High Tech High stresses diversity and individual learning plans

By Carol Chmelynski

12/16/03 -- Diversity is one of the most important goals of High Tech High, a 420-student charter school in San Diego.

The school, formally known as the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High School, was created in 2000 by corporate leaders concerned about the education of future workers and by educators committed to developing a new model of urban high school education.

One of the school's key objectives is "to increase the participation of educationally disadvantaged students in science, math, and engineering," says Principal Larry Rosenstock.

Personalized instruction

When the school opened, California had just passed Proposition 209, which eliminated affirmative action in public colleges and prohibited public schools from creating a diverse student body through explicit racial balancing.

Yet, High Tech High is racially integrated, roughly mirroring the racial composition of the San Diego Unified School District as a whole, Rosenstock says. The school uses a lottery system to admit students.

In its first two years, High Tech High received a 10, the highest rank on California's academic performance index.

The school's program is built on three principles -- personalization, adult world connection, and common intellectual mission -- and each one has an important effect on issues of diversity, Rosenstock says.

Personalization means each student is part of a small advisory group and keeps the same adviser through his or her time at school. Advisers help students develop individualized education plans and digital portfolios showcasing their best work.

"The best way for us to show we value diversity is to truly support the intellectual development of each student," says staff member Rob Riordan. "When students have a voice in determining their own learning and creating their own project, they are able to express who they are, their values, and identity."

The school strives to implement a connection with the adult world through internships, community-based projects, and the constant presence of community members in the school.

Adult presence

Scientists and industry experts sit on panels and comment on students' learning presentations. Professionals are invited to "power lunches" where they talk about their field and answer students' questions. When students show an interest in a particular subject, outside experts are recruited to teach electives on a voluntary basis.

The school adopted the adult world connection to make learning relevant and avoid the what's-the-point questions that dog most high school students, says Associate Principal Rebecca Haddock

All these elements, and especially internships, have a particularly strong impact on low-income students and students of color, she notes. "It's all about access. Internships give these students access to people, workplaces, and organizations they would not otherwise have. They end up having mature, mutually respectful relationships with people students feel are doing 'real work.'"

"In most public high schools, about 15 percent of the kids have a map of where they are going and what they are learning in school," says Ben Daley, associate principal for academic affairs. "The rest of the kids kind of muddle through. Here, we want everybody to know exactly what it takes to do good work. That's what the common intellectual mission is all about. It also means no tracking."

Rosenstock credits the school's success to the no-tracking policy. After much discussion and analysis, the faculty decided that all students would take the same classes, and if they want honors credit, they would need to do more in-depth, independent work.

Faculty members acknowledge that it is challenging to teach students with a wide range of educational backgrounds. But, Daley says, "that's the challenge we have set for ourselves, and we think it's worth it."

Small size

"Many of these principles would be impossible to put into practice in a school of 2,000 students. Small schools make authentic, mutually respectful relationships between students of different races and between students and teachers more possible," says Rosenstock.

Keeping a school small is financially challenging and takes great commitment, he adds. Initial budget projections showed the school would be much more financially feasible if it enrolled 900 to 1,200 students, and "there was great pressure to do this."

But Trustee Chair Gary Jacobs says: "Had we opened with 1,200 students, we would have lost the personalization that is so important. Instead, we decided to open a series of small schools. We'll get to the 1,200 kids eventually, but one school at a time."

Adjacent to the high school is the brand-new High Tech Middle School, with 340 students in grades 6-8. High Tech International is scheduled to open in September with about 200 ninth and 10th graders. It will eventually expand to a 400-student, 9-12 high school with a focus on international studies.