ABSTRACT
Specialized schools focused on performing arts education including dance, music, drama/theater, and visual arts engage students in the four critical areas of development identified in necessary 21st-century skills. These are: collaboration and teamwork, creativity and imagination, critical thinking, and problem solving. There are a number of considerations when choosing instructional methods and materials for developing artists in specialized schools. In drama, theater, and dance, specialized schools develop knowledge, skills, and understanding associated with their independent disciplines; however, all three domains focus on cultivating innovators and creators while immersing students within diverse elements and context. Coordinated professional learning plans at the county, district, and school levels should be the norm and be focused on ongoing professional learning for administrators, teachers, and school communities to implement, improve, and sustain a creative school environment. Like H. LaGuardia, Jefferson County’s public school status means that admission is limited to district residents and students attend tuition-free.
