High Tech High School
Encyclopedia
High Tech High School is a full-time magnet
public high school
, located in North Bergen
, New Jersey
, United States, operating as part of the Hudson County Schools of Technology
. Since its establishment in 1991, High Tech High School has been named a Top Ten High School, a Governor's School of Excellence, a New Jersey Star School (twice) and has been cited by New Jersey Monthly
magazine as one of the state's great public high schools. The school is well noted for exceeding highly in the sciences and in the performing arts (winning several awards in both fields).
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school has an enrollment of 591 students and 59 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.02.
is the smallest of New Jersey's 21 counties. Highly urbanized and densely populated, the 2000 census ranked this area as fourth in the nation on the ethnicity index. As a regional magnet school, High Tech draws on its diverse student population from the 12 towns and cities within the county. The average expenditure per student is $14,760 and is derived from federal, state, and county aid. High Tech High School is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education
. 43% of the student body is Hispanic, 32% is Caucasian, 16% is Asian/Pacific Islander, and 9% is African American.
(HCIAA), which included private and parochial high schools in Hudson County. The league operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
(NJSIAA).
High Tech has a few sports teams, including girl's and boy's tennis, bowling, a judo club and basketball, as well as soccer, but their best continues to be their soccer team. This included a five year run of county championships (2004-2008).
The girls softball team won the 2008 North I, Group II state sectional championship, defeating Hoboken High School
3-1 in the tournament final. The team won the first round of the Group I state championship with a 4-2 win over Pompton Lakes High School
4-2, before falling to Pennsville Memorial High School
by a score of 8-2 in the final game.
On March 12, 2010, mayors from all 12 municipalities in Hudson County signed a petition stating that High Tech High School and County Prep High School
should eliminate their sports programs because of budget cuts. On April 22, 2010; it was revealed in the new budget that sports were cut from both schools for the 2010-11 school year.
The student government consists of four student councils (one each for the freshman class, the sophomore class, the junior class, and the senior class). Student government meetings are attended by these four councils, the student government counselor, the Principal, the Vice Principal, and representatives from various departments, such as the cafeteria, maintenance, transportation, etc. In addition, student councils from new programs such as AACT are also present.
Each student council consists of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a homeroom representative from each homeroom. In addition, representatives-at-large are occasionally appointed by the President. Each council also has two faculty advisers, one male and one female.
The effort behind the lounge was time-consuming and costly. Members of the student council spent the last 4–6 weeks of school finding the furniture and navigating through the school district's bureaucratic quagmire, which required approval for almost everything. Preparations for the room included removing the contents of its previous role, as well as two layers of painting. Almost all of the physical work was done during the last week of school, after regular hours.
The second to last day of the school year was when most of the work was accomplished. A few members of the student council stayed until 10 PM, setting up the tables, couches, and opening ceremony preparations. The last day of the school was chaotic, with the mounting of a flat-panel HDTV, connecting of an HD DVD player, organizing a video library that just arrived in the mail, and the mounting of the class plaque. The class plaque, which cost over $600, has the names of every member of the class engraved on it. The opening ceremony was held with less than one hour left before the Class of 2007 left High Tech.
Up until the 2010-11 school year, many students used the lounge to relax and study; today, the area that was once called the Class of 2007 Lounge now serves as a detention room.
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, located in North Bergen
North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 60,773. Originally founded in 1843, the town was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States, operating as part of the Hudson County Schools of Technology
Hudson County Schools of Technology
The Hudson County Schools of Technology offer career and vocational training for public high school and adult students in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States....
. Since its establishment in 1991, High Tech High School has been named a Top Ten High School, a Governor's School of Excellence, a New Jersey Star School (twice) and has been cited by New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine as one of the state's great public high schools. The school is well noted for exceeding highly in the sciences and in the performing arts (winning several awards in both fields).
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school has an enrollment of 591 students and 59 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.02.
Demographics
High Tech High School was founded in 1991 by the Hudson County Schools of Technology school district to provide Hudson County residents with a quality public education in a technology based environment. The high school has grown from 30 students in 1991 to 480 students in present school year. High Tech has been able to maintain a student to faculty ratio of 12 to 1. Hudson CountyHudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...
is the smallest of New Jersey's 21 counties. Highly urbanized and densely populated, the 2000 census ranked this area as fourth in the nation on the ethnicity index. As a regional magnet school, High Tech draws on its diverse student population from the 12 towns and cities within the county. The average expenditure per student is $14,760 and is derived from federal, state, and county aid. High Tech High School is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
. 43% of the student body is Hispanic, 32% is Caucasian, 16% is Asian/Pacific Islander, and 9% is African American.
Sports
The High Tech Lasercats had competed in the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic AssociationHudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association is a New Jersey high school sports association operating under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association . The league consists of 23 public and parochial high schools in Hudson County in northern New Jersey...
(HCIAA), which included private and parochial high schools in Hudson County. The league operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports.-State championships:...
(NJSIAA).
High Tech has a few sports teams, including girl's and boy's tennis, bowling, a judo club and basketball, as well as soccer, but their best continues to be their soccer team. This included a five year run of county championships (2004-2008).
The girls softball team won the 2008 North I, Group II state sectional championship, defeating Hoboken High School
Hoboken High School
Hoboken High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Hoboken, New Jersey, part of the Hoboken Public Schools district.As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had an enrollment of 540 students and 49.5 classroom teachers , for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9.The school was the...
3-1 in the tournament final. The team won the first round of the Group I state championship with a 4-2 win over Pompton Lakes High School
Pompton Lakes High School
Pompton Lakes High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in the borough of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Pompton Lakes School District. The school accepts students from Pompton Lakes as well as those from Riverdale who attend as part of a...
4-2, before falling to Pennsville Memorial High School
Pennsville Memorial High School
Pennsville Memorial High School is comprehensive community public high school in Pennsville Township, in Salem County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Pennsville School District....
by a score of 8-2 in the final game.
On March 12, 2010, mayors from all 12 municipalities in Hudson County signed a petition stating that High Tech High School and County Prep High School
County Prep High School
County Prep High School is a full-time public high school, located in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Hudson County Schools of Technology....
should eliminate their sports programs because of budget cuts. On April 22, 2010; it was revealed in the new budget that sports were cut from both schools for the 2010-11 school year.
Majors
At High Tech, Juniors are required to have 80 minutes of a major per day, and Seniors are required to have 120 minutes (2 hours) of a major per day:- Advanced Cybernetics
- Audio Tech
- Automotive Tech
- Broadcasting
- Business Applications and Technology
- CADD
- Dance
- Desktop PublishingDesktop publishingDesktop publishing is the creation of documents using page layout software on a personal computer.The term has been used for publishing at all levels, from small-circulation documents such as local newsletters to books, magazines and newspapers...
- Motion Picture
- Office Systems
- Studio Arts
- Musical Theatre
- Theatre Arts
- TV Production
- Web Site Development
- AP BiologyAP BiologyIn the United States, Advanced Placement Biology , is a course and examination offered by the College Board to high school students as an opportunity to earn placement credit for a college-level biology course....
/AP ChemistryAP ChemistryAdvanced Placement Chemistry is a course and examination offered by the College Board as a part of the Advanced Placement Program to give American and Canadian high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn college-level credit.-The course:AP Chemistry is a course... - AP Computer ScienceAP Computer ScienceAdvanced Placement Computer Science is the name of two distinct Advanced Placement courses and examinations offered by the College Board to high school students as an opportunity to earn college credit for a college-level computer science course...
- AP PhysicsAP PhysicsAP Physics defines three categories of high school physics courses: A, B, and C. Category A refers to general introductory physics courses that are not mathematically rigorous...
- Science Technology
AACT program
The Academy of Architectural and Contemporary Themes, which opened in September 2006, is an academy within High Tech High School. This non-traditional learning environment is devoted to inquiry-based learning within small, personalized learning communities; students think critically and problem solve through standards-aligned interdisciplinary projects and seminars, performance-based assessment, real-world learning, and differentiated instruction. Group dynamics, writing proficiencies, project planning, and task completion skills are honed through projects. A "Personal Education Plan" is created for each student. Through modeling, facilitators teach the importance of equity, democracy, success, and lifelong learning.Student government
According to the school's website, "The High Student Government provides the main forum for discussing student concerns and ideas.The student government consists of four student councils (one each for the freshman class, the sophomore class, the junior class, and the senior class). Student government meetings are attended by these four councils, the student government counselor, the Principal, the Vice Principal, and representatives from various departments, such as the cafeteria, maintenance, transportation, etc. In addition, student councils from new programs such as AACT are also present.
Each student council consists of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a homeroom representative from each homeroom. In addition, representatives-at-large are occasionally appointed by the President. Each council also has two faculty advisers, one male and one female.
Class of 2007 lounge
With respect to tradition, each graduating class presents a gift to High Tech High School. Previous classes have given benches and trophy cases. The Class of 2007 created a lounge next to the school's media center.The effort behind the lounge was time-consuming and costly. Members of the student council spent the last 4–6 weeks of school finding the furniture and navigating through the school district's bureaucratic quagmire, which required approval for almost everything. Preparations for the room included removing the contents of its previous role, as well as two layers of painting. Almost all of the physical work was done during the last week of school, after regular hours.
The second to last day of the school year was when most of the work was accomplished. A few members of the student council stayed until 10 PM, setting up the tables, couches, and opening ceremony preparations. The last day of the school was chaotic, with the mounting of a flat-panel HDTV, connecting of an HD DVD player, organizing a video library that just arrived in the mail, and the mounting of the class plaque. The class plaque, which cost over $600, has the names of every member of the class engraved on it. The opening ceremony was held with less than one hour left before the Class of 2007 left High Tech.
Up until the 2010-11 school year, many students used the lounge to relax and study; today, the area that was once called the Class of 2007 Lounge now serves as a detention room.
Secondary education
High Tech boasts a large percentage of graduates who go on to matriculate in prestigious four year universities. Graduates from the class of 2010 went on to attend universities such as Georgetown, West Point, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Amherst, and Cornell.Awards
Awards received by High Tech High School include:- In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, the school was ranked 49th in New Jersey and 1,516th nationwide. - 2003 Governor's School of Excellence
- 2002 School Leader Award, NJ School Boards Association
- 2001 Best High School Musical, Director, Costumes - Paper Mill Playhouse
- 2000 2000 National Student Community Service Award - Skills USA
- 1999 100 Top Wired Schools in the US by Family PC Magazine
- 1998 New Jersey Star School by NJ Department of Education.
- 1997 Flagship School for Exemplary Video Journalism by Channel One
- 1996 NJ Best Practices in World Languages by NJ Dept. of Education
- 1995 New Jersey Star School by NJ Department of Education.
- 1995 10 Best Overall Schools in New Jersey by New Jersey MonthlyNew Jersey MonthlyNew Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
Magazine - 1994 Philanthropic Corporate Award by Panasonic, Matsushita
- 1993 Outstanding Program Award by NJASCD
- 1992 School Leadership Exemplary Program Award by NJSBA
- 1992 NJ State National Blue Ribbon Nominee, New Jersey Department of EducationNew Jersey Department of EducationThe New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
- 1992 School Leader Award Competition, NJ School Boards' Association
- 1991 Model Parental Involvement Program Award by NJSBA
External links
- The High Tech High School website
- Data for the Hudson County Schools of Technology, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Class of 2000
- AACT Program website