About

Welcome to the School of Engineering and Sciences!

We are so excited to begin the new school year.  SES is an incredible, unique community of students, parents, teachers, and community members.  Please read the information in this handbook carefully.  We promise it will come in handy.

At the School of Engineering and Sciences, we strive to prepare your child for college and career success.  We believe that the best way to get students ready is by providing them with a challenging academic environment that includes real-world learning experiences in the fields of engineering and science.  To that end, we hope that our students view SES as a place to practice professionalism, develop a growth mindset, and have fun. 

Here’s to a great year! 

Rinaldo Shackelford, Principal 

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SES Mission and Vision

Mission

The School of Engineering and Sciences provides open access to a rigorous academic and technical course sequence.  We insist on high levels of learning for all students with the ultimate goal of increasing the diversity of the science and engineering workforce living and working in Sacramento.

Vision

What: The School We Aim to Create

As a career pathway school, the School of Engineering and Sciences instills our students with skills for the 21^st century.  We produce students who are advanced in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields through high levels of learning for all students.  As such, SES will contribute to meeting the region’s demand for highly qualified scientists and engineers.

To accomplish success in our mission we invest heavily in the following hallmarks of our instructional design:

• Academic Core
  • STEM curriculum is organically integrated into all content areas through hands-on, problem-based learning.

• Technical Core
  • By powerfully preparing students for study and careers in STEM fields, SES helps to create the highly skilled problem-solvers needed for the STEM workforce

• Work-Based Learning
  • SES will provide scaffolded and sequenced work-based learning experiences for all students.

• Student Support Services
  • There are systems in place that support students’ academic, social and emotional needs.  The SES community supports students in developing exceptional study skills, setting graduation goals and planning for college and career.  Students emerge from SES as highly functioning citizens, prepared to contribute to the global community.                        

How: How We Will Fulfill the Vision of the School We Aim to Create

• Distributed Leadership
  • SES implements a distributed leadership model, where staff collaborate on decision making.  Staff members demonstrate interdependence as we hold each other accountable to play our part in serving our community.  A leadership team, made up of lead teachers and school administration, is at the forefront of decision-making.  Departments and grade level teams collaborate on a regular basis.  Staff exercise real responsibility for decision-making within the school, which builds and nurtures staff capacity for involvement.

• Partnerships
  • Staff maintain ongoing partnerships with industry and post-secondary education to continually develop, support and supplement new curriculum.  Dual enrollment agreements and course articulations between SES and post-secondary institutions exist that give our students the opportunity to be awarded college credit.  Students are able to take courses at community college while concurrently enrolled at high school.

• Problem-Based Learning/Student Portfolios
  • Students assemble portfolios consisting of academic assignments, project based learning, and work based learning which demonstrate their mastery of the 21^st century skills of the graduate profile.  Students defend their portfolios in front of a panel in the 8^th, 10^th, and 12^th grade.

• High Expectations
  • SES fosters a thriving climate of achievement and recognition built upon high expectations for teaching, learning and professionalism for all students and staff.  Students demonstrate a commitment to excellence by undertaking a rigorous course sequence in pursuit of the Diploma of Excellence. 

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