Band Enrollment and High School Graduation Rates

The purpose of this study was to examine the graduation rate of seniors enrolled in band as it compared to the average graduation rate of the school and to investigate other influential factors. The participants (N = 62) were high school band directors currently teaching in 29 different counties in the state of Florida. Of the directors surveyed, all reported their band senior graduation rate was higher than their school's graduation rate. Other factors that could have a relationship with graduation rates, such as student-teacher ratio and free and reduced lunch rates, were also examined. When asked about the retention of students, directors reported that 88.2% of senior band students had been in band for four years of high school.