New World School of the Arts (NWSA) is a public magnet high school and college in Downtown Miami, Florida. Its dual-enrollment programs in the visual and performing arts are organized into four strands: visual arts, dance, theatre (comprising programs in theater and musical theatre), and music (comprising programs in instrumental music and vocal music). The New World School of the Arts was a pioneer in dual-enrollment education, arising out of an experiment between Miami Northwestern High School and Dade Community College (now Miami Dade College). NWSA was formally created as an outcome of that experiment by the 1986 New World School of the Arts Act of the Florida State Legislature as "a center of excellence for the performing and visual art", with the stated intention "that specific attention be given to the needs of artistically talented high school students who are occupationally oriented to the arts." The school is jointly administered by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami Dade College, and the University of Florida. The administrative structure includes an executive board with representatives from each of the partners as well as community seats and a foundation board. The school awards an Associate of Arts degree from Miami Dade College, Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Florida, and a high school degree from the Miami Dade County schools. Admissions into the high school are through the Miami Dade Visual and Performing Arts Magnet Program, requiring an audition and/or portfolio (see High School Admissions). New World High School is rated #149 in the national rankings for best high schools, #17 in rankings for best Florida high schools and #42 magnet schools in accordance with the 2018 U.S. News & World Report. In 2009, NWSA was 82nd in this ranking. Both the college and the high school are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. History The vision of PAVAC (Performing and Visual Arts Center) was to integrate Miami Northwestern High School and provide high-quality arts training for students in Dade County. The original PAVAC director (1975) was Jackie (last name unknown), with Dr. Everett Abney serving as principal. At that time, Ms. Samiento served as an art teacher and Charlie Austin as music instructor. Later, Samiento took over as director when Jackie relocated out of state. In the early days of PAVAC, Irene Fox was the Modern Dance instructor and Shelley Fox (recommended