• Pinnacle 2010

    The Pinnacle 2010 committee, comprised of 20 community and 20 staff members, utilized various research and data to form a recommendation for the Board of Trustees regarding the instructional focus areas, structure and guiding principles of the academy/choice high school to be fully realized by 2010. The research they studied included educational articles, data from the academic interest survey, career forecast and CHS Career Technology Education (CTE) data, advisory group suggestions, community input from the Education Symposium, CISD Curriculum Department feedback, off-site campus visits, and they also used the committee member's own expertise.

    The committee visualized the academy/choice high school as a place that provides relevant and unique educational opportunities that draw students attracted to a particular interest area and is based on these guiding principles . . .

    1. The academy will prepare students for high demand, high wage careers with various levels of post-secondary opportunities
    2. The academy will attract students not interested in the comprehensive high school experience
    3. The academy will have a learning environment based on dynamic best practices
    4. The academy and CHS will have a mutually beneficial relationship
    5. On-going, comprehensive needs assessments will guide future decisions and adaptations of all academy decisions.

    Based on the guiding principles the committee's recommendation is as follows:

    • The school district should explore four academic interest areas 1) Health, Science, Technology; 2) Technology Professions; 3) Visual and Digital Arts; 4) Law, Business and Criminal Justice.
    • The academy/choice high school should include grade 9-12.
    • The academy/choice high school should operate as a separate high school with its own diploma, grade point average (GPA), class rank, top 10%, etc. This will also mean the academy will receive its own state and national accountability ratings.
    • Extra-curricular participation will not be limited IF the student's schedule can accommodate the activity. However, CHS and the academy will NOT run concurrent schedules to accommodate participation in extra-curricular activities.

    The Board of Trustees and the school district will guide the transition phase between the opening of the academy/choice high school in the fall of 2008 and 2010 when it is anticipated that the academy/choice high school will be located in a permanent facility with a student population of approx. 500.