Standards

School Qualification
The school must be a regular high school that has the capacity to implement and sustain the program in terms of trained teachers, facilities, and equipment.

A track record in winning in arts competitions at the division and regional levels for the past three years.

The standard equipment and facilities of the selected arts being offered by the school or available with in the community and that the school can use, as contained in the physical facilities manual and International Specification.

Curricular Offering

The SPA school implements the standard Grades 7 to 10 curriculum with additional Arts subjects such as Music, Visual Arts, Theater Arts, Media Arts, Creative Writing and Dance. 

Pedagogical Standards 

Pedagogy: Constructivism is the foundational pedagogy in the K to 12 Program. This implies learner-centered instruction, assessment and supervision.

Performance Level: Students enrolled under SPA are expected to be at the “approaching” proficiency level in their academics, thus with the high independent learning ability and self-driven. SPA students are expected to be “proficient” in their chosen arts. Selected Arts: Each student is required to choose one area among of the six art fields as specialization for the duration of their studies.

Arts Competition: SPA students are expected to be involved in arts competitions, as integral part of their development, subject to operational standards of DepEd-ARMM on these competitions.

Flexible Learning Options: SPA students are expected to continue their academics even while on competition. Flexible learning options shall be open and explored to suit the circumstances.

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Student Admission

1. Age and Nationality - Open to all Filipino high school-aged students. 
2. Potential and Experience - Have potentials/skills in more than one of the school arts offered; and participated in arts competitions. 
3. Multi-task - Easily able to jungle academics with arts practice.
4. Strong parental support – Expression of moral and resource support to assist the student go through the rigors and simultaneous demands in his or her academic studies and arts activities. 
5. Good Behavior – Prospective students should demonstrate polite behavior, temperance, perseverance, demonstrate self discipline and positive disposition in balancing academic and arts.

Documentary Requirements

1. Birth Certificate (NSO-certified) to determine age and nationality of the prospective students. 
2. Form 138 (with an Approaching Proficiency level in Music and Arts. and Developing level in any subject). 
3. Medical Certificate administered by a government physician. This will check if the student has no allergy with various art materials. 
4. Parental Consent stating that the student may undergo rigid training in specialized arts. 
5. Certificate of good moral character by the elementary school principal.

Performance Assessment
DepEd Order No. 31, s 2012 (Policy Guidelines on the Implementation of Grades 1-10 of the K-12 Basic Education Curriculum Effective School Year 2012-2013)

DepEd Memorandum No. 158, s. 2011 (Pilot Adoption of Standards-Based Assessment and Rating System at the Secondary Level for School Year 2012-2013).

Retention and Promotion
The student shall maintain an average grade of 85% in the specialization and a final grade of at least 80% in each of the other subjects with a general average of 82% to be retained in the program.

In cases where the above requirement is not met, a student shall be transferred and accepted in the regular program provided that the grade is not at the Beginning Level in any learning area.

Honours and Recognition
Arts Excellence - A gold medal shall be awarded to the most outstanding student per specialization at the end of the school year.

Academic Honours - A separate set of honour students shall be selected for the Special Program in the Arts.

• For purpose of honours ranking and computing Grade Point Average (GPA), the general education subjects shall follow the K-12 rating system. 
• The rating for specialization shall be based on the written test (summative test-50%) and the portfolio assessment (based on work outputs -products/Performance 50%).

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Teacher Requirements

The qualification for Academic teachers in the SPA is the same as those in the regular program. 

The basic qualifications for the recruitment of teacher-coach/teacher-trainer are as follows: 

• Education - Bachelor’s degree holder, major in Music or undergone special training in Music, MAPEH/PE (major in dance), English, Filipino and Research 
• Experience – Satisfactory track record (Trained in Theater Arts or Literary Arts (for English and Filipino), practicing artist or art educator, computer literate, with knowledge in photography, video and film (for Media Arts) with VS performance for the last two years.
• Accomplishment – Winning coach for a year at least in the division level. 
• Good Moral Character – Unquestionable integrity and commitment to promote arts and adhere to the principle and standard of the Department of Education. 

Specialization: Teacher-coaches for the SPA shall be consistent with the arts offering of the school.

Teaching Load - The teaching load shall be determined by the Principal and in accordance with RA 4670 (The Magna Carta for Teachers).