A new high-tech high school appears to be in the horizon as an option for incoming freshmen at Niles High School in the fall of 2011.
Superintendent Richard Weigel presented the plan during a parent advisory meeting at the high school this week.
The Niles School Board of Education has not approved it yet, but Weigel said he doesn’t foresee any reason why it shouldn’t be passed.
Freshmen will have a choice between the traditional classroom setting or the new-tech program.
The traditional classroom setting involves the teacher lecturing to the students with homework and tests in an hour to 90-minute sessions.
The concept of the new-tech school involves students working in teams with real problems or engaging in projects, the teachers collaborate with each other, and the students are involved in sharing responsibilities for governing the school, Weigel said.
“There are no bells, no passes. Kids know where they are going and what they are doing in a high-tech school,” he said.