Multilevel Models of the Relationship Between Music Achievement and Reading and Math Achievement

Abstract

We used multilevel mixed modeling to test the extent to which students’ music achievement scores were related to their reading and math achievement scores. Of the four levels examined (individual students, classrooms, schools, and districts), only individuals and districts accounted for a significant portion of the total variance in achievement scores. We studied several background variables potentially affecting academic achievement among individuals: grade level, gender, educational attainment of parents/guardians, free/reduced-price lunch, ethnicity, and urbanicity. We also incorporated district-level variables of sex, ethnicity, parent/guardian education level, and free/reduced-price lunch along with principal component scores for four district-level latent variables—district achievement, district behavior, available funds, and local revenue. Fourth through eighth graders ( N = 1,081) from seven midwestern school districts participated in the study. Students sat for a representative portion of the first two of the Music Achievement Tests (MAT-1 and MAT-2). We developed separate models for reading and math achievement. No significant differences were found among the districts’ intercepts or slopes. With the aforementioned variables controlled for, both MAT-1 and MAT-2 (controlling for one another as well) demonstrated a strong relationship with reading and math achievement ( ps < .0001).