Math Skills Grow With Participation

Math Skills Grow Over Time With
Instrumental Music Participation

Researchers at UCLA tracked the math proficiency test scores of a

group of 14,915 students from eighth through twelfth grade. The

researchers divided the group by socio-economic status and

involvement in instrumental music. The students in the lowest

quartile of family income were considered to be of low socio-

economic status (low SES).

For this study, the researchers looked at the math proficiency test

scores of low SES students who participated in instrumental music

from eighth grade through twelfth grade. The researchers

compared these scores to the average math proficiency test scores

of all students tracked.

Students Achieving "High Performing" Scores on Grade 8 Math

Proficiency Test:

Average:19.0%

Low SES Instrumental: 21.2%

Students Achieving "High Performing" Scores on Grade 12 Math

Proficiency Test:

Average: 21.3%

Low SES Instrumental: 33.1%

While 2.3% more of the entire student population achieved "high

performing" scores in twelfth grade than in eighth grade, 11.9%

more of the low SES students studying instrumental music

achieved "high performing" scores on the math proficiency test in

twelfth grade.

The results of this study clearly illustrate a connection between

sustained instrumental music education (in this case four to five

years) and higher math test scores.

Source: "Involvement in the Arts and Human Development:

General Involvement and Intensive Involvement in Music and

Theater Arts." by James S. Catterall, Richard Chapleau, and John

Iwanga, from the UCLA Graduate School of Education &

Information Studies, 1999.

This study is found in the compilation "Champions of Change"

published by the President's Council on the Arts and Humanities.

You can find the link for this study at http://www.pcah.gov