The Clarke County School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for the 13th consecutive year for its outstanding commitment to music education. Now in its 26th year, the designation is awarded to school districts around the country that demonstrate outstanding achievement by providing music access and education to all students. 

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, CCSD provided detailed information about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, and support for school and community music programs. Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by WolfBrown, the leading arts educational research firm.

“We thank the NAMM Foundation for continuing to recognize CCSD for its commitment to promoting and furthering music education,” said Dr. Dan Smith, CCSD’s Fine Arts, Health, and PE Curriculum Coordinator. “We recognize that music and arts education provides many benefits to students that extend beyond the classroom and that will continue to serve them for the rest of their lives. We are fortunate here at CCSD to have many talented students, exceptional and dedicated teachers, and tremendous support from numerous local partners and organizations who contribute to a thriving music education environment.”

Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational, cognitive, and social skill benefits for children who make music. According to The NAMM Foundation, after two years of music education, researchers found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school but also to attend college as well. 

The NAMM Foundation is the charitable arm of the National Association of Music Merchants, the global trade association for the music products industry. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.