FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1/11/12
Contact: Adelma Hnasko
(505) 310-4194
AHnasko@NMSchoolForTheArts.org
NEW MEXICO SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS
STUDENTS ACHIEVE IN ACADEMICS AND THE ARTS
(SANTA FE, NM) New Mexico School for the Arts is proud to announce that the 28 seniors in its first graduating class have begun receiving acceptance letters and scholarship awards to colleges and universities across the country. Zak Krasnow, a theater student from Santa Fe, and Marie Kuhns, a dance student from Silver City, have been accepted into the Oklahoma City. Sienna Fleming, an NMSA visual arts student from Roswell, will be attending the Visual Art School in New York City, and Kari Horan, a theater student from Anthony, will be the first in her family to attend a four year university at NMSU.
As one of only two high schools in Santa Fe that received AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) designation in 2011, NMSA students and staff were surprised to learn of the recent C grade they were given by the New Mexico Public Education Department’s new A-F School Grading System. The school has filed an appeal with the PED contesting the ranking. “The purpose of the new model is to measure our students not on a pass/fail, but on a system that measures growth,” explains NMSA Principal, Cindy Montoya. “This assessment model does not account for a new school such as ours.” Because NMSA did not have a graduating class in 2011, PED utilized SFPS data (scoring a D) to calculate the Graduation Indicator. PED overlooked NMSA’s Career and College Indicator data of ACT, Explore, Plan, PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP scores and ranked the school an F. NMSA came within .3 points of receiving a B rating and 10.3 points of receiving an A rating. The school will await results of its appeal, and will receive official state grading assignments in the fall.
NMSA provides rigorous academics and mastery arts training in Dance, Music, Theater and Visual Arts to 180 creative young people from 34 distinct New Mexico communities. Dozens of students ride the Rail Runner and utilize public transportation means to attend NMSA. Fourteen additional students live in the NMSA Residential Program to access the top-notch education the school offers. Currently located in the St. Francis Cathedral School in downtown Santa Fe, NMSA has begun the search for a permanent campus. One site under consideration is the historic St. Catherine’s Indian School. A new campus, slated to open for the 2014-2015 academic year, will ensure that New Mexico’s creative youth will have the opportunity to develop their artistic talents for generations to come.
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New MexicoSchoolfor the Arts is a public private partnership comprised of NMSA, a statewide charter high school, and School for the Arts – NM (SA-NM), a tax-exempt arts education institution. NMSA offers pre-professional instruction in the performing and visual arts in combination with rigorous academics leading to aNew Mexicodiploma. New MexicoSchoolfor the Arts prepares a diverse community of students to successfully continue their arts education at institutions of higher learning while engaging them to lead productive and creative lives that enrich their communities. NMSA is located at the former St. Francis Cathedral School, 275 EastAlamedainSanta Fe. For more information, log on to:
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