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The Educational Program
Individualization
Highland Tech High recognizes that students' different learning needs, family backgrounds and personal interests require individually designed educational programs. Our commitment of time and personnel maximizes our ability to know our students well. A low student-teacher ratio, small class sizes, an individual learning plan for each student, and a group of advisors who, remain constant throughout the years of their education at HTH, are ingredients for success for all our students.
Project Based Studies
Students learn by actively solving problems, a process that develops their critical thinking skills. Projects incorporate relevant and current issues, as well as the core disciplines. Students envision the interdisciplinary nature of these projects and find that each task may have more than one solution.
Students, who have the freedom to choose different strategies and approaches, become more involved in the learning process and will be more likely to approach other problems with an open mind. The curriculum is academically rigorous and highly effective in motivating students.
Comprehensive Assessments
Success at HTH requires creation of individual products, solving real life problems, and making oral and written presentations. Teachers, industry experts, community members, parents, and peers review these achievements. Through implementing the Re-Inventing Schools Coalition (RISC) Model, students move through performance levels and must master eight skill sets before they can graduate. The content and performance skills criterion meets or exceeds the Content and Performance Standards as set by the State of Alaska Department of Education.
Community Immersion
A practical understanding of ethics and integrity is not only a part of our curriculum; it is an essential element in the work place. Students learn how personal ethics relate to moral codes, as well as building responsibility, leadership, integrity, and teamwork. Students in Division I (7th and 8th grade) are involved in community service projects and volunteer work. Students in Division II (9th and 10th grade) shadow mentors in the business and educational work environments and Division III - Senior Level students (11th and 12th graders) are actively involved in internship and apprenticeship programs throughout the state.
Assessments are Comprehensive
Classes are small and accommodate individualized assessments of the full range of each student's achievements. Assessments are not based solely on testing remembered facts, but also on a student's ability to problem solve, experience, and apply what they have learned. Students will not only complete projects, but also present to and teach others about their findings.
Students must complete performance and content skills at each level before moving to the next. The Highland Model includes eight skill sets:
| • | reading and literature (reading) | |
| • | communication literacy, written and oral (writing) | |
| • | numeric literacy (math) | |
| • | technological literacy (technology) | |
| • | science and global environments (science) | |
| • | social environments – government, citizenship, cultural, historical studies (including geography and languages) | |
| • | personal, social, and service skills (character education) | |
| • | career and content literacy (business) |
Graduating students will have passed the HSQEE and will receive an Anchorage School District diploma. Students will also receive the HTH Credential Diploma, which will include a complete record of each student's courses of study, internship experiences, certificates of technical proficiency, performance standards report cards, evidence of other achievements, personal statements, and staff recommendations. Students at Highland Tech High are prepared and encouraged to continue their education beyond their high school years. More on testing.
HTH Resembles the Work Environment
Highland Tech High's school schedule more closely resembles the schedule typically found in the working world. The day is divided into three blocks and individual tutorials and extracurricular activities begin after 4 p.m. Students involved in sporting or academic activities at other facilities may receive waivers for release time from HTH, continuing their project work outside of the school. Laptop computers will be available for these students; however, they must be at a high level of PSS to be able to access the network for resources available within the school. Students wishing to leave school during the regular day must complete an ILP (Individual Learning Plan) that shows what standards they are completing, how they will do this, and when they will submit their work. Similar to projects at work, students are accountable for their work outside the walls of the school, setting up and meeting with their teachers to go over their work and get grades entered. Their main “supervisor” at HTH is their advisor.
Highland is Linked to Employers
The curriculum is based upon real-world projects that give students the opportunity to learn while working on problems of interest and concern in the community and is developed in collaboration with business and industry partners. If you would like to become involved as a business partner, please see the information posted on our Business Partner link. (link to Button 5 – subtopic of Partnerships)
Students are actively involved with adult mentors at several different levels. Division I students (7th and 8th graders) are involved in community service, while Division II students (9th and 10th graders) continue their community service work and begin shadowing mentors in career fields of interest. Senior Level (11th and 12th grade) students spend part of their days working off-site in industry related internships.
Adult Relationships Support Student Learning.
Highland Tech High staff members will have an opportunity to form close bonds with every student. Each student has a team of advisors with whom they can meet to address important personal, social, future career, and education issues. The advisors become familiar with each student's personal needs, strengths, and family background, and function as the point of communication with the student's family and industry mentors.
A group of six teachers and visiting adjuncts coordinate a student group of two grade levels, approximately 75 students. One of the six teachers will be a master teacher. The teachers and students remain together as a group for two years. Teachers engage in intensive staff development and shared planning time daily.
Teachers have planning times at the beginning of each school year, as well as “1/2 day Fridays”, allowing them to develop the team unity and curriculum projects that challenge and motivate students. Additionally, in-service planning days prior to each semester and daily group planning time are provided to give teachers both formal and informal opportunities to review, revise, and propose curriculum activities, thus developing the genuine interdependence that is critical to the success of the learning program at HTH. By planning multidisciplinary curriculum projects together, teachers become a collaborative team invested in the performance of each student, as well as the performance of the whole school
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