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Board to consider School of the Arts program changes, adds music and CTE pathways
Summary
A steering committee recommended changes to the Bridal High School School of the Arts (SOA), including new music performance offerings, revised theater course levels, added practicum/workplace experiences and future CTE sequences tied to entertainment industry pathways.
Division leaders described proposed changes to the School of the Arts (SOA) program that the program-of-studies committee will present for board approval later in March. The changes are intended to expand course access, add music performance offerings, align fine-arts practicum courses to VDOE work‑based learning definitions and create CTE pathways tied to the entertainment industry.
Doctor Cagle and Doctor Evans summarized work by a steering committee made up of SOA teachers, administrators, community partners, parents and former SOA staff. The committee recommended several changes including: - Move English coursework for SOA students to zoned high schools so students do not lose instructional time traveling to a central site; retain SOA elective/deep-dive literary courses and add Advanced Writers Workshop 1 and 2 to increase elective options. - Expand advanced theater offerings to grades 9–12 and align technical theater with other SOA sequences so level 1–4 classes are consistently structured across dance, theater and technical theater. - Replace certain Level 4/advanced elective structures with practicum/workplace experience courses aligned to VDOE definitions of work-based learning; add a music workplace experience course and a music performance lab (performance-focused) that was approved earlier in the year but had its description refined. - Offer Sports and Entertainment Marketing at the SOA with an entertainment emphasis; staff flagged a future sequential CTE course (Sports & Entertainment Management) to be proposed for FY27.
Cagle said the changes aim to expand access and create pathways to certificates and postsecondary opportunities while preserving instructional time; staffing and enrollment targets will determine the calendar for implementing new offerings. The steering committee planned incremental program additions and more work for future years.
Ending: The board will receive formal program-of-studies language and redline documents for approval at the end of the month; staff said implementation will be phased as staffing and enrollment permit.
