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March 30, 2004
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| Contact: |
Dr. Ed Cannava
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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LPS Named One of the Best 100 Communities in America
for Music Education in 2004
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| Littleton, Colorado-The American Music Conference, in conjunction
with the MENC: The National Association for Music Education, Music Teachers
National Association, The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, The National School
Boards Association, The Music For All Foundation, Perseus Development Corporation,
The VH1 Save the Music Foundation, and Yamaha Corporation of America, has
named Littleton Public Schools one of the best 100 communities in America
for Music Education in 2004. The Littleton community has demonstrated the
highest commitment to this vital academic area, according to the AMC. The
conference feels that music education is not only a joy in and of itself,
but the key to students' success in many other areas of school and life.
This is the second time Littleton Public Schools have been recognized with
this award (previously in 2002).
Littleton Public Schools will be receiving a certificate from the American Music Conference as a lasting testament to its inclusion in this year's Best 100. In the winter of 2004, people throughout America took an Internet survey and provided information about public and private music education. Communities in 29 states are included in the list-Littleton Public Schools was the only Colorado district receiving this recognition for 2004. Thousands of public school and independent teachers, school and district administrators, school board members, parents, and community leaders, representing communities in all 50 states, participated in the Web-based survey during January and February. The participants answered detailed questions about funding, enrollment, student-teacher ratios, participation in private music lessons, and other factors in their communities' quality of music education. The responses were verified with district officials, and the sponsoring organizations received the data. The survey results show that successful music programs are to be found in communities that balance measurable resources, such as budgets and buildings, with less tangible assets such as the will to make quality music education a reality. Top schools for music education benefit from the support of parents, teachers, school decision-makers, and community leaders who value music education highly.
"VH1 Save The Music Foundation salutes the 100 communities who have been selected for this honor and are ensuring that their students have access to the benefits that music education provides," said Laura Schopp, Director of Programs and Policy, VH1 Save The Music Foundation. "The selected school districts understand that music education is a necessity, not a luxury, for helping our students maximize their potential. They serve as models for other communities around the country that are working to restore music education in all of their schools." We congratulate those communities that have consistently supported quality music programs in their public schools," says Anne L. Bryant, Executive Director of the National School Boards Association. "They recognize the relationship between academic achievement and active participation in a music program. And in those communities, the support goes beyond providing financial resources; there is a broader matrix in which students know their achievements are recognized, valued, and publicly honored. This kind of community engagement creates a climate in which student achievement rises to new levels." For more information about the nationwide music education survey and
the organizations that sponsored it, visit www.amc-music.org. |
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