ACADEMIC PROFILE

2021-2022
1010 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701 | 714.560.0900 | www.ocsarts.net | CEEB Code 053266

Principal SCHOOL PROFILE

Michael Ciecek Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), a public charter school located in the heart of
Santa Ana, California, provides a six-year comprehensive academic and conservatory arts
Dean of Student Services program to students in grades 7-12. Established in 1987, OCSA is one of the premier arts
Becca Freeland schools in the nation, where aspiring young artists have the opportunity to refine their skills
and flourish in one of 16 pre-professional arts conservatories.
Dean of Arts
Maria Lazarova, D.M.A.
OCSA serves a culturally diverse student body of nearly 2,300 students from more than 100
cities throughout Southern California. Based on the belief that creative artistry is fueled by
Dean of Instruction
intellectual insight, OCSA provides a rigorous college-preparatory academic program that
Sally Lopez
produces high-achieving, motivated scholars. Students attend five hours of academic classes
in addition to three hours of arts instruction daily. Over the past three decades, the school has
Dean of Special Services
impacted thousands of students, molding generations of creative thinkers, leaders, artists,
Leon Metoyer
innovators, and entrepreneurs.
Dean of Facilities & Supervision
William Wallace, Ed.D. OCSA’s Response to COVID-19 During the 2020-2021 School Year: OCSA students
participated in remote, distance learning until March 2021. Students then had the opportunity
School Counselors to return to campus in a hybrid model or remain virtual for the remainder of the 2020-2021
Alyx Braun school year. Students, regardless of their chosen instructional model, continued with OCSA’s
Sarah Kause core curriculum, elective, and arts conservatory classes throughout the entire school year. In
Kara McCann response to Assembly Bill 104, passed on July 1, 2021, OCSA high school students had the
Vanessa Musso opportunity to request that high school grades earned during the 2020-2021 school year be
Ashley Talbert changed from a letter grade to a Credit or No Credit mark.
Rebecca Vance-Freeland

ACCREDITATION ENROLLMENT STUDENT DISTRIBUTION

• Western Association of Schools and 2,248 students (grades 7-12) BY ETHNIC CODE
Colleges White: 29.58%
• Recognized ASCA Model RAMP Program Asian-American: 25.58%
(2017-2021)
Hispanic or Latino: 20.55%
DEMOGRAPHICS Multi-Ethnic: 13.57%
RECOGNITIONS Seniors: 412 Undeclared: 7.70%
• Exemplary School (Arts Schools Network, Juniors: 405 Filipino: 1.87%
2006, 2010-2011, 2013-2022) Sophomores: 451 African American: 0.98%
• #1 Best Charter High School in California Freshmen: 428 Pacific Islander: 0.13%
(Niche, 2021) 8th Grade: 297 American Indian: 0.04%
• California Exemplary Arts Education Award 7th Grade: 255
(California Department of Education, 2021)
• Exceptional Charter School in Special
Education (National Association of Special
Education Teachers, 2017-2021)
• Best High Schools in America
(U.S. News & World Report, 2008-2021) FACULTY
• California Gold Ribbon School • All academic faculty are fully credentialed.
(California Department of Education, 2017)
• The majority of the 300 arts and academic teachers hold advanced degrees.
• GRAMMY Signature School
(GRAMMY Foundation, 2016) • Guest artists and industry leaders share their expertise and creativity with students through
lectures, presentations, and hands-on training.
MEMBERSHIPS
• International NETWORK of Schools for
the Advancement of Arts Education
• National Association of Special Education CURRICULUM
Teachers • The academic program is organized on an alternating block schedule, where each
class meets every other day. Students take three 85-minute block classes daily.

• The arts conservatory program consists of two 70-minute blocks, four days a week.
TUITION Middle school students attend one block each day while high school students attend
OCSA is tuition free and donation dependent.
two blocks. These pre-professional arts courses vary in content and day of the week,
No student is offered or denied enrollment
based on the conservatory.
based on financial capacity.
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Course Length Credits
Literature & Composition 8 Semesters 40
Mathematics (Integrated I and II) 4 Semesters 20
Life Science 2 Semesters 10
GRADE AND GPA SCALE
OCSA utilizes a four-point scale to
Physical Science 2 Semesters 10
calculate students’ grade point averages,
Health 1 Semester 5
but does not rank students by GPA.
Global Studies (Required for freshmen only) 1 Semester 5
World History 2 Semesters 10 Grade Scale: A = 4.0 B = 3.0
US History 2 Semesters 10 C = 2.0 D = 1.0
Government 1 Semester 5 Advanced Placement/Honors courses (+)
Economics 1 Semester 5 are weighted with an additional value of
World Language 4 Semesters 20 one point for each course semester.
Fine Arts 2 Semesters 10
Physical Education 4 Semesters 20 Average Cumulative
Required Course Credits 170 Academic GPA: 3.3
Electives 70
Total Credits Required to Graduate: 240
Advanced Placement Classes
Full participation in conservatory courses is required each year of all students in grades 7-12 from
AP Art and Design
one of the following conservatories: Acting, Ballet & Contemporary Dance, Ballet Folklórico Dance,
AP Art History
Ballroom Dance, Classical Voice, Commercial Dance, Creative Writing, Culinary Arts & Hospitality,
AP Biology
Digital Media, Film & Television, Instrumental Music, Integrated Arts, Musical Theatre, Popular
Music, Production & Design, or Visual Arts. All OCSA conservatory courses are Career Technical AP Calculus AB
Education (CTE) courses that align with either the Arts, Media, and Entertainment or Hospitality, AP Calculus BC
Tourism, and Recreation pathways. AP Chemistry
AP Computer Science Principles
TESTING INFORMATION AP Economics
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and limited testing opportunities, accurate SAT and ACT AP Environmental Science
test information is not available for SAT and ACT tests during the 2020-2021 school year. AP Government
AP Language and Composition
Advanced Placement Exams 100% AP Literature and Composition
AP Music Theory
• May/June 2021, 743 students took AP exams
PASSING SCORE PERCENTAGES

AP Physics 1
• A total of 1,580 exams were taken in 25 AP subjects 80%
AP Physics 2
• 79% of the AP exams received passing scores AP Psychology
60% AP Research
• May 2020, 768 students took AP exams AP Seminar
• A total of 1,631 exams were taken in 23 AP subjects AP Spanish
40%
• 86% of the AP exams received passing scores AP Statistics
AP U.S. History
• May 2019, 714 students took AP exams 20% AP World History
• A total of 1,617 exams were taken in 20 AP subjects
• 84% of the AP exams received passing scores 0%
Honors Classes
Literature and Composition l Honors
2019 2020 2021
Literature and Composition ll Honors (+)
Integrated III Enhanced (+)
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Pre-Calculus (+)
Chemistry Honors (+)
National Merit Scholarship Awards Class of Class of Class of Class of Spanish IV Honors (+)
2018 2019 2020 2021 French III Honors (+)
National Merit Finalists 7 6 4 5
National Merit Semifinalists 7 6 5 5
National Merit Commended Scholars 20 15 18 32 Extracurricular Opportunities
National Hispanic Recognition Scholars 12 3 4 4 • Student Body Leadership
• National Honor Society
• California Scholarship Federation
Advanced Placement Awards 2018 2019 2020 2021 • Camp OCSA Counselor
• Mock Trial
Scholar with Distinction 114 139 153 150 • Science Olympiad
Scholar with Honors 62 67 66 64 • More than 100 student-led clubs and
organizations
Scholar 96 109 97 99
AP Capstone Diploma n/a n/a 18 9
AP Seminar & Research Certificate n/a n/a 4 5
 COLLEGE PREPARATORY (CP) COURSE OFFERINGS BY SUBJECT AREA
OCSA offers seven yearlong Honors courses and 22 Advanced Placement courses. Courses indicated with
an asterisk * receive an extra point in the grade point average calculation.
English World Languages • Hip Hop Dance I Dual Enrollment Arts
• 19th Century Literature/Science Fiction • *AP Spanish Language and Culture • Hip Hop Dance II Conservatory Courses
Composition • French I • Illustration • Digital Media Conservatory
• *AP English Language • French II • Improvisation Character Design I
• *AP English Literature and Composition • French III • Jazz Combos Digital Studio
• Literature and Composition I • *French IIIH • Jazz Dance Experimental Animation
• Literature and Composition IH • French IV • Jazz Orchestra Game Design I
• Literature and Composition II • Mandarin I • Jewelry Game Design II
• *Literature and Composition IIH • Mandarin II • Landscape Painting
• Literature and Composition III • Mandarin III • Latin Ballroom Dance • The El-Erian Family Acting
• Media Analysis/Modern Plays • Mandarin IV • Modern Dance Technique Conservatory
• Mythology/Science Fiction Composition • Spanish for Native Speakers A • Music History Acting Principles
• Popular Culture/Film Literature Composition • Spanish for Native Speakers B • Music Theory Performance Workshop II
• Spanish I • Painting Production of “Moby Dick”
Science • Spanish II • Percussion Ensemble
• Anatomy • Spanish III • Photography • Film & Television Conservatory
• *AP Biology • Spanish IV • Piano Editing I
• *AP Chemistry • *Spanish IVH • Piano Masterclass TV Production II
• *AP Environmental Science • Playreading and Analysis
• *AP Physics 1 Visual and Performing Arts • Saxophone Ensemble • The Mekjian Family Culinary Arts
• *AP Physics 2 • 3-D Design • Standard Ballroom Dance & Hospitality Conservatory
• Biology of the Living Earth • Acting Technique • String Orchestra American Cuisine
• Chemistry • Strings Chamber Music Baking & Pastry
• Advanced Painting
• *Chemistry Honors • Tap Dance Entrepreneurship
• Animation
• Environmental Science • Theatre for Social Justice Event Planning
• *AP Art and Design
• Physics • Theatre History Foundations I
• *AP Art History
• Zoology • Vocal Ensemble Foundations II
• *AP Music Theory
• Art History • Voice Fundamentals of Cooking
Mathematics • Watercolor Garde Manger
• Ballet Dance
• *AP Calculus AB • Winds Ensemble Hotel Management
• Ballet Technique
• *AP Calculus BC • Woodwind Quintet Internship
• *AP Statistics • Ballroom Dance
• Brass Ensemble • Yearbook Nutrition & Special Diets
• Financial Algebra Safety & Sanitation
• Integrated Math I • Ceramics
• Chamber Orchestra Electives World Cuisine
• Integrated Math II • *AP Computer Science Principles
• Integrated Math III • Choreography
• Clarinet Ensemble • *AP Macro Economics • Production & Design
• *Integrated Math III/Enhanced • *AP Psychology Conservatory
• *Pre-Calculus • Commercial Music Theory
• Conducting • *AP Research Lighting Fundamentals
• Dance Conditioning • *AP Seminar
Social Science
• Dance History • CA Food History
• *AP Government and Politics
• Directing • CW Core Short Story
• *AP United States History
• Digital Printing • CW Inkblot
• *AP World History
• Drawing • Economics
• Government
• Elements of Music Theory • Emergency Medical Technician
• United States History
• Fashion and Costume Design • Introduction to Computer Science
• World History
• Flute Masterclass • Journalism
• Folklórico Repertory • Screenwriting
• Graphic Design • Senior Project

Full participation in
SCHOOL CONSERVATORY STUDENTS ENROLLED
conservatory
courses is required School of Applied Arts Mekjian Family Culinary Arts & Hospitality 90
each year of all School of Dance Ballet & Contemporary Dance 57
students in grades Ballet Folklórico Dance 65
7-12 from one of Ballroom Dance 68
the following Commercial Dance 147
conservatories: School of Fine & Media Arts Creative Writing 169
Digital Media 86
Film & Television 78
Integrated Arts 247
Visual Arts 206
School of Music Classical Voice 109
Instrumental Music
Frederick Fennell Wind Studies Program 69
The Garn Family Jazz Studies Program 45
Pianist Program 47
Strings & Orchestra Program 79
Popular Music 116

School of Theatre El-Erian Family Acting 214

Musical Theatre 225
Production & Design 129
 MATRICULATION
Ninety-five percent of the Class of 2021 was accepted into institutions of higher education, and 76% are attending a four-year college
program. Additionally, 13% are attending a two-year college or conservatory program, and 11% of seniors are going directly into the
workplace or taking a gap year.

OCSA students apply to and enroll at schools that reflect each student’s individual interests and strengths. The following
post-secondary campus acceptances and matriculation (in parenthesis) data was reported by the Class of 2021.

Academy of Art University 1 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Oklahoma City University 2 Tufts University 1
Adelphi University 1 Daytona Beach 1 Orange Coast College 14 (11) Tulane University of Louisiana 1
Albright College 1 Emerson College 3 Oregon Institute of Technology 1 University of British Columnia 2 (2)
Alfred University 1 Emory University 4 Oregon State University 1 University of California, Berkeley 27 (9)
AMDA College and Conservatory FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design Otis College of Art and Design 9 (1) University of California, Davis 26 (5)
of the Performing Arts 2 & Merchandising) - Orange County 1 (1) Otterbein University 1 University of California, Irvine 71 (13)
American University 3 (1) FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design Pace University 16 (3) University of California, Los Angeles Extension 2
Amherst College 2 (2) & Merchandising) - Los Angeles 2 (1) Pacific Northwest College of Art 1 University of California, Los Angeles 37 (15)
Anglo American University 1 (1) Fashion Institute of Technology 1 (1) Pacific Union College 1 University of California, Merced 9 (3)
Arcadia University 1 Felician University 1 Pacific University 1 University of California, Riverside 34 (5)
Arizona State University 9 (1) Five Towns College 1 Peabody Conservatory of The John Hopkins University of California, San Diego 54 (5)
ArtCenter College of Design 7 (5) Florida State University 1 University 1 University of California, Santa Barbara 55 (11)
Augustana College 1 Fordham University 15 (5) Pennsylvania State University 1 University of California, Santa Cruz 30 (2)
Azusa Pacific University 1 Franklin University Switzerland 1 Pepperdine University 9 University of Central Florida 1 (1)
Babson College 1 Franklin W Olin College of Engineering 1 Pitzer College 1 (1) University of Chicago 2 (2)
Baldwin Wallace University 1 Fullerton College 11 (9) Point Loma Nazarene University 9 (2) University of Cincinnati 5 (1)
Ball State University 2 Gannon University 1 Point Park University 4 University of Colorado Boulder 5
Baylor University 4 (1) George Washington University 3 (1) Portland State University 3 University of Connecticut 1
Beacon College 1 (1) Georgia Institute of Technology 2 Pratt Institute 6 University of Denver 3
Belmont University 12 (4) Golden West College 2 (1) Pratt MWP College of Art & Design 1 University of Glasgow 1
Bennington College 3 (1) Grand Canyon University 1 Princeton University 1 (1) University of Hartford 2
Berklee College of Music 13 (4) Greensboro College 2 Purdue University 3 (1) University of Hawaii at Hilo 1 (1)
Biola University 3 (1) Harvard University 1 Queen’s University Belfast 1 University of Hawaii at Manoa 3
Boston College 4 Harvey Mudd College 1 Reed College 4 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2
Boston Conservatory at Berklee 2 Haverford College 2 (1) Regis University 1 University of Iowa 2
Boston University 10 (1) Hawaii Pacific University 4 (1) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 4 University of Kentucky 1
Bradley University 1 Hofstra University 1 Rhode Island School of Design 5 (2) University of La Verne 3
Brandeis University 2 Humboldt State University 4 Rice University 5 (2) University of Massachusetts - Amherst 1
Brigham Young University - Provo 2 (1) Hunter College (CUNY) 1 (1) Rider University 8 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth 1
Brown University 7 (2) Hussian College Los Angeles - In Studio 5 (3) Ringling College of Art and Design 1 University of Miami 3
Bucknell University 2 Illinois Wesleyan University 1 Rochester Institute of Technology 2 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor 9 (2)
Butler University 2 Indiana University 12 Roosevelt University 4 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities 4 (1)
California Baptist University 9 (2) Iowa State University 1 Rutgers University - Camden 1 University of Mississippi 1
California College of the Arts 9 Irvine Valley College 6 (4) Rutgers University - Brunswick 1 University of Missouri 1 (1)
California Institute of the Arts 7 (2) Ithaca College 4 Sacred Heart University 1 University of Nevada - Las Vegas 7 (1)
California Lutheran University 4 James Madison University 1 Saddleback College 13 (13) University of New Mexico 1 (1)
California Polytechnic State University, Pomona 29 (1) Jefferson (Philadelphia Univ. + Saint Mary's College of California 2 (1) University of North Carolina at Greensboro 1
California Polytechnic State University, Thomas Jefferson Univ.) 1 San Diego Christian College 1 University of North Carolina School of the Arts 1 (1)
San Luis Obispo 35 (7) Johns Hopkins University 5 (1) San Diego State University 20 (3) University of North Texas 4
California State University, Bakersfield 1 Johnson & Wales University, Providence 1 San Francisco Conservatory of Music 5 (2) University of Notre Dame 1
California State University, Channel Islands 4 Kent State University at Kent 1 San Francisco State University 22 (2) University of Oklahoma 2 (1)
California State University, Chico 3 (2) Kenyon College 3 San Jose State University 9 (3) University of Oregon 9 (2)
California State University, Dominguez Hills 5 Kingston University 1 Santa Ana College 2 (2) University of Pennsylvania 4
California State University, East Bay 1 La Sierra University 1 Santa Clara University 8 (1) University of Pittsburgh 2
California State University, Fresno 1 Laguna College of Art and Design 8 (3) Santa Monica College 2 (2) University of Portland 3
California State University, Fullerton 91 (16) Lake Forest College 1 Santiago Canyon College 2 (1) University of Redlands 9 (1)
California State University, Long Beach 56 (9) Lawrence University 1 (1) Sarah Lawrence College 3 University of Rhode Island 1
California State University, Los Angeles 15 (3) Lehigh University 2 Savannah College of Art and Design 5 (1) University of Rochester 1
California State University, Monterey Bay 6 (1) Lewis & Clark College 4 School of the Art Institute of Chicago 6 University of San Diego 6
California State University, Northridge 7 (2) LIU Brooklyn 1 (1) School of Visual Arts 4 (1) University of San Francisco 14 (1)
California State University, Sacramento 5 Long Beach City College 4 (3) Scripps College 6 (2) University of South Carolina 2
California State University, San Bernardino 1 Long Island University 1 Seattle University 5 University of South Florida 1
California State University, San Marcos 5 Los Angeles City College 1 Seton Hall University 1 University of Southern California 37 (15)
California State University, Stanislaus 2 Loyola Marymount University 31 (4) Shenandoah University 1 University of Southern California -
Calvin University 1 (1) Lycoming College 1 Smith College 2 (1) Thornton School of Music 2
Cardiff University 1 Manhattan College 1 Soka University of America 1 University of the Arts Barcelona 1 (1)
Carnegie Mellon University 10 (2) Manhattan School of Music 2 Sonoma State University 1 University of the Arts London 1
Carroll College 1 Manhattanville College 1 Southern California Institute of Architecture 1 University of the Pacific 13 (3)
Carthage College 1 Mannes College - The New School of Music 1 Southern Methodist University 4 (1) University of Toronto 3 (1)
Case Western Reserve University 3 Marist College 1 Southern Oregon University 2 (2) University of Utah 6 (1)
Cerritos College 1 (1) Marquette University 2 Southern Utah University 2 (1) University of Vermont 1
Chapman University 61 (10) Maryland Institute College of Art 3 St. John’s College 1 (1) University of Washington 17
Chicago State University 1 Marymount Manhattan College 13 St. John's University - New York 2 University of Wisconsin-Madison 4 (1)
Claremont McKenna College 2 (1) Massachusetts College of Art and Design 1 St. Olaf College 1 Utah Valley University 1 (1)
Clark Atlanta University 1 (1) McGill University 2 (2) Stanford University 8 (7) Vanderbilt University 4
Clark University 1 Miami University - Oxford 1 Stevens Institute of Technology 1 Vanderbilt University - Blair School of Music 1 (1)
Clemson University 1 Michigan State University 2 Stony Brook University, State University of Vanguard University of Southern California 4 (1)
Coastal Carolina University 2 Millikin University 2 New York 3 Vassar College 2
Coe College 1 (1) Mills College 1 SUNY at Purchase College 1 Virginia Commonwealth University 1
Colgate University 1 (1) Molloy College 1 Syracuse University 8 (1) Virginia Military Institute 1
College of William and Mary 2 Montana State University 1 Temple University 6 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 2
Colorado State University 3 (1) Montclair State University 1 Texas A&M University 1 (1) Viterbo University 2
Columbia College Chicago 13 Mount Holyoke College 1 Texas Christian University 7 Wagner College 4
Columbia University in the City of New York 2 (1) Morningside University 2 Texas State University 6 (1) Washington & Lee University 1
Concordia University - Irvine 7 (1) Muhlenberg College 2 The American Academy of Washington State University 2
Cooper Union for the Advancement of National University of Ireland 1 Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles 2 Washington University in St Louis 5 (1)
Science and Art 1 (1) Nazareth College 1 The American University of Paris 1 Webster University 1
Cornell University 7 (2) New Jersey City University 1 The Juilliard School 1 (1) Wentworth Institute of Technology 1
Culinary Institute of America 2 (2) New Mexico State University 1 The New England Conservatory of Music 2 Wesleyan University 1
Dallas Baptist University 1 (1) New York Film Academy 2 The New School 16 (5) West Chester University of Pennsylvania 1
DePaul University 7 (1) New York Institute of Technology 1 The Oberlin Conservatory of Music 2 (1) Western Michigan University 1
DePauw University 1 New York University 21 (8) The Ohio State University 3 (1) Western Oregon University 2
DigiPen Institute of Technology 1 Northeastern University 8 (1) The University of Alabama 1 (1) Western Washington University 1
Dillard University 1 Northern Arizona University 5 The University of Arizona 14 Westmont College 1
Drake University 4 Northwestern University 5 (2) The University of the Arts 5 Wheaton College 1
Drexel University 4 Nova Southeastern University 1 The University of Tampa 1 Whitman College 1
Duke University 3 (1) Oberlin College 3 The University of Tennessee 1 Whittier College 5
Eastman School of Music of the Occidental College 7 The University of Texas at Dallas 1 Williams College 1
University of Rochester 1 (1) Ohio Northern University 1 Trinity College Dublin 2 (1) Wingate University 1
Elon University 3 (1) Ohio University 1 Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance 1 Yale University 2 (2)