Latest New Tech Questions, October 20, 2009

Transcription

1 Latest New Tech Questions, October 20, How will group work be graded? The New Tech High School concept involves project based learning. Students are graded in a variety of skill areas and their work and grades are often the effort of a final project. Students work individually though on their own work within the group. More information on this is available at the New Tech website which is linked to our website. Teachers will receive training on how to effectively grade each student and group work. 2. How many credits will be given per class in New Tech? The New Tech model includes coursework that is integrated in combination with courses that are considered stand alone. 3. Do colleges accept New Tech students wholeheartedly? Which colleges? Please name a few who do. We have been informed that many of the students who go through a new tech model feel very well prepared for higher education. Many higher educational institutions utilize a project based format. We are seeing more and more of this in the higher educational offerings. Students must meet all requirements for the various diplomas and so are no more or no less accepted into colleges. 4. Will New Tech be a separate entity? Yes if you are referring to the building that will house New Tech. At present the plans include locating the Whitley County New Tech High School at a separate facility from the current high school. It would still be part of the overall high school in terms of student participation and possible other classes and extra curriculars. 5. How will the Grant money cover all costs associated with New Tech? These funds would cover all program costs for the start up of a New Tech High School. The grant we will be receiving at this time is through the TOpS 15 proposal for northeast Indiana as funded through the Lilly Endowment Foundation. This grant is a $20 million gift to the northeast Indiana area for educational growth for populations including, but not limited to, K-12. $5 million has been allocated towards K-12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The hope is to launch five to six New Tech High Schools in this area. The grant we are seeking is in the amount of $450,000. These funds would cover all program costs for the startup of a New Tech High School. 6. Will teachers travel from one building to another? It is not our plan at this time to have teachers travel back and forth between the Whitley County New Tech High School and the Columbia City High School. This plan could be amended though as we consider a full course offering being available at both locations for all students.

2 7. How will it be decided who participates? A combination of student interest and learning styles in a coordinated effort with parents, students and school personnel will be utilized. Early in the 8 th grade year, students and parents will be given information about the high school program offerings, one of which will be the Whitley County New Tech High School. This will be a choice option as we want our students and families to consider the optimal program that meets the needs of the individual learner. We are working right now to define career pathway course work at the high school level, built upon the ABEAMS structure we presently have in place. 8. Will there be book fees? Consumable fees? Any fees? We are still working on the fee structure but in our research thus far we have noted students sharing textbooks as class based resources. Thus, rental of textbooks may be minimal. A technology fee could be in place but this is an area we are still investigating. 9. How much will this increase the cost of transportation? There may not be additional transportation costs because student numbers overall will remain relatively steady. 10. With New Tech, will we finally be able to provide the free public education that our constitution says we are entitled to? No, but it is a very economical pathway to learning. The New Tech model offers great promise. The skills the students learn through working in a project based curriculum are in direct alignment with work place skills. Also, the skills the students learn through this curriculum should prepare them for higher education training. Thus, New Tech as an option does offer students more choices within the public school system of Whitley County. 11. Will we need to build a gym and cafeteria for the New Tech building? Will this be covered by Grant money? A gym would not be necessary as students can receive physical education and wellness education at both prospective sites without an added gym. We are investigating how a cafeteria area can be designed at a minimal cost within each prospective site. Recently, at a school visit to Columbus Signature Academy in Columbus, Indiana, food service was studied and found to be effectively working at that school. The meals were considered very healthy and appealing so we may want to benchmark other current New Tech high schools to consider what we want to do here at Whitley County. The grant that we are seeking through the TOpS 15 initiative is for the program only and does not cover facility needs. 12. Why would it not be better to start New Tech when the new school is built in the future and put money towards the new building, instead of remodeling the current property? We are choosing to pursue the New Tech model in the next two years. By making this choice we need to proceed with establishing a facility. We have the opportunity

3 to be part of the TOpS 15 grant right now. If we delay too much longer, another school corporation could be the beneficiary of the grant funds. As is noted, some dollars have been allocated at this time to repair and do minimal interior work to our current high school. We feel we have an obligation to provide a safe and effective learning environment for the students and staff who are currently at the Columbia City High School. 13. How will this affect class sizes? It won t. In November of 2009, we are starting a class size committee as we want to study the class size issue throughout the corporation. The New Tech model can include up to 50 students for 2 teachers which is a ratio of 25 to 1. Currently in our school visits, we have seen classes that were close to that number, some a little smaller. At present in our current high school, we strive to have at least 20 students in each class. There are some that do not have that many, while others have more; thus the need for our study. We will also be looking at numbers overall in all of our classes. 14. Will more or fewer teachers be needed? We are looking at current staff for the Whitley County New Tech High School. We have been told that the first year may require more teachers but then the ratio usually works out from there to be about 20 to 25 students per teacher. We are also looking at this issue from a whole staff perspective and feel that we can meet the needs of all the schools. There is no reason to believe it will cause an increase. The budget for WCCS may cause reductions. 15. Are New Tech students who learn to work well in groups successful in college where you are asked to complete work on your own? We feel the many varied skills that are learned through participation in the New Tech model helps students work together in groups and individually. Even in the New Tech model which is approached through a project based structure there are always individual assignments. In higher educational institutions course work often includes both, individual and group work. New Tech students are being prepared to enter the workforce in areas where collaboration, work ethic, communication skills and creativity are necessary for success. 16. How does New Tech promote the fine arts? Some of the New Tech schools that we have visited integrate the fine arts within the curriculum and some offer stand alone classes. We are in the process of determining a viable schedule. Depending on what one includes in the arts there is abundant data that supports the great value of the arts for all students. 17. If New Tech has been around for 10 years in California and is so wonderful, why has the concept not spread like wildfire across the country? Generous grants made the effort possible in California. The recent Lilly Endowment Foundation grant has done the same for Whitley County and northeast Indiana. We were made aware of the New Tech model when the Northeast Indiana Business

4 Education Consortium contacted us to visit the California schools in the Spring of Since that time the New Tech model has spread considerably especially in the state of Indiana. What we find especially promising is this new network within our own state which should lead to continued collaboration. 18. Can all students learn and all subjects be taught using the New Tech curriculum? Can is the key word. The history of education has been to find the perfect way to teach all students. For many reasons students learn best in a variety of approaches. We have the opportunity to better address this issue with New Tech for those who thrive in this approach. Some students will learn best in our present approaches to teaching and learning. The schools we have visited serve a diverse group of students with a wide variety of needs. The staff is able to team teach and many staff members teach a variety of subjects. 19. Does IDOE feel that New Tech is a good way to teach the state standards? It is a good way but not the only way. We have heard positive support of the New Tech model by our State Superintendent, Tony Bennett. 20. Is there any data to indicate that New Tech will help more students obtain a Core 40 diploma? Data about New Tech statistics can be found at the New Tech website. We are also linking that to our corporation website. We will strive to keep this information as new data is posted. 21. Where do students go for remediation who fail at New Tech methods? We do not know of students who have failed at New Tech but we do know of students who have chosen at times to leave the program. Students can opt out but there are certain criteria and procedures involved. The relationship building between the teacher and the student in the New Tech model is highlighted often as being positive. Thus we feel students won t fall through the cracks. From what we have observed so far many students of New Tech High Schools have spoken about just that issue. Many students have mentioned that being at New Tech made the difference in their decision to stay in school. These kinds of comments from students encourage us as we consider the model for our own Whitley County students. 22. Could New Tech curriculum be modified to work in our current building? No, we don t believe so. When you join the New Tech Foundation you are then part of an educational network. What can be done is that we could look at more projects within the current curriculum if the teachers choose to utilize this method. Staff at CCHS right now are working on integrating courses into aligned pathways building from the ABEAMS structure. 23. Will this mean that laning of students will once again be done? No. The New Tech model does not utilize laning.

5 24. Does the curriculum have yearly fees? We are still determining this. We assume there will be some fees associated with attending The Whitley County New Tech High School just as there is book rental currently at Columbia City High School. 25. Are there other 2 campus New Tech schools? Yes. Both of the schools we visited in California were separate New Tech facilities. One model we visited in Austin, TX was a separate facility. In Indiana, staff members recently visited the Columbus Signature Academy located in Columbus, IN. That model is a renovated hardware store. There is also one located in Bloomington, IN. 26. Will New Tech students take end of course assessment tests? Yes, these students will be taking the state required exams. 27. Shouldn't some of the money be spent on younger students? Does the grant money have to be used on New Tech? Yes the recent grant does need to be allocated towards the New Tech program. We are receiving a grant that is dedicated to support a New Tech High School model. Within the Lilly Endowment Foundation grant for northeast Indiana funds are allocated for younger students. How this additional grant money will be allocated has not been determined but we do know the focus will be for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) initiatives. 28. Will making room for New Tech cause larger elementary class sizes? No, we do not believe so. We are starting a task team to review class sizes, corporation wide, in November It is our plan to work with a broad based team of stakeholders so that we can give this issue due attention.