A National Analysis of American High School Music Course Grades

• In Event: Investigating Musical Learning and Assessment

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between student characteristics, school characteristics, and music course grades for American high school students, utilizing a nationally representative dataset from the National Center for Education Statistics. Surveys have shown that secondary music teachers give mostly grades of A and B, and that their grades are heavily influenced by students’ attendance and perceived class participation. Yet, to date there have been no large-scale investigations of the grades that music students are assigned, nor of the potential associations between music grades and student characteristics. This study will use descriptive statistics, generalized linear regression modeling, and latent class analysis to paint a comprehensive portrait of American high school music grading practices.

Author

• Brian P. Shaw, Indiana University - Bloomington