Employer-Linked Charter School Initiative

School Profile
PINNACLE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL, Tempe, AZ

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

Pinnacle Charter High School is a program that has been operating since 1995 on three separate campuses in Arizona: Mesa, Tempe, and Casa Grande. Each of the three sites enrolls approximately 200 students in grades 9-12. These schools are operated under nonprofit status by Pinnacle Education, a corporation founded in January of 2000 as an educational service provider. The company was granted a charter by the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools in March of 2001 to operate six school sites: the three Pinnacle Charter High School sites mentioned above and three others operated under for-profit status (two sites known as "WestMark High School" in Phoenix and another called the Kino Academy in Nogales, near the U.S.-Mexico border).

Students at the Pinnacle Charter High School sites attend an actual school, but the curriculum is "virtual" in that it is computer-based, with students progressing at their own pace. Pinnacle Education later began operating (in January of 2002) the Pinnacle Virtual High School, which is completely Web-based. The company's Web site (http://www.pin-ed.com/home.html) notes, "…By offering courses at physical school sites first, teachers and curriculum developers were able to observe student interaction with the course content, learning what activities and approaches best met the needs of high school students. Students around the globe may now benefit from our experience with on-line content and learning."

Pinnacle's lead administrator notes that the school started out as a dropout recovery program and now serves those "that don't fit into a large school." The majority of students are described as heading for a job after graduation. The school does not think of itself as a college prep program, although some graduates do go on to college.

FORMATION DYNAMICS

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Pinnacle's lead administrator states that the principal reason for the schools' founding was "…to meet the needs of those students who were not finding success in the traditional school system. Many of our students are those that are not involved in activities at school. Our students are looking for small, safe, individualized, and helpful environments." A teacher at Pinnacle adds that the schools were designed "…to help those students who did not 'fit' in traditional high schools."

PHILOSOPHY AND VALUED OUTCOMES

The core philosophy of Pinnacle, in the words of its lead administrator, is "…to provide individualized instruction for students. PCHS recognizes that not all students will fit into the traditional school mold. At PCHS, students are permitted to work at their own pace using computer assisted instruction." Many of the schools' students, as noted above, are described as having had negative experiences in a traditional school setting, which often cause them to fall behind their peers. At PCHS, students work on two academic classes at a time in a Web-based environment. This individualizes the learning environment so that other students are not aware of the course a student may be enrolled in or difficulties that the student may have in their academic courses.

Specific outcomes that Pinnacle values most highly for its students include the following:

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 about how to make a difference in the community.
Ability to actively pursue personal interests and career goals.
Skills related to teamwork, communication, responsibility.
Leadership skills.
Critical and independent thinking skills.

INVOLVED GROUPS AND DECISIONMAKERS

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Educators are clearly the dominant constituency at Pinnacle in terms of setting policy. The most prominent stakeholder group at Pinnacle in terms of participation in planning and development phases, as described by the schools' lead administrator, has been educators. In terms of decisions regarding the schools' policies and its organizational mission and direction, the principal/director, teachers, and other high school staff are the most important players, with the principal/director and teachers identified as most influential in terms of curriculum and instruction. Students are characterized as not influential in the decisionmaking process, and the schools' governing board is described as influential in only a few matters and issues. Parents and employers are utilized primarily for marketing and public relations purposes. The schools' lead administrator listed no organizations with which the school is involved as partners.

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

Pinnacle's curriculum is described by its lead administrator as "somewhat different" from that found in a traditional high school, most notably in that it is "completely Web-based for academic subjects." The curriculum is organized around typical academic subjects, commonly referred to as Carnegie Units, and is stated and defined "very precisely" for teachers. In terms of goals emanating from the curriculum, the school's administrator describes as "somewhat important" the goal that Pinnacle students be prepared for a particular career, career cluster, or occupational cluster, but "very important" that students understand links between academic subjects and adult life in the real world. The most common instructional methods within the Pinnacle curriculum include lessons based on teacher-developed units, computer simulations or software, and student self-assessment.

REAL-WORLD PRACTICES

The lead administrator at Pinnacle characterizes the school as placing a "moderate emphasis" on attempts to provide students with real-world learning opportunities, with nearly all (75-99%) engaged in learning that is based upon this principle. Specific forms of real-world practices that are available to students 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 two weeks (a paid or unpaid internship/fellowship).
Part-time jobs that are used as a supplementary learning experience.
Students receive advice from a mentor who works in a business, trade, or industry.
Community development or service learning.
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

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The major challenge encountered by Pinnacle thus far appears to involve gaining a sense of legitimacy as an educational institution. The schools' lead administrator notes, "…During the first year of operation, the teachers and staff were faced with perception issues from the media, public, and other traditional schools as to the validity of the school's academic program because we were a charter school." The primary means of overcoming this issue of legitimacy came from the fact that "…we became the first newly formed charter school in the United States to become fully accredited by the North Central Association." Other challenges identified by the lead administrator have included implementing state testing requirements, funding, recruiting good teachers, and motivating students.

CONTACT