Music Practice Commons^™

Why Music Matters: How Participation In A Professional Learning Community Can Expand The Role Of Music Educators, Melanie M. Harris Ed.D.

Journal of Practitioner Research

Facing steady decline and elimination of music programs due to high-stakes testing coupled with tighter budgets, music educators are searching for ways to show their relevancy within an accountability culture. One potential way for a music educator to contribute to student achievement is through participation in a professional learning community (PLC) with academic teachers to support their shared students’ learning. The purpose of this study was to document the PLC collaborative experiences of a music educator and two core academic subject teachers who worked together to understand, develop, implement, and assess how the music teacher can support academic teachers in …