2. HTH Bayshore Reinvented
High
Tech High Bayshore opened its stunning new facility on August 29, 2005,
to an excited group of 89 returning and 112 new students. In addition
to its relocation from temporary quarters in San Carlos, CA, to its new
home in neighboring Redwood City, the school has undergone fundamental
changes to its leadership, staffing, student base, and academic program.
HTH Bayshore became a member of the HTH Learning Charter Management Organization
(CMO) in July 2005. As such, the school receives administrative support
and program development services that insure a close alignment with the
HTH design principles of personalization, common intellectual mission,
and adult-world connection. HTH Bayshore welcomes into its community a
new principal, Joe Feldman, a graduate of Stanford University and the
Harvard Graduate School of Education. Joe has previously served as founding
principal of the Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School
in Washington, DC, as Director of Charter School Development and Support
for the New York City Board of Education, and as an American History and
English teacher in a public high school based in Atlanta. He has been
on board at HTH Bayshore since March, 2005, familiarizing himself with
the school and focusing on teacher hiring and student recruitment. The
school's faculty, ten of whom are new hires, are now working under Joe's
leadership to solidify their teaching teams and put into practice a range
of projects they began developing at the HTH Summer Institute this past
June. These include a 9th grade Physics/Math/Humanities project focusing
on the research and development of musical instruments, and an 11th grade
Biology/Math/ Humanities/Visual Arts project focusing on The American
Dream throughout history. HTH Learning staff member, Rob Riordan, has
been working closely with HTH Bayshore faculty to develop integrated projects
and infuse writing across the curriculum. HTH teacher ambassadors from
San Diego visit the school to support HTH Bayshore teachers in their practice.
As a result of intensive recruitment efforts, HTH Bayshore has brought
in a wonderfully diverse population of new students. At present, the school
population is 63% students of color (46% Hispanic/Latino), 45% ELL (English
Language Learners), and 36% Title 1 (students eligible for free and reduced
lunch). The school has hired a full-time English Learner Coordinator,
Doreen Bracamontes, who works with teaching teams to help them understand
the unique needs of EL learners in the classroom. Doreen also works directly
with students and teaches an English language development class during
X-Block.
Over the next few months, HTH Bayshore staff and students will settle
into their new home
and continue building connections to their Redwood City neighbors. Items
on the school's 'To
Do' list include expanding the student base through continuing outreach
and building the 11th
and 12th grade internship program. Speaking about the school's transition
from San Carlos
High School to HTH Bayshore, principal Joe Feldman says, "The teachers,
the parents, and the
students are so energized to be in our fantastic new facility. Its thoughtful
and open design
make it easier for teachers to create challenging, collaborative, and
hands-on learning experiences
for students, and there's an excitement about all the potential successes
in store for us
this year."
3. Class of
2005 Goes to College, HTH Scores High
Like the two classes before it, High Tech High's third graduating class
is going to college at a 100% rate. Of the 81 graduates in the Class of
2005, 65 (80%) are going to a 4-year college and 16 (20%) to a 2-year
college. Twelve students (15%) will enter the University of California
system, while 22 (27%) will study in the California State University system.
Nineteen students (23%) will attend out-of-state public and private schools,
including Smith, Brandeis, Simmons, Bryn Mawr, Northwestern, Fordham,
Hampshire, Rensselaer Polytechnic, the University of Pennsylvania, and
the University of Hawaii. Larry Rosenstock, High Tech High CEO, says,
"From the very beginning, we've said we wanted to be judged on the
college-entering rate of our students, since college is such a major gateway
to productive lives. We're delighted that all our graduates have achieved
this benchmark, and we're confident that they will go on to be contributors
and leaders in college and beyond." Meanwhile, another tradition
continues at High Tech High: last spring, the school was awarded two perfect
scores of 10 on the statewide Academic Performance Index (API) for the
fourth year in a row. This means that HTH's California state test scores
place the school in the top 10% when compared against two sets of schools:
the set of all high schools in California, and the set of all schools
with similar demographics to HTH. Ben Daley, Principal, says, "We
don't emphasize standardized tests at High Tech High, because they provide
at best a crude measure of student achievement. Nonetheless, it is gratifying
to see evidence that our project-based, indepth approach to learning serves
students well on these tests."
4. HTH Team
Explores Baja
We could call it "Real World Baja California." But unlike the
popular MTV reality show, these 12 young people won't move into a plush
mansion or be given cushy jobs. These High Tech High students will rough
it for eight weeks with HTH teacher Theresa Gilly and her teaching partner
and the group's scuba instructor, Greg Hatem, camping out in Cabo Pulmo
and Bahia
de Los
Angeles in southern Baja while conducting a groundbreaking program of
environmental research. The focus of the work is captured in the essential
question guiding this ambitious undertaking: "How can humans preserve
the marine and terrestrial habitat of Bahia de Los Angeles?" In addition
to individual projects, the students as a group will focus on three specific
features of the local ecology: whale sharks, marine turtles, and plankton.
This semester-long excursion builds upon the many shorter trips Theresa
Gilly and her former teaching partner, Jesse Wade, have led with students
throughout Mexico. Gilly moved from teaching 10th grade to the HTH Senior
Institute this year, based on her desire to support students in pursuing
challenging, authentic senior projects. Gilly's environmental science
program, which she will implement at the proposed High Tech High Environmental,
has received generous philanthropic support, including a $250,000 anonymous
donation for curriculum development, travel, and research supplies, funds
which are being used to finance this semester-long trip. Nine of the 12
students embarking on this journey are seniors, and three are underclassmen.
The students represent a wide range of academic skills, personalities,
and cultural backgrounds. In addition to learning about marine life and
environmental issues in Southern Baja, Gilly expects the students will
learn a tremendous amount about themselves and their peers. And since
the students are earning credit toward all academic subjects, Gilly and
Hatem take seriously their responsibility to integrate the humanities
and mathematics as well as science into the curriculum for the trip. In
addition, the students spent a week prior to the start of school researching
colleges, preparing applications, and lining up recommendations so that
this trip would not disrupt their post secondary planning. Living in areas
that lack infrastructure, the students will power their laptops with solar
panels, with backup generators available to use as needed. The students
will create a wireless network to allow data transfer between computers,
but they will need to visit local internet cafes to upload data to their
website, http://scuba.hightechhigh.org. They will have a satellite phone
for emergencies, but will use e-mail as their primary contact with friends,
family, and High Tech High in San Diego.
5. Funding Fundamentals
Did you know…
that it takes $1 million to outfit each new High
Tech High school with furniture, fixtures
and equipment? These comprise what are known as FF&E costs.
that another $1,000 per student is needed for the first two years until
the school is at full
capacity? Each school opens with only ninth and tenth graders, or half
the eventual complement
of students.
During the first two years of each High Tech High
school, startup funds from the State of
California and from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and private
donors provide a little
more than half the amount needed to help the schools grow to full capacity.
In addition, HTH
must raise about $460,000 per year per school.
By the third year, each
school is able to fund its basic operations on a combination of (1)
public
funding from Average Daily Attendance (ADA) monies, and (2) contributions
from families
through an annual giving campaign. High Tech High and High Tech Middle,
which opened in
2000 and 2003, both now operate in the black.
For questions about HTH fund-raising efforts and
needs, contact Robecca Haddock,
Development Officer, at rhaddock@hightechhigh.org
