Clara Science Academy believes that students will achieve the greatest results when they have the freedom to discover and explore their creative interests. CSA students will participate in a robust STEM program and a rigorous academic experience that is mutually supportive in developing students through scientific inquiry, reasoning, investigative learning, critical thinking, and communication skills. We will provide an innovative educational experience utilizing STEM areas as a vehicle for investigation, problem solving and a global learning. While working in STEM, students are uniquely called upon to envision and set goals, determine methods to reach those goals, re-vision and re-work original ideas, work collaboratively, and develop self-discipline. CSA students will participate in weekly pull-out classes in the four primary STEM areas; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. These classes will follow the North Carolina Education Standards, while also ensuring that students develop a meaningful knowledge base of the impact and importance of the STEM socially, historically and multi-culturally. The applied learning approach of STEM motivates students, ignites their curiosity and creativity, encourages problem solving, and instills strong work habits. STEM education equips CSA students with the knowledge, skills, creative thinking, and dispositions that will help them thrive in a rapidly changing, technologically rich world. Our education plan will include a curriculum that has been independently evaluated for alignment to rigorous college and career-ready standards that improve and deepen student learning.

The overall curriculum models and proposals to be utilized by CSA is the Amplify Core Knowledge Curriculum which includes the Amplify CKLA, Amplify ELS an Amplify Science ( www.amplify.com).

The Amplify Curriculum has received all green ratings and near-perfect scores across K-5 literacy, 6-8 ELA and 6-8 Science. Amplify core curriculum programs are backed by proven foundational research, expert authorship, extensive field testing and has an all-green rating according to EdReports.

Other supplementary curricula CSA will utilize is the Eureka curriculum which bases mathematics instructions in scientific inquiry and investigation ( https://greatminds.org/math).

PLTW Launch (PreK-12) PLTW Launch addresses Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core State Standards for Math and English Language Arts, and other national and state standards ( https://www.pltw.org/our-programs/pltw-launch-curriculum).