| With the passage of the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) in 2006, the state of Michigan went from being among the states with the fewest state-mandated high school graduation requirements, with a half credit of civics being the sole requirement, to among the states with the most comprehensive requirements in the nation. The new requirements include 4 years each of English and math, 3 years each of science and social science, 2 years of world language, and 1 year each of health/physical education and visual, performing, or applied arts. The purpose of this study was to discover the initial effects of the MMC on high schools in Michigan, including what changes were made to music programs as a result of the MMC, and what ways students were expected to fulfill the MMC's visual, performing, or applied arts requirement. Administrators in each of the public high schools and public school academies in the state of Michigan (the schools affected by the MMC) were surveyed to ascertain what their schools had been doing regarding their schools and their existing high school music programs as a result of the MMC, with focus on the new requirement for visual, performing, or applied arts. Respondents described their schools and the music classes in their schools before and after implementation of the MMC, including changes made as a result of the new requirement for visual, performing, or applied arts. Many music educators in Michigan thought the MMC would hurt music programs and potentially eliminate programs and jobs. Comparison of data from before and after implementation of the MMC showed that the percentage of students enrolled in music classes had increased, music staffing had remained constant, and schools were making changes that allowed students to keep music classes in their curriculum. This study may inform future decisions affecting music programs in public high schools by providing a foundation of empirical evidence. |
