History
The A+ Schools concept was conceived in North Carolina where it began as a research model sponsored by the
Kenan institute for the Arts. The results from the initial four-year evaluation of the A+ Schools Program in twenty-three North Carolina Schools were so compelling that North Carolina A+ Schools have excelled, attracting new schools, retaining original schools, and reaching beyond their state's borders. When a joint research team from the
University of Oklahoma and
Oklahoma State University was formed to identify the country's most successful education reform models with strong arts integration emphasis, the North Carolina A+ Schools' project clearly held the most potential for replication in Oklahoma. With the strong commitment from the Kirkpatrick Foundation, through the
DaVinci Institute, Oklahoma A+ Schools® was born. In 2003, the
University of Central Oklahoma stepped up to provide a permanent home for Oklahoma A+ Schools®.