Achieving the Arts Advantage: A Whole School Assessment for an Arts Rich Student Learning Environment
The Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation Board of Directors seeks to celebrate and recognize innovative and resourceful schools that provide arts rich educational curricula and programming for their students and the communities in which they live. This application requests information about the various forms of arts education provided to your school's students and related opportunities to learn in and through the arts. Beyond the award, the TAA Foundation Board plans to showcase the winning schools as diverse models of what an arts rich curriculum may look like in communities across the state. The hope is that through continued media coverage and exposure throughout the year following the award, other schools will be motivated to create their own plans to become an arts rich school.
All K-12 schools in the state of Tennessee are eligible to submit an application. A select committee, composed of highly qualified arts leaders, will score and rank the identified applications against established criteria. The applications will be ranked in terms of various components but not limited to the following categories: Arts educator personnel, instructional time dedicated to fine arts instruction, variety of arts curricular offerings within and outside of the schools day, rigor and quality of student work, financial support, equipment, facilities, policy and media visibility, arts-focused professional learning, community outreach and partnerships, and the overall unique vibrancy of the school's arts program. The application portal will open in October, with submissions due no later than December 31st. Up to ten K-12 schools will be chosen as TAA Arts Rich Schools of Merit. From that list, a new panel of evaluators will select one elementary, one middle, and one high school to receive the TAA Arts Rich School of the Year Award.
Idlewild Elementary School is guided by their motto, "Children First, Excellence Always." Idlewild continues to excel as a Tennessee STEAM-designated school and a 2025 Top Magnet School of Excellence. Its Science and Technology Optional Program in Midtown Memphis provides a rigorous, creative learning environment for students from more than twenty-eight zip codes across the Midsouth. Whether enrolled from the neighborhood or transferring from other areas, all students participate in the Optional Program. Teachers and staff support a child’s academic and personal growth, encouraging achievement at the highest levels. Community partnerships include St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis Zoo, Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Brooks Museum of Art, and a decade-long, side-by-side concert collaboration with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Idlewild fosters an inclusive culture where students share diverse cultures, ideas, and perspectives in safe, nurturing classrooms. Students engage in activities, including Rock Band, Chorus, Vinyl Club, Orff Ensemble, and Making Musicals. Competitive teams in robotics, chess, and mathematics have earned regional and national recognition. Students have succeeded in district and national contests, including the Memphis-Shelby County Schools Holiday Card Contest and the Stax Music Academy Mic Drop Songwriting Competition. Faculty members have earned honors such as West Tennessee Art Educator of the Year and CMA Music Teacher of Excellence. With 123 years of proven excellence, Idlewild’s holistic, differentiated, and rigorous approach to teaching and learning continues to develop every student's talent, intellect, creativity, and character.
Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts - Middle School (CCA), a magnet school of creative and performing arts, is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and serves students in grades six through twelve. CCA is a school built on the belief that the arts and academics would come together to create a safe space where “dreamers” could learn and grow artistically and academically. Students begin their journey at CCA through audition and acceptance into a specific arts discipline. The school provides ten arts concentrations in which students may major. Middle school students quickly develop a sense of belonging and support, surrounded by administrators, faculty, and fellow students who share their dreams and passions. As sixth graders, students discover their passion and spend many hours in and out of school rehearsing, performing, and learning from certified teachers who are also practicing artists. While development in the arts is at the core of CCA’s mission, students also pursue a rigorous academic course of study in which the arts continue to play a role in each student’s growth. As a Level 5 Reward School in the state of Tennessee for the past four years, CCA uses interdisciplinary projects and performances across arts and academics that leverage students’ artistic passion to support academic success and prepare them for life beyond middle school. The dedicated administration and faculty believe “Every Day at CCA, a Star is Rising."
Bearden High School has proudly served the Knoxville, Tennessee, community since 1939. Bearden has earned a longstanding reputation as the school families choose when they want their children to experience exceptional arts education within Knox County Schools. A comprehensive, four-year high school enrolling approximately 1,900 students, Bearden serves a diverse student population representing thirty-nine languages and a variety of cultural backgrounds. At the heart of the school’s identity is a commitment to meaningful and rigorous artistic opportunities for all students. Through the Knox County Schools’ 865 Academies model, students begin in the Freshman Academy before entering one of three career-themed academies, including the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Arts (STEMA) Academy. Bearden students participate in arts programming in music, theatre, visual, and media arts, consistently earning recognition at regional, state, and national levels. They have represented Bearden in museums and on prestigious stages, including Carnegie Hall and the Jimmy Awards on Broadway. Partnerships with universities, professional artists, and community organizations extend learning beyond the classroom and provide authentic artistic experiences. A recipient of the U.S. News Silver Award, Bearden consistently produces U.S. Presidential Scholars, National Merit finalists, and National Merit Scholarship recipients. Recent graduating classes have earned nearly $40 million in scholarships and contributed approximately 31,000 hours of community service. With award-winning arts programs, strong academics, and a culture that values creativity, leadership, and growth, Bearden empowers students to succeed beyond high school.
