Key Debate Topic Access and Equity Countering Elitism

+ Key Debate Topic: Access and Equity Countering Elitism; Discerning Potential; Creating Opportunities Donn K. Harris, Oakland School for the Arts

+ Current Environment in Secondary Arts Schools n Auditions designed to showcase student skills and experience n Public schools have cut many (most) arts programs n Students with most preparation have generally had private lessons or been part of an after-school company n Traditional public school patterns do not include competitive entry n Art School demographics are often considerably different than those of the school districts in which they operate

+ Some Creative Solutions n Design activities to bring out potential as opposed to training n Focus on certain departments for beginning students to enter – Technical Theater, Arts Management, Digital Media n Create mentorship and support systems n Hold workshops on auditions and portfolio preparation n Hold after-school classes for specialized training n Create summer programs and offer scholarships n Seek assistance from counselors and teachers at the younger grades – can they identify the artists in their midst?

+ Key Questions n Do the school’s demographics reflect – n The local school district’s? n The local community’s? n Something else entirely? n Different categories of diversity n Geographic n Ethnic n Socio-economic n Schools of origin n Suburban/urban n Private/public/charter

+ Audition Data n 2008 – 175 candidates for 60 spots n 2009 – 250 candidates for 100 spots n 2010 – 340 candidates for 120 spots n 2011 – 500 candidates for 140 spots n 2012 – 580 candidates for 120 spots n 2013 – 670 candidates for 120 spots

+ School and City Demographics n n OSA n White – 35% n Black – 30% n Multi-Racial – 13% n Latino – 12% n Asian – 10% Oakland n White – 38% n Black – 30% n Asian – 18% n Latino – 14%

+ The Creativity Index n A measurement of creative opportunities available in schools n Can be part of the overall academic index score n Includes arts classes, performances and productions, leadership opportunities, speech and debate clubs n Also looks at staff preparation, professional development n Critical thinking measured by classroom observations n Tests of creativity and innovation can be administered at certain grade levels