NPMM, CSLA and CCA earn national recognition
2/24/2011
Three Hamilton County Magnet Schools receive honors
Schools win Magnet School of Distinction or Magnet School of Excellence awards
Chattanooga, TN -- Three Hamilton County Magnet Schools have been named as some of the top magnet schools in the nation.
Normal Park Museum Magnet and Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts were named 2011 Magnet Schools of Excellence by Magnet Schools of America. Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts was named a 2011 School of Distinction by Magnet Schools of America.
“Our magnet schools offer a choice to parents in Hamilton County and these awards show their outstanding programs have value not only locally but on the national stage as well,” said Superintendent Dr. Jim Scales. “Hamilton County should be proud of the work our magnet schools do and what they offer our students each and every day.”
This is the seventh year Normal Park has received this designation, CSLA’s third year winning this honor and CCA’s second time being named a Magnet School of Distinction.
All three schools will be honored at the Magnet Schools of America National Conference in May before more than 1,000 school administrators and teachers from magnet schools around the country.
Magnet Schools of Excellence and Magnet Schools of Distinction awards are given based on a commitment to high academic standards, curriculum innovation, successful desegregation/diversity efforts and consistent delivery of quality services to all school stakeholders.
Center for Creative Arts (CCA) is a dedicated fine arts magnet school promoting artistic and academic excellence for students in grades six through twelve. The school features traditional high school curriculum including Advanced Placement courses and Dual Enrollment programs, with support from more than 70 fine arts courses. Students who attend CCA must audition and exhibit a passion for art, creative writing, dance, music, or theatre. Students perform and exhibit art throughout the city. CCA was named a 2010 Outstanding Arts School in the Arts School Network National Organization and received the Kennedy Center Creative Ticket National School of Distinction Award in 2007. The school is also a Star School in the International NETWORK for Advancement of Arts Education.
Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts (CSLA) serves students in grades Kindergarten through eight. The school utilizes the Paideia philosophy of instruction, which is based on the belief that all children can learn and all children should be given the best education possible. The one-track liberal arts curriculum reflects a commitment to provide all children the opportunity to learn at high levels. National, state, and local standards, rather than textbooks, drive the curriculum. In addition to the core curriculum, all students take a foreign language, art, music, and physical education. CSLA has been recognized by the National PTA as a National Parent Involvement School of Excellence, was named a No-Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School in 2005 and was named the top elementary magnet school in the country in 2010.
Normal Park Museum Magnet (NPMM) serves students in grades Kindergarten through eight with a museum theme. Students are challenged and motivated with high-quality, standards-based instruction through learning expeditions to area museums. Students build their own exhibits and engage in hands-on, minds-on learning, spending blocks of time at museums and less time in a routine classroom environment. Normal Park is affiliated with seven local museums and students receive memberships to the museums so they can visit with their families. NPMM has a strong emphasis on literacy, with students learning to read and comprehend in small group formats.
The Hamilton County Department of Education is a diverse school system, providing more than 42,000 students with a world class education. The system is nationally renowned for urban school success as well as middle school and high school reform. The district offers a variety of educational programs for all students including magnet schools, career academies and gender-based classes as well as a focus on individual student success with the goal of preparing all students to compete in the Global Economy.