Integration of music and literacy

Enacting the fallacious theory of standard-based education reform, the "No Child Left Behind" act has proven severely detrimental to The United States Education System. The staunch ordinance, forcing the state to impose more standardized tests in order to receive necessary federal funding, coerces public school teachers into "teaching to the test," detracting from quality lesson plans. The very concept of standardized testing subverts the human mind, encouraging the practice of memorizing isolated facts by "...reward[ing] the ability to quickly answer superficial questions that do not require real thought (FairTest.org.)," School Districts of lower economic communities are often forced to make budget cuts to compensate for insufficient funding. Because music and the arts are not government tested, like reading, writing and math, and because the subjects are commonly viewed as superfluous, and even frivolous, they are first to be cut. Art programs have dwindled within middleclass districts as well, as the pressure to improve the scores of standardized tests has prompted some educators to replace electives with additional reading and math classes (Moran, 2004).