Feaster School wins national recognition

Feaster Charter School in Chula Vista has received a national distinction that recognizes its focus on teaching 21st century skills to prepare students for higher education and the jobs of the future.

The charter school is one of 19 schools in the country to be named a 2016-17 Exemplar school by the Partnership for 21st Century Learning.

David Ross, chief executive of the Washington-based organization, said today’s students have to master creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication to be ready for tomorrow’s opportunities.

Feaster offers a program that integrates visual and performing arts, science, technology, engineering and math in its daily lessons.

“Our focus is rooted in preparing all of our students to be successful in their college and career endeavors,” said Stephanie Dominguez, principal of the school’s arts academy. “We believe that academic content, coupled with staying current with changes in technology and the importance of explicitly teaching social-emotional strategies, play equal roles in preparing our students for their future.”

The Partnership for 21st Century Learning honors a handful of schools each year. The Encinitas Union School District was also given Exemplar status this year.

Feaster, which serves about 1,200 children in kindergarten through eighth grade, is part of the Chula Vista Elementary School District.

In 2014, Feaster’s faculty opened an engineering lab inspired by the Thinkabit Lab developed by Qualcomm in its Sorrento Valley corporate headquarters.

The charter school’s lab became a Thinkabit Lab last year under a partnership with the technology giant. Qualcomm announced it would sponsor the concept at Feaster, as well as two other schools in the county — Lewis Middle School in the San Diego Unified School District, and Vista Innovation and Design Academy in the Vista Unified School District.

Superintendent Francisco Escobedo said having an engineering lab at Feaster has helped to increase academic achievement.

State standardized test scores released in August show 36 percent of Feaster’s students meet or exceed standard in math, and 56 percent meet or exceed standard in English.

The charter school’s math scores are on par with state results, but below county results. In English, students scored as well as their counterparts throughout the county and beat state results.

An award ceremony will be held in February in Washington.

Follow me on Twitter @HuardSDUT