Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency
History
The Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency is the latest testament to a rich history of excellent arts education in the state. This diploma seal is administered by the Arizona Department of Education’s Office of Arts Education and is awarded to graduates who complete minimum arts pathway requirements throughout their high school career. The State Seal of Arts Proficiency, or SB1111 as sponsored by Senator Paul Boyer, had bipartisan support and was a grassroots effort from Arizona Arts Education advocates from across the state. It was signed into law by Governor Doug Ducey on May 14th, 2019. Board rule was adopted by the State Board of Education on October 28th, 2019.
After the approval of SB1111, the Arizona Department of Education encouraged students to submit their designs for the seal. The winning design pictured here was submitted by Chloe Ball from Pinnacle High School in the Paradise Valley School District. This design will be printed on copper foil and affixed to the diplomas of all future graduates who qualify for the Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency.
Objectives
Stakeholders from across the state of Arizona convened during the summer of 2019 to outline seal objectives and pathway requirements. The goals of the Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency are to:
- Celebrate students who demonstrate elevated levels of proficiency in the Arizona Arts Education Standards through personal expression and creative experiences in arts education programs
- Identify pathways of artistic literacy that cultivate skills for 21st-century success
- Prepare students for college and career readiness, including active participation in the creative industries sector
- Promote increased access to well-rounded, high-quality arts education across the state
2024-2025 Timeline
- August 5th 8am: LEA APPLICATIONS OPEN
- September 27th 11:59pm: LEA APPLICATIONS DUE
- November 1st 5pm: LEA NOTIFICATION OF APPLICATION STATUS
- February 14th 8am: LEA SEAL ACHIEVEMENT REPORTS OPEN
- April 14th 11:59pm: LEA SEAL ACHIEVEMENT REPORT DUE TO ADE
- May 2nd: DISTRICTS RECEIVE DIPLOMA SEALS FOR QUALIFYING GRADUATES
Local Education Agencies (LEA) Resources
State Seal of Arts Proficiency Guide
State Seal of Arts Proficiency PowerPoint
State Seal of Arts Proficiency Information - video
2024-2025 State Seal of Arts Proficiency Fact Sheet.pdf
Administrative Procedure Examples
Agua Fria Unified High School District
JO Combs - Example Certificate
Scottsdale Unified School District
2023-2024 State Seal of Arts Proficiency Year-End Report
2022-2023 State Seal of Arts Proficiency Year-End Report
2021-2022 State Seal of Arts Proficiency Year-End Report
Student Capstones
Student: Melissa Leor
Project Title: The "Perfect" Dinner Table
Project Description: When I started brainstorming ideas of what would be the significance about a dinner table, I related it to my life experiences. Originally, I wanted the message to be positive, whereas anyone (friends, families, etc.) could come together and dine to show the connection. However, it did not feel satisfying enough to be my ultimate message. I began to compare it with my own family, and it was completely different. On social media I would come across this idea that there were families who seemed to be well off, having perfect lives, constantly happy, and rarely dealing with problems. It made me question, “Is it truly possible to have a perfect family?” I quickly realized it was quite the opposite. No family can be perfect. I think I can speak for many families, in which we have this positive persona to make others think that we are always smiling and untroubled. Yet behind the façade our true personalities and bad defects come up when we are around those who know us most. I especially experience this with my family, because once we all return home and there is nobody to impress, we become a different person. As a matter of fact, we have our own struggles, flaws, imperfections, insecurities, and unhappy moments.
With that being said, I wanted my dinner table to look beautiful and well put together, but the more you look at it, you will start noticing defects from my art pieces. It is very subtle because it represents how people view “perfect” families at first glance. The more you observe, you get to see little things that seem off and imperfect. At each place of the dinner table, some ceramic pieces look different from the rest. This represents a person’s flaws and differences because we are not the same and struggle with different issues. I leave the art interpretation to the audience because all families are different. Not only did I want the dinner table to be a part of my life experience, but it’s also for the viewer to connect and reflect on their family. For example, I only have 3 chairs when there should be 4, which is intentional because that may be interpreted as a loved one who has passed away or the separation of parents that have lost that connection to the family.
2021 Art Seal Student Capstone Examples (TUSD) from Arizona Department of Education on Vimeo.
Tucson High Magnet School
Choreography, Video, and Sound Design by Madeline Mitchell
Danced by Madeline Mitchell & Eva Schmidt
Mentor teachers: Sara Steward (for Ms. Mitchell) & Kyle Brady (for Ms. Schmidt)
I would like to explore abstraction in modern dance and the ways it can be portrayed. I want to push the limits and take advantage of creative possibilities through unconventional music, sharp editing, and different locations.
– Madeline Mitchell
Want to showcase your students' amazing work? Select the button below to share student capstone projects associated with the Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency. Submitted projects may be displayed on this website, at state and national conferences, or at ADE sponsored events. Sharing is encouraged but not required. Thank you for sharing the artistic accomplishments of your students!
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