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Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a unifying framework for essential life skills, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, and responsible decision-making. In th...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the existence and impact of budgetary cutbacks to music teaching positions and district funding in three Midwestern states, namely Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. The results revealed cuts to staffing and district funding of music programs without a reduction in student enrollments in 2011–2012 following a downward trend the previous 3 to 4 years. Increases in teaching responsibilities and student fees were also trends. Based on collected data, staffing and budgetary reductions will continue to increase teacher workloads. Recommendations are provided for music education advocates, music teacher education programs, and state music education organizations to adapt to changing fiscal realities and needs of schools.

Over the past 25 years, alternative certification has emerged as a realistic option for obtaining teacher certification in music. Although advocated by policy makers and embraced by career changers, music teacher educators have frequently viewed the role of content knowledge and pedagogical training in these programs with a high degree of skepticism. This article provides an overview of the organizational schemes used in graduate and nondegree alternative certification programs at universities, school districts, and other entities. A research agenda is provided that is designed to stimulate academic scholarship on alternative certification policies and programs and their impact on candidate quality, music education programs, and the music education profession overall.

Preservice music teachers ( N = 152) at six institutions were surveyed on their intent to enter and remain in K–12 music teaching. Respondents provided favorable speculations for entering and remaining in K–12 music teaching. Prevalent responses for desiring a music teaching position were categorized as follows: love for music, sharing music, inspiring and making a difference in students' lives, and having an enjoyable job. Categories for not wanting to obtain a school music teaching position included preferring to work in another area of music, insecurity about teaching skills, and anticipated low pay and job instability. Results are discussed in terms of diversity, teacher attrition, teacher socialization, and teacher identity.

Scores obtained from the Intermediate Ear to Hand Test (Dickey & Froseth, 1991) were used to compare melodic-imitation and tone-quality scores between students who played the major instrument of their classroom instrumental music instructor and students who played a different instrument. Data were collected from 20 instrumental music classrooms that included eighth-grade students in the third year of instrumental music instruction. Students who played the major instrument of their instructor obtained statistically significant higher scores on overall performance quality when compared with students who did not, but the effect size was quite small, and there were no effects for the melodic-imitation or tone-quality components of overall performance quality.

A study of 84 prisoners shows that out of the 31 charged with aggressive crimes against the person, three-fourths had the triad of enuresis, firesetting and cruelty to animals whereas in the 53 subjects accused of a nonaggressive crime only 15 had either the triad or a partial triad. It is postulated that the presence of the triad in the child may be of pathognomonic importance in predicting violent antisocial behavior. The relationship of the triad with early rejection or severe deprivation by parental figures is discussed. The importance of early detection of the triad and serious attention toward resolving the tensions that precipitated it is stressed.