Norton Science and Language Academy makes case for renewal, cites student growth; county staff report due Feb. 23

Representatives, students and parents from Norton Science and Language Academy presented data and program highlights at a Feb. 10 public hearing before the San Bernardino County Board of Education as the charter sought renewal.

The charter’s petition was filed Dec. 16 and requests a renewal term; because Norton’s dashboard placed it in the “low-performing” category, the petition is being considered under the state’s requirements for low-performing schools. Counsel for the county explained that the board may grant a two-year renewal for a low-performing school only if it determines the charter has a sufficient written improvement plan and verified data showing progress.

“Norton submitted its renewal petition in December and is requesting a 2 year renewal term because Norton qualifies as a low performing school,” SBCSS staff told the board and audience, referencing Education Code sections the board must apply to the review (47605.6, 47607 and 47607.2).

Petitioners led by President and CEO Dr. Lisa Lam and Principal Kataya Rapier described academic measures they said show progress. Lam highlighted district- and state-comparison analyses, reading-growth measures in DRA3 and I-Ready gains for elementary and secondary cohorts. “We far exceeded [one year’s growth] in English Language Arts,” Rapier said of Norton’s secondary I-Ready results and pointed to improvements in CAASPP student-level growth: “just over 76 percent of our students made personal growth in English language arts, and just about 69% of them made personal growth in math on the CAASPP tests.”

Students and staff emphasized Norton’s dual-immersion curriculum, STEM partnerships with NASA and JPL, student travel and exchange programs, and extracurricular offerings including mariachi, Poetry Out Loud and a new cadet corps. Multiple students said the small class sizes and community culture influenced their decision to remain at Norton.

The petitioners acknowledged areas for improvement cited on the state dashboard — particularly chronic absenteeism and mathematics — and described a written plan to address them. Lam told the board Norton adjusted its reclassification procedures after redesignating many English learners before census date, which affected the English Learner Progress Indicator on the dashboard; the charter pledged new monitoring protocols, targeted English Language Development (ELD) supports, expanded Orton-Gillingham-based early literacy training and enhanced math interventions including math “homerooms,” additional electives, and coaching.

Public commenters and alumni praised Norton’s programs and asked the board to renew the charter; supporters included former Norton staff and Lewis Center-affiliated leaders. County staff said a report of findings from the charter review team will be published on or before Feb. 23; the board’s decision meeting is scheduled for March 10 and may include options to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the renewal petition.

Why it matters: Because the charter currently falls under the state’s “low-performing” designation, the board’s review must assess whether the written improvement plan is adequate and whether the renewal is in students’ best interest. Staff-level findings and public input will inform the board’s March decision.

Ending: Norton’s petition will proceed through the county’s standard review timeline; staff will publish an evaluation and the board will consider action on March 10.