State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces 2021 California Exemplary Arts Education Awards

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced that 33 California schools were selected for the California Exemplary Arts Education Award.

These schools engage students in quality arts education that meet California Arts Standards for Public Schools (Arts Standards) and demonstrate progress on indicators on the California School Dashboard. The awards are designed to celebrate successful efforts to engage students in arts through exposure to a variety of disciplines.

“This year has been especially challenging for our students and schools, but I commend these schools for recognizing that this is a time when the arts are more critical than ever,” State Superintendent Thurmond said. “These schools excelled in providing quality arts education, despite all the obstacles presented by distance learning. It is with great pleasure we honor these schools for their steadfast dedication to arts education that plays a powerful role in supporting wellness, bridging social divides, and expanding creativity and critical thinking in our students.”

Schools recognized as Exemplary Arts Education Awardees represent a broad cross-section of educational delivery models, including traditional comprehensive elementary schools, magnet schools, and district and independent charters. These schools serve diverse demographic populations of varying sizes, from a 2,700-student urban school to a 250-student rural school. Some schools serve primarily Title I students from lower socio-economic circumstances, and others serve suburban populations with strong district and community financial support.

In addition to meeting the Arts Standards and Dashboard eligibility criteria, to apply to be recognized as an Exemplary Arts Awardee, schools must offer sequenced instruction to all students in a minimum of three of the five arts disciplines identified in the Arts Standards: Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts. They must also show one level of improvement for at least one student subgroup in one of the following three areas based on the Dashboard: School Climate, in the area of Suspension Rate; Student Engagement, in the area of Chronic Absenteeism or Graduation Rate; Academic Achievement, in the area of English Language Arts, Mathematics, or College and Career Readiness.

These California Exemplary Arts Education Schools, along with California Distinguished Schools, National Blue Ribbon Schools, and recipients of California Department of Education (CDE) recognition programs, will be honored virtually later this year. For more information, please visit the CDE California School Recognition Program web page.

2021 California Exemplary Arts Education Awards

• Arcata High School, Northern Humboldt Union School District
• ArTES Magnet-Arts Theatre and Entertainment School, Los Angeles Unified School District
• Balboa High School, San Francisco Unified School District
• Burbank High School, Burbank Unified School District
• California School of the Arts San Gabriel Valley, Duarte Unified School District
• Cesar Chavez High School, Stockton Unified School District
• Claremont High School, Claremont Unified School District
• Champs Charter High School of the Arts, Los Angeles Unified School District
• Contra Costa School of Performing Arts, Contra Costa County Office of Education
• Culver City High School, Culver City Unified School District
• David Starr Jordan Middle School (Delores Huerta Middle School), Burbank Unified School District
• Fullerton Union High School, Fullerton Joint Union High School District
• Granite Hills High School, Apple Valley Unified School District
• ICEF View Park Preparatory Charter High School, Los Angeles Unified School District
• John Burroughs High School, Burbank Unified School District
• Katherine L Albiani Middle School, Elk Grove Unified School District
• LAUSD 32nd Street School/USC MediaArts&Engineering Magnet School, Los Angeles Unified School District
• Lincoln High School, Western Placer Unified School District
• Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank Unified School District
• Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts, Marysville Joint Unified School District
• Marshall Fundamental Secondary School, Pasadena Unified School District
• Oakland School for the Arts, Oakland Unified School District
• Orange County School of the Arts, Orange County Department of Education
• Ramón C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts, Los Angeles Unified School District
• Reginald M. Benton Middle School, Norwalk-la Mirada Unified School District
• Renaissance Arts Academy, Los Angeles Unified School District
• San Diego County Office of Education, Juvenile Court and Community Schools
• San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, San Diego Unified School District
• Santa Susana High School, Simi Valley Unified School District
• Sierra Preparatory Academy, Santa Ana Unified School District
• The School of Arts and Enterprise, SBE-The School of Arts and Enterprise
• Valley View High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District
• Windsor High School, Windsor Unified School District

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100