NEW ORLEANS CENTER FOR CREATIVE ARTS

NOCCA’s track record over the past 39 years speaks for itself:

• Everyyeararemarkable95-98%ofNOCCAgraduatesgoontocollegeandconservatoryprogramsacrossthecountry,

• Approximately80%ofNOCCAstudentsreceivescholarshipstopursuesuchhighereducationand

• TheaverageNOCCAgraduateearnsover$100,000inscholarshipsupontheirprogramcompletion.

ABOUT NOCCA

TheNewOrleansCenterforCreativeArtsisLouisiana’spremierpublicartstrainingcenterforhighschoolstudents,providingintensiveinstructioninculinaryarts,creativewriting,dance,mediaarts,music(classical,jazz,vocal),theatrearts(drama,musicaltheatre,theatredesign)andvisualarts,whiledemandingsimultaneousacademicexcellence.NOCCAwasfoundedin1973byadiversecoalitionofartists,educators,businessleaders,andcommunityactivistswhosawtheneedforaninstitutiondevotedtoourregion’sburgeoningyoungtalent.

Somenotablealumniinclude:Jeanne-MichèleCharbonnet,operasinger;NicoleCooley,novelistandpoet;HarryConnick,Jr.,musicianandactor;TerenceBlanchard,musician;AnthonyMackie,filmandBroadwayactor;TerranceOsborne,visualartist;WendellPierce,actor;Branford,Wynton,DelfeayoandJasonMarsalis,musicians.

Theprogramistuition-freetoallLouisianastudentswhomeetauditionrequirements.

NOCCA’S DNA

ThekeytoNOCCA’ssuccessistheethicofdisciplineandresponsibilityitinstillsinstudentsguidedbytheCreativeDNAofNOCCA

• TechnicalGrounding

• RespectfortheArtist,workandmaterial

• Critique

• DevelopmentofProfessionalAttitudes

• DevelopmentofIndividualArtisticGrowth

• LifeSkillsandDevelopmentofSelf

• CollaborationandensembleWork

• DevelopmentofAttention/Awareness

NOCCA: ACADEMIC STUDIO

IN THE ACADEMIC STUDIO

• Studentsreadliterature,examinevisualculture,studythearts,lookatprimarydocuments,andreadsocialandpoliticaltheorythatissituatedhistoricallyorthematicallywithinafieldofstudyatanygiventime,sothatstudents’encounterswiththearts,governments,economies,religions,sociallife,andculturalproductionarecontextualized.

• Facultyfosteranexpectationthatstudentsdevelopcertainhabitsofmindthatprivilegequestioning,criticalandcreativethinking,analysis,andattentiontoevidencethatareimperativeforbeingartistsandintellectualswhoareactivelyandcriticallyengagedintheworldaroundthem.

• Classesaretaughtthroughavarietyofpedagogicaltechniques,allofwhicharecharacterizedbyactive,hands-onprojectsandactivitiesinwhichstudentslearnbydoingandbythinkingoutloud,formulatingtheirownideasabouttopicstheyresearchandengagingindialogueaboutthoseideaswiththeirpeersandtheirinstructors.

ABOUT THE ACADEMIC STUDIO

TheAcademicStudioisNOCCA’sfull-day,diploma-grantinghighschoolpreparingstudentsadmittedbyartsaudition,butwithoutregardtocurrentorpastacademicachievement,forsuccessfulcareersasleadersinthearts.Theinstructionalmodel,incontrasttothe“sitandgetandgiveitback”approachoftraditional-especiallyelite-highschools,isinspiredbytheartsandemphasizescollaboration,project-basedlearning,inquiryandcriticalthinking.

Inadditiontothecreditsstudentsearnintheirrespectiveartsdisciplines,studentsintheAcademicStudiotaketwodouble-blockacademiccoursesperyear:IntegratedHumanitiesI-IVandIntegratedSciencesI-IV.Studentsalsoearntwocreditsofalanguageoftheirchoiceandotherrequiredelectivesincludinghealthandphysicaleducation–asrequiredforhighschoolgraduationandTOPSeligibility.Abasiccoursesequenceislistedbelow.

English/History Math/Science Elective 1 Elective 2

Grade 9 IntegratedHumanitiesI

IntegratedSciencesI Language1 N/A

Grade 10 IntegratedHumanitiesII

IntegratedSciencesII Language2 Health

(1/2credit)

Grade 11 IntegratedHumanitiesIII

IntegratedSciencesIII

PhysicalEducation

Grade 12 IntegratedHumanitiesIV

IntegratedSciencesIV

ThenatureofthecoursescombinethestudyofEnglishandhistoryandmathandsciencesothatstudentsareactuallyearningcreditsintherespectivesubjectsbutdoingsoinanintegrated,team-taughtenvironment.AcademicStudiostudentsarerequiredtotakeandpassallofthesameEnd-of-CourseexamsrequiredofotherpublichighschoolstudentsinLouisiana,andtheydosoatthehighestlevels.Inonlyit’ssecondyear,forexample,theAcademicStudiorankedamongthestateofLouisiana’stopopenenrollmenthighschools.

Theapproachtoteaching,learningandstudentsupportintheAcademicStudiohasprovenincrediblysuccessful.

• 99%ofstudentspassedEnd-of-Coursetestsin2012-13schoolyear,80%+atthehighesttwolevels.

• 85%+ofstudentsscoredatacollegereadylevelonthePLANtestattheendofonlytwoyears.

• Studentsexperienceddoubledigitgrowthfromthebeginningoftheyeartotheendoftheyearineverygradeandinevery