Preparing Career Ready Graduates

Sacramento New Technology High School

Site VIsit Debrief

November 6, 2008

Purpose of site visit:

Understand how Project Based Learning works
Understand how technology is used as a tool at the school
See the possibilities for doing high school differently
Hear how the school was created
Discover how technology is integrated into instruction and learning
Get ideas for reinvigorating our schools
Learn how to integrate classes
See how students are engaged in learning process at NTH
See how school engages community
Understand the big picture

What we learned about NTH

Students today are digital natives, they use phones, music players, computers, and other devices throughout their day, but most schools tell them to turn all that off when they get to school
School determines their master schedule
Schools must follow core principles but develop programs on their own
PBL lesson bank with other NTH schools
Resource library for best practices to share with entire network
450 students max for small school environment
School site advisory board, similar to a school board, determines overarching goals
Two seats for neighborhood members
Students put on a community activity day, health and wellness day
Shared park on facility with sac city parks…building jogging trail, shared use gym, and exercise equipment
The E21 bond passed in Sacramento a few years ago, it was designed to transform neighborhood schools
NTH was previously a continuation high school
Curriculum planning
Monday morning 2 hours of planning time
Easier in English because 9^th and 10^th grade standards are the same
Challenge is in sciences and math to get to the depth of learning they need to
Depth is more of the focus than the depth. They focus on power standards/key standards and then they try to work in the other standards as much as possible.
Instead of marching through standards 1 by 1, reconsider how we teach and what we teach
Student Assessments
Culminating projects are big focus, but not only focus. It’s a final reflective piece
They still have tests and quizzes
Process papers and interim grading happens a lot
Teachers create assignments based on the agreed upon standards
Professional Development for Staff
Teachers shadow NTH other campus to see how it works and see sample projects
Intensive 5-day training on PBL during summer
School coaches from Foundation assist with transition and training
Local teaches act as advocates
Act as conduit of information from Foundation
Share ideas, support teachers
Regional “Meeting of the Minds” for teachers of same subjects from other local NTH schools….a few times a year
Critical Friends process with staff whenever they implement a new program/project
Train the trainer model, bring back new knowledge from trainings/conferences
Workshops
How students receive instruction
Typically in small group instruction of 10-15 students
On a need-to-know basis
Could be traditional lecture with note taking but typically its more of a facilitative workshop where students learn by doing
Workshops are usually happening 2-3 days a week, but varies based on student need
At 11^th and 12^th grade students request the workshops, but in 9^th and 10^th grade the teaches are a little more constructive
Teachers can put workshop materials and notes into project brief case in case students missed workshop
Attendance is voluntary for 11^th and 12^th but not for 9^th and 10^th
PBL
Students are on teams with project plan
Students can be fired from their team and then have to complete the entire project on their own
Its hard work, some students leave and go back to traditional high school where they can sit passively
Supporting students with different skills
Sometimes they get help in workshops
Some students are enrolled in academic support class which typically meets every other day during the school day
Teacher is a facilitator not an instructor
Structure
7:30-3:30
8 period day

Take aways, what we liked:

CHOICES
students feel like they have choices to learn what they want to learn
Allows students with different interests or abilities to shine
Relationships between students and other students and with their teachers
sets the standard
articulate about what they felt younger students should have
establishes a culture of shared ownership
No structured mentoring program, its just part of the culture
Monitoring of student progress
That students understand they’re on continuum of learning
Ownership for their school
Call this their “family”
They’re accountable for themselves and accountable to each other
They’re part of a community
Sense of responsibility for culture of the school
Level of engagement by students
not idle participants
Kids are involved in knowing what they need to know, they have to work for their learning instead of just sitting down
Use of Technology
computers in every classroom
students using computers to learn, read, research
1-to-1 computers
Fresh-Fest
Freshman spend the night with the seniors one night at the beginning of the year
Builds family
Builds connections
Like-minded atmosphere
Respect for each other
No bells
Show kids the reason for learning what they’re learning
Need to start in elementary school
Create opportunities for interaction
Development of PBL for elementary students especially with a focus on communicating and presenting
Debating, conversing, presenting needs to start in elementary school
Collaboration
Challenge is that its not taught in elementary or middle school…
Learned process
Working together is a learned process…from working as in individual to synergy
They got training from the Foundation to do this better both between teachers and collaboration for students
Identifying that group development is a process that happens in phases was a valuable insight that helped them develop their program
Process skills must be taught, just like content problems
Communicating
Collaborating
Presenting
Site Technology
Site-based network administrator…
Used to use Lotus notes, but now use PEBBLE web-based tech from foundation
Some students are trained to support school tech needs
Career Development Focus
Advisory period 4 days per week
Teachers meet by grade level to align curriculum
In the 10^th grade for example they follow the same curriculum each day: Monday is team building, Tuesday is grades day to review progress and reflect on grades, Wednesday is career day, Thursday is reading day, and Friday is stress free zone day.
Kuder Interest Inventory – similar to Career Cruising
“Job Journey”
Students were very welcoming of us

Concerns and challenges we anticipate

Creating collaboration between Computech and Edison
Figuring out how to apply what works here back at our schools
How do we make this work in a neighborhood school where students don’t attend by choice.
its more complex to set these type of schools up in neighborhood schools, but NTH is doing
Refreshing Technology
with budget cuts, they need to be creative
save money each year
grants
They have one computer per kid, but not one CPU per student
Resourceful group, finding tools online via the web, portable apps that make it possible to use amazing software for free rather than purchasing apps
Staff Development
Communicating/Group work is step 4…math lesson design at elementary school
Teacher as facilitator, showing students how to collaborate
I need to see it in a neighborhood environment to see it work there first to apply what works here
Applying these principles back at Edison, I know it can work, we need to start looking at our program and see who is being served and who is not being served today
Depth of involvement by students in class projects.
Students responsibility to each other
Professional development for PBL and use of Technology
Develop the school so its neighborhood friendly, need to get the community to back what you’re creating, get them involved so they see it as “they’re school too.”
Our challenge is to convert these wonderful essential components at this small school to our comprehensive school. Need to synthesize and apply back at Edison.
Relevance is the key
Student relationships with teachers
Student relationships with other students
I would spend money at my school by asking students what they think is important
Need to expose our students to other models of learning, we need to take more students out to see other schools.
I’m working too hard as a teacher, trying to lead the kids through their educational process, but I don’t think I’m preparing them for their future. I think I need to teach them how to learn. I need to facilitate the process and let them learn.
Professional Development has to include shadowing and site visits. People need to see it in action, see it working
Building a culture, a family
How impressive the students are who took us on the tour.
Some of these seniors are “regretting” that they are graduating because they like it here so much.
Build a place with a sense of community, “this is my school,” “we did that,” “my teachers and my friends,”
Building a system that supports kids instead of trying to make kids fit our system

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