Arts Program Overview
SPA offers pre-professional style training in 5 Arts Concentrations: Dance, Instrumental Music, Production and Design, Theatre and Vocal Music. SPA arts classes are led by highly skilled and passionate Teaching Artists and are deeply rooted in the idea that all students can thrive and succeed with proper training and opportunity. At SPA, we strive to create highly skilled artists who are creative, passionate and contributing members to their craft and the world in which they live.
CTE Pathways
CTE (Career Technical Education) Program Overview
As an integrated part of the Arts Program, every high school student at SPA participates in a CTE Pathway, comprised of at least 3 sequential courses, in their Arts Concentration. The 5 CTE Pathways are: Dance/Choreography, Professional Music: Instrumental, Professional Music: Vocal, Professional Theater, and Stage Management.
Contra Costa School of Performing Arts currently offers Career Technical Education (CTE) programs as follows:
SPA Major
Industry Sector and CTE Sub-Pathway
CTE Pathway
Description
Dance
Arts, Media, & Entertainment: Dance/ Choreography
Performing Arts: This pathway focuses on the direct creation of art and entertainment by the individual artist instead of through a secondary physical medium. Performing artists are themselves the medium of creative expression.
Students refine multi-genre technical, performance, and choreographic skills for live and recorded performances to prepare for careers in professional dance.
Instrumental Music
Arts, Media, & Entertainment: Professional Music
Performing Arts: This pathway focuses on the direct creation of art and entertainment by the individual artist instead of through a secondary physical medium. Performing artists are themselves the medium of creative expression.
Students build on technical knowledge to prepare for artistic career paths in the music industry. They refine skills in instrumental, vocal, and/or digital music composition, arrangement, performance, and production.
Production & Design
Arts, Media, & Entertainment: Stage Technology
Production & Managerial Arts: This pathway focuses on both the technical skills and the organizational and managerial knowledge necessary to bring arts, media, and entertainment to the public.
Students execute the design and technical aspects of dance, theater, and music productions to prepare for careers in technical theater and theater management. They are trained in costuming; lighting and projection design; lighting installation and operation; set design, construction, and installation; sound design and production; front and back-of-house management; stage management; and marketing for live and recorded performance.
Theater
Arts, Media, & Entertainment: Professional Theater
Performing Arts: This pathway focuses on the direct creation of art and entertainment by the individual artist instead of through a secondary physical medium. Performing artists are themselves the medium of creative expression.
Students prepare for artistic careers on the stage or screen. They learn to create, perform, and direct for live audiences and the camera. Students will learn and refine writing, acting, and directing techniques, and understand the business side of the professional theater, film, and television industries.
Vocal Music
Arts, Media, & Entertainment: Professional Music
Performing Arts: This pathway focuses on the direct creation of art and entertainment by the individual artist instead of through a secondary physical medium. Performing artists are themselves the medium of creative expression.
Students will learn musical styles: popular, Broadway, classical, gospel, multi-lingual, historical genres, dance, stage performance, body movement, physical awareness, and technical vocal skills.
CTE Annual Notification
At the beginning of the school year, Contra Costa School of Performing Arts (CocoSPA) informs students, parents, employees, and the general public of all Career Technical Education (CTE) opportunities that are offered to all high school students.
Pursuant to Board Policy 14.82022, you are hereby notified that:
CocoSPA is committed to ensuring equal, fair, and meaningful access to various educational programs, including CTE. CocoSPA is committed to providing equal opportunity to all individuals in school programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. CocoSPA programs, activities, and practices shall be free from unlawful discrimination, including discrimination against an individual or group based on actual or perceived race, age, sex, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital, family or parental status, medical condition, national origin, political affiliation, pregnancy and related conditions, race, religion, retaliation, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, Vietnam Era Veterans' status, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics or any other basis prohibited by California state and federal non-discrimination laws respectively.
CocoSPA desires to provide a comprehensive CTE program in the secondary grades (9-12), which integrates core academic instruction with technical and occupational instruction in order to increase student achievement, graduation rates, and readiness for postsecondary education and employment. The school's CTE program is designed to help students develop the academic, career, and technical skills needed to success in a knowledge and skills-based economy. The program includes a rigorous academic component and provides students with practical experience and understanding of all aspects of an industry.
All CTE courses are offered without regard to actual or perceived characteristic protected from discrimination by law. CocoSPA ensures that the lack of English Language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the CTE program.
CTE Coordinator: Lisa Kingsbury, lisa.kingsbury@cocospa.org, 925-235-1130, 2730 Mitchell Dr., Walnut Creek CA 94598
Title II Coordinator & 504 Plans A-L: Catherine Foster, catherine.foster@cocospa.org, 925-235-1130, 2730 Mitchell Dr., Walnut Creek CA 94598
Title IX Coordinator & 504 Plans M-Z: Brianna Shahvar, brianna.shahvar@cocospa.org, 925-235-1130, 2730 Mitchell Dr., Walnut Creek CA 94598