It’s 7 a.m. on a Thursday, and Heidi Knickerbocker is heading to school. She has a much longer commute than most Tacoma high school students. Knickerbocker, from Port Orchard, has been carpooling to Tacoma’s School of the Arts for more than two years because she believes it’s giving her the best education offered in the region.

“The connection to art helps you learn in your own way,” Knickerbocker said. “I’ve grown so much and learned so much, because every student and teacher wants to be there.”

The brainchild of Principal Jon Ketler, SOTA was started 10 years ago as a kind of experiment in downtown Tacoma, and it has risen to national recognition. It was recently awarded both the Washington State Innovative Schools award and the Kennedy Center’s Schools of Distinction in Arts Education award, one of just four handed out nationally each year.

Tacoma’s arts high school also has shown it’s not just a school for artists: Students’ test scores top the district; its students recently won the regional robotics championship; and its alumni range from politicians to Ivy League college students.

“My goal was to integrate into the city and use the assets that are in the community … and to put arts in education so it’s just as academic and just as important,” Ketler said. “We’ve been able to achieve that.”

The Kennedy Center agrees: “It’s such a unique and interesting way they’re incorporating arts into education,” Kennedy vice president for education Darrel Ayers said. “We want to shine a spotlight on schools doing exemplary work – SOTA is certainly doing that.”

Yet as Ketler himself says, SOTA isn’t perfect. Critics point to the fact that, within the district, SOTA has the highest percentage of white students of all the high schools and the lowest percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, an indicator of poverty. Those figures do little to counter claims that the school is elitist, and call into question whether the high test scores are a sign of good teaching, or just family background and support.

Some alumni say SOTA is lacking in challenging math and science courses, and SOTA already has tried to address that through a partnership with the district’s new Science And Math Institute, or SAMI.

Arts teachers at other high schools also complain that the school drains off their best students.

Despite these issues, the school’s unique blend of arts and academics is garnering attention as it heads into its second decade. So what makes SOTA a success? Those involved point to the imaginative leadership, committed teaching, alternative methods and students who really want to learn.

INDEPENDENCE

At 8:15 a.m., Knickerbocker’s first class is humanities. As a senior, she’s required to choose a major or “focus” from one of the arts disciplines (music, dance, visual art, theater or writing) or a Renaissance major that samples a variety of subjects. Knickerbocker has gone the Renaissance route, combining songwriting and musical theater, biology, statistics and African American culture.

Like every other SOTA student, she moves around Tacoma’s downtown for classes. SOTA operates out of three main buildings: the former Ted Brown building at 1118 Commerce St. for music and humanities; the visual arts building at 1950 Pacific Ave.; and the administration/humanities building at 1818 Tacoma Ave.

It also leases space from The Broadway Center and Urban Grace Church, and uses three classrooms on the University of Washington Tacoma campus. Students shuttle between them on foot, bus or light rail, always in groups for safety and with upperclassmen helping sophomores.

“It gives the kids an urban atmosphere, a college feel,” said math teacher Michael Hagmann. “It helps them manage their time.”

While students are instructed not to take certain routes – walking along Tacoma Avenue, for instance – there have been no incidents, said SOTA co-director Paul Kelly, who runs SOTA with Ketler, who is principal of two other schools, SAMI and Stewart Middle Schol, in addition to SOTA.

“Tacoma is a lot safer than it was 10 years ago,” Kelly pointed out.

Running SOTA more like a college was a deliberate decision from the start. Classes meet in 90-minute blocks twice a week rather than the typical 55-minute high school periods, in part to accommodate the travel between classrooms. Classes are mixed-grade, with upperclassmen expected to take a lead.

There’s no cafeteria. Students bring their lunch or buy it downtown, eating or hanging out in the various school buildings.

January is spent in a J-term, with students working on projects rather than sitting in classes. Students are expected to take charge of their own homework, as well as get themselves to class. And in senior year, they must produce a final project that completes a college/job portfolio they’ve been building throughout their time at SOTA.

Even SOTA’s teaching methods take a college tack.

Paul Eliot’s instrumental music students study chamber music largely by themselves, with only about 10 minutes per period of direct instruction. That’s a complete change from the typical high school band or orchestra instruction in which the conductor leads the entire class.

Adjunct artists – local professionals paid with SOTA’s nonprofit fundraising proceeds – also work with students.

“We focus on individual growth and development,” Eliot said. “I’m not trying to build the killer (band) here. It’s more modeled on the college experience.”

Though Eliot teaches band and orchestra in the second semester, the initial focus is chamber music and music theory at a college level. Those in the songwriting/audio stream also learn theory, with emphasis on creative composition.

Like many SOTA teachers, Eliot has had to write his own curriculum, basing it on college-prep courses.

The method doesn’t work for everyone. Courtney Shelton, a strings teacher at Truman Middle and Wilson High schools, sees a lot of her students apply to SOTA, and a few usually end up disappointed.

“They get into a small ensemble with very little instruction,” she said. “There’s something they’re missing without a large group and performance aspect.”

Eliot acknowledges that SOTA isn’t for everyone.

“We’re providing another choice for families,” he said. “If they want a more traditional environment, they’re free to do that.”

GETTING IN, STAYING IN

Even applying to SOTA is more like a rigorous college process.

Since it began, the school has accepted only sophomores, although for the 2012-13 school year it will begin accepting freshmen, thanks in part to downtown being a safer place for teenagers.

SOTA has room for just short of 500 students, but they don’t need to be gifted to get in, administrators say – just determined. The application process begins in January after many information nights. Students submit a lengthy portfolio that includes their transcripts and “best work” from core subjects as well as the arts. They might include an audio or video recording or visual art selection. They also write a self-evaluation and get recommendation letters from key teachers. Then, in the spring, they attend an hourlong interview with SOTA staff members.

About 300 students apply each year; of these, about 160 join the school. (In 2012-13, this number will be divided between freshmen and sophomores.) Many drop out of the lengthy application process, Kelly said, while some fail to get the necessary credits and others decide SOTA isn’t the right fit. In the end, Kelly said, the only Tacoma district applicants the school turns away are those who haven’t completed the five to eight credits required to give them sophomore status. Admission is truly competitive only for those applying from outside the district; the school maintains a waiting list of about 30 out-of-district students each year.

“We’re asking students to make a choice,” Kelly said of the self-selecting application process.

Shelton bears this out: “I don’t know anyone who hasn’t gotten in,” she said.

Dropouts are few – at just 2.1 percent, the lowest number in the district except for SAMI – largely because the school’s structure attracts self-motivated students.

That rate also might reflect the fact that SOTA has the lowest percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunches, a correlation the district acknowledges.

Add to that demographic the fact that SOTA has the highest percentage of white students – who historically test higher than most other racial groups – of any major Tacoma high school, and that simply getting through the application/audition/interview process requires some talent and adult support, and you have a situation that leads to claims that SOTA is elitist.

“There’s been concern in some quarters that admission has become more about who had talent, or whose family had resources to foster that talent,” said Tacoma City Councilman-elect Anders Ibsen, one of SOTA’s first graduates who also is on the board of directors of SOTA Partners, which raises funds for the school. “SOTA is very inclusive. (But) there’s a lot to (the application). Art takes time and money to practice. I think the concern is valid. Our goal is to make the opportunities at SOTA as inclusive as possible.”

Ketler is adamant that SOTA isn’t elitist.

“When you start anything, people are going to throw stones,” he said. “It (runs on) the same model as SAMI, which has a very different group of people. It’s open and accessible.”

Unlike SOTA, however, SAMI, which gets about 500 applicants, chooses its students using a lottery system divided evenly among Tacoma’s middle schools.

SOTA also draws about 20 percent of its student body from outside the district, a sign of its strong reputation. Students commute from as far away as Puyallup, Port Orchard and Olympia.

Autumn Mitchell moved here from Missouri to attend SOTA.

“She was so excited, there’s nothing like it anywhere else,” said Autumn’s mom, Barbara.

Autumn was a freshman at an online school when she found SOTA while searching for arts colleges. When she was accepted, her mom sold her house and found a new job so they could make the move. It’s going well, with Autumn enjoying arts classes at SOTA and math classes at SAMI.

“She’s doing what she wants to do, rather than just going through the motions of high school,” Barbara Mitchell said. “(You feel) like you’re not just a number in a chair, but a unique individual.”

NOT JUST ARTS

Michael Hagmann teaches math in a tiny UWT classroom. Armed only with a laptop and a projector, he’s working through a second-year algebra class. This is his third year at SOTA, after many in the Puyallup School District, and he’s happy to be a part of the arts high school.

“I knew that there would be higher demands, but also higher rewards,” he said during his lunch break. Half of his class has stayed behind to work quietly.

One common misconception about SOTA is that it’s only an arts school. Not so, Hagmann said: Because the school day runs for an hour longer, students get to do both arts subjects and core subjects.

“This is still a comprehensive high school,” he said. “There are kids who struggle with math and science. But because there’s an emphasis on the arts, they’re more willing to work at math and science because their needs are being met.”

The school’s state test scores reflect that: Last year, the 10th-grade passing rate for the High School Proficiency Exam was 98.7 percent in writing, 92.9 percent in reading, 77.2/61.9 percent for the two end-of-course math exams, and 66.2 percent in science, the highest of any high school in the district – except for a higher science score at SAMI. Last year’s  GPAs also were higher than any other school except for SAMI.

Again, the high scores may reflect the natural ability and strong family support behind the kind of student who applies to SOTA, and they go hand-in-hand with its demographics. A study in SOTA’s early years, comparing 11th-grade Tacoma high school scores with eighth-grade scores found that SOTA students had no discernible improvement between the two grades, implying the scores have less to do with teaching than the student population.

“The correlation between poverty and (lower) test scores is very high,” says Patrick Cummings, the Tacoma district’s director of research and evaluation. But in general, Cummings said, SOTA “performs slightly better than predicted by when accounting for poverty.”

There is one statistic that doesn’t necessarily fall in line with the others: The percentage of SOTA graduates going directly to college is lower than that at Foss, Stadium and Wilson high schools, as well as the state average. Ketler said that number doesn’t worry him. He points to the high graduation rate and the fact that some students delay college.

“What’s most important to us is that we make students college able, whether or not they go to college,” he said. “Success is not determined by whether you go to college. That’s not the purpose of a high school.”

Another criticism of SOTA has been that it doesn’t offer enough challenging math and science courses. That is changing, with help from SAMI. Since the Point Defiance-based school opened last year, it has worked in partnership with SOTA, which is easily facilitated by Ketler, who serves as principal of both schools. SOTA students can travel to SAMI for advanced math classes, and SAMI students can commute to SOTA for arts classes, though only about a dozen do so.

Teachers from both schools get together every Friday morning for staff meetings, allowing mutual help and planning for co-teaching opportunities.

“You share your frustrations – it helps to know if both sets of kids are having trouble with the same stuff,” Hagmann said.

There are even combined clubs, like the robotics club, a group of 80 SOTA and SAMI students who recently won the regional Microsoft competition in Seattle.

CREATIVITY FUELS PASSION

After lunch, Knickerbocker joins 10 other students in the songwriting class held, like the dance classes, in The Broadway Center’s rehearsal hall. As adjunct artist Phil Sullivan takes them through the analysis of a pop song’s “hook,” the students listen carefully, taking notes and contributing to the discussion.

Headed by Zach Varnell, the songwriting department offers audio engineering and music industry curriculum that’s unusual at a high school level. It also offers a professional venue for local bands and recording labels, partnering to give students internships and giving them a leg up into the industry.

Tyler Acord is a SOTA alum who benefited from that arrangement. After he graduated in 2009 and spent a year at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Acord landed an assistant sound engineer position with Atlantic Records in Los Angeles.

“The music education there (at SOTA) is at college level, but easy to understand,” said Acord, who found his way to SOTA from the Clover Park School District. “It’s absolutely 100 percent that I would not be here now if it weren’t for SOTA. I wouldn’t have recognized my talents or had the drive to develop them.”

Sam Anderson is another of SOTA’s musical success stories. The 2009 graduate is the cellist in Seattle band Hey Marseilles, which recently shared the stage with the Seattle Symphony. He’s also in several other successful bands, plays viola and runs his own recording studio, doing post-production on film scores and the like. The Anderson Island native is an example of how SOTA helps kids who fall through the cracks at comprehensive high schools.

“I got into a lot of trouble at my old school,” said Anderson, who was expelled from a private high school, even flunking out of his music class. Despite applying late to SOTA and having to audition by video, he was accepted, and commuted two hours each day to the school.

“My old school had no real arts program, just choir and art class, and taught with a really narrow view of what music is,” Anderson said. “SOTA had the opposite effect: It’s goal is to inspire (students). It was a really incredible experience that unquestionably shaped who I am and what I’m doing now.”

Not all SOTA students seek artistic fame or success. Some go on to college and graduate school; some become public figures like Ibsen. Some take other paths, like Vivian Irish, former head chef at Maxwell’s restaurant in Tacoma. Those alums stress that the school helped them stick with their education and prepare for life.

“SOTA really helped me prepare for what I’m doing now,” Irish said. “They make you aware of life outside high school, bring in (professionals) to come into the classroom and talk. Academically … they were really patient with me. I ended up with a 3.4 GPA. At any other high school, I would have ended up dropping out and going to Bates. The teachers go the extra mile, keep you integrated with projects.”

Acord said, “Without sounding too cheesy, the reason for SOTA’s success is passion. SOTA was started by passionate people. … (The faculty is) willing to work and help kids – that really makes a difference. And now the kids are passionate too. With passion comes great results.”

ALTERNATIVE TEACHING

It’s 1:30 p.m., and Knickerbocker is carpooling across town to an unusual class that combines humanities and biology. It’s co-taught by a SOTA teacher and a SAMI teacher, and it’s being held in the woods at Point Defiance.

Every Thursday in November, students have headed out to a different natural area to study field biology, take down data, and come up with a plan to create an eco-guide for tourists, whether in print, in audio or through kids’ activities. The class is inspired by an eco-tour students took last year to Cambodia, where locals are doing the same thing. Humanities teacher Melissa Moffet and biology teacher Kainoa Higgins are targeting state standards while integrating artistic skills such as drawing, graphic design and audio technology. They are working with MetroParks to make the guides a reality.

It’s a prime example of the alternative teaching methods that won SOTA its Kennedy Center award.

“It’s a cool way to approach field biology and get informed,” Higgins said. “Aside from the interdisciplinary aspect, the hands-on relevance is going to result in long-term understanding and appreciation.”

Knickerbocker agreed. “Combining both aspects of learning helps you understand,” she said.

Integrating the arts with mainstream learning is also one of the things that attracts teachers such as Hagmann. He teaches the state standards in his subjects – but often through kinesthetic learning (moving physically through equations, for instance), visualization or team-taught classes similar to Higgins’ field biology.

Like many of the teachers, he’s a fan of the mini-term, or J-term, classes in January that offer students full immersion in a particular project. Examples include the Cambodia trip, interdisciplinary studies such as cultural history or sustainability, or even internships with downtown businesses.

“It keeps them in school,” said dance teacher Robin Jaecklein, whose Thursday morning modern dance class has created choreography inspired by separating compounds in chemistry. “When they’re connected, they’re committed collaborators in their own education.”

THE COST OF THE ARTS

So how does SOTA fund its specialty classes? The answer is not, as many people might think, through extra district funding.

SOTA is fourth among Tacoma’s six high schools in cost per student. In 2009-10, it cost $7,296 a year per student. SOTA has more money for other classes because it has no sports facilities (students can join other high school teams if they wish), no cafeteria, and basic classroom facilities. Even its theater is a 100-seat black box, unlike the big, new performing arts centers at Stadium and Mount Tahoma high schools.

The only visible luxury are the Macbooks given to every teacher so they can use SOTA’s multimedia curriculum.

The many out-of-district students help as well, bringing state education funding with them. Ketler points to 40-50 SOTA students who apply each year from private or home schooling, bringing money into the public schools that wouldn’t otherwise be there.

In fact, SOTA keeps its costs down by operating a lot like an arts organization. It has a separate nonprofit arm that holds an annual fundraiser to finance the adjunct artist program. And it uses partnerships around town to get classroom space, performance facilities and student opportunities.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

On Fridays, Knickerbocker’s schedule is different. Along with her SOTA classmates, she meets in the morning with her Mentor Project Group, a kind of counseling group of about 20 mixed-grade students who stick with the same teacher for their tenure at SOTA. Older leaders are paired with younger ones who need help. They offer mentoring and advice; do community service together; and make sure no one falls off the rails. They create long-lasting friendships.

“I wish more schools had this program,” Knickerbocker said. “That’s what makes SOTA so strong.”

The groups are only a part of the deliberate emphasis on community. They are built into the curriculum and the school’s “Four Pillars,” a kind of school motto: “Balance, Thinking, Empathy, Community.”

Even outside the mentoring groups, teachers have good relationships with students, and students support each other, students and alumni said.

“I’ve grown so much, learned so much, because every student and every teacher wants to be there,” Knickerbocker said. “The relationships are so strong.”

At the start of the school year, all students go away to camp to get to know each other and the school process. Teachers spend time at the end of class pairing upperclassmen and sophomores who are walking the same way to the next class, and upperclassmen are given the chance to do “bridging,” or helping a teacher lead a particular class.

The most obvious community experience happens one Friday every month at the student showcase. Individuals or groups take to the stage at Urban Grace Church to perform music, dance, poetry or a visual art slideshow for other students and parents. Students work in teams to produce the sound and lighting and take on emcee duties, and the audience provides each act, no matter how polished, with enthusiastic support.

COMPLAINTS

Of course, SOTA is not for every student. A few have returned to their traditional high schools, though the school didn’t confirm how many.

Two teachers also have left, including Suzy Willhoft. Hired in SOTA’s first year to teach theater, she transferred back to her Stadium job after one year.

“It wasn’t the right place for me,” said Willhoft, who would say only that it wasn’t the students who were the problem. “I liked the kids a lot. They were amazing.”

SOTA teachers are pushed to be innovative and flexible. “It’s a culture where I’m expected to take risks,” Eliot said. “If (Ketler’s) not happy with something, he’s going to ask me to work harder. I’m encouraged, pushed, with high expectations.”

Some teachers also complain that SOTA drains talent from the arts departments of other high schools.

“Every year it seems as if around seven of my top students go to

SOTA,” said Shelton, who has built her Wilson orchestra up to 60 students from 20 just three years ago, and also offers high-level chamber music. “You build your program around your top kids, and then boom, they’re gone. It’s tough … and the number is getting bigger.”

Ketler disagreed. “It’s not the case. Out of (an average high school of) 1,400 people, 30 kids (leaving for SOTA) don’t even represent a fraction. We’re not a threat. This school is not about adults – it’s about students. We’re all in the Tacoma school district team; this is an opportunity within the district.”

Willhoft, however, voices what some SOTA students said as well: Those top students decide way before high school that they want to go to SOTA.

Said Willhoft, “For a lot of kids, it’s a great place. But a lot are successful in big high schools – it absolutely depends on the kid. (SOTA) requires a lot of maturity and discipline.”

For those who believe that a focus on the arts is an extravagance, there are any number of successful SOTA alumni, students and teachers to argue otherwise.

“The arts are about problem-solving, about creative thinking,” Ketler said. “That’s what we’re after – our students take ownership and solve problems. These are very important skills.

“The arts are one of the connectors for life for all of us. The passion, the expression, the things that live on for all of us. It’s about students having a choice.”

Rosemary Ponnekanti: 253-597-8568

rosemary.ponnekanti@thenewstribune.com

blog.thenewstribune.com/arts