New Tech Network operates nationwide with schools, districts, and communities to develop innovative high schools. New Tech helps schools fundamentally rethink their approach to teaching and learning, empowering students to become the creators, leaders, and producers of tomorrow.

Founded in Napa, California, in 1996, New Tech is made up of 40 schools in nine states serving thousands of students.

Three key elements set our schools apart and fuel our success:

A new instructional approach that engages learners. Project-based learning (PBL) is at the heart of the New Tech instructional approach. PBL uses technology and inquiry to engage students with issues and questions that are relevant to their lives. In New Tech classrooms, teachers design rigorous projects tied to state and district standards and customize them to their location and the interests of students. Students then work in teams to acquire and apply knowledge and skills to solve problems. New Tech’s approach to PBL fundamentally changes the role of teacher and student. Instead of traditional one-to-many instructors, teachers become facilitators and coaches who guide students to take charge of their own learning, invent their own solutions, and develop self-management techniques. New Tech invests deeply in process, through ongoing training and support, to ensure all teachers can become effective in this transformative approach to learning.

A culture that empowers students and teachers. Trust, respect, and responsibility are the hallmarks of our culture. At New Tech schools, students and teachers alike have exceptional ownership of school administration and the learning experience. Students have a level of responsibility similar to what they might experience in a professional work environment. Working on projects and in teams, students become accountable to their peers, taking individual responsibility to get work done. In this trusted, respectful environment, students decide how to allocate their time, team roles, and how to collaborate, and even have a voice in campus leadership and policy. Traditional management tools such as hall passes and class bells are a thing of the past.

Integrated use of technology. Smart use of technology supports our innovative approaches to instruction and culture. All classrooms have a one-to-one computing ratio. With access to Web-enabled computers, every student becomes a self-directed learner who no longer needs to rely primarily on teachers or textbooks for knowledge. A proprietary Web-based system — the PeBL™ Collaborative Learning Environment — unifies students’ learning experiences, enabling them to share projects online, collaborate and create new knowledge. PeBL™ facilitates a process for teachers to transform themselves into project-based coaches. It provides a structure for teachers to confidently manage a new approach to learning, while benefiting from and contributing to a shared resource of best practices.

To learn more, please visit www.newtechnetwork.org.