Denver School of Science and Technology Denver, Colorado. Profile for Learning Tour conducted on Monday, May 14, 2007

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1 Denver School of Science and Technology Denver, Colorado Profile for Learning Tour conducted on Monday, May 14, 2007 Thumbnail sketch To provid[e] a diverse student body with an outstanding liberal arts high school education with a science and technology focus : This is the mission of the Denver School of Science and Technology, which opened in fall 2004 as a charter school in a redeveloped area in northeast Denver. The Denver SST began with a group of approximately 130 ninth-graders, who studied in temporary classrooms until the school s permanent facility, designed to support and enhance learning with a comprehensive technological infrastructure, was completed in Denver SST is committed to helping all its students reach their maximum academic potential and prepare for and successfully complete college. The school has added a new class of 140 ninth-graders each year and now enrolls about 430 students in grades In 2007, Denver SST opened a middle school, which now has about 135 students. In June 2008, 100% of the school s seniors from the inaugural group of ninth graders graduated, and all are headed to four-year colleges and universities. Why we visited We visited Denver SST on the basis of recommendations from experts in the STEM field and because it was featured in the 2006 edition of Newsweek s Great American High Schools, which singled out the school for its emphasis on science and technology. What we learned We have chosen to highlight, as a guide to future visitors who want to learn from the work of Denver SST, the following innovative features of the school: culture, teaching and learning, and technology. 1. Culture Establishing and maintaining a healthy school culture was the primary force driving the creation of Denver SST. Most people familiar with the school, including Head of School Bill Kurtz, credit the culture as being most responsible for the school s success. In our talk with Kurtz, he emphasized that he and other of the school s supporters believe that with a strong, positive school culture as a foundation, other components of school success are much more likely to fall into place. Denver School of Science and Technology Profile 1

2 Values Six core values respect, responsibility, integrity, courage, curiosity, and doing one s best provide the foundation for the school s culture and inform all aspects of its operating principles, rules, and curriculum. These values are passed to the students in a variety of ways. At the beginning of each school year, teachers and administrators devote the first couple of days to discussing the core values and working to create a sense of community among students, teachers, and administrators. The most notable manifestation of how the school embodies its core values is the morning meeting. The entire school community students, faculty, staff, and administrators gather in the school s common area two times a week to connect as a community and to recommit to supporting the school s core values. Students and faculty alike step forward to make announcements, read poems, and share achievements. Students who have violated any of the school s values must apologize to the entire community; the whole student body then determines whether that student can be readmitted to the community. Students thus play an active role in maintaining the school s values, making them more invested in the school s success. As soon as we walked into the school, the culture of student centeredness and group accountability was striking, reported Dana Center staff member Darlene Yañez. One member of the tour group said that she had never been in a school environment that reflected such a strong emphasis on student success and college readiness. College readiness The other key element of the school s culture is its emphasis on college readiness and college success. Whether Denver SST students will go to college is not a question the foundational assumption of the school s faculty and administrators is that every one of their students will graduate from college. This assumption is reflected in the language teachers use, which makes constant reference to college, and is reinforced by the school s décor college posters and brochures festoon the walls, teachers homerooms are identified by the mascot of the teacher s alma mater, and once a week students and teachers wear T-shirts from their favorite colleges and universities. By October, all seniors must have completed at least three college applications. 2. Teaching and learning Denver SST s curriculum reflects its commitment to preparing students for college and the demands of the 21st century, particularly the need for advanced knowledge of science, technology, and mathematics. As Yañez observed, An accelerated approach in science and mathematics is central to the school s academic program, and it s well thought out and clearly engages the students. Two academies The expectation is not only that the school s students will attend college, but that they will succeed there. To fulfill this expectation, Denver SST has instituted a rigorous curriculum and a comprehensive academic support system. The Denver School of Science and Technology Profile 2

3 school is divided into two academies the Prep Academy for ninth and tenth graders and the Senior Academy for juniors and seniors. A Denver SST academic counselor explained that the two academies were created so that the school could target the agespecific needs of the students. In both academies, the school s curriculum aligns with state standards. The Prep Academy concentrates on developing students core skills in reading and writing, critical thinking, mathematics, science, and technology through a rigorous liberal arts curriculum. At the end of each year, students demonstrate their mastery of the curriculum by producing a digital portfolio, which is judged by classroom teachers and experts from outside the school. In the Senior Academy, the curriculum focuses even more intensely on college readiness. Eleventh and twelfth graders take more rigorous courses, including Advanced Placement courses, and work toward designing and completing a senior project, which serves as a culminating learning experience. In designing and producing the project, students are expected to synthesize the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout their high school careers and use their technological skills to present the project. The school recruits outside experts to serve alongside Denver SST faculty as project judges. Curriculum The school uses a project-based curriculum, meaning that students work on projects drawn from the real world that develop their skills in a number of subjects. Denver SST often brings in outside experts to advise the students on these projects. An example of such a project is the robotics competition. Students work side by side with physicists and other scientists to design and build a robot. The robot is then entered in the competition, in which it fights to disable other robots. The last robot still running wins. The first rounds of the robotics competition take place at the regional level, and students then progress to state and national competitions. After observing this project and learning about others, Yañez was impressed by how purposeful and well-planned the school s project-based curriculum is. Denver SST teachers also work collaboratively to ensure the viability and rigor of the curriculum. Grade-level teams of teachers create integrated activities across subject areas, and teachers also work in content teams to ensure vertical alignment of each subject. Student support The Prep Academy has rigorous standards, and many Denver SST ninth graders arrive without being up to grade level in all subjects. The school addresses the needs of these students and all students who are struggling in their classes by requiring that they attend after-school college-preparatory sessions. As the name indicates, these sessions are not remedial, but are part of the school s overall collegereadiness curriculum. Further, teachers regularly assess student progress and provide help when students are struggling. Since all students and teachers have laptop computers linked to the school s Denver School of Science and Technology Profile 3

4 network, teachers can communicate with students throughout the day and before and after school. The technology enables teachers to intervene just in time that is, thanks to the network, teachers know almost immediately when a student is having trouble with something and can provide timely support. Internships Denver SST also emphasizes career exploration by partnering with community organizations and businesses to provide opportunities for students to explore their career interests. Starting in their first year, students receive structured guidance in exploring professional fields. In their senior year, all students participate in a purposeful internship program two times a week. The academic experience at Denver SST develops the skills students need to find and complete an internship. In turn, the internships teach students new skills that they are expected to bring to bear on their academic work. Shadow program To recruit students who are excited by the educational opportunities Denver SST provides, the school has instituted a shadow program for middle school students in the Denver area. These students spend an entire day at Denver SST, attending the morning meeting, going to classes, and experiencing the school culture. As one senior put it, they live a day in the life of the school. Students who participate in the shadow program gain a clear understanding of what Denver SST expects of its students and can make an intelligent choice about whether they wish to apply for admission. The Denver SST middle school was launched to provide comprehensive preparation for the Denver SST high school. The middle school allows for even more extensive vertical alignment of the school s curriculum and further supports the school s accelerated academic program. The shadow program is expected to continue. 3. Technology As the school s name suggests, technology is a key component of Denver SST. The school is the first public high school in the nation to provide every student with a laptop computer. The physical plant has a comprehensive technological infrastructure, including a wireless network that allows students and teachers to work together wherever they happen to be. The campus also includes fully equipped physics, biotech, chemistry, and engineering labs. The school s founders did not want technology to simply replace pen and paper; they wanted to use technology to enhance learning. To this end, the school uses the web as an instructional tool to keep students engaged. In addition, all assignments and lectures are posted on the web for students as well as their parents to view. Students use the school s wireless network to stay in contact with their teachers and each other. Because Denver SST students come from the entire Denver area, getting together outside of school hours to work on projects with team members can be a challenge. The school s technology infrastructure overcomes this obstacle, allowing students to collaborate via the web. The students also receive instruction and support via the network; the network also facilitates homework assignments, communication, and teamwork. Denver School of Science and Technology Profile 4

5 During our visit, we asked teachers and students if students ever use their computers inappropriately. Both groups replied that students appreciate how critical the laptops are and know that without them, they could not successfully participate in the program at Denver SST. Student misuse of computers is very rare, and in four years, only one computer has been lost. Who is the Denver School of Science and Technology? Students: Students are admitted to Denver SST through a lottery, which is random except that 40% of the openings are reserved for students from low-income families (this percentage is derived from the number of students who qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program). Denver SST students represent a diversity of racial and ethnic backgrounds, with 35% white, 29% African American, 25% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 2% Asian, and 1% from other ethnic groups. Leadership and instructional staff: The school s leadership team includes the head of school, a dean of students for each academy, a special education coordinator, a social worker, and directors of development, technology, business operations, curriculum and instruction, athletics and internships, and college placement. The teaching staff bring a variety of educational backgrounds and experiences to Denver SST. Many have worked professionally as writers, chemists, scientists, and mathematicians, as well as in other technology fields. They therefore possess first-hand knowledge of what it takes to be successful in a technical field, and they bring their career experience into the classroom to add relevance and rigor to the curriculum. Denver School of Science and Technology Profile 5