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Riverside County, CA November 4, 2003 Election
Smart Voter

Over a period of years, K-8 music instruction raises test scores

By Paul Diffley

Candidate for Member Governing Board; Murrieta Valley Unified School District

This information is provided by the candidate
A rising tide floats all boats. By requiring music K-8, and starting foreign language study in 4th grade, we can raise test scores for everyone by as much as 51 points
Help improve the total education, and coincidentally, the test scores of all students by implementing music instruction in all elementary grades. This must start in kindergarten to achieve the desired goals. One needs only to look in North San Diego County to find a school model of outstanding success using formal music instruction throughout the school.
A. Murrieta parents send their children to elementary school well prepared but test scores fall dramatically in middle & high schools.
B. More than 400 studies, from UC Irvine to the College Entrance Examination Board in Princeton, NJ, show conclusive proof that course work in music for elementary kids K-8, resulted in high school SAT scores 51% higher on verbal & 39% higher on math, compared to kids with no course work in the arts. Let's do it!
C. Starting foreign language study in 4th grade is far superior compared to high school beginning courses. The cortex in 4th grade is still quite open and vocabulary is easily learned. After all, when do we normally learn our mother tongue? When we are young, of course. Let's give our kids another step up to compete better later in school with a full language program in 4th grade.

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ca/rv Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 21, 2003 13:28
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