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