San Bernardino, CA– The Board of Education of the San Bernardino City Unified School District recently approved the petition of the Center for Learning and Unlimited Educational Success (CLUES) to open a 7th through 12th Grade Public Charter High School. CLUES will be an aviation-focused “STEM” school that employs an independent study model. The students will study core academic courses with an emphasis on aviation, math, science, technology, engineering, art and music, along with a number of elective courses designed from the student’s interest inventory.
The CLUES curriculum is developed to prepare every graduating student for vocation, trade, community college, or university. “CLUES students will be prepared to successfully compete academically at the finest universities and institutions around the world,”said Dr. David Morrow, CLUES Founding Principal. “Each course is designed with a rigorous comprehensive course of study where students are supported each step of the process. Success skills for any student must include being an excellent reader, writer, mathematician and the ability to reason.” “These skills will result in the students’ academic competence. CLUES will be a school modeled on solid academic School principles that provide extra tutoring and intense “intervention” built into the regular school day for eachstudent.” The program and intervention begins in August and ends in May. One of the most important tools for tracking and monitoring student success at CLUES is the Individual Learning Plan (ILP), which is designed in accordance with “Student Learning Plans,” as developed by the California Department of Education (1997).
An ILP is a statement of expectations, achievement, interventions, and supports, including curriculum and instruction, which is developed by the Faculty Adviser, (teacher) in cooperation with the student and his or her parents. The ILP is designed to address the performance standards of the student. The ILP is a strategic plan for students to clearly outline their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, challenges and will also contain behavior modification strategies needed for the student to succeed.
Under the ILP structure, CLUES students become selfdirecting and learn to think critically; believe in themselves, and in this country. They will be also supported and encouraged to become life-long learners – and seek opportunities and to further develop the appropriate behaviors and attitudes that are expected of educated individuals in the 21st century and beyond.” The entire school community, faculty, parents,staff, administrators, and community-at-large will work cooperatively and collaboratively to create a student-centered environment in which all partners are empowered by their sense of ownership of and responsibility to the school.
The CLUES’ Administrative Team collectively has more than 80 years of successful experience of credentialed teaching, training, coaching-teachers and school administration in some of the most academically and socially challenged communities in California (Compton, Paramount, Long Beach, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Pomona, and South Los Angeles). Additionally, the planning group members have more than 32 years of fiscal and administrative experience in public schools; more than 10 years of experience in special education and finance; and more than 10 years experience in charter school start up, school and community program development and partnership building and facilities construction. The lead petitioners, who are affectionately known by the San Bernardino community as the “Morrow brothers,” are Tommy Morrow and Dr. David Morrow who have been in the field of education, collectively for nearly 55 years.
http://inlandvalleynews.com/news/2013/aug/17/independent-aviation-focused-charter-school/