In 2009, the Kirkpatrick Foundation partnered with Quadrant Arts Education Research to conduct an evaluation of educational data in the state of Oklahoma. This data evaluation, released in January 2010, assessed student access to music education courses statewide.

Data from the State Department of Education reflected the 2007-2008 school year course offerings in 1,793 public schools across the state. Analysis revealed that some type of music course was offered in nearly every school in Oklahoma. In addition, the numbers showed that while course offerings tend to increase and diversify at the middle school level, student participation in music also declined significantly at the middle school level. Student access to high school music courses was largely dependent on school systems' financial resources and correlating course offerings.

Data analysis revealed that high school music offerings were almost universally performance-based. While 95 percent of elementary schools offered a general music course, only 11 percent of high schools did. Ultimately, public high schools were more likely to have more music offerings than private schools.

Recommendations made at the conclusion of this study included the exploration of instructional alternatives. It was recommended that school systems investigate the potential use of emerging technologies to increase student access to a variety of music course offerings.

The full text of Scratching the Surface: What We Know—and Don’t Know—about Music Education in Oklahoma is available here.