NAPA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New Tech Network today announced the complete event schedule for its New Tech Network Annual Conference (NTAC), to be held at the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from Monday, July 16 through July 19, 2012. Some 1,200 principals, teachers, superintendents, students, and alumni, representing more than 120 schools nationwide are expected to attend this year’s conference to better prepare for the 2013 school year. New Tech is a non-profit school development organization that is transforming public schools across the United States.
NTAC 2012 provides an unprecedented professional development opportunity for those who are already a part of—or hoping to become active in—the growing New Tech Network. This year’s conference will bring together new and veteran school faculty, partners, coaches, and others to share strategies, celebrate successes, and strengthen the nationwide New Tech community. In addition to teacher training, conference events will include a superintendent focused forum, a student and alumni track, a track for those interested in starting a New Tech school, and academic leadership meetings. On Wednesday, July 18, awards will be presented to schools in various categories including: Best Project in Network, the Chad P. Wick Social Justice Award (given to a school that is working with underserved children), and the NTN Student Video Challenge winners.
“The New Tech Network Annual Conference is an inspiring convening that brings educators from throughout the country together who are re-imagining teaching and learning,” said Lydia Dobyns, President of the New Tech Network. “The quality and innovation demonstrated by teachers throughout the Network offers tangible evidence that public education in this country can meet the needs of every student. We couldn’t be more excited about this year’s conference and are looking forward to a fantastic event.”
NTAC 2012 builds upon the New Tech Network’s momentum from the academic year just past. New Tech will open over three dozen new schools in 2012, expanding to 120 schools in 18 states and Australia that will use the Network’s innovative design principles that create relevant and rigorous learning experiences. Those schools will join a nationwide group of schools that enjoy an annual graduation rate of 97 percent and a four-year cohort rate of 86 percent (for the academic year 2010-2011). In addition, the New Tech Network student acceptance rate to two- and four-year colleges was 98 percent. (Additional New Tech Network outcomes from the 2010-11 academic year can be found here.)
“New Tech’s project-based learning methods are empowering incoming teachers to reinvent their teaching style and students to better prepare themselves for careers in today’s world,” said Barry Schuler, former AOL Chief Executive Officer and Board Director at KnowledgeWorks, New Tech’s parent foundation. “It’s inexcusable that technology has become an integral part of every facet of society over the last 30 years with the exception of education, the foundational piece. The New Tech Network is redressing that gap. This year’s conference promises to celebrate and explore the teaching practices that are transforming our nation’s education landscape by speaking to students in ways that cultivate a true love of learning.”
First introduced in Napa, California in 1996, the New Tech model has proven successful across diverse student populations in urban, rural, and suburban public high schools. New Tech is emerging as one of the fastest-growing approaches to transforming high school education in the U.S. For a full list of New Tech schools, visit our website at: http://www.newtechnetwork.org/newtech_schools
To see New Tech’s highly successful approach in action, please visit: http://www.newtechnetwork.org/inside_newtech
About the New Tech Network
New Tech Network (NTN) is a non-profit school development organization that partners with districts and organizations to implement innovative schools. With 120 schools in 18 states and Australia, New Tech schools are characterized by a student-centered school culture that empowers students and teachers, an engaging project-based curriculum, and the integrated use of digital learning to facilitate relevant, teaching and learning. New Tech Network provides customized strategic consulting, teacher and administrative training and coaching and access to the Echo Learning Management System for students and teachers. New Tech Network provides a wide range of professional services to help rural, urban and suburban communities build thriving New Tech schools that achieve meaningful student outcomes. New Tech Network is a subsidiary of KnowledgeWorks, which seeks to transform U.S. public education from a world of schooling to a world of learning.
About KnowledgeWorks
KnowledgeWorks is bringing the future of learning to America’s high schools and creating widespread, lasting change in the communities and states we serve. Our portfolio of high school approaches includes New Tech Network high schools, EdWorks high school redesign, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and Early College High Schools.