of the larger classes that
they teach. (See FTE, Reverse Economics)
All
music courses (should) receive academic credit.
Curricular examples of music:(non-performance) classroom general music,
music theory & history, music appreciation, rehearsals of music
organizations in preparation for co-curricular concerts (including the content
and process of learning about the music).
Co-curricular:Music education is co-curricular.There are certain aspects of the academic curriculum that occur outside
of the regular school day; specifically, the performance of the "final
exam" in a public concert.These
performances may have public relations or public service value, but the primary
value is the public performance of learned skills, i.e, musicianship.
Co-curricular examples of music:Band, choir and orchestra performances that
are primarily for the demonstration of classroom learning even though they may
also provide a public relations or public service benefit.
Extra-curricular: Music education is
extra-curricular.Whenever the performance
of any music organization in the district is motivated primarily by public
service or public relations that organization becomes (temporarily)
extra-curricular. Those organizations that exist primarily for public service
or public relations should be considered totally as extra-curricular, and
funded as such.(See Fund raising)
Unfortunately, it is when the music educator is performing
in his or her extra-curricular role that the program is most visible to the
public.Since music educators generally
make no distinction between co-curricular and extra-curricular performance the
general assumption is that music educators, and therefore music programs, are
extra-curricular.If the curricular,
co-curricular, and extra-curricular aspects of the music education program are
not clearly defined and stated in school district policy, the entire music
curriculum may be considered (particularly in times of budgetary crisis) as
extra-curricular.
Extra-curricular
examples of music:Performance at any
event that is not primarily music, such as athletic events, service clubs,
civic events.
Some final
recommendations.
Identify
every course, performing organization and performance(s) as curricular,
co-curricular, and/or extra-curricular.
Keep
all curricular music courses and rehearsals within the regular school day
schedule.
Specify
concerts that are music events and a result of curricular nature as
co-curricular; and as part of the regular salary of music performance
teachers.
Have
the district adopt those standards as district policy.
Some of my favorite resources on the importance of music and
development:
Arts With the Brain In Mind, by
Eric Jensen.Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development. Alexandria,
VA(ISBN #0-87120-514-9)
Tone Deaf and All Thumbs: An
Invitation to Music-Making.Dr. Frank
Wilson.Vintage Books, 1987.(ISBN #0394753542)
See MENC.org for
additional summaries of significant research on music and development.
