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HTHL Internship and College Advising Institute HTH and HTHI Annual MANPOWER Academic Internship Showcase
October 15, 2005
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HTHL Network NewsIn Issue #4, June 15, 2004
2. NBGLCS, UMass/Dartmouth Form Partnership The New Bedford Global Learning Charter School, a High Tech High network school, has entered a partnership with neighboring University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth that promises to bring benefits to the two institutions and the larger community.  In announcing the partnership in mid-May, UMass/Dartmouth Chancellor Jean McCormack and NBGLCS C.E.O. Margot Desjardins outlined five key areas for collaboration: 1. Curriculum development. UMD and NBGLCS will work together to generate curriculum around a compelling theme such as The Connecting Ocean, which would bring into play UMD's significant expertise and resources in marine science and history, while addressing the NBGLCS commitment to global learning. 2. Teacher and community development. NBGLCS will serve as a clinical site for UMD student teachers and education researchers. In turn, the university will offer summer stipends to NBGLCS teachers, along with access to UMD courses and library facilities. Activities for parent and community learning are also envisioned. 3. Shared staff and resources. UMD will hire a Senior Fellow/Principal for its Center for University, School and Community Partnerships, whose major, full-time responsibility will be to lead the new NBGLCS high school program. A variety of other arrangements for shared staff and resources are proposed as well. 4. Professional development and dissemination center. The partnership will help NBGLCS meet one of its goals as a Massachusetts Horace Mann (district-sponsored) charter school: to serve as a city-wide educational research and dissemination center that helps New Bedford develop "best practice" approaches to teaching and learning. 5. Student access and incentives vis-à-vis university programs. The university will offer opportunities to NBGLCS students and staff to take university courses and participate as invited guests in UMD lectures, arts programs and special events. In addition, the university will offer a substantial scholarship for undergraduate study at UMD to any NBGLCS student who meets established achievement criteria. Now in its second year of operation, serving 240 students in grades 5-8, NBGLCS will open a ninth grade program in September 2004 for 50 students, Eventually NBGLCS will comprise a middle school and high school, serving 400 students in grades 5-12. HTH Learning anticipates that the new partnership will be of great benefit to the HTH network, offering useful and inspiring lessons in university-school collaboration. 3. High Tech High Pilots Traveling Student Ambassador Program High Tech High student ambassadors traveled to Mirta Ramirez Computer Science Charter School (MRCS2) in Chicago, Illinois May 5th-9th for four days of observation, reflection, and camaraderie. The four High Tech High students chosen as ambassadors were greeted by their host families at a local restaurant for an authentic Cuban dining experience. Students spent time getting to know their host families and MRCS2 administration while discussing the planned itinerary. During their first full school day at MRCS2, High Tech High students shadowed MRCS2students to get a sense of the school's common intellectual mission. They immediately recognized similarities between the HTH and MRCS2 that included teachers working collaboratively, students clustered in teams, and evidence of close relationships 
between students and their teachers. HTH students were
pleased to see a student tile wall similar to the one they created
in San Diego. They made mention of the demographic
differences between HTH and MRCS2 students, and commented
on MRCS2's emphasis on leadership training for
students.On the second day of their visit to MRCS2, the High Tech High student ambassadors offered presentations about their experiences at HTH, drawing upon examples from their internships, digital portfolios, and team projects. Since MRCS2 is comprised of 9th grade students only at this time, the HTH panel presentation offered a preview of the HTH programmatic features that will be incorporated over time at MRCS2, such as the internship program and project-based learning outside of the classroom. On Friday, May 7th, the HTH student ambassadors joined several MRCS2 students for a day long campus tour of the University of Notre Dame. On their final full day in Chicago, HTH students spent the day sightseeing the Windy City with their host students. The pilot round of the Student Ambassador Program was completed when MRCS2 students traveled to San Diego May 19th-23rd. The students were reunited in San Diego at High Tech High where MRCS2 student ambassadors shared a similar experience. MRCS2 student ambassadors presented information about their school to HTH students where they also hosted a question and answer session about the vision they hold for their school's future. MRCS2 students were able to attend an 11th grade award ceremony for the Boat Channel Project at Sea World. They observed several aspects of HTH life that they liked, such as the high degree of personalization evident in students' relationships with teachers, as well as the freedom that exists for students within the HTH campus. One ambassador commented on how he would provide the feedback to MRCS2 administration to discuss ways in which the MRCS2 community culture could change to reflect a more open environment. MRCS2 student ambassadors spent their final full day with their hosts in San Diego, enjoying the Fleet Science Museum at Balboa Park, observing the seals in La Jolla, and experiencing the warm beaches. With the success of the pilot Student Ambassador Program, High Tech High Learning hopes to extend this enriching experience to all of the network schools in the 2004-2005 school year. The program presented an array of leadership opportunities for students. Student ambassadors gained self-confidence, public speaking skills, and increased levels of maturity and independence while representing their home school. 4. HTH Learning Incorporates CMO High Tech High Learning is pleased to announce the legal incorporation of its Charter Management Organization (CMO), which will oversee future replication efforts for High Tech High schools in California and selected locations across the United States. Under the CMO model, replication sites are governed by nonprofit corporations that are legal subsidiaries of the High Tech High CMO. The CMO provides a range of back office and other support services in exchange for a chargeback which the school provides to the CMO. High Tech High's new emphasis on replication within the CMO results from our recognition of insights that have emerged as we have developed High Tech Middle and High Tech High International:
High Tech High is fortunate to have assembled a diverse and able team of trustees to serve on the board of the High Tech High CMO. Board members are: Gary Jacobs - Founding board member and chair of High Tech High and all associated boards Julie Umanski - Regional representative for the California Charter Schools Association. Frank Kemerer - noted author of books regarding charter school management and professor at the University of San Diego Chuck La Bella - Partner, La Bella and McNamarra, LLP and former federal attorney  Kay Davis - founding board member of High Tech High and former board member of the San Diego Unified School District Lowell Potiker - Vice President of HSP Group Inc. and long time supporter of High Tech High. While staff at High Tech High Learning are encouraged by the progress in we have made in eveloping a CMO, we remain committed to assisting our network partners who are making outstanding efforts to implement High Tech High design principles. We are encouraged by the early progress that network sites are making and we look forward to many years of ongoing partnership. 5. HTH Learning Network School Updates City High School, Tucson, AZ City High School will focus their 2004-2005 educational programs around Habits of Heart and Mind including inquiry, reflection, expression, evidence, perspective and action. This framework will lend coherence and depth the student experience through the curriculum. City High School continues to develop CityWorks,, a program integrated into next year's school schedule to allow students to work effectively in the community on a place- based project that also integrates state standards. City High School is proud to be able to forge great partnerships with their community. On May 16th, City High School successfully hosted their first annual Picnic in the Park which fostered a sense of school and community. High Tech High Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA The HTHLA facility was recently awarded a Citation Award from the 2003 Design Share school design competition. The building design is visually exciting and people-friendly, incorporating natural light, an indoor/outdoor environment with study gardens, individual and collaborative workspace and commons meeting area, and colors and finishes that are creatively stimulating. Scheduled for completion in August, 2004, the building will host its formal dedication ceremony on November 17, 2004. This month, five HTHLA students went to NASA to present their plans for the Pico Satellite. Five additional students plan to attend the University of California's to COSMOS program this summer. They will live on campus for four weeks and study robotics and engineering.  Mirta Ramirez Computer Science Charter School, Chicago, ILMRCS2 student ambassadors traveled to High Tech High in San Diego on May 19th for 4 days of reflection and perspective to see the design elements at work within the differing school spaces. MRCS2 students remarked on how they felt as they were experiencing their doppelganger doubles as they saw each others school programs implemented in similar yet different realities. On May 11th, MRCS2 attended Physics Day at 6 Flags where students used amusement park rides to learn about velocity, acceleration, momentum, Newton's Three Laws of Motion, potential energy, and kinetic energy. The parents and surrounding MRCS2 community have been invited to attend "Carnaval," a student-produced all-day cultural activity to be held at the local park on June 11th. The event, which represents celebrations of Latin America and the Caribbean, will include presentations of dance, theater, poetry, food and masks. New Bedford Global Learning Charter School, New Bedford, MA NBGLCS is gearing up to graduate its second eighth grade at promotion ceremonies to be held on Friday June 18th. Presentations of Leaning will be held the week of June 14th and the community is invited to come to the evening Exhibition of Learning. After the close of school, the staff will work on preparing a downtown New Bedford site for the first 9th grade class that opens in September. Plans are being made for an expedition for the first ninth grade class to spend three days and two nights aboard the Schooner Ernestina, a state commissioned schooner that harks back to the great whaling days in New Bedford. Teacher Jessica Ross is packing her bags for a trip to Hawaii next week where she will join colleagues from Alaska and Hawaii as part of a three-way cultural and historic interchange that will link students from these three states via our whaling history of over a century ago and into the 21st century. Jessica will also be going to Colorado to be trained in GLOBE, a weather systems experiential study that gives teachers and students multiple opportunities to do interdisciplinary units of study. Jessica will be certified to train NBGLCS staff when she returns. New Urban High School, Clakamas, OR NUHS wrapped up its first year of operation with an award ceremony in which students reflected on how the school and the staff had altered their lives for the better. Students were then awarded certificates and praise for their hard work and positive attitudes during the year. Earlier in the month, students did presentations of learning based on their research into the history of drugs and the effects of drugs on the body and mind. The project culminated in student web pages on the topic. NUHS students who finished up their sophomore year are eager and excited about the opportunity to take college classes next year through the Clackamas Middle College program in partnership with Clackamas Community College. This summer NUHS staff will attend the national charter conference in Miami and the High Tech High Summer Institute, after which they will return to plan another wonderful school year. San Carlos High School, San Carlos, CA SCHS students are getting ready to present math and science projects that they have been working on since January. Each student will teach a class/lesson within their chosen subject area, using both PowerPoint and Excel platforms to organize their data. On the evening of June 9th they will also present their lessons to parents. During the day and evening of June 17th, students will present their "E" (Electronic)-Porfolios to their fellow students, parents, community members, and visitors from the San Joquin County Office of Educators. Teachers developed an assessment rubric for student presentations. E-Portfolios contain selected assignments and student reflections from each content area. Because of parental demand within the community, SCHS has been asked to make presentations about the school to 7th grade classes within the San Carlos school system. Sci-tech High, Harrisburg, PA Sci-tech High's social studies and language arts classes recently presented individual and small-group projects that included a Harlem Renaissance Variety Show written and performed by students who dressed in full costume. Parents, community members, and university partners all attended the creative performance. Students also participated in a variety of field study programs such as "amusement park physics" at Hershey Park, environmental studies at Little Buffalo State Park, and French studies during a one week trip to Quebec, Canada. Sci-tech High students also have some busy summer plans. Eighteen students will attend a 3-day Nano-tech Camp operated by Penn State, in which they will opportunities to work alongside research scientists in their labs. Other students plan to attend a week-long day camp run by the local Capitol Region Economic Development Program, in which they will learn about the in's and out's of setting up and running a small business, then present plans for their own business ventures. Sci-tech High will offer its own summer camp during the month of July for incoming 9th graders. Students will be required to attend 4 morning sessions per week, receiving math, science, and literacy enrichment through hands-on project work. High Tech High, San Diego, CA HTH held a graduation ceremony for it's first full class of graduating seniors on June 12, 2004. There were 105 graduates, 100% of whom plan on going to college 73 HTH graduates (70%) will enter a 4-year college/university, while 32 students (30%) will enter a 2-year college. 31 students were accepted to at least one University of California school. Meanwhile, HTH freshman, sophomores, and juniors are preparing Transitional Presentations of Learning (TPOL's) in which they reflect on their work throughout the year and talk about why they feel they are ready to move onto the next grade level. This is a process that HTH teachers piloted during the first year of the school, abandoned for past two years, and decided to return to this year. TPOL assessment rubrics will be posted in the resource section of HTH Learning website. Other end of the year events include the Second Annual Taco Salad Film Festival (premiering student-made movies), the senior-run "Festival Du Fromage"a film watching festival modeled after Cannes, and a student poetry reading performance at the wellknown San Diego coffee house called Twiggs. High Tech Middle, San Diego, CA HTM is gearing up for its first 8th grade promotion ceremony of 90 students. The school is in the midst of their second round of Presentations of Learning (POL's). One recent project involved 6th grade students writing screen plays that were acted out by professional actors at an evening arts and theater festival. HTM students also exhibited their artwork during the event. HTM teachers have created a rubric for middle school POL's that will be posted in the resource section of the HTH Learning website. This summer, 25 students per week will participate in an enrichment camp geared helping students learn more about their city and how to utilize it's resources. The camp is led by HTM staff, including the Art teacher, the Technology teacher, a Math/Science teacher and the Dean!  High Tech High International, San Diego, CAHTH International has completed the hiring process for most of its teachers. Several hundred applicants from around the nation applied to work at HTHI, HTM, and HTH for the 2004-2005 school year. There are 9 teachers from HTH that plan to teach or serve as administrators next year at HTH International. The HTHI building continues to be renovated at lightning speed. The structure for the second floor mezzanine and catwalk have been completed and concrete floors have been poured for the second floor structure. |
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