Stivers School for the Arts

Stivers School for the Arts is a magnet school in the Dayton Public Schools in Dayton, Ohio, USA, located in the St. Anne's Hill Historic District neighborhood. It is a public middle- and high school that focuses on education in the visual and performing arts.

Stivers was founded in 1908. Its building is Dayton's oldest school building. Stivers was a high school until the mid-1980s when it became a middle school. It became both a middle and high school gradually starting in the mid 1990s, graduating its first (new) high school class in 2000. It now encompasses grades 7–12 (the only such public school in the school district) and offers programs in music, dance, theatre, creative writing, choir, and visual arts. Students must audition to be admitted. The school currently has around 870 students in grades 7-12.

In 2005 Stivers school was relocated to a temporary facility while their old one is being renovated. The building is located in the Five Oaks Neighborhood in Dayton. Students will depart from the temporary building on October 10th, the beginning of Fall Intersession. After intersession, on October 29th, students will be returning to the renovated Fifth Street bulding.

Stivers was rated an "Effective" school by the Ohio Department of Education for the 2006-2007 school year.

Milton Caniff is a famous alumnus of Stivers. He was a cartoonist and at times in his cartoons referenced a high school called St. Ivers, a reference to his alma mater.

A large donation of $100,000 dollars was given to the Arts school on July 12,2007. This money will help fund the Arts magnet program at Stivers as well as other programs which saw major cuts after a school levy failed and some faculty were cut.




ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Students learn to access information as they master a common core of basic learning. Stivers' staff is organized into teams of teachers known as "clusters" who work with students for a minimum of 2 years. Cluster teams consist of teachers with these academic specialties:

* Language Arts
* Mathematics
* Science
* Social Studies

Learning is encouraged through methods such as: cooperative learning, hands-on activities, problem-based learning, and interdisciplinary thematic units.

CREATIVITY
Students are expected to creatively express themselves through the arts. Flexible thinking is encouraged to learn to solve problems. Classes are offered in:

* Visual Arts - Drawing, Sculpting, Computer Graphics, Photography, & Jewelry
* Orchestra - Beginning through advanced classes
* Band - Beginning through advanced classes, Jazz Ensemble
* Dance - Beginning through advanced classes
* Theater - Beginning through advanced classes
* Choral Music - General Choir, Show Choir, & other specialized choral groups
* Keyboard - Beginning through advanced piano keyboarding

Class instruction is reinforced with weekly individual & small group instruction by 30 professional artists from Dayton, Cincinnati, & Columbus, Ohio.

RESULTS
There is joy in "self-discovery" when students and staff learn together. The excitement of academic and artistic excellence stimulate continuous development. Stivers music students consistently receive the highest ratings in statewide competitions. Stivers young visual artists consistently place high in both regional and national art competitions. Stivers students' work has been featured as cover-art on, and inside, national magazines. Stivers has the highest test scores in the district. 20 - 25% of all Stivers 8th grade students taking the Ohio Proficiency Tests pass all sections the 1st time they take the test! Stivers student attendance rate is 90% & Stivers staff attendance is 96%.

RECOGNITION
* Stivers was selected to be an Ohio Venture Capital school & receive $25,000 per year for 5 years. Funds are used for staff development with innovative instructional strategies.
* Stivers was named a Finalist for National Blue-Ribbon School of Excellence in 1992.
* Stivers led Dayton City Schools' initiative in becoming a Grade 7-12 building. Stivers approach offers "clustered" academic instruction with a strong emphasis on the arts.

SITE-BASED MANAGEMENT TEAM
Stivers staff vote annually for Stivers Site Team members. Administrators and teachers serve on this planning team to develop long-range school improvement initiatives. Staff also elect a Site Team Facilitator to work with the team and with school projects. Major accomplishments of the Stivers Site Team:

* Holding a "Future Search" Visioning Workshop in 1993
* Receiving the Ohio Venture Capital designation in 1994
* Beginning the Stivers Seedling Foundation in 1994
* Adding 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades

CLUSTERS
Cluster teachers meet daily to develop plans for special activities and regular instruction. Parent conferences with all cluster teachers are encouraged. Extended clusters include the magnet arts and electives staff who work with cluster students. Special education units are allied with clusters to include those students with all cluster activities. Clusters have a cluster leader identified by their teachers & the building administrators. Cluster leaders - as the Cluster Leader Council - meet weekly to coordinate the myriad of building events.

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Stivers School for the Arts Art School Location

Other art schools in Dayton

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