News Update
Back into action: Plano ISD continues work on Academy High School
By Conner Hammett, chammett@starlocalnews.com
Plano ISD teachers and administrators are back from their holiday break, wasting no time in picking up where they left off with the Plano ISD Academy High School.
Set to open in August, the academy will put students in a non-traditional, project-based learning environment that challenges them to find what academic principles they need to learn to complete various teacher-prompted projects.
Friday was the last day students could apply for the academy, which received applications from about 450 students who will be in 9th or 10th grade next year.
Due to the school's capacity of 150 students per grade level, a lottery will take place to decide who will be enrolled in the academy's first academic year, said Renee Godi, principal of the academy.
"Our school is going to have representation from all middle schools and high schools within Plano, so it's a little different from a true lottery, since we are taking a percentage of students from each middle school and high school," Godi said.
Development of the school's curriculum, perhaps the largest piece of the academy puzzle, is still under way but has seen significant progress since last fall, with some problem-based learning projects already completed, Godi said.
One project, "Tiny Houses," challenges students to design a minimalistic home less than 800 square feet in size. The project encompasses principles of physics, world geography, geometry and even English -- students will read poetry related to the concept of home for inspiration, Godi said.
Students will manage between one and four projects at any given point in the semester depending on the size and complexity of the project. The district aims to have 20 to 30 projects ready to go when the school opens, though curriculum designers are taking care to combine courses in a meaningful way, Godi said.
"We've got a lot of seeds of ideas, and we're beginning to build on them," she said. "I think one of our challenges has been that there's not a true interdisciplinary project out there. A lot of schools that are doing project-based learning that are STEM schools, they typically connect math and science of English and history, and those are really easy to blend together."
The district also continues work on finalizing plans for technology at the academy. Jim Hirsch, associate superintendent for academic and technology services, said technology will be implemented in the school in a fashion consistent with the project-based learning model. In other words, students will need to figure out what tools to use and learn how to use them to complete their projects.
While there will be projection equipment, a permanent fabrication lab and some fixed desktop computers, most technology will be mobile in form and function to allow students to move freely around the building, Hirsch said.
"We're not going to try and equip this 100 percent like we would a typical school," he said. "When we open a school, usually it's ready to go. Here, we're purposefully going to say, 'Alright, we know we need this to start with. You help us decide what it is we also need to include.'"
Godi said what mobile devices will be used is still being decided -- laptops and tablets are among the chief ideas, and students will be encouraged to bring their own mobile devices. Teachers will be equipped with similar devices.
Remaining work
With regard to renovations, Hirsch said the district is looking to keep the design of the building mostly intact. The biggest changes will be a full-service kitchen and cafeteria, as well as a health clinic and the
fabrication lab, all on the building's first floor. Some first-floor interior walls will be cut back to create work spaces, as well.
The large, open collaborative spaces of the building will be left intact, Hirsch said, adding that the school will experiment with lighting and aesthetic design elements to define uses for each space.
Godi said construction on the building will begin in March.
"The other piece that we'd like to look at is outdoor learning spaces and how we can develop that, because we want students to have that experience," she said, "but for the most part we're using furniture to divide spaces. You're not going to see a whole lot beyond finishes."
Efforts also continue to secure financial contributions and classroom-level support from local technology companies, an effort founding sponsor Texas Instruments has been helping facilitate. The district has been in contact with half a dozen "serious contenders" for financial partnerships, Godi said.
"We really want this to be a seamless transition of industry coming within our building, because I think that's what drives the motivation for the students," she said. "They start to be intrigued ... They're seeing the need in the industry, so therefore they're beginning to buy into why they need to do something."
Aleta Stampley, K-12 education and community relations director for TI, said the company also plans to offer campus-level student and teacher help for the school's projects, feedback on student work and company tours for students. The company also plans to use the school as a beta-testing site for some of its new technology before it hits the market.
"We want an integrated group of people working for us, because those are the ones that are going to come up with the solutions for our 90,000 customers," she said. "You have to have to have an integrated kind of thought process; you should be using your entire brain, not just one side. ... Those who have those skills are much better in a team environment, which is where we sit."
Set to open in August, the academy will put students in a non-traditional, project-based learning environment that challenges them to find what academic principles they need to learn to complete various teacher-prompted projects.
Friday was the last day students could apply for the academy, which received applications from about 450 students who will be in 9th or 10th grade next year.
Due to the school's capacity of 150 students per grade level, a lottery will take place to decide who will be enrolled in the academy's first academic year, said Renee Godi, principal of the academy.
"Our school is going to have representation from all middle schools and high schools within Plano, so it's a little different from a true lottery, since we are taking a percentage of students from each middle school and high school," Godi said.
Development of the school's curriculum, perhaps the largest piece of the academy puzzle, is still under way but has seen significant progress since last fall, with some problem-based learning projects already completed, Godi said.
One project, "Tiny Houses," challenges students to design a minimalistic home less than 800 square feet in size. The project encompasses principles of physics, world geography, geometry and even English -- students will read poetry related to the concept of home for inspiration, Godi said.
Students will manage between one and four projects at any given point in the semester depending on the size and complexity of the project. The district aims to have 20 to 30 projects ready to go when the school opens, though curriculum designers are taking care to combine courses in a meaningful way, Godi said.
"We've got a lot of seeds of ideas, and we're beginning to build on them," she said. "I think one of our challenges has been that there's not a true interdisciplinary project out there. A lot of schools that are doing project-based learning that are STEM schools, they typically connect math and science of English and history, and those are really easy to blend together."
The district also continues work on finalizing plans for technology at the academy. Jim Hirsch, associate superintendent for academic and technology services, said technology will be implemented in the school in a fashion consistent with the project-based learning model. In other words, students will need to figure out what tools to use and learn how to use them to complete their projects.
While there will be projection equipment, a permanent fabrication lab and some fixed desktop computers, most technology will be mobile in form and function to allow students to move freely around the building, Hirsch said.
"We're not going to try and equip this 100 percent like we would a typical school," he said. "When we open a school, usually it's ready to go. Here, we're purposefully going to say, 'Alright, we know we need this to start with. You help us decide what it is we also need to include.'"
Godi said what mobile devices will be used is still being decided -- laptops and tablets are among the chief ideas, and students will be encouraged to bring their own mobile devices. Teachers will be equipped with similar devices.
Remaining work
With regard to renovations, Hirsch said the district is looking to keep the design of the building mostly intact. The biggest changes will be a full-service kitchen and cafeteria, as well as a health clinic and the
fabrication lab, all on the building's first floor. Some first-floor interior walls will be cut back to create work spaces, as well.
The large, open collaborative spaces of the building will be left intact, Hirsch said, adding that the school will experiment with lighting and aesthetic design elements to define uses for each space.
Godi said construction on the building will begin in March.
"The other piece that we'd like to look at is outdoor learning spaces and how we can develop that, because we want students to have that experience," she said, "but for the most part we're using furniture to divide spaces. You're not going to see a whole lot beyond finishes."
Efforts also continue to secure financial contributions and classroom-level support from local technology companies, an effort founding sponsor Texas Instruments has been helping facilitate. The district has been in contact with half a dozen "serious contenders" for financial partnerships, Godi said.
"We really want this to be a seamless transition of industry coming within our building, because I think that's what drives the motivation for the students," she said. "They start to be intrigued ... They're seeing the need in the industry, so therefore they're beginning to buy into why they need to do something."
Aleta Stampley, K-12 education and community relations director for TI, said the company also plans to offer campus-level student and teacher help for the school's projects, feedback on student work and company tours for students. The company also plans to use the school as a beta-testing site for some of its new technology before it hits the market.
"We want an integrated group of people working for us, because those are the ones that are going to come up with the solutions for our 90,000 customers," she said. "You have to have to have an integrated kind of thought process; you should be using your entire brain, not just one side. ... Those who have those skills are much better in a team environment, which is where we sit."
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