A Rhode Island study found that sustained high school music participation is associated with notably lower chronic absenteeism, offering educators and policymakers a potential tool for improving attendance. Rhode Island Current reported the information based on a Sept. 17 study conducted by Quadrant Research and commissioned by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.
Researchers analyzed state education department data from 2018 through 2025 and estimated that 25.4% of students with four consecutive years of music were chronically absent, compared with 37.3% of students without that sustained music participation. The gap was far smaller across all arts disciplines combined, at just 1.9 percentage points. Report co-author Robert Morrison cautioned that the data shows a correlation, not proof that arts classes cause better attendance.
At Mount Pleasant High School in Providence, music teacher Danielle Trial Lucini, named Providence Teacher of the Year in June, leads a concert band class where she expects active participation. One student who missed 110 days as a freshman later reengaged through band, reducing absences and eventually performing in a city parade. Senior Sidney Feliz said the school’s music program drew her there and credited Lucini with restoring her motivation. Providence fine arts director Nicole Simpson said arts education uniquely offers students choice and voice that other content areas lack.
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