CARLSBAD, Calif. — Where are the best communities for music education? The ninth annual "Best Communities for Music Education" (BCME) survey, sponsored by the NAMM Foundation, is searching for school districts that support music education and include music education offerings as part of a complete education for all students.

The NAMM Foundation

The NAMM Foundation is currently accepting online submissions, and will remain open through early March. The survey, which can be completed by visiting the NAMM Foundation online at www.nammfoundation.org, is open to anyone – parents, teachers, school administrators, community members – who wishes to enter information about their school and community.

"Being designated a 'Best Community for Music Education' provides communities with public recognition that can help sustain and support their programs," says Mary Luehrsen, Executive Director, NAMM Foundation. "As we work to ensure that every child has access to music education, it's important to shine the spotlight on those communities that have risen to the challenge and are committed to supporting programs for all students."

Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America

The Best Communities effort surveys a community's actions and commitment to music through criteria that includes budget, staffing, variety of programs, instructor certification, availability of private instruction and other relevant items. The results are measured proportionally, so that communities of different sizes are compared equally. The survey's sponsors encourage school district or community members to complete the survey themselves, or to pass it along to school administrators and educators in their communities who may best be able to supply the required data.

Following an audit of the preliminary data, the 2008 survey results will be announced on March 25.

In conducting the annual survey, The NAMM Foundation is joined by advisory organizations in the fields of music and education: Americans for the Arts (www.americansforthearts.org), League of American Orchestras (www.americanorchestras.org), The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation (www.mhopus.org), The Metropolitan Opera Guild (www.operaed.org), The Music for All Foundation (www.music-for-all.org), Music Teachers National Association (www.mtna.org), National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts (www.nationalguild.org), National PTA (www.pta.org), Yamaha Corporation of America (www.yamaha.com) and VH1 Save The Music Foundation (www.vh1savethemusic.com).