Music Class Participation of High School Students With Disability, Low-Income, or English Learner Statuses in Massachusetts in 2023: Analysis and Applications to Promote Equitable Engagement

While national, state, and regional music education equity initiatives abound, a scarcity of research examining the impacts of these initiatives at state levels inhibits understanding of their outcomes. In the current study, I utilized the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 2023 Arts Coursetaking Report to examine the extent to which students’ low-income, disability, or English learner statuses predict involvement in music classes in Grades 9–12. Low-income status was found to be a significant negative predictor in all models. Disability status was a significant negative predictor in some models. English learner status was not a significant predictor in any model. The results indicated that students with low-income and disability statuses—historically marginalized groups—remain underrepresented in high school music classes. Applications for this research include strategies to support involvement of underserved and underrepresented groups in high school music classes and ensembles.