New Tech Leaders Attend Training

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With the launch of New Tech @ Ruston officially underway, the leadership and staff of the new Lincoln Parish initiative recently completed training within the national New Tech Network.

NT@R Director Cathi Cox and Coordinator Catherine Letendre recently spent a week at Decatur Central High School’s New Tech School of IDEAS (Innovation, Design, Engineering, Application, Service). The Indianapolis, Indiana, school has been recognized for Distinguished Implementation of the New Tech Model and served as the host site for the Principals Residency training. There the Ruston tandem joined other leadership teams from Hawaii, New Mexico, Ohio, Michigan, Washington, California, and Louisiana.

During the week, Cox and Letendre engaged in an intense series of experiences that focused on the successful launch of NT@R, development of strong school and professional culture, introduction to project-based learning and tools for effective project development, and engagement in best practice models of collaboration and support. They also joined a group at Indianapolis’ historic Arsenal High School’s New Tech, making this the seventh New Tech site the Lincoln Parish group has studied during its research.

Cox and Letendre then joined NT@R staff at Manor New Tech outside of Austin, Texas, for the New Teacher Shadowing Experience. Lindsay Beggs (English), Kim Goree (World Geography), Kay Peters (Animation and Visual Effects), Daryl Savage (math), Sarah Wages (science), and Missy Wooley (STEM) spent two days immersed in a variety of opportunities that focused on the three key elements that set New Tech schools apart and fuel their success: rigorous and engaging teaching, collaborative culture that empowers, and technology that enables.

Recently awarded national recognition from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as a model for reaching underserved youth, Manor provided the NT@R staff the opportunity to interact with its highly successful teachers and students through observations, panels, and presentations. Motivated by Manor’s impressive data that includes a virtually zero dropout rate, 97% attendance rate, and ability to out-perform the state in all core areas, the Ruston staff began its collaboration on developing curricular projects formed around New Tech Project Essentials as well as developing the unique school culture for the new Lincoln Parish initiative.

“These experiences will prepare them for the New Tech world in which they will help students achieve at a higher level and closer to what their potential actually is,” shares Ruston High School Principal Mike Milstead. “These training experiences take the guess work out of how to teach using the New Tech model. It allows us to immediately ‘raise the bar’ in an engaging way for students who are most likely to learn best in a project-based environment. The best high school educational world is challenging and engaged.”

The NT@R leadership and staff will continue its preparation with an upcoming site visit to New Tech High @ Coppell outside of Dallas, Texas, then a series on local meetings and retreats before attending the week-long New Schools Conference in Indianapolis in June.