Press Releases

November 29, 2005
Summit Praises Napa Community for 21st Century Education

Napa, CA – At the 3rd Annual Summit on 21st Century Skills held on November 9th and 10th, 2005, in Washington DC, the Napa community and New Technology High School received acclaim for not only laying the foundation for a 21st century education, but achieving results as well.

Since first opening its doors in 1996, 14 schools across the country have been modeled after Napa’s New Technology High School. New Technology Foundation was opened in 1999 as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization working to achieve national education reform with schools that desire to model the Napa New Technology High School. By the end of the 2006-07 school year there will be over 25 schools across the country. Because of its success and growing network of schools, Napa New Tech High was used to demonstrate to the Summit participants what a successful 21st Century high school education program consists of.

The two day summit was presented by The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the leading advocacy organization focusing on infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful 21st century education and to ensure that students emerge from schools with the skills needed to be effective citizens, workers, and leaders in the 21st century.

An overview of the summit stated that there is a growing concern among elected officials, business people, policy makers, educators and the public that High Schools in the United States are falling short in preparing students for success in the 21st Century.

High School students in the United states are performing poorly on national assessments and in international comparisons of academic performance such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This is a clear indication that our youth may face challenges to survive in an ever growing interdependent and competitive global economy. Unless high school redesign initiatives provide knowledge and 21st century skills that students need to succeed in higher education, civic life and the work force, they will not be sufficiently prepared.

Ken Kay, President of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills shared with his audience a great example of how the 21st century skills movement has gained dramatic momentum over the past year. In his speech, he highlighted the Napa community and Napa New Technology High School as a national model for 21st Century education.

“The business community in Napa, California became frustrated with the lack of skilled local employees and determined that no child should graduate high school without critical 21st century skills, such as effective communication and critical thinking. They supported their local school district in creating New Technology High School, where curriculum now reflects as 21st century approach to education. For example: Teachers at New Tech High have turned state-mandated content standards into engaging, academically rigorous, and integrated projects that foster active learning, high order thinking skills and more authentic evaluation of the standards and 21st century skills.

New Tech High also focuses on forging partnerships with the school districts, the county office of education, local community colleges, and parents and business partners to support the high school experience. These partnerships provide a broad set of experiences designed to get students thinking about life after high school.

We applaud New Tech High as a national model for 21st century education. This is an excellent example of business community, school board leaders and educators working together to determine the skill set their local children will need to succeed as citizens and workers and putting a system in place to produce these skills.”

In addition to the glowing remarks about the community of Napa and New Technology High School, a live interactive video conference with students and alumni from New Tech High was conducted so that Summit attendees could learn first hand what it’s like to experience a 21st century high school.

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New Technology Foundation, www.newtechfoundation.org, supports the creation of new small high schools based on the Napa New Technology High School Model, thereby offering a concrete model for how national education reform can be accomplished. NTF is creating an NTHS Network across the country with schools in California, Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, Illinois and Louisiana, with additional schools opening in North Carolina, Texas and New York over the next two years.. For more information, visit the website, or phone (707) 253-6951.

Contact:
Susan Schilling, Director of Development | New Technology Foundation | (707) 253-4287
Susan Lane, CEO | New Technology Foundation | (707) 259-8524