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The transition from middle school to high school can be a particularly challenging time for music program retention. However, when music teachers view this process through the lens of marketing, it may be possible to develop a more holistic and comprehensive approach toward student enrollment. Marketing strategies related to perception, targeting, salience, and the "rule of seven" are all adaptable to music program membership efforts. These tools can help music teachers more effectively tailor messages and attract prospective students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Objective: Fibroblast growth factor homologous factors (FHFs) are brain and cardiac sodium channel‐binding proteins that modulate channel density and inactivation gating. A recurrent de novo gain‐of‐function missense mutation in the FHF1(FGF12) gene (p.Arg52His) is associated with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy 47 (EIEE47; Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database 617166). To determine whether the FHF1 missense mutation is sufficient to cause EIEE and to establish an animal model for EIEE47, we sought to engineer this mutation into mice. Methods: The Arg52His mutation was introduced into fertilized eggs by CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) editing to generate Fhf1R52H/F+ mice. Spontaneous epileptiform events in Fhf1R52H/+ mice were assessed by cortical electroencephalography (EEG) and video monitoring. Basal heart rhythm and seizure‐induced arrhythmia were recorded by electrocardiography. Modulation of cardiac sodium channel inactivation by FHF1BR52H protein was assayed by voltage‐clamp recordings of FHF‐deficient mouse cardiomyocytes infected with adenoviruses expressing wild‐type FHF1B or FHF1BR52H protein. Results: All Fhf1R52H/+ mice experienced seizure or seizurelike episodes with lethal ending between 12 and 26 days of age. EEG recordings in 19–20‐day‐old mice confirmed sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) as severe tonic seizures immediately preceding loss of brain activity and death. Within 2–53 s after lethal seizure onset, heart rate abruptly declined from 572 ± 16 bpm to 108 ± 15 bpm, suggesting a parasympathetic surge accompanying seizures that may have contributed to SUDEP. Although ectopic overexpression of FHF1BR52H in cardiomyocytes induced a 15‐mV depolarizing shift in voltage of steady‐state sodium channel inactivation and slowed the rate of channel inactivation, heart rhythm was normal in Fhf1R52H/+ mice prior to seizure. Significance: The Fhf1 missense mutation p.Arg52His induces epileptic encephalopathy with full penetrance in mice. Both Fhf1 (p.Arg52His) and Scn8a (p.Asn1768Asp) missense mutations enhance sodium channel Nav1.6 currents and induce SUDEP with bradycardia in mice, suggesting an FHF1/Nav1.6 functional axis underlying altered brain sodium channel gating in epileptic encephalopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of master of music education degree program directors and alumni from selected schools regarding the ways in which their music education master's programs balance the varied needs of program participants. Findings are presented in the two broad categories of improvement in P–12 teacher learning and preparation for future scholarly work, and the discussion examines the qualitative comparisons between participant responses. Suggestions for graduate programs and future researchers are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key research question for this qualitative study was as follows: How do program directors in selected schools describe the successes and challenges related to the design of their Master of Music degree in music education? Data sources included website content for 21 NASM-accredited programs and individual interviews with program directors from seven institutions. Program directors outlined several challenges associated with program development, including how to address the practical needs of music teachers in a flexible, accommodating, and efficient manner while maintaining the highest standards for coursework so as to prepare some masters students for the possibility of doctoral work. We discuss major themes in relation to past studies of graduate education in music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Authors and scholars published withinArts Education Policy Reviewhave been diligent to investigate various topics surrounding music educator preparation, mentoring, retention, as well as avenues for continued professional development and growth. Linda Darling-Hammond and Robert Rothman, along with various chapter authors, address education reform on an international level withinTeaching in the Flat World: Learning from High-Performing Systems(2015). The purpose of this article is to examine the recommendations presented by Darling-Hammond, Rothman, and colleagues through the lens of music education research and policy review. Specific areas of focus include: (a) recruitment and rigor of teacher education programs, (b) alternative routes into the teaching profession, (c) teacher induction and new teacher support, (d) career advancement and professional development support, and (e) teacher evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]