Employer-Linked Charter School Initiative

School Profile
THE CENTER FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY (CART), Clovis, CA

About the School	Curriculum and Instruction
Formation Dynamics	Real-World Practices
Philosophy and Valued Outcomes	Challenges and Solutions
Involved Groups and Decisionmakers	Contact

ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART), located in Clovis, California, is a joint venture of the Fresno and Clovis Unified School Districts. It opened in the fall of 2000, and currently enrolls approximately 950 students in grades 11 and 12 from 16 different high schools in Fresno and Clovis. Students attend CART for half of each day (either a morning or an afternoon session), with the remainder of the day spent at their home high school. The curriculum is organized around 12 different labs, each with 60-75 students and three teachers, which feature project-based learning. The school is housed in a new, $35 million state-of-the-art facility located at the site of a former pump manufacturing plant.

FORMATION DYNAMICS

In the words of its lead administrator, CART was formed "to provide a better prepared workforce for the new knowledge-based economy." The school's Web site (http://www.cart.org) describes intended linkages between workforce development and the new economy in the following way: "High school graduates must be better prepared to compete in our new brain-based economy. Our nation and world are becoming increasingly reliant upon technology, and our public schools must step up to the challenge of equipping our students for success in this dynamic economy. Current students will need to change careers at least eight times during their life. Whether students go directly into the work force after high school or choose to continue their education, as most will need to do, our schools must adapt the curriculum and instructional strategies to match the needs of the economy."

PHILOSOPHY AND VALUED OUTCOMES

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The core philosophy of CART is based upon two key components: project-based learning and an integrated curriculum. The goal of the school, accordingly, is to be "…an innovative high school that combines the instructional strategy of Project-Based Learning with an integrated curriculum to provide a powerful learning environment." Students utilize technology to solve real-world problems from their community under the mentorship of dedicated teachers and business partners, and are actively engaged in doing projects connected with local businesses and industries.

In terms of outcomes that CART values, the school's lead administrator indicated that the following were important outcomes for students:

Preparation for the reality of life in the 21st century.
Readiness for college, a trade apprenticeship, or work.
Understanding of the links among academic subjects and careers.
Understanding and use of technology (computers, software, etc.).
Knowledge about a wide range of career and education options.
Knowledge of workplace behavior, expectations, and skills.
Knowledge of how to make a difference in the community.
Ability to actively pursue personal interests and career goals.
Skills related to teamwork, communication, and responsibility.
Leadership skills.
Critical and independent thinking skills.

INVOLVED GROUPS AND DECISIONMAKERS

Groups that were prominently involved in the planning and development phases of CART included the following (note: the program survey did not investigate how the amount and nature of involvement on the part of various stakeholders might differ):

Educators.
Business, industry, trade, or non-profit employers.
Parents.
Potential students.
Elected officials or staff of government agencies.
Community advocates.
Professional societies or groups.

Prominent decision makers in terms of the school's policies, organizational mission, and direction, include the principal/director, teachers, other school staff, business/industry/trade/nonprofit employers, parents, elected officials or staff of government agencies, and the Joint Powers Authority, which is the governing board for CART. These same seven stakeholder groups, with the substitution of students in place of parents, are described as influential in terms of determining CART's curriculum. Parents and employers have a number of important roles at CART, ranging from governance to curriculum planning and development to provision of learning opportunities outside the school. The school also has a lengthy list of over 100 businesses and organizations with which it has partnerships of some type.

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

CART's lead administrator describes the school's curriculum as being very different from that in a traditional public high school, primarily due to its emphasis on integrated project-based learning. The curriculum is organized around competencies that are related to a career, job, career pathway, or occupational cluster, and it is defined "somewhat precisely" for teachers. It is "somewhat important" for students to be prepared for a particular career, career cluster, or occupational cluster, but "very important" that they understand links between academic subjects and adult life in the real world. A variety of instructional methods are used at CART, most of which emphasize relevant and hands-on student work. Teacher lecture, workbook exercises, and lessons based on textbooks are described as practices that are not typically utilized. Administrators note that the CART curriculum "must continue to change to meet student and industry-based requirements."

REAL-WORLD PRACTICES

CART places a "strong emphasis" on attempts to provide students with real-world learning opportunities, with 100% of students engaged in learning that is based upon this principle. Specific forms of real-world practices encountered by students at CART include the following:

Classes that involve early preparation for certain career fields (examples of career fields: design, health occupations, or technology).
Creation of marketable products such as a house or a computer network.
Placement in a work site for more than 2 weeks (a paid or unpaid internship/fellowship).
Part-time jobs that are used as a supplementary learning experience.
Job shadowing (a short visit to a workplace).
Work in a school-based business such as a school store.
Advice from a mentor who works in a business, trade, or industry.
Community development or service learning.
Completion of a research project of 6 month or longer with people from the community such as business, industry, trade, service agency or government workers.
Classroom lessons on work skills and behaviors.
Lessons on resume writing, applying for a job, or interviewing.
Completion of a research project on a possible career.

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

The primary challenge encountered by CART has been financing of construction and technology-related equipment for the school. A local Congressman assisted in this respect by providing federal financial support, and an administrator from the Clovis Unified School District also played a key role by identifying a zero interest federal bond program, known as Qualified Zone Academy Bonds, to fund construction. Equipment has been furnished by a variety of businesses and foundation grants, although the need to continually update equipment to reflect the latest in technology represents an ongoing challenge. Other issues that CART's lead administrator describes include meeting state curriculum standards, educating students with special needs, and motivating students.

CONTACT