New Tech Network Releases Data Demonstrating High School Students Outperform
College Freshmen on Key Indicators of Higher Order Thinking Skills
2013 academic indicators show significant student growth
from freshman to senior years
Napa, CA. October 03, 2013 – High School seniors attending New Tech Network (NTN)
schools outperformed 68% of 4-year college freshmen with similar backgrounds and
abilities on key indicators of higher order thinking skills according to the College and Work
Readiness Assessment (CWRA). The CWRA gauges student growth and attainment of
skills such as analytical reasoning and evaluation, writing effectiveness, writing mechanics
and problem solving. Between freshman and senior years of high school, New Tech
students grow in these measures of higher order thinking skills at a rate 77% greater than
comparison students who participate in the CWRA.
“This is the third consecutive year that NTN seniors taking part in the CWRA demonstrate
strong performance. Not only do our seniors outperform college freshmen, but they are
showing remarkable growth in the very skills they will need to succeed after high school.
This is noteworthy, in part, given that many of the New Tech students participating in the
CWRA will be the first generation of college-goers in their families,” said Lydia Dobyns,
President of New Tech Network.
New Tech Network is a non-profit school development organization that works with district
and charter schools to innovate teaching and learning. The Network consists of 133
public elementary, middle and high schools in 23 states and Australia. Elements of a New
Tech high school experience include project-based learning, embedded use of technology
in and out of the classroom, internships and dual enrollment in college.
“Preparing students to be ready to succeed in college and ready for high tech employment
— or creating their own employment — requires a different high school experience than is
typical in America. It demands more rigor, more relevance, and more agency. New Tech
results offer compelling evidence that this innovative school model produces high school
graduates ready to compete in this century's workplace,” said Tom Vander Ark, author of
Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World, and CEO/founder of
GettingSmart.com.
New Tech Network believes that learning outcomes that focus on knowledge and thinking,
oral communication, student agency, collaboration and written communication best prepare
students for successful post-secondary paths and align with what employers and colleges
have identified as essential skills.
“In an increasingly innovation-driven economy, all students must learn to think critically,
work collaboratively, communicate effectively, and solve problems creatively. The latest
NTN results on the CWRA show that these schools continue to do an excellent job teaching
the competencies that matter most in the 21st century,” said Tony Wagner, author of
Creating Innovators and The Global Achievement Gap and the first Innovation Education
Fellow at the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard.
Additional measures of school success can be found in the New Tech 2013 Student
Outcomes Report. At NTN schools, 74 percent of graduating students enroll in college, a
level nine percent greater than the national rate, regardless of locale. Almost half (47
percent) of New Tech students qualify for assisted programs including free or reduced
lunch. Within the Network, 52 percent of New Tech students are students of color, a slightly
larger percentage than national public schools, and many New Tech schools serve a
student body comprised of more than 75% students of color.
The CWRA is administered by the Council for Aid to Education (CAE) — a national
nonprofit organization based in New York City. CAE was established in 1952 to conduct
policy research on higher education, promote corporate support of education and increase
the number of citizens who go to college.
NTN uses the CWRA to assess 10% of Network schools that represent the diversity of
communities and students served. Results show that New Tech schools in rural, suburban,
urban areas, as well as mid-size towns across the country, are closing the gap in higher
order thinking skills that often exists among students who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
About New Tech Network
The New Tech design is a blueprint, accompanied by a set of core beliefs, tools, and
strategies to help each school fulfill its purpose. New Tech design principles provide for an
instructional approach centered on project-based learning, a culture that empowers
students and teachers, and integrated use of technology in the classroom. Through
extensive professional development, personalized coaching and access to Echo, a learning
management system, NTN empowers principals, teachers, and students to develop
compelling, relevant and meaningful learning communities.
NTN 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 a social enterprise that seeks to create sustainable improvement in
U.S. student readiness for college and careers by incubating innovative school and
community approaches, influencing education policy, and engaging in education
research and development. Our portfolio includes New Tech Network, EDWorks and
Strive.
To learn more about NTN results: NTN CWRA Results 2012
To learn more about NTN schools: Our Schools
Media Contact:
Krista Clark
kclark@newtechnetwork.org
707-307-3345
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