DUSD/CSArts-SGV Grade 7-8 Joint Program Overview

The Duarte Unified School District (DUSD) is proud to offer a pre-professional arts conservatory program available for students in Grades 7-12 in partnership with the California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV). CSArts-SGV is a public charter school launched in 2017 by the renowned Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) that brings exclusive arts programming to our district. Based on the innovative and award-winning curriculum at OCSA, CSArts-SGV replicates the same high caliber academic and arts education.

Students in Grades 7-8 participate in a joint program between CSArts-SGV and DUSD in which our district and CSArts-SGV collaborate to provide students with both their arts and academic instruction.

Students have a customized schedule shared between a DUSD Academy and the CSArts-SGV campus with transportation to conservatory classes provided by the district Monday-Friday. Once admitted to the program, all seventh and eighth grade students continue in the CSArts-SGV program through twelfth grade. Grade 7-8 students receive their academic instruction from certificated DUSD teachers. Unlike an after-school program, students admitted to the DUSD/CSArts Grade 7-8 joint program receive over 350 minutes of arts-based training per week embedded within their instructional day taught by industry professionals. Students in the Grade 7-8 program must have an interdistrict permit to participate unless they live within the attendance area of DUSD or have an Allen Bill exception. Learn more here.

This one-of-a-kind partnership between DUSD and CSArts-SGV positions students to achieve their goal of postsecondary study in their chosen field of art. Students specialize in four schools of art: Dance, Fine & Media Arts, Music and Theater. Each school of art provides the real-world skills students will need to establish and maintain a professional career in these fields. In addition, students are provided access to master artist programs, which brings A-level talent to our campuses. The partnership also provides students in Grades TK-8 at all DUSD schools a customized integrated arts curriculum and specialty VAPA classes taught by industry professionals, beginning with a comprehensive dance/movement program offered during the school day for all students in addition to the conservatory training provided to students in Grades 7-8.

To learn more, visit the CSArts-SGV website at http://sgv.csarts.net/. You may also contact Dr. Nadia Hillman, at the email address [email protected] or by phone (626) 599-5011.