Measuring Outcomes that Matter
NTN schools succeed because of a whole school,
systemic approach where skills are valued
as much as scores.
We Believe...
Successful students should leave school with the skills and abilities to thrive in the workforce – whether they enter the workforce immediately, choose to attend college, or work while continuing their education.
Higher academic and business community are demanding different skills from employees and college students. Businesses are no longer aligned with the way traditional school is taught.
The workforce is changing jobs at such a rapid rate that the future of jobs is uncertain. Many of the jobs that current students will have are not yet invented.
michigan and New Tech Network
School Leaders Say...
We’ve evolved so much as a school district from being part of the Network. Now, we’re going much deeper, looking at equity, opportunity gaps, social and emotional learning. Being in this Network has helped me to become a much more diversified leader. When I want to innovate, I come to the leaders in this Network. That’s what I really enjoy about New Tech Network - it will push you and fulfill you at the same time.
Craig Carmoney
Superintendent, Meridian School District
In New Tech schools, the students are connected with experts in the field, either virtually or in the school itself, including members of the community that can provide them with authentic working experiences. We’re sending them out the doors as juniors and seniors, to take vocational classes, dual-enrollment courses, academic and CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses. We’re pushing them into the world a little bit, to see what careers are out there, and help them develop the skills needed for those careers.
Jerry Holtgren
Director at Niles New Tech
Data that Supports Our Work
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Better Together
To prepare students for the future, they need to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and learn
how to find and apply content knowledge, not just memorize it. To tackle this challenge educators cannot
work alone. New Tech Network is just that, a Network, where a group of diverse, driven educators
work together to pioneer learning for the future.
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NTN PARTNER SCHOOLS
NEW TECH NETWORK | MICHIGAN
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New Tech Network's Vision
In trying to improve student outcomes, educators are faced with a tension between delivering on the promise of workforce readiness skills like agency, collaboration, and communication, while prioritizing traditional content mastery and state assessment efforts. It’s been clear for a long time that state assessments are not an adequate indication of student preparedness. School systems have tried to combat a heavy reliance on test scores by introducing, among other things, new mission and value statements.
At New Tech Network, we are often encouraged when school districts produce new visions for student success, but for every iteration of a District vision statement or shiny new infographic, there are classrooms still “preparing” students in the same way they were taught 100 years ago – sitting in rows, memorizing and regurgitating information, apathetic and unengaged in their own education. Creating and adopting sweeping statements unaccompanied by aligned strategic action do not translate to changes in school and classroom practice.
To deliver on the promise of future success that districts often make to their communities, they must act, not just assess. Crafting bold visions and then tinkering around the edges will not suffice, and will eventually cause more harm than good. The only way to deliver and sustain workforce readiness outcomes is to apply a whole school, or a whole system approach. Adding “bolt-on” programs or new electives cannot change the systemic lack of value given to workforce readiness skills.
New Tech Network dove into a whole school approach to transformation 20 years ago, knowing that the only way to affect change is to be a part of it, on the ground, with school leaders and teachers, in the classrooms.
Even after 20 years, we believe there is no time to waste, as every student deserves the opportunity to attend a school where they are part of a safe, inclusive, affirming community, and deserve to be challenged and engage in complex thinking and problem-solving that will prepare them for whatever path they choose after high school.
In assessing the realities of the working world today, there are three principles that we can all agree on. Not only are they based in logic, they are backed by research.
• Teaching real-world skills embedded into a challenging academic curriculum are important for the success of students, yet students still move through school and graduate unprepared for the next step in their educational or career journey.
• The demands of the higher academic and business community are no longer aligned with the way traditional schools is taught.
• The workforce is changing at such a rapid rate that the jobs many current students will have are not yet in existence.
NTN schools succeed because of a whole school, systemic approach where skills are valued as much as scores.
Keep Learning
THE NEW TECH NETWORK SCHOOL AND STUDENT SUCCESS REPORT
THE FIVE NTN LEARNING OUTCOMES
ABOUT PBL
THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION