#####  *2004-2005 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program*

*U.S. Department of Education*

**Cover Sheet** Type of School: \_\_ Elementary \_[X]{.underline} Middle
[X]{.underline} High \_\_ K-12

Name of Principal [Ms. Leah Fregulia Roberts]{.underline}

(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other) (As it should appear in the
official records)

Official School Name [Arizona School for the Arts]{.underline}

(As it should appear in the official records)

School Mailing Address [1313 North 2^nd^ Street, Suite 6]{.underline}
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(If address is P.O. Box, also include street address)

[Phoenix]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[AZ]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_[85004-1750]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_

City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)

County
[Maricopa]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_School
Code Number\*\_[07-870220-001]{.underline} \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Telephone [( 602 ) 257-1444]{.underline} Fax [( 602 )
252-7795]{.underline}

Website/URL [www.goasa.org]{.underline} E-mail
[lfroberts@goasa.org]{.underline}

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the
eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my
knowledge all information is accurate.

Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(Principal's Signature)

Name of Superintendent\* [Dr. Mark S. Francis]{.underline}

(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)

District Name [Arizona School for the Arts]{.underline} Tel.[(602)
257-1444]{.underline}

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the
eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my
knowledge it is accurate.

Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
(Superintendent's Signature)

Name of School Board

President/Chairperson Mr. Michael Nevels (Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr.,
Mr., Other)

I have reviewed the information in this package, including the
eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my
knowledge it is accurate.

Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(School Board President's/Chairperson's Signature)

*\*Private Schools: If the information requested is not applicable,
write N/A in the space.*

**PART I ‑ ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION**

**\[Include this page in the school's application as page 2.\]**

The signatures on the first page of this application certify that each
of the statements below concerning the school\'s eligibility and
compliance with U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights
(OCR) requirements is true and correct.

1.  The school has some configuration that includes grades K-12.
    (Schools with one principal, even K-12 schools, must apply as an
    entire school.)

2.  The school has not been in school improvement status or been
    identified by the state as \"persistently dangerous\" within the
    last two years. To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the
    state's adequate yearly progress requirement in the 2004-2005 school
    year.

3.  If the school includes grades 7 or higher, it has foreign language
    as a part of its core curriculum.

4.  The school has been in existence for five full years, that is, from
    at least September 1999 and has not received the 2003 or 2004 *No
    Child Left Behind -- Blue Ribbon Schools Award.*

5.  The nominated school or district is not refusing the OCR access to
    information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to
    conduct a district‑wide compliance review.

6.  The OCR has not issued a violation letter of findings to the school
    district concluding that the nominated school or the district as a
    whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes. A
    violation letter of findings will not be considered outstanding if
    the OCR has accepted a corrective action plan from the district to
    remedy the violation.

7.  The U.S. Department of Justice does not have a pending suit alleging
    that the nominated school, or the school district as a whole, has
    violated one or more of the civil rights statutes or the
    Constitution\'s equal protection clause.

8.  There are no findings of violations of the Individuals with
    Disabilities Education Act in a U.S. Department of Education
    monitoring report that apply to the school or school district in
    question; or if there are such findings, the state or district has
    corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings.

**PART II ‑ DEMOGRAPHIC DATA**

**All data are the most recent year available.**

**DISTRICT** (Questions 1‑2 not applicable to private schools)

1\. Number of schools in the district: \_\_\_\_\_ Elementary schools

\_\_\_\_\_ Middle schools

\_\_\_\_\_ Junior high schools

\_\_\_\_\_ High schools

\_[1]{.underline}\_\_\_ Other

\_[1]{.underline}\_\_\_ TOTAL

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure: \_\_[\$5500]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure:
\_\_[\$4604]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_

**SCHOOL** (To be completed by all schools)

3\. Category that best describes the area where the school is located:

> \[X \] Urban or large central city
>
> \[ \] Suburban school with characteristics typical of an urban area
>
> \[ \] Suburban
>
> \[ \] Small city or town in a rural area
>
> \[ \] Rural

4\. [7]{.underline} Number of years the principal has been in her/his
position at this school.

If fewer than three years, how long was the previous principal at this
school?

5\. Number of students as of October 1 enrolled at each grade level or
its equivalent in applying school only:

  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------
  **Grade**   **\# of   **\# of                **Grade      **Grade**   **\# of   **\# of     **Grade
              Males**   Females**              Total**                  Males**   Females**   Total**

  **PreK**                                                  **7**       17        48          65

  **K**                                                     **8**       18        47          65

  **1**                                                     **9**       21        38          59

  **2**                                                     **10**      14        35          49

  **3**                                                     **11**      13        27          27

  **4**                                                     **12**      10        17          27

  **5**                                                     **Other**                         

  **6**       12        38                     50                                             

                                    **TOTAL                                                   355
                                    STUDENTS                                                  
                                    IN THE                                                    
                                    APPLYING                                                  
                                    SCHOOL →**                                                
  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------

*\[Throughout the document, round numbers to avoid decimals.\]*

6\. Racial/ethnic composition of [83]{.underline} % White

the students in the school: [6]{.underline} % Black or African American

[7]{.underline} % Hispanic or Latino

[3]{.underline} % Asian/Pacific Islander

[1]{.underline} % American Indian/Alaskan Native

**100% Total**

Use only the five standard categories in reporting the racial/ethnic
composition of the school.

7\. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year:
\_\_\_\_\_[9]{.underline}\_%

> (This rate should be calculated using the grid below. The answer to
> (6) is the mobility rate.)

  --------- -------------------------------------------- ------------------
  **(1)**   Number of students who transferred ***to***  0
            the school after October 1 until the end of  
            the year.                                    

  **(2)**   Number of students who transferred           22
            ***from*** the school after October 1 until  
            the end of the year.                         

  **(3)**   Subtotal of all transferred students \[sum   22
            of rows (1) and (2)\]                        

  **(4)**   Total number of students in the school as of 240
            October 1                                    

  **(5)**   Subtotal in row (3) divided by total in row  .09
            (4)                                          

  **(6)**   Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100          9
  --------- -------------------------------------------- ------------------

8\. Limited English Proficient students in the school:
\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_%

\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_ \_Total Number Limited English Proficient

Number of languages represented: \_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_

Specify languages:

9\. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals:
\_\_\_\_[1]{.underline}\_\_\_\_%

Total number students who qualify: \_\_\_\_[3]{.underline}\_\_\_\_

> If this method does not produce an accurate estimate of the percentage
> of students from low‑income families or the school does not
> participate in the federally‑supported lunch program, specify a more
> accurate estimate, tell why the school chose it, and explain how it
> arrived at this estimate.

10\. Students receiving special education services:
\_\_\_\_[4]{.underline}\_%

\_\_\_\_\_[12]{.underline}\_Total Number of Students Served

> Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to
> conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education
> Act.

\_\_\_\_Autism \_\_\_\_Orthopedic Impairment

\_\_\_\_Deafness \_[2]{.underline}\_\_Other Health Impaired

\_\_\_\_Deaf-Blindness \_[8]{.underline}\_\_Specific Learning Disability

\_[1]{.underline}\_\_Emotional Disturbance \_\_\_\_Speech or Language
Impairment

\_\_\_\_Hearing Impairment \_[1]{.underline}\_\_Traumatic Brain Injury

> \_\_\_\_Mental Retardation \_\_\_\_Visual Impairment Including
> Blindness

\_\_\_\_Multiple Disabilities

11. Indicate number of full‑time and part‑time staff members in each of
    the categories below:

    **Number of Staff**

**[Full-time]{.underline}** **[Part-Time]{.underline}**

Administrator(s) \_\_ [3]{.underline}\_ \_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Classroom teachers \_\_[21]{.underline}\_\_\_
\_\_\_[25]{.underline}\_\_\_

Special resource teachers/specialists \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_
[1]{.underline}\_\_\_\_

Paraprofessionals \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

> Support staff \_\_\_[2]{.underline} \_\_ \_\_\_\_[1]{.underline}\_\_\_
>
> Total number \_\_[26]{.underline}\_ \_ \_\_\_[26]{.underline}\_ \_

12\. Average school student-"classroom teacher" ratio:
\_\_[16]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_

13\. Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a
percentage. The student dropout rate is defined by the state. The
student drop-off rate is the difference between the number of entering
students and the number of exiting students from the same cohort. (From
the same cohort, subtract the number of exiting students from the number
of entering students; divide that number by the number of entering
students; multiply by 100 to get the percentage drop-off rate.) Briefly
explain in 100 words or fewer any major discrepancy between the dropout
rate and the drop-off rate. (Only middle and high schools need to supply
dropout rates and only high schools need to supply drop-off rates.)

  -------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                             2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000

  Daily student attendance   97%         97%         97%         97%         97%

  Daily teacher attendance   99%         95%         99%         98%         \%

  Teacher turnover rate      0%          2%          5%          5%          10%

  Student dropout rate       0%          0%          0%          0%          4%
  (middle/high)                                                              

  Student drop-off rate      2%          2%          2%          2%          6%
  (high school)                                                              
  -------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

14\. **(*High Schools Only*)** Show what the students who graduated in
Spring 2004 are doing as of September 2004.

+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Graduating class size                                   | >          |
|                                                         | \_[31]{.un |
|                                                         | derline}\_ |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Enrolled in a 4-year college or university              | >          |
|                                                         | \_[91]{.un |
|                                                         | derline}\_ |
|                                                         | > %        |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Enrolled in a community college                         | > \_\_     |
|                                                         | [9]{.under |
|                                                         | line}\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Enrolled in vocational training                         | > \        |
|                                                         | _\_\_\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Found employment                                        | > \        |
|                                                         | _\_\_\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Military service                                        | > \        |
|                                                         | _\_\_\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Other (travel, staying home, etc.)                      | > \        |
|                                                         | _\_\_\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Unknown                                                 | > \        |
|                                                         | _\_\_\_\_% |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| **Total**                                               | > 100 %    |
+---------------------------------------------------------+------------+

**PART III ‑ SUMMARY**

Arizona School for the Arts was founded 1995. The school was envisioned
as a high achieving, academic school intended for students who wanted to
work with professional artists as part of the core school experience.
Knowing that the arts world, let alone the world of entertainment, is
highly selective, its founder, Dr. Mark S. Francis, wanted to insure
that all students received a superior education in order to access any
college or university and enter one of the professions.

In its first year, ASA had 155 students in grades 7 -- 10. In ASA's
third year of operation, the school population swelled to 275 students.
The school was recognized by the local press and national newspapers and
magazines. *US News and World Report* recognized the school as "a
specialized education powerhouse."

By its fourth year, ASA graduates - lead by National Merit Finalist and
Commendation Scholars, a Presidential Scholar, Phoenix Symphony Guild
contest winner and the first Arizona Community Foundation Arts
Scholarship winner - were being accepted into top schools across the
United States. Ballet students were accepted into international ballet
programs.

In following years *Readers Digest* named ASA in its article' "Schools
that Succeed" by Sen. Joe Lieberman and the school was recognized by
*The Wall Street Journal* as one of the top four schools in Arizona*.*
The school has an enrollment cap of 355 students and maintains a
considerable waiting list.

The most recent graduating classes attained average SAT test scores
equal to the published scores of an exclusive Phoenix private prep
school. The school continues to place students in nationally competitive
schools, supported by generous scholarships, such as Stanford,
Georgetown, University of California-Berkeley, Notre Dame, Rice and
Vanderbilt as well as many other private colleges, universities and
conservatories. Over 75% of the class of 2004 was awarded tuition
waivers, and, for many, additional financial support to attend Arizona
universities.

The school has achieved this success over the past ten years by an
unwavering commitment to high standards, a learning community-based
teaching environment which includes strong parent support and many
innovative teaching methods that stress the application models of
instruction and evaluation.

**PART IV -- INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS**

**1. Assessment results**

The first goal in the school's 1995 charter application was (and still
is) "to create a learner outcome-based curriculum organized around what
students need to know and what will enable them to create." To realize
that goal the school has developed and also participates in a variety of
internal and external assessments which yield valid and reliable
measurements of student learning. Internal assessment, which is based on
state curriculum standards, reflects the application nature of the
school's curriculum/instruction process. Those assessments are in the
form of teacher logs which track class participation in individual and
group work and classroom discussion; writing samples such as lab
reports, math journals and reading journals; research projects; formal
writing assignments and quizzes and tests.

> The external objective measurements of the school's success require
> that students participate in the following tests:

1.  All students Grades 6-9, must take the Stanford 9, a nationally
    normed-referenced test,

2.  All students Grade 8 and Grade 10 must take the Arizona Instrument
    to Measure Standards (AIMS); the state criterion-referenced test
    which measures student mastery of state standards;

3.  All students in Grade 11 must take the National Merit Scholarship
    Qualifying Test/Pre Scholastic Aptitude Test (NMSQT/PSAT) in the
    fall of the junior year.

4.  All students in Grades 11 and 12 take either the Scholastic Aptitude
    Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT), depending on the
    requirements of their prospective college(s).

5.  The school also tracks college acceptance, awards and scholarships

The school enrolls about fifty (50) students in the 6^th^ grade each
year. In the 7^th^ grade, the school adds about 20-25 students. There is
often a slight dip in SAT 9 test scores with the addition of those new
students. By the time all students complete the 9^th^ grade, most of
those who were behind have caught up with the original 6^th^ grade
cohort.

In spring 2004, 77% of ASA 10^th^ graders met the standards in
mathematics. In fall 2004, those students who did not pass the previous
spring, retook the test and 100% passed.\*

In spring 2004, 98% of ASA 10^th^ graders met the standards in reading.
(The one student who did not pass moved and did not retake the test as
an ASA student.)\*

In spring 2004, 98% of ASA 10^th^ graders met the standards in writing.
(The one student who did not pass moved and did not retake the test as
an ASA student.)\*

All students are now on track to graduate in 2006. In total combined
scores, Arizona School for the Arts had the second highest ranking of
all public schools in the state.

There is no disparity between subgroups that exceeds a range of 5%. That
means that ASA students who are members of racial/ethnic minority groups
are performing significantly higher than the average American student;
moreover, ASA students are also increasing their learning over time the
longer they stay enrolled at ASA.

(\* for a full review of all SAT 9 and AIMS scores over the past three
academic years, go to [www.ade.az.gov](http://www.ade.az.gov/), click
School/Dist/AZ Report Cards; enter Arizona School for the Arts, scroll
to page 7.)

**2. How the school uses assessment data.**

In the fourth year of the school's existence, the Arizona School for the
Arts (ASA) leadership team was very concerned about the level of student
learning in mathematics in all grades. While ASA students were
performing above the national average on the SAT 9 since the inception
of the school in 1995, its 11^th^ graders were not consistently
performing above average on the Pre-Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT also
known as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test-NMSQT) and the
subsequent Scholastic Aptitude Test they took later in the year. In
addition, less than 50% of ASA 10^th^ graders passed the Arizona
Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) on the first attempt. Clearly we
needed to make a change.

The school principal met with the school college advisor (who was very
familiar with the math format of the PSAT/SAT) and the head of the
mathematics department. The ASA math curriculum has a strong conceptual
component; however, as we assessed incoming students, we discovered huge
gaps in their learning, especially in the areas of basic skills. The
school set up remediation classes for incoming students over the summer
so that they could have a better chance at mastering the skills required
at grade level. The school then instituted its home-grown program called
Essential Skills. The program mandated that students would not be
promoted to the next level until they could demonstrate mastery level of
required skills. The classrooms also allotted more time for practice;
homework assignments reinforced skill practice that would lead the
students to mastery.

The results were dramatic. By 2004, 77% of 10^th^ grade students passed
the math portion of AIMS on the first attempt, an increase of 39% over 5
years. Moreover, using its own resources, the school sponsored tutoring
to those students who did not meet the standard. All of those students
(save one who moved away) retested this past fall and met the standard.
That means that all ASA students in this year's 11^th^ grade class are
on track to graduate. Just as important, the average math score on the
SAT is now in the 60^th^ percentile.

**3. How the school communicates student performance.**

ASA has numerous avenues of communication with its students, parents and
the community. Proceeding from the macro to the micro, here is only part
of school procedure:

1.  Like other schools, ASA sends home quarterly assessments of student
    work; unlike other schools, those assessments are detailed pages
    with checklists describing how students are progressing on specific
    skills that are tied to the state standards in each class. This
    includes their progress in the arts areas as well. Thus, when a
    parent receives the quarterly assessment, they receive a packet that
    can be as many as 10 pages long.

2.  Teachers also send to parents mid-term Progress Reports of those
    students who are progressing unsatisfactorily in specific content
    areas. Teachers are also required to make phone contact to help
    explain the specific areas needing improvement on the part of the
    students. Parents needing help in developing strategies to aid their
    children are invited to a team meeting with the student's teachers.
    The parent learns what is going on in the classroom, how the child
    is doing, what the child needs to learn in order to be on track and
    a plan to help the parent and child.

3.  In cases where there are concerns in the Progress Report needing
    immediate parental notification, the teacher calls the parent. If
    the student is still not responding, the staff will initiate a child
    study team to insure that the student's rights to a Free and
    Appropriate Public Education are protected. If no disability is
    found, the staff will still consider accommodations that will help
    the student access the curriculum.

4.  The school participates in all state mandated nationally
    norm-referenced and criterion- referenced tests. That information is
    used by the school to evaluate educational progress and is also sent
    directly to the parent. That data is printed in local newspapers.

**4. How the school has shared its success.**

The school applied and was awarded a \$300,000 dissemination grant by
the Unites States Department of Education in October, 2003. The
dissemination period covers two years and expires on September 30, 2005.
The dissemination topic is *The Professional Learning Community and its
Role in Improving Pupil Achievement.* The ASA PLC, described in another
part of this document, is at the heart of the school's success. The
grant covers four specific outcomes/deliverables:

1.  A conference on the Professional Learning Community (PLC) will take
    place February 24-26, 2005 on the ASA campus. The conference is
    already filled to capacity. A good, unintended consequence is that a
    number of small Arizona school district will attend. The conference
    was originally designed for charter school participants; however,
    the demands of NCLB are pressuring whole school districts to
    consider alternatives to "business as usual" in how they operate.

2.  The conference participants will receive a training manual and a
    video on the ASA model.

3.  The conference participants are eligible for follow-up assistance
    through an individual conference and the interactive ASA website,
    [www.goasa.org](http://www.goasa.org/). ASA teachers have posted
    articles based on their experiences in the PLC; moreover, readers
    are invited to respond through the interactive technology available
    on the website.

4.  Through the auspices of the grant, ASA participated in the National
    Charter School Institute's *Models for Success* peer review process.
    That review was completed by NCSI and their written report was
    posted on their website as well as on the school's website.

5.  The school's Executive Director recently presented the PLC model at
    an NASSP Breaking Ranks II for Arizona schools.

    **PART V -- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION**

```{=html}
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```
1.  **Brief summary of the school's curriculum and instruction.**

Arizona School for the Arts offers classes Grades 6-12. In order to
graduate, the student must have taken 4 years of the following classes:
foreign language (the same language all four years), science through
chemistry, math through pre-calculus or calculus (depending on placement
in freshman year), social studies and language arts and at least 6
consecutive arts credits (one class equals one credit per annum) in the
major area. Progress through the curriculum requires the student to meet
a proficient level of all the standards for each content area.

To that end, the school's curriculum is not limited by adopted
textbooks; instead, teachers, in conjunction with their content area
teams and school leaders determine the curriculum, the scope and
sequence of classes and the classroom resources in line with state
standards. Curriculum and instruction is based on depth rather than
breadth of content.

ASA emphasizes application skills across the curriculum in all grades.
These skills include research, writing, experimentation, applied
projects and formal presentations. Writing is a component most
emphasized in all areas from expository writing in language arts and
social studies to lab reports in science to concert and literature
reviews in music and theater. ASA is adjacent to Phoenix Central Library
which is the school's major curriculum resource for research. Since the
school does not use basal readers or social studies texts, students work
with selected readings from a variety of sources and directed research
from the library and the growing wealth of on-line resources.

Experimentation and data analysis is the heart of the math/science
curriculum. Math/science classes have access to classroom texts but the
bulk of information comes from teacher demonstrations, team experiments
and data collection/manipulation. Math students work individually and in
cooperative teams on problem solution. Experiments confirm or disprove
hypotheses using scientific methodology. Applied projects are team
driven/teacher supervised and are mainly measurement/data driven which
require students to analyze the data over time using linear,
exponential, quadratic, and trigonomic models, depending on the
student's grade level in math and science; language arts and social
studies presentation require the development of a thesis statement
derived from research of primary and secondary sources, organization of
materials and supporting information, creation of supporting multimedia
materials and presentation and defense of the project.

The three arts areas are ballet, music and theater. Music is offered in
all orchestral instruments, voice, piano and classical guitar. The music
and ballet programs are graded through four levels with music and ballet
students placed at their skill level rather than their age level.
Orchestral students alternate every other day between full ensembles and
break-out area groups organized around instrument families. Music for
vocal and instrumental ensembles is chosen for its pedagogical benefit
rather than attractiveness of performance. Piano is offered in a
state-of-the-art piano lab which allows instruction of varying skill
levels in each class. Ballet classes are divided equally between barre
and center work. Unlike music and ballet which are offered at grades
6-12, theater is offered grades 9-12. The theater curriculum is process
oriented rather than performance driven. Play productions are mounted
outside of class so as not to interfere with classroom curriculum goals.
All arts areas are skill driven rather than performance driven and the
acquisition of skills yields an outcome similar to the academic area:
desire on the part of the student to develop more skills to access
deeper and richer content. Given the quality of the faculty, the
school's arts standards exceed the state standards.

Classes are taught by professional artists from Phoenix Theatre and
Ballet Arizona. Students study in the actual theatre and ballet studios
of those companies. Music is taught in ASA's in-house conservatory by
working professionals. All arts professionals are trained by the school
to develop their curriculums plan lessons to be effective in classroom
management and to evaluate consistent with the school's academic areas.

**2. High School English Language Curriculum**

Arizona School for the Arts' English language curriculum is literature
based. Reading proficiencies, writing skills and grammar and usage are
addressed through students' experiences with a wide range of fiction and
non-fiction selections. Our admissions process includes a diagnostic
test of students' baseline reading and writing competencies. From this
information, teachers are able to provide instruction in strategies to
improve reading skills lower than grade level while still challenging
those students with skills well above grade level. ASA vigorously
encourages reading and writing across the curriculum thus allowing
students to transfer skills learned in the language arts classes to all
areas of academic endeavor. Our integrated research units require
students to learn to analyze information, including primary resources,
synthesize what they discover, and then present their findings in both
oral and written formats. We believe these pursuits provide both
practice and mastery of all language arts skills and concepts.

**3. The Piano Curriculum.**

The piano curriculum is a performance-based program which provides a
rigorous learning environment allowing students to progress at their
level of study. Each level has proscribed outcomes which must be
achieved. The piano lab is equipped with state-of-the-art Yamaha
Clavinova pianos. Classes are limited to 13 students each requiring two
teachers teaching in neighboring but separate rooms All middle schools
students are required to take piano at least three days per week. Piano
in the high school is an elective, limited to 75 students over three
afternoon periods, five days per week. Students study theory, technique
and literature that includes solo and ensemble experiences. Each quarter
all piano students are assessed in essential skills which include, but
are not limited to, technique, theory and recital performance. Recitals
are presented during the school day and are open to the public. Students
receive recital assessment on their performance to encourage improvement
and excellence. Technique skills for middle and high school students
include demonstrated knowledge of five finger patterns up to four octave
major and minor scales, arpeggios and cadences. Participation is also an
essential skill that is an integrated part of the learning experience in
the ASA culture. The piano is the foundation of music study at ASA and
that knowledge extends across the arts curriculum.

**4. Different Instructional method.**

Twice a year ASA students present to an academic jury during special
times called Presentation Week. During this time, the normal class
schedule shifts into an individual jury schedule. Each student meets
with a jury of teachers and his/her parents to present an academic
subject based on his/her research. In the fall, the first presentation
is an English/Social Studies presentation wherein the student researches
a specific historic or sociological/anthropological topic that is
aligned with the school's curriculum and the classroom curriculum for
the grade of the student. The student will then incorporate a specific
piece of literature that is aligned with the topic. The presentation is
built upon a specific question that requires the student to study a
social or historical question over time and determine an outcome. The
outcome or thesis statement is presented in the form of a question not
unlike a scientific hypothesis. The student must then determine if his
or her research supports the question. Examples for 6th grade would be
topics drawn from ancient Egypt; 7^th^ grade, Native American culture;
8^th^ grade American History, 9^th^ grade, ancient Greece; etc. Students
apply their research skills in locating and drawing information from
secondary and primary resources, recording and compiling the information
on note cards, designing visual/ graphic resources, editing the thesis
into an outline and creating a multimedia presentation board or
PowerPoint presentation. These presentations last 30 minutes - 10
minutes of presentation, 10 minutes of Q&A, and 10 minutes of
evaluations by staff and parents.

In the spring, students chose a scientific experiment directly related
to the curriculum of their science class. Students must devise the
question, pose a hypothesis, set up the experiment controlling for
various biases, and measure the experiment over time, evaluate the
hypothesis and draw inferences and construct new questions. Experiments
are not one-time events but must occur over time so that they can be
measured using mathematical concepts drawn from their math classes.
Throughout all grades students analyze and interpret data by statistical
modeling using numerical and graphical analyses which they are learning
concurrently in their math classes. In the younger grades students use
graphing to show trends in data and make predictions. They then progress
to employing mean, median, and mode for statistical analysis. In higher
grades, students create mathematical models such as linear, exponential
and quadratic equations and use modeling tools such as correlation
coefficients to give greater reliability to predictions. The higher the
grade level, the more modeling tools and modes of analysis are available
to the student. Math/Science presentations are in two parts with the
first part given in class and the second part given during Presentation
Weeks. The presentations are closer to 20 minutes in length.

The overall benefit of such a program is that students take ownership of
their topic/experiments with the teacher serving as resources when they
run into problems. A hallmark of the program is research integrity.
Students are taught to follow where the information/data leads and to
draw their inferences from them. Teachers stress that it is a major
violation of research integrity to improperly manipulate the data to
support a thesis question or hypothesis in order to "get the right
answer." The presentation nature guarantees that "no child" slips
through the cracks and is "left behind."

**5. The Professional Development Program**

ASA is a professional learning community which provides an environment
in which teachers are encouraged to engage in improving their
professional practice. It is the school's desire to provide an
environment which not only supports professional development and
continuous learning, but provides focused opportunities for on-going
growth in areas which enhance student learning. There are two components
of the Professional Development Plan at ASA.

The first is the Individual Professional Growth Plan which requires
teachers to set goals using ASA Professional Standards in specific areas
for improvement which will increase teaching effectiveness and student
learning. Formal and informal observations are conducted to evaluate
progress toward goals and provide individualized professional growth.
The process of reflective questioning is used to help teachers
self-evaluate. Further education in content areas or instructional
strategies is encouraged and supported through the budget and with
release time.

The second aspect of the Professional Development Plan is to provide
sustained opportunities for all teachers to engage in collaborative
professional growth and work together to attain shared, school-wide
improvement goals. The faculty member first analyzes the needs of the
school based on the available data, determines a professional growth
area which will increase student achievement and sets a measurable goal
for the school year. Site-based workshops are held for the faculty to
discuss current research and instructional strategies which apply to the
goal area. Content area departments then plan ways of incorporating new
methodologies into their specific subject areas, and evaluate the
effectiveness of new strategies to report and discuss periodically with
the full faculty.

**PART VI - PRIVATE SCHOOL ADDENDUM**

**Not Applicable**

**PART VII - ASSESSMENT RESULTS**

**STATE CRITERION-REFERENCED TEST**

Test: Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards

Edition: \* (see note below)

Publication yrs: 2004, 2003, 2002

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 8: Math                  2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: February        ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           90%/ 62%       89%/ 62%     91%/ 61%

  \% At or Above Proficient      65%/ 36%       53%/ 12%     35%/ 14%

  \% At or Above Advanced        42%/ 10%       29%/ 7%      20%/ 7%

  Number of students tested      60             66           56

  Percent of total students      100%           100%         100%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students             0              0            0
  excluded\*\*                                               

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------

\* The Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) copywrite is owned
by the Arizona Department of Education. Test versions have changed with
each subsequent year.

\*\* All students with IEPs took the battery of tests. Some
accommodations were made following the requirements of the student's
IEP; i.e., extended length of time or specific sections read aloud to
the student. No questions were modified nor were the number of questions
reduced.

\*\*\* State data is average score of all students. Proficient and
advanced were not available.

**STATE CRITERION-REFERENCED TEST**

Test: Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards

Edition: \*

Publication yrs: 2004, 2003, 2002

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 8: Language Arts         2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: April           ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           100%/ 69%      98%/ 76%     100%/ 76%

  \% At or Above Proficient      66%/ 35%       65%/ 40%     86%/ 40%

  \% At or Above Advanced        30%/ 15%       33%/ 15%     30%/ 16%

  Number of students tested      60             66           56

  Percent of total students      100%           100%         100%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students             0              0            0
  excluded\*\*                                               

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------

**STATE CRITERION-REFERENCED TEST**

Test: Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards

Edition: \*

Publication yrs: 2004, 2003, 2002

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 10: Math                 2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: February        ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           93%/ 57%       90%/ 54%     80%/ 54%

  \% At or Above Proficient      93%/ 24%       78%/ 24%     54%/ 25%

  \% At or Above Advanced        48%/ 15%       48%/ 15%     14%/ 11%

  Number of students tested      44             41           61

  Percent of total students      100%           100%         100%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students excluded\*  0              0            0

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------

**STATE CRITERION-REFERENCED TEST**

Test: Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards

Edition: \*

Publication yrs: 2004, 2003, 2002

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 10: Language Arts        2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: April           ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           100%/ 83%      98%/ 85%     100%/ 88%

  \% At or Above Proficient      73%/ 51%       75%/ 52%     65%/ 51%

  \% At or Above Advanced        27%/ 8%        21%/ 10%     31%/ 15%

  Number of students tested      44             40           61

  Percent of total students      100%           98%          100%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students excluded\*  0              0            0

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------

**STATE ACHIEVEMENT NATIONALLY NORMED-REFERENCED TEST\***

\* The Stanford 9 test results are included in the application because
it is mandated by the Arizona State Board of Education and is a
significant factor used by the Arizona Department of Education in
determining AYP for NCLB reporting.

Test: Stanford Achievement Test

Edition: 9^th^ Edition

Publication yrs: 1995

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 6: Math                  2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: March           ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           100%/ 66%\*    100%/ 62%\*  100%/ 58%\*

  \% At or Above Proficient      88%/ N/A       85%/ N/A     85%/ N/A

  \% At or Above Advanced        73%/ N/A       63%/ N/A     60%/ N/A

  Number of students tested      45             43           44

  Percent of total students      100%           100%         98%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students excluded    0              0            0

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------

\* State scores are averaged of all scores throughout the state.
Proficient and Advanced are not available from the state.

**STATE ACHIEVEMENT NATIONALLY NORMED-REFERENCED TEST\***

Test: Stanford Achievement Test

Edition: 9^th^ Edition

Publication yrs: 1995

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement

:

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 6: Language Arts         2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: March           ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           96%/ 48%       100%/ 45%    100% 42%

  \% At or Above Proficient      85%/ N/A       84%/ N/A     78%/ N/A

  \% At or Above Advanced        70%/ N/A       69%/ N/A     65%/ N/A

  Number of students tested      45             43           44

  Percent of total students      100%           100%         98%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students excluded    0              0            0

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------

**STATE ACHIEVEMENT NATIONALLY NORMED-REFERENCED TEST\***

Test: Stanford Achievement Test

Edition: 9^th^ Edition

Publication yrs: 1995

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 7: Math                  2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: March           ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           100%/ 62%      97%/ 58%     98%/ 54%

  \% At or Above Proficient      84%/ N/A       82%/ N/A     82%/ N/A

  \% At or Above Advanced        65%/ N/A       41%/ N/A     55%/ N/A

  Number of students tested      57             64           60

  Percent of total students      97%            100%         100%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students excluded    0              0            0

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------

**STATE ACHIEVEMENT NATIONALLY NORMED-REFERENCED TEST\***

Test: Stanford Achievement Test

Edition: 9^th^ Edition

Publication yrs: 1995

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement :

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 7: Language Arts         2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: March           ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           100%/ 54%      95%/ 51%     98%/ 48%

  \% At or Above Proficient      90%/ N/A       85%/ N/A     86%/ N/A

  \% At or Above Advanced        78%/ N/A       64%/ N/A     61%/ N/A

  Number of students tested      57             64           60

  Percent of total students      100%           98%          95%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students excluded    0              0            0

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------

**STATE ACHIEVEMENT NATIONALLY NORMED-REFERENCED TEST\***

Test: Stanford Achievement Test

Edition: 9^th^ Edition

Publication yrs: 1995

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 8: Math                  2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: March           ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           97%/ 61%       100%/ 58%    100%/ 54%

  \% At or Above Proficient      76%/ N/A       82%/ N/A     70%/ N/A

  \% At or Above Advanced        68%/ N/A       57%/ N/A     55%/ N/A

  Number of students tested      59             65           61

  Percent of total students      100%           100%         100%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students excluded    0              0            0

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------

**STATE ACHIEVEMENT NATIONALLY NORMED-REFERENCED TEST\***

Test: Stanford Achievement Test

Edition: 9^th^ Edition

Publication yrs: 1995

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 8: Language Arts         2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: March           ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           92%/ 52%       100% 49%     100% 46%

  \% At or Above Proficient      85%/ N/A       85%/ N/A     81%/ N/A

  \% At or Above Advanced        56%/ N/A       65%/ N/A     57%/ N/A

  Number of students tested      59             65           61

  Percent of total students      100%           100%         100%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students excluded    0              0            0

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------

**STATE ACHIEVEMENT NATIONALLY NORMED-REFERENCED TEST\***

Test: Stanford Achievement Test

Edition: 9^th^ Edition

Publication yrs: 1995

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 9: Math                  2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: March           ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           100%/ 62%      98%/ 60%     100%/ 56%

  \% At or Above Proficient      86%/ N/A       81%/ N/A     83%/ N/A

  \% At or Above Advanced        68%/ N/A       54%/ N/A     52%/ N/A

  Number of students tested      53             58           57

  Percent of total students      100%           100%         100%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students excluded    0              0            0

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------

**STATE ACHIEVEMENT NATIONALLY NORMED-REFERENCED TEST\***

Test: Stanford Achievement Test

Edition: 9^th^ Edition

Publication yrs: 1995

Publisher: Harcourt Educational Measurement

  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------
  Grade 9: Language Arts         2003-2004      2002-2003    2001-2002

  Testing month: March           ASA/ State     ASA/ State   ASA/ State

  \% At or Above Basic           100%/ 42%      98%/ 41%     100%/ 37%

  \% At or Above Proficient      82%/ N/A       78%/ N/A     83%/ N/A

  \% At or Above Advanced        57%/ N/A       49%/ N/A     50%/ N/A

  Number of students tested      53             58           57

  Percent of total students      100%           100%         100%
  tested                                                     

  Number of students excluded    0              0            0

  Percent of students excluded   0%             0%           0%

  There are no statistically                                 
  significant subgroups                                      
  ------------------------------ -------------- ------------ -------------