New Tech High School Is National Demonstration Site for Technology in Classroom

Napa Valley Unified School District’s New Technology High School is a national model for using technology, project-based learning and 21st century skills to help students gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life, college and the careers of the future, and has been named a National Demonstration Site, New Tech Network (NTN) announced today.

As a Demonstration Site, New Tech High will host tours for national, state and local school and district representatives who want to experience a New Tech school first-hand.

Visitors will take part in student-led tours to learn about project-based learning examples, integrated use of technology and the school culture changes that are integral to the New Tech Network model.

The school will also be eligible to provide teacher shadowing and host leadership summits and residencies.

“Our 22 National Demonstration Site schools have achieved a very high honor,” said NTN President and CEO Lydia Dobyns. “Their students are not only better prepared for life and college, they have achieved a deep love of learning and a fundamental understanding of the deeper learning skills needed to succeed in life after high school.”

To be named a Demonstration Site, the school had to meet several criteria, including developing student learning outcomes that show content mastery tied to state standards as well as work ethic/collaboration, critical thinking, and oral and written communication.

All courses must demonstrate rigorous and relevant Project-Based Learning (PBL) to amplify deeper learning while engaging students in the classroom. The deep integration and use of technology must be present in all classrooms. Finally, a school culture that establishes students at the center, built on trust, respect and responsibility, must be evident throughout the school.

According to data released by New Tech Network recently, students at Network schools graduate high school at a rate 14 percent higher than the national average and enroll in college at a rate 9 percent higher than the national average. Eighty-three percent stay in college.

“We are very proud of New Tech High,” said Dr. Patrick Sweeney, superintendent of Napa Valley Unified School District. “The students, parents and staff create a culture of learning that focuses on real-world problem-solving.”

Napa’s New Technology High School opened in 1996, as the District’s first New Tech Network school. Unlike traditional schools, where most teachers lecture and use textbooks as a teaching approach, teachers in New Tech schools design rigorous, real-world projects tied to state and district standards, and customize the projects to their community and the interests of students. The result is students who are deeply engaged in learning and develop important skills such as critical thinking and collaboration.

To learn more about New Tech High or to schedule a tour, go tonewtechhigh.org or contact Peter Abboud at pabboud@newtechhigh.org.