Spigner, ClarenceStankovic, Nicole Kuo2024-09-092024-09-092024-09-092024Stankovic_washington_0250O_27158.pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/1773/51691Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2024Purpose:This study investigates the relationship between school demographics, financial resources, and the availability of music education in Seattle Public Schools. It aims to determine how these factors influence the accessibility of music programs across diverse student populations, focusing on identifying and addressing disparities that may affect equitable educational outcomes. The study also explores existing research on music education's effects on physical, social, and mental health to contextualize the importance of equitable access in fostering comprehensive student well-being. Background: Seattle, the fourth wealthiest city in the U.S., provides a useful context for examining how wealth and demographics intersect with educational opportunities, particularly in music education. This setting enables a study of whether the presence of music education in schools is influenced more by economic affluence or educational choices. The city’s significant variations in racial and socioeconomic backgrounds across schools, coupled with existing music education initiatives like The Creative Advantage, further enhance its suitability as a model to explore these dynamics. Methods: Data from the 2019-2020 academic year were analyzed, including music class offerings, financial and staffing details from public school data, and student demographics from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The study included all 114 general education schools, which were divided into elementary, middle, and high schools, categorized based on the availability of specific music classes. Descriptive statistics provided an overview of demographic and staffing characteristics, while hypothesis testing explored differences between schools with and without music programs. Statistical analyses included the Shapiro-Wilk test, Welch’s T-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Pearson correlation. Results: All 74 Seattle elementary schools offer an instrumental music program through a lottery system, yet about a quarter lack foundational music classes available to all students. Schools typically prioritize instrumental music such as band and orchestra over vocal music at all educational levels. However, even these instrumental programs tend to disappear at the high school level. Schools with higher populations of low-income and minority students often prioritize music education, yet they do not always receive proportionally more educational resources overall in terms of staff and funding despite communicated goals of equity. Limitations of the study include a lack of detailed data on the quality of music programs and the need for more granular socioeconomic categorization of students who are participating, pointing to areas for further research. Conclusion: The study reveals significant associations between school demographics, financial resources, and the availability of music education within Seattle Public Schools. It highlights the complex interplay between targeted funding and robust music programs, which do not consistently ensure accessible and comprehensive education for all students. This highlights the urgency for the state to develop a more robust and consistent funding mechanism for music education. It is crucial that schools begin to prioritize music education to bridge the existing gaps in access and address disparities, thus ensuring equitable educational opportunities and improved health outcomes for every student.application/pdfen-USCC BYMusic educationHealth sciencesTo Be AssignedThesis