High Technology High School

Infobox_School | name = High Technology High School

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imagesize = thumb
established = 1991
type = Magnet public high school
district = Monmouth County Vocational School District
grades = 9-12
principal = Daniel Simon
enrollment = 267 (as of 2005-06)
faculty = 24.0 (on FTE basis)
ratio = 11.1
colors = Maroon and Gray
location = 765 Newman Springs Road
Lincroft, NJ 07738
country = USA
information = 732-842-8444
website = [http://www.hths.mcvsd.org/ School website]

High Technology High School, or HTHS, founded in 1991, is a four-year vocational public high school located in Lincroft, New Jersey. HTHS represents a cooperative effort between the Monmouth County Vocational School District (MCVSD) and Brookdale Community College. It is a pre-engineering academy, offering courses such as Introduction to Engineering and Design, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, and Principles of Engineering. It is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology.

The school opened its doors in 1991 with a sophomore class, later adding a freshman class in the fall of 1995. The student population is kept relatively small, with typically 59-70 students per class year, thus allowing the school to maintain a low student-teacher ratio.

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 267 students and 24.0 classroom teachers (on a FTE basis, for a student-teacher ratio of 11.1. [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3417500&ID=341750006095 High Technology High School] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed October 31, 2007.]

Mission

"The administration, faculty, staff, and parents, aided by leaders from local businesses, industry, and colleges, form an integrated community with the intent of developing future leaders who have the desire, skills, and preparation necessary to be life-long learners. Faculty members act as facilitators, assisting students in acquiring the communication and information access skills they will need to function as productive citizens in an increasingly technological world. Students are taught to be prudent risk-takers and creative problem solvers in a global society. Achievement of these goals will result in their becoming socially and ethically responsible adults."

A broader knowledge base and appreciation developed through exploring the interconnections among science, mathematics and the humanities elicits higher level thinking skills. To foster this development, the High Technology High School will offer opportunities for the students to explore not only these connections, but also a wide range of subjects and interests.

Academics

High Technology offers a full high school education, with emphasis on math, science, and technology. Students take college courses during their junior and senior years, and seniors are required to take a mentorship course for one semester.

Class scheduling works around "block" scheduling. Most classes are at least 70 minutes long, with 5 periods per day. All students eat lunch at the same time, between 11:23 and 11:53 AM, except on activity period lunches. Most classes are held three times a week. Some science classes have "double labs" which are two periods (140 minutes) long, while calculus classes meet one extra period per week. Foreign languages taught at High Technology High School include Spanish, French and Latin. Junior and senior technology electives - Cisco Networking (being phased out as of the 2007-2008 school year), Project Lead the Way (Digital Electronics, Civil Engineering and Architecture, and Engineering Design and Development), and Brookdale Community College courses (C++/Java and CADD) - are held twice a week for three periods (210 minutes).

Both the faculty and the student body have found this schedule to be to their advantage. For students it means more time to get things done in class and more time to do homework. For the teachers it means longer uninterrupted blocks of time to instruct students.

Students of HTHS have an opportunity to participate in a mentoring program. The program is in lieu of participating in the college courses for one semester. Students work side by side with an engineer, scientist, or researcher, doing real-time research in a technological field two mornings each week. At the conclusion of the mentorship, each student delivers a multimedia presentation in a colloquium of peers and mentors. This summarizes all the formal and informal learning at the conclusion of the senior year.

All students are required to take Brookdale Community College courses as part of their academic preparation at HTHS. Additionally, students may elect to take courses on their own after school hours for exploration, transfer, or application to further collegiate studies.

Many of the courses offered at HTHS are taught by teams of teachers with expertise in their respective fields. The sci-tech program, humanities program, and the sophomore technologies program integrate multiple disciplines to enhance subject matter for students. Students work in teams which are assessed by exhibition as well as traditional methods.

Awards and recognition

*For the 2003-04 school year, High Technology High School received the Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve. [ [http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2003/10/10022003.html 2003 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program Chosen Schools] , United States Department of Education. Accessed June 6, 2006.]
*High Technology High School was twice named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest form of recognition for a New Jersey school, in both 1994-95 [ [http://www.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/education/ss/ss3.pl?string=id=014&maxhits=10000 New Jersey Department of Education Star School Award recipient detail 1994-95 school year, High Technology High School] , New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 22, 2006.] and 2001-02. [ [http://www.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/education/ss/ss3.pl?string=id=093&maxhits=10000 New Jersey Department of Education Star School Award recipient detail 2001-02 school year, High Technology High School] , New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 22, 2006.]
*Best Practice Award (1997 & 2002)Fact|date=July 2008
*"Star-Ledger" Scholar Award 2002Fact|date=July 2008
*Nineteen National Merit Scholarship Program Finalists in the Class of 2001 & Class of 2002Fact|date=July 2008
*61% of Graduating Class of 2008 National Merit Commended ScholarsFact|date=July 2008
*42% of Graduating Class of 2004 National Merit Commended Scholars
*40% of Graduating Class of 2003 National Merit Commended Scholars
*44% of Graduating Class of 2002 National Merit Commended Scholars
*Three National Merit Scholar Award 2003
*One National Merit Scholar Award 1997
*American Design Drafting Association (ADDA) Curriculum CertificationFact|date=July 2008
*Governor's School of New Jersey Appointments (2 in 1997, 4 in 2002, 5 in 2004)Fact|date=July 2008
*Two United States Military Academy (West Point) Appointments (1997 & 2002)
*HTHS was ranked as Number 90 in " Newsweek Magazine's" recent listing of "America's Best High Schools" in the August 5, 2005 issue. [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8759025/site/newsweek/ "America's Best High Schools"] , "Newsweek", August 5, 2005]
*High Technology High School was recognized by "Newsweek" magazine in its May 28, 2007 issue covering America's Best High Schools, as one of its 21 "Public Elites", a group of consistent high performers excluded from its rankings because of the number of students with SAT (or ACT) scores well above the national average. [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18784620/site/newsweek/ "The Public Elites"] , "Newsweek", May 28, 2007. Accessed May 25, 2007.]
*HTHS was cited as a "Public Elite", one of 22 such schools recognized nationwide in " Newsweek" magazine's listing of "America's Best High Schools" in the May 8, 2006 issue. Newsweek described the school as "A pre-engineering academy with topnotch humanities" [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12551652/site/newsweek/ "The Public Elites"] ,"Newsweek", May 8, 2006.]
*In 2005-06, HTHS averaged a 2039 combined SAT score, the highest average combined score statewide. [ [http://www.nj.com/news/reportcard/index.ssf?/str/reportcards/rankings/print.asp?frmsql=select+dist%5Fcod%2C+sch%5Fcode%2Cco%5Fname%2C+ldistric%2C+lname%2Ctested+%2C+allpasse++as+target+from+testcube+where+sgroup+%3D+%27aTotal%27+and+year+%3D+%270506%27+and+testprg+%3D+%27SAT%27+and+subject+%3D+%27SAT+Total%27+and+tested+%3E%3D+0+and+level+%3D+%27s%27+Order+by+allpasse+desc%2C+tested+desc&frmcounty=Statewide&frmgroup=aTotal&frmyear=0506&frmtest=SAT&frmsubject=SAT%20Total&frmdfg=All&frmtested=0&frmmeasure=allpasse 2005-06 School Test Score Rankings] , "The Star-Ledger". Accessed June 19, 2007.]
*HTHS was recently ranked as Number 7 in " US News and World Report's" listing of "America's Best High Schools" in 2007. [ [http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/gold-medal-schools.html?s_cid=related-links:TOP "Best High Schools"] , "US News and World Report", November 30, 2007]
*In the 2008 NJ/Eastern PA Regionals for the National Science Bowl, HTHS's A and B teams took 1st and 4th place, with the A team advancing to the National Finals on May 1-6, 2008. [cite web
title = High Technology High School Takes Top Prize at Regional Science Bowl
publisher = Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
date = 2008-02-25
url = http://www.pppl.gov/Sci_bowl_win08.html
accessdate = 2008-08-12 ]

MCVSD

There are four other career academies in the Monmouth County Vocational School District. These are referred to as sister schools.
* Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) in Sandy Hook
* Academy of Allied Health & Science (AAHS) in Neptune Township
* Communications High School (CHS) in Wall Township
* Biotechnology High School (BTHS) in Freehold

Extracurricular activities

High Technology High School offers a wide variety of clubs [ [http://www.hths.mcvsd.org/activities/index.shtml HTHS Official Site] ] :
*Academic Team
*Chess Club
*Computer Club
*Debate Club
*Environmental Club
*Experimental Research Group
*Investment Club
*Key Club
*Math League
*Model United Nations
*Multicultural Club
*National Honor Society
*Newspaper
*Performing Arts Club
**Drama
**Jazz Band
*Robotics Club
** Roborocks
** VEX Robotics
*School Newspaper
*Science Leagues
*Student Government Association
*Technology Student Association
*Yearbook

References

External links

* [http://www.hths.mcvsd.org/ High Technology High School (official site)]
* [http://www.mcvsd.org/ Monmouth County Vocational School District]
*NJReportCard|25|3260|010|High Technology High School
* [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3417500 Data for the High Technology High School] , National Center for Education Statistics
* [http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/parents/nj/2157/1554916/ Greatschools.net]
* [http://www.pltw.org/ Project Lead the Way]