OCSCS Announcement: 12/13/23

The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) is pleased to announce the opening of the Orange County School of Computer Science at Bernardo Yorba. The Orange County School of Computer Science, or OCSCS, was unanimously approved as a conversion charter school by the Board of Education on December 12, 2023. It will be the first charter school to exist in PYLUSD boundaries, opening at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. It will take the place of Bernardo Yorba Middle School in Yorba Linda.

“The establishment of the OCSCS will be a game changer for public education nationwide, and PYLUSD is at the forefront of this cosmic shift of what and how we teach students,” shared Superintendent Dr. Alex Cherniss. “The Covid-19 tsunami devastated our kids both academically and socially, and as the storm waters recede, the impacts of student learning loss and heightened mental health challenges are littered across our nation. OCSCS will prepare students for jobs that are yet to be invented by empowering them with high-level computer coding skills, innovative creation modules, and foundational mathematical skills that have been absent since the inception of the failed Common Core curriculum.”

It will be the mission of OCSCS to improve student learning and achievement while equipping students with essential skills and attributes necessary to be active and competitive leaders. The school will implement its own curriculum designed by OCSCS teachers in all subject areas. Students will experience a learning model based on mastery of content and skills with an application of computer science elements in history, science, and an elective class. OCSCS will partner with the nation’s leading computer science immersion educational platform, Code to the Future, to implement a comprehensive curriculum, training, and coaching system for teachers to provide students with computer science instruction.

“I applaud the Bernardo Yorba staff and principal Dr. Beth Fisher for voting to convert their school. OCSCS will be a leader in the new bilingual education, English and Computer Science,” further noted Dr. Cherniss.

In addition to other core content classes like mathematics and English language arts, students will participate in a school-wide graphic arts elective featuring computer science principles and design thinking. Other electives will also be offered in the areas of instrumental music, student leadership, and Spanish literature for Dual Language Academy students. Flexible time called “targeted engagement cycles” has been built into the school schedule to allow students to explore, design, and get additional support.

“On behalf of the entire Board of Education, we look forward to welcoming the Orange County School of Computer Science to our school district,” shared Board President, Leandra Blades. “It is clear that the mission of OCSCS shares our interest to prepare students for the high-growth, high-demand jobs of the future while offering the well-rounded and engaging educational experience synonymous with PYLUSD.”

Students will be given a computer to use as a part of their schooling but they will not be behind screens the entire day. They will continue to have access to hard copies of texts and engaging, in-person instruction from highly qualified, credentialed district teachers.

"I am grateful for the support of Dr. Cherniss and I share with great enthusiasm the partnership between the staff at OCSCS and PYLUSD,” noted Dr. Beth Fisher, Bernardo Yorba Middle School Principal and lead petitioner for OCSCS. “How honored we are to be able to provide our learners with an innovative and relevant learning model that will support students with the skills and tools needed to transform themselves from learners to leaders."

Students and families interested in OCSCS are encouraged to attend one of several informational sessions being held in the coming weeks. The full schedule and additional information about OCSCS, including more details about the school’s learning model, are available at www.pylusd.org/ocscs. Registration for the 2024-2025 school year begins February 1, 2024.