Music: Linking Title I School with Academic Success

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how music contributes to the academic achievement of emerging bilinguals in Title I schools. Recent research has shown the multiple benefits of music in cognitive development; however, there is a lack of research on how music education contributes to student achievement to include better results in standardized testing. Using the available data from the Common Core State Standardized Assessment results from two different schools in two different states, this study analyzed the information found in their databases. In addition, a survey was administrated to school community members where they expressed how music programs are part of the educational culture and conveyed the multiple academic benefits it provides to their children. While the overall results of the study cannot confirm or demonstrate how music could directly impact standardized testing, it opens an opportunity for further research on how to incorporate music education with core subject curriculum. This study recommends using its findings in a longitudinal project that could show how music supports student achievement in Title I schools.