Charter School 

The San Jose Conservation Corps Charter School is an independent charter high school that provides education, employment training opportunities, and personal development to former dropouts, low income students, and disadvantaged young adults who have fallen behind in acquiring credits towards graduation and/or have left school for whatever reason. Our goal is not only to help our students obtain a high school education, but also to develop strong work ethic and job skills, so that they become successful contributing members of the community.

The overall goal of the San Jose Conservation Corps Charter School is to produce graduates who have successfully met the standards set forth in the California State Standards, completed the requirements for a specialized vocational certificate, or successfully passed the GED.

A key element that distinguishes the San Jose Conservation Corps Charter School from traditional high school settings is our belief that “out-of-school” students do indeed possess the ability to be successful learners and are capable of making significant positive contributions to their schools and communities.

SCHOOL INFORMATION

The San Jose Conservation Corps Charter School currently serves 370 students between our two sites – 120 at Senter Road and 250 at Berger Drive. Classes at both sites are small and teachers can, therefore, attend to the specific needs of each student. While many students have fallen through the cracks in traditional, comprehensive high schools, we at the SJCCCS seek to address the needs of each student who walks through our doors. As a staff, we encourage students every day to make positive choices and look towards their graduation. Our school does not seek to exclude the members of our community, but rather to include them and provide a positive environment for their persona, educational, and professional development.

Our Senter Road site has six home room classes, each with twenty 20 students per teacher. Often there will be an even lower ratio, as some students may be working for our job training programs. Our three job training programs, Recycling, Environmental Projects, and YouthBuild, provide paid job training for students who have proven they are willing to excel at school and have a record of good attendance.

Our Berger Site Location has nineteen new classrooms, a community hall, seven offices, and childcare center. Our new childcare center helps students, who are also parents, to overcome their primary challenge to returning to school: lack of adequate daycare. Because it’s a part of our school campus, our childcare center gives both parent and child the reassurance of going to school close to each other.

SJCCCS takes a unique approach to helping students graduate. Along with taking challenging core classes in Math, Science, Social Science, and English, students are offered concurrent classes, CCOC training, community college classes and many other options for earning credits. An emphasis at our Charter School is helping students to acquire skills that will help them to secure a job or post secondary education after graduation.

OUR SUCCESS

We have been a fixture of the San Jose community for more than 23 years. As we have grown, we have seen our number of graduates increase from 86 in 2003 to 400 in 2010.

OUR CURRICULUM

Our curriculum is designed to develop student competencies rather than fields of knowledge, and prepares students to pass the California State Exit Exam. Instructional methodologies include group classroom activities as well as individualized instruction. Computer-aided instruction is integrated into each student’s program, thereby allowing the instructors to specify an exact sequence of skill and diagnostic testing.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENT

Understanding that effective learning must be cumulative, a process for a final graduation assessment has been developed. In addition to the results of the semester evaluations, the students must complete 180 credits of work as required by the East Side Union High School District, complete a career portfolio, complete a final project, and pass the California State Exit Exam.

ENROLLMENT CONTACT INFORMATION

Our school focus is 18 year olds and above who have dropped out of high school and now are ready to complete their credits and pass the state exit exam.

Potential students should fill out the SJCC&CS application and email it or call:

Natali Mendoza (408) 639-9486; natali@sjcccharterschool.org.

All applicants will be asked to participate in a five-day orientation. During this five-day period, prospective students will learn all the requirements necessary to have a successful experience at our Charter School by fully understanding the handbook. They will participate in workshops, structured group activities, service projects, construction orientation, safety, life skills, and leadership development. This orientation will help develop the mental attitude that will be required to successfully graduate from the Charter School.