ASO&C’s Do-Re-ME! program netting great results

With just one 30-minute session per week, the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra & Conservatory of Music’s Do-Re-ME! program is netting good results.
Their goal of 20 percent increases in student test scores – labeled as aggressive for a low-dose program – are being met.
“We are thrilled with the results,” said Deputy Director Rebecca D. Doucet.
Doucet was on hand Tuesday to report the results of the program as well as other goings-on at ASO.
The results were, however, Doucet’s main focus in the presentation, and she was very excited to report to them.
For this school year, the program was in seven schools (Truman Elementary, Epiphany Day, Church Point Elementary, Central Rayne Kindergarten, Iota Elementary, Crowley Kindergarten and Estherwood Elementary), five of which re in Acadia Parish. It is taught by three lead teachers and three teaching assistants to about 1,450 students over three parishes (Acadia, Iberia and Lafayette parishes).
“Your superintendent really saw the benefits of this program in one class and said ‘We want it everywhere’,” said Doucet of Acadia’s involvement.
And though they cannot do so yet, ASO is working hard to get to that capability through continued growth and progress.
Through independent analysis performed by the Picard Center, ASO has learned that Do-Re-ME! is working, and working well.
Of the students performing below the 50th percentile that have been involved in the program, the following improvements were made:
• 20.7 percent in math
• 21.8 percent in language
• 14.4 percent in print
The program is designed to not be a standalone music program, rather it is an arts integration program. It supports rigorous academic standards and it is tailored to fit the classes’ lesson(s) of that week.
“For example, if the teacher is teaching the color ‘red’, the number ‘three’, the letter ‘N’ and the animal ‘dog’, then our Do-Re-ME! curriculum will support that that week,” said Doucet as she explained the program.
Interestingly, the program, which features visual and kinesthetic learning is the perfect fit as more people learn through those methods than auditorily – though it is usually through audio/lectures people are taught in schools.
Further analysis of the results show that the program is actually having a deeper impact on males than females. Those results are as follows:
• Math: 14.1 percent for female minority students; 22.4 percent for males.
• Language: 16.1 percent for females; 26.7 percent for males.
• Print: 8.9 percent for females; 20.8 percent for males.
To better fund the program moving forward as ASO would like to see it continue to expand, it has launched its Partners for Education! Campaign. The program, thus far, has received most of its funds (64 percent, to be exact) from the state as the Department of Education has voiced its support of the program. However, ASO knows that if the program is to continue and continue to grow, it will need more stable funding. In the future, it hopes to partner further with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to explore the social and emotional impact of the program as well as see it expand locally – two more schools in Lafayette Parish and two more parishes have expressed interest as well as more schools in Acadia Parish – and see the possibility of product development for the program to continue to grow outside of the Acadiana area.
ASO will also be offering summer camps to further music and art educaiton in Acadiana.
More information about these camps and Do-Re-ME! as well as ASO’s concert series can all be found on its website, www.acadianasymphony.org.