Important Concepts for Inclusion and Equity in Music Education
Karen Salvador, Ph.D.
Recently, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) revised their position statement on Inclusivity and Diversity in Music Education (NAfME, 2017b), created a new position statement on Equity and Access in Music Education (NAfME, 2017a), and issued a statement “On Affirming All Students” (NAfME, 2017c). Tese statements indicate increasing attention toward achieving our shared goal of music education for all students. However, state- ments and attention are not sufficient. Action toward inclusive, equitable, and just music edu- cation will need to come from the grassroots-- from state MEAs and from members who are in schools teaching music every day.
Many music teachers are already working to create more inclusive and responsive music teaching and learning environments. Other teachers are interested in becoming more inclu- sive and responsive but unsure how to begin or proceed. Still other teachers reject the notion that self-examination and change are necessary for individual teachers or for music education as a whole, believing that we are already inclusive and responsive, and/or that increasing our focus on diversity, inclusion, equity, and access is too political.
In this article, I will address questions I am fre- quently asked about inclusion, equity, and justice in music education. As you read, please note that words like “inclusion,” “equity,” and “justice” each refer to a process rather than defining an object or endpoint. Furthermore, these pro- cesses are highly contextual, so there is not one right way or best practice for the process toward equity and justice in music education. Instead, I will provide information, ask questions, and give specific examples of more inclusive, equitable, and responsive practices that I hope that you can relate to your context. I will conclude the article with a list of resources.
7 White
Hispanic Black
Asian/Pacific Islander
American Indian/ Alaska Native
Two or more races
US Enrollment 1970-1971 79.1% 5.1% 15% 0.5%
0.4% *
What is “diversity,” anyway? Student diversity is intersectional, and includes but is not limited to race, ethnicity, country/ place of origin, home language, religion, socio- economic status, location, (dis)ability, gender, and sexual orientation. Te following table pres- ents US enrollment data from 1970-71 (Orfield, Kuscera, & Siegel-Hawley, 2012) and 2014-15 (Kena, et. al., 2016), alongside enrollment data for MI (Michigan Department of Education [MDE], n.d.) and 2026 projections for US enroll- ment (Kena, et. al., 2016).
US Enrollment 2014-2015 50% 25% 16% 5%
1% 3%
MI Enrollment, 2014-2015 66.6% 7.7% 18% 3.3%
0.6% 3.7%
Projected US
Enrollment 2026 45% 29% 15% 6%
1% 4%
Race/Ethnicity. Te federal categories
utilized for reporting race/ethnicity do not ade- quately describe student diversity. For example, what category describes a student who iden- tifies as Palestinian or Palestinian-American? Ethnicity encompasses but does not necessarily predict cultural distinctions such as religion, home language, and country/place of origin. How recently a family immigrated to the US can also affect a child’s educational experience. In 2008, nearly 1 of every 4 children under the age of 8 had an immigrant parent (Fortuny, Hernandez, & Chaudry, 2010). Although 43% of immigrant parents are from Mexico, the rest come from all over the world. Tus, across the US, children and families speak an increasing number of languages at home, and 9.4% of US students are English Language Learners (ELLs; Kena et al., 2016). Children and families also practice a variety of religions (in culture-specific ways), and have other cultural norms, including dispositions toward and expectations regarding education, schools, and authority. Nearly 7% of MI residents are immigrants, and an addition-
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