Dr. Aubrey Escobar
DBA, M.Ed. | Founder & Chief Learning Architect
The Origin Story
For 25 years, Dr. Escobar sat in classrooms and district offices watching the same problem repeat itself: students who could perform on assessments but couldn't think with what they'd learned. And students who could think brilliantly but whose thinking was invisible to every assessment tool available.
The doctoral research that became the 360° ROI Framework wasn't just academic — it was a map of the problem. The question became: what would an assessment look like that actually measured the thing that matters?
CLARO is the answer. Not a test. A conversation. Not a score. A window into thinking.
What CLARO means
The name also draws from the Latin clarus (clear, bright, evident) and the Spanish claro (clear, of course, understood). Both meanings are intentional — CLARO makes thinking clear, and it speaks to students in both languages.
Why Chispa?
Spanish for "spark"
"We named her Chispa because that's what real thinking looks like: a spark. Not a blaze — not yet. Just the moment when something catches. When a student says something they didn't know they knew. That's the moment CLARO is built to find."
— Dr. Aubrey Escobar
The Proof Architecture
Three books that document the research, practice, and philosophy behind CLARO
The Connected District
2023
Systems thinking for educational leadership in the digital age. How districts can build coherent, connected learning ecosystems that serve every student.
The AI Alchemist
2024
Transforming educational practice through intelligent assessment. The philosophical and practical foundation for using AI to reveal, not replace, human thinking.
The Leadership Gap
2025
Bridging research and practice in K-12 educational leadership. How leaders can close the gap between what we know works and what we actually do.
The Ecosystem & Community
CLARO is part of a larger mission to transform how education works — backed by research, community, and practice
Clairant
Strategic consulting parent
Fulcra Institute
Research think tank
SALC
MemberStudent AI Learning Compact — Proud Member
SALC — Society for AI Literacy in Classrooms
teachingwithai.org
CLARO is a proud member of SALC, a community of educators and researchers committed to responsible, effective AI integration in K-12 classrooms. Our membership reflects our commitment to community-grounded, ethically-designed AI tools.
Learn about SALCReady to see the spark?
Connect with us to learn more about CLARO and how it can work in your school.