Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA, /ˈoʊʃə/ OH-shə),^{[lower-alpha 1]} is a 7th–12th grade public charter school located in downtown Santa Ana, California. The school caters to middle and high school students with talents in the performing, visual, literary arts, culinary arts and more. The educational program prepares students for higher education institutions or employment in the professional arts industry. In 2010 the school's academic and arts programs were ranked with silver medal status in the U.S. News & World Report "Best High Schools" list.^[1] In 2012 the school changed its name from Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA) to its current name, Orange County School of the Arts.

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Quick Facts Address, Coordinates ...

Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA)
Address
1010 N. Main Street Santa Ana , California 92701 United States
Coordinates	33.753864°N 117.86798°W / 33.753864; -117.86798
Information
Type	Public charter school
Motto	We Are OCSA
Established	1987
Founder	Ralph Opacic
Sister school	California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV)
School district	Governed by the Orange County Board of Education
Dean	Becca Freeland (Student Services) Michael Ciecek (Principal) Sally Lopez (Instruction) Maria Lazarova (Arts)
Executive Director	Teren Shaffer
Faculty	100
Grades	7–12
Enrollment	2,200
Campus	Urban
Color(s)	yellow, orange, red, purple, blue
Newspaper	Evolution
Yearbook	Dreamscape
Website	www.ocsarts.net

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Originally, this arts program began in 1983 as Los Al Players, a summer musical theatre camp for ages 4 – 16 founded by Terry Bigelow, Jean Parks, and Ralph Opacic in Los Alamitos, CA. Los Al Players grew into the Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA) in 1987 and reorganized as a public charter school on April 20, 2000. In the summer of 2000, Francis Ford Coppola served as a guest artist at the school, directing and writing a production of his musical, Gidget, with songs by John Farrar and starring Krysta Rodriguez (a student at the time) and Dermot Mulroney. During that time the school was relocated from its primary facility at Los Alamitos High School to the Santa Ana Unified School District.

OCSA is a tuition-free, donation-dependent public charter school governed by a board of trustees representing parents, the community, educators and the Orange County Board of Education. The school is supported by The Orange County School of the Arts Foundation which is a non-profit organization for the financial support of the school's tuition-free artistic programs as well as its ongoing expansion plans. The Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation governed by a volunteer board of directors.

In the summer of 2012, the name of the school was changed from OCHSA (Orange County High School of the Arts) to OCSA (Orange County School of the Arts). This was done to account for the grades 7-8 that are also in attendance at the school.

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The Orange County School of the Arts students attend standard academic courses under a block schedule system with three academic classes per day alternating each day for a total of six classes. Honors classes are offered as well as many Advanced Placement classes. OCSA also has a selection of electives including Acting, Ceramics, Improv, Graphic Design, Zoology, Vocal Ensemble, Beginner Piano, Journalism, and Photography.

OCSA's 2012 Academic Performance Index (API) score of 908 ranked the school as one of the top five ranked high schools in Orange County and in the top 10 percent in California.^{[citation needed]}

OCSA was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Education.^{[citation needed]} OCSA was one of 250 Blue Ribbon schools recognized nationwide in 2006 among 35 schools in the State of California and five public schools in Orange County. OCSA was also named a California Distinguished School.^{[citation needed]}

In 2021, 95% of OCSA alumni continued on to college, with 76% going on to a 4-year university, 13% going to a 2-year university with plans to transfer to a 4-year university and 11% going directly into the workforce.^[2] Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA to continue participating in their artistic studies.

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After 2:15 p.m., Monday through Thursday, the school focuses on arts education which is divided into 16 conservatories: Production and Design, International Dance (was Ballet Folklórico), ^[3] Classical and Contemporary Dance, Commercial Dance, Creative Writing, Film and Television, Integrated Arts, Instrumental Music (divided into Strings and Orchestra, Piano, Wind Studies, and Jazz), Popular Music, Musical Theater, Acting, Classical Voice (was Opera), Visual Arts, Culinary Arts and Hospitality, Digital Media, and Arts and Enterprise (New to the 2022-23 school year).