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Henrico Co. Public Schools again named a 'Best Community for Music Education' in U.S.

Henrico County Public Schools has once again been named one of the Best Communities for Music Education -- the only school system in the country to hold this distinction for nine consecutive years. The designation comes from the Best Communities for Music Education survey complied annually by the NAMM Foundation. This year the survey took a look at 110 school districts across the United States.

 

HCPS boasts a growing music curriculum supported by 81 music staff. Nearly half of all secondary students are involved in some type of elective music program and elementary students are required to take music education.

 

The designated programs exemplify community commitment to include music education as part of a quality education for all children. The NAMM Foundation and its music education advocacy efforts work to ensure that all children have access to quality music education programs that encourage lifelong participation in music making.

 

This year's roster of musical schools represents 29 states with New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia representing the most districts.

 

Hundreds of teachers, school and district administrators, school board members, parents and community leaders, representing communities in all 50 states, participated in the Web-based survey. The districts were measured across a variety of program support, curricular and programmatic criteria. Furthermore, the results were measured proportionally, so that communities of different sizes were compared equally.

 

Participants in the survey answered detailed questions about funding, enrollment, student/teacher ratios, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, private music lesson participation, and other relevant factors in their communities' music education programs. The responses were verified with district officials, and the sponsoring organizations reviewed the data.

-- Compiled from a Henrico County Public Schools news release