LA Stage Blog - Beta

Right in Our Own Backyard

As faculty members of Los Angeles High School of the Arts (LAHSA), a small LAUSD pilot school located in District 4, we would like to respond to some of the misinformation provided and the questions raised by the September 4th LA Weekly article “Art School or LAUSD Folly” by Erica Zora Wrightson.

Before becoming a Pilot School in September of 2007, LAHSA operated as a small learning community within Belmont High School. The Pilot School model means that a district school generally no larger than 400 students is given autonomy from certain district policies (curriculum, assessment, budgeting, staffing, calendar/scheduling)—while adhering to state educational code—in order to tailor its educational program to the needs of the students. Pilot Schools are often formed around a mission and theme; LAHSA focuses its curriculum around the performing and technical theatre arts.
While Pilot Schools have charter-like autonomy, they are part of the district and do not “select” students through a magnet process: they are public neighborhood schools. Los Angeles High School of the Arts was the first of two Pilot Schools to open in state of California and LAUSD in the 2007-2008 school year. This school year, three more Pilot Schools opened their doors in Belmont Zone of Choice, one of which is The
School for Visual Arts and Humanities. A total of ten pilot schools are expected by the year 2012.

Ms. Zora Wrightson was incorrect; there are two successful models of arts-integrated curriculum serving urban “minority” students—programs that have existed in this neighborhood for the last decade as small learning communities within Belmont High School. These small learning communities are now Pilot Schools: Los Angeles High School of the Arts and The School for Visual Arts and Humanities—two programs that continue to demonstrate that arts-centered curriculum can flourish with a population of mostly minority students from “a dense urban environment.”

While only awarded Pilot School status for a little over a year, LAHSA students show themselves to be on the same track of high-achievement that Boston Pilot Schools have proven possible. A study completed by UCLA’s Center X demonstrates the clear success that Pilot Schools have with the local District 4 LAUSD students:
The average attendance rate for LAHSA in 2007-2008 hovered around 94% often more than a ten percent lead over the local comprehensive high school with which it shares a campus.
73% of LAHSA 10th graders passed the High School Exit Exam on their first attempt, compared to 37% at the local comprehensive Belmont High School and the overall 69% of LAUSD.
66% of LAHSA students took at least one AP test compared to 20% at Belmont comprehensive and 26% overall in LAUSD.

Our students show clear success despite the fact that they have the same obstacles to overcome as those in the local comprehensive schools. Center X statistics also show that LAHSA does not “cherry-pick” its students:
On average, LAHSA incoming 9th graders scored lower on their 8th grade English and Math California Standards tests than did the students entering Belmont comprehensive.

On average, LAHSA has higher percentages than Belmont comprehensive in the following “at-risk” categories: Latino students, students who qualify for free or reduced lunches, Limited English Proficient students, parents without a high school diploma, and special education students.

Though, frankly, this is old news. The UCLA Center X  study was summarized and distributed in a press release from the LAUSD Office of Communications on June 18th, 2008. Yet, according to her article, Ms. Zora Wrightson found no evidence of successful art-based schools in this neighborhood.

While Ms. Zora Wrightson’s standards of research and reporting are questionable, there is no question that the rigor of project-based learning at Los Angeles High School of the Arts does “fulfill graduation requirements via an arts program” (Zora Wrightson).

LAHSA infuses the arts into our curriculum in a number of ways. For example, at LAHSA every 9th grader takes a yearlong theatre appreciation course that explores the different forms and types of performance in cultures around the world. The students use beginning voice, movement, and acting skills to explore and practice the content they cover.  Our model of interdisciplinary curriculum means that the units covered in their 9th grade English and their geography courses share the cultural and geographic areas covered in their theatre appreciation courses: the 9th grade team of teachers collaborate, plan, and implement thematic units.  A similar model is implemented in the 10th grade. All 10th graders take theatre workshop where they learn the basic principals of stagecraft and are introduced to set, sound, lighting, and costume design. Twice a semester the 10th graders form “production crews” to develop a design plan and budget for the plays they are reading in their 10th grade English course—plays which connect in thematic units to the studies in their world history course. Additionally, the math and science faculty have begun to use elements of performance, design, and technology from our productions to demonstrate and have students participate in real-life applications of the academic content.

LAHSA 11th and 12th graders take theatre history alongside their U.S. History and English classes, and some elect to take Advanced Acting and dance classes as well. Besides participating in productions, a number of our students are and have worked with the following outside arts organizations and summer programs: Shakespeare Festival LA, Will Power to Youth (acting), Shakespeare and Friends (acting), Southwest Law School (acting), Colony Theatre (when it was in LA –lights, prop crew), The Evidence Room, (house management) A Noise Within (wardrobe and house management), Cornerstone Theatre (acting), UC lighting program, InnerCity Filmmakers, LATTC-LAHSA Summerstock, Jose Luis Valenzuela at the Latino Lab LATC (Ten high school students from Los Angeles were selected from throughout the city and one of these was a LAHSA student.) and the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program.

Many of our students move on to study the arts in higher education, and even when our students choose higher education and career paths not directly connected to the entertainment industry, alumni routinely return to thank us for the rigorous and real-life education and foundation they received at LAHSA. As many studies across the board have shown, the arts in education work. LAHSA is a shining example of it—sitting right in the backyard of 450 North Grand (Central High School #9). While we, as faculty, are clearly proud of our students’ talents and achievements, this is not an empty boast. Concrete data exist that demonstrate our success.

LAUSD presents an easy target for the media due to many struggles it faces, but Ms. Zora Wrightson clearly missed the mark on this one.
We have little influence over the political agendas of wealthy community patrons, politicians, and the media; LAHSA’s agenda is solely focused on providing a stellar arts-based curriculum for all students especially one that improves “achievement among typical students from a dense urban environment” (Zora Wrightson).

We have a talented, tenured, and dedicated staff of artists and teachers: professionals who consistently engage in the development of their craft as teachers and artists and have committed to making this school a rigorous, student-centered, neighborhood arts-based school. On average our teachers work 9 hours a day, during productions, that increases to 11 hours a day. Our LAUSD salary pays us for 6.6 hours a day. We are not martyrs but simply passionate community-minded citizens. The energy and effort we put in works. I invite Ms. Zora Wrightson and anyone who would like to see a model of arts-based schooling to come visit our school during our next production or at any time to see it in action.

We have an arts-integrated curriculum that has shown proven success in raising attendance and test scores.  Even after only a year of evidence collected on LAHSA as a separate Pilot School, we show startling and strident improvement over other public school options in the neighborhood.

While the LAUSD administrative plan for “Central LA High School #9” has not been made public yet, our faculty, curriculum, and students are ready for—and deserve—“a classy 950-seat performing arts theatre center” (Zora Wrightson), a physical school site directly tailored to build upon the program that we have nurtured and expanded over the last 12 years.

Central High School #9 at 450 North Grand doesn’t have to be a huge risk. It is clear that if one looks to the Pilot Schools, and LAHSA in particular, LAUSD could already have a plan.

Los Angeles High School of the Arts Faculty Members:
Tara J. Pearson
Nancy Louise Rutherford
Isabel Morales
Joshua A. Konegni
Virginia Gomez
Daniel Trujillo
Doris Tonne
Charlie Boodman
Michele Auon
Jill Hagan
Edlin Lopez
Elizabeth Mora
Oscar Arevalo
Edwin Galan
Stella Tran

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Los Angeles High School of the Arts
213-241-8530 main office
213-241-8540 fax
www.lahsa.net
1575 West 2nd Street, Room 505
Los Angeles, CA 90026