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Arts Education

Toledo School for the Arts, Toledo

Nominated By: Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey, Bowling Green State University
Award Accepted By: Martin Porter, Founding Director

Since its founding in 1999, the Toledo School for the Arts (TSA) has become a national model for arts education and a perfect example of the transformative impact the arts have on students. A community public school located in downtown Toledo, TSA’s college preparatory curriculum integrates the visual and performing arts and celebrates the unique spirit of every student. Less than a decade after opening, this tuition-free school began receiving accolades. In 2007, it was named a Charter School of the Year by the Center for Education Reform in Washington, D.C. One year later, TSA was designated a National Blue Ribbon School and became the first charter school to be named a National Title I Distinguished School by the U.S. Department of Education.

Operating on 40 percent less funding than traditional public schools, TSA’s vision of using the arts in all facets of education is producing powerful results. The school boasts extremely high standardized test scores, a nearly perfect attendance rate and, since 2009, a 100 percent graduation rate. TSA was even recognized by U.S. News & World Report as an America’s Best High Schools Bronze Medalist, placing it in the top 6 percent of schools nationally. The TSA class of 2010 earned $2.4 million in college scholarships; in 2011, 100 percent of TSA graduates applied and were accepted to college, and 53 percent received scholarships.

TSA’s record of excellence confirms the link between artistic practice and enhanced educational performance. By teaching traditional subjects through a creative lens, students make connections that improve their learning. Through “Artnerships” with a variety of organizations, such as the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, Ballet Theatre of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, Toledo Botanical Gardens, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Repertoire Theatre, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, and the Toledo Zoo, TSA is continually engaging Toledo’s arts, cultural and educational institutions to expand the artistic experiences available to its students.

Toledo School for the Arts' video tribute (7:45 minutes)