CONTACT:
Bill Lesh, Regional Coordinator, Mt. Hood Regional Education Consortium
Phone: (503) 491-7602
E-Mail: leshb@mhcc.cc.or.us
Center
For Advanced Learning Web site
Mt
Hood CC Web site
BACKGROUND: In
the mid 1990s, Reynolds School District Superintendent Hud Lasher
posed a challenge to local business leaders – would they support
a cooperative venture to start a new high school concept that
emphasizes applied career learning in the top
engineering/technology fields? The idea caught on, with this group
visiting career learning programs such as the Sabin Center in the
North Clackamas School District. After several months of meetings,
three school districts created a partnership: Gresham-Barlow,
Reynolds and Centennial.
WHEN IT STARTS:
During the summer of 1999, dreams started taking shape under the
coordination of Bill Lesh, regional coordinator for the Mt Hood
Regional Education Consortium. In the fall of 2001, the new Center
for Advanced Learning: A Regional Partnership Charter School
will open in East Multnomah county to challenge 500 high school
students with career learning opportunities. The "proud
parents" of this public charter school include three school
districts, a community college, an education service district,
plus several high tech companies and associations.
Bill Lesh and the
center's Design Team are using the following PowerPoint
presentations to share the joint venture ideas:
THE PURPOSE:
The center’s goal is to offer state-of-the-art technology
education that meets both state benchmarks and national industry
standards. Students will attend their resident high school for
core subjects, then explore applied career classes in information
technology, medical/health science, engineering and manufacturing
at the new center (location to be determined).
THE PARTNERS: Several
districts, groups and businesses will leverage and share
human and material resources to provide education, funding and
technical expertise to create the curriculum:
Education partners:
Centennial, Gresham-Barlow and Reynolds school districts, Mt. Hood
CC and Multnomah ESD.
Business partners
include: Oregon
Building Congress, Associated General Contractors, Boeing
Portland, QPM Aerospace, Atlas-Copco Wagner, LSI Logic, Ketiv,
Fujitsu, Walker Travel and Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center.
CURRICULUM FOCUS:
The Center will provide innovative, advanced, grade 11-12
education-and-industry-integrated programs leading to the
Certificate of Advanced Mastery (CAM). The Center will open
in September 2001, and provide a minimum of 500 students from four
contiguous high schools with programs in Information Technology,
Medical/Health Careers, and Pre-engineering/Manufacturing. In
September 2002, Hospitality and Tourism, and Construction/
Apprenticeship programs will be added; 750 students are planned
for. Center students will attend their resident high
schools for their core classes and participate in Center
classes/ environments at multiple appropriate sites in the
community. Staff will include both qualified licensed teachers and
non-licensed business/industry professionals. This
spring, students in the participating districts will have the
opportunity to take prerequisite courses in order to apply for the
center next year. If more students enroll than can be
accommodated, they will be admitted through a lottery process.
The Center is
designed to increase student learning and achievement, increase
the number of students pursuing advanced specializations within
CAM endorsement areas, and become a regional
education-business-industry partnership model for the 21st
century.
FUNDING:
A public charter school application is in process through the
Gresham-Barlow School District. Funding will be based on
enrollment, with ADMw following each student (half-time, because
student will attend core subjects at their regular high schools).
$6.8 million in bonds has been earmarked for the construction of a
40,000 square-foot facility. The partnership also is pursuing
federal grants from the National Science Foundation, and the Gates
Foundation.
STAFF:
Teaching and staff positions will be advertised; if the center
becomes a public charter school, at least half of the teachers
must have TSPC licenses. The goal is to have licensed teachers
work side-by-side with industry, engineering and business
practitioners.
GOVERNING BODY:
Because the center is still in the design phase, a "Design
Team" is leading the way, coordinated through the Mt. Hood
Regional Education Consortium, a program operated by the Mt. Hood
Community College. The team includes assistant superintendents from the
three school districts who meet monthly. A separate governing
body/board will be established when the center becomes a public
charter school.
BUSINESS INVOLVEMENT:
So far, the center’s business partners have played a strong role
in helping the Design Team plan curriculum and
"outcomes." Any financial assistance may come later if
the center demonstrates its value in creating the qualified,
talented workforce many businesses have stated they can’t find
in local high school graduates.
FACILITIES:
The partnership is exploring two sites along Portland’s Tri-Met
light rail line in East Multnomah County. School Boards involved
will be handling the real estate transactions this winter in
executive sessions. The goal is to establish the center near the
hub of the region’s new business/professional development area.
For a quick look at how
the various partners, including school districts, colleges and
businesses, will participate in the center, check this schematic
view.
STEERING COMMITTEE:
From Gresham-Barlow:
Jim Buck, Assistant Superintendent
From Reynolds:
John Deeder, Assistant Superintendent
Steve Olczak, Reynolds High School Principal
From Centennial:
Mary Beth Stiner, Assistant High School Principal
Art Anderson, Assistant Superintendent
From Mt. Hood
Community College:
Bill Lesh, Regional Coordinator
Joe Dunlap, Dean Industrial Technology
Jonathan Parker, Dean Math and Engineering
Michael Dillon, Dean Community and Workforce Development CURRICULUM
DESIGN TEAM - MANUFACTURING/PRE-ENGINEERING: From
Centennial School District:
Art Anderson (Facilitator) From
Reynolds School District:
John Deeder From Centennial High
School:
Cecil Fellas From
Reynolds High School:
Pat Bullard
Jim Lancaster
Michael Connor From Sam
Barlow High School:
Ray Varner
Andy Collmer From
Boeing:
Ron Lermo
Don Clark
Sue Mazzio
Evelyn Anton
Christer Hellstrand From
Ketiv Technologies, Inc:
Tony DiVincenzo
Steve Crawley From LSI
Logic:
Pam Moore From Mt. Hood
Community College:
Joe Dunlap
Vern Porter
Tim Polly CURRICULUM
DESIGN TEAM - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
From Gresham-Barlow School
District:
Jim Buck (Facilitator)
From Centennial High School:
Gary Cramer
Kim McKenna
From Gresham High School:
Terry Braught
John Bromley
Steve Seannell
Sandy Long
From Sam Barlow High School:
Terry Hanson
Rita Ramstad
Gary St. John
Andrea Guard
Lynn Adams
From Reynolds High School:
Chuck Taylor
Evan Selby
From Reynolds School
District:
Keith Eisele
From LSI Logic:
Karen Kalm
From US West:
Marilyn Pratt
From Intel:
Morgan Anderson
From Mt. Hood Community College
Jim Russell
Gary DeRoest
Paul Morris
Jonathan Parker
CURRICULUM DESIGN TEAM - HEALTH/MED:
From Mt. Hood Regional Education
Consortium:
Bill Lesh (Facilitator)
Jeanine Kolkemo
From Centennial High School:
Carolyn Smithee
From Gresham High School:
Kathy Gibbs
From Reynolds High School:
Randy Navalinski
From Sam Barlow High School:
Paul Rabe
Kristal Watts
From Mt. Hood Medical Center:
Patty Brost
From Sandy High School:
Sandy Carter |
