The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA or PVA for short) is a secondary school located at 4001 Stanford Street in the Montrose district of Houston, Texas. The school is a part of the Houston Independent School District.
The school serves grades nine through twelve. The school is divided into six departments: instrumental music, vocal music, dance, theater (including technical theater), visual arts, and creative writing (new to the 2011-2012 school year). Visual Arts was formed by the merging of what were formerly separate art and media departments. Students are required to audition for entry under one, and only one, art area. When they audition for the school, they can audition for more than one department and may be accepted for multiple departments but when applying must choose one. At the end of every semester students complete a re-audition or portfolio review which does not determine whether or not they return to the school; re-auditions serve as a final grade for each art area.
Students who fail academics are placed on art area probation which makes them ineligible to participate in art area activities. If a student repeatedly fails his or her art area or academics he may be removed from the school.
HSPVA was placed as the top school in the Greater Houston Area by Children at Risk's 2009 annual ranking of high schools, and it still remains on the top ten list in 2012.
HSPVA does not automatically take in students from the surrounding neighborhood; the surrounding neighborhood is zoned to Lamar High School.
Read more about High School For The Performing And Visual Arts: Art Areas, History, Demographics, Admissions Patterns, Notable Alumni
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