prospective student info night 2014

Foothill Technology High SchoolFoothill Technology High School

2013 U.S News and World Report – “Best Schools in America” Top 1%

2012 & 2006 National Blue Ribbon School

2005 - 2012 Top 25 Ranked School in California

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Welcome & Introductions

“Lottery” Process– Q & A

Foothill Overview

Student & Staff Panel – Q & A

Student Led Campus Tour

Information Night Agenda

Lottery Process• Choice Window – Jan. 17 – 31 by

4:00 PM

• Lottery to take place in mid-February

• Letters mailed out in late February

• Accepted students have one week to confirm guaranteed seat

• Siblings given priority - must apply

• 2013: 560 applications - 9th grade

• Foothill currently above capacity • Current enrollment 998

Photo by Bethany Fankhauser/The Foothill Dragon Press

Magnet School of Choice

• Health Science, Communications, Technology Magnet

• No boundary areas & open to any student in the district

• Selection by a lottery process

Small School Environment

• Foothill’s positive school climate spotlighted in 2012 by WestEd.org

• Opportunities for academic intervention

• Individualized attention to meet their academic and social needs

Excellent Teachers

• Highly educated staff engages students with innovative instructional strategies and curriculum • Foothill’s most recent AP and API test scores rank us among the top high schools in the state

and nation*– Number 1 high school in Ventura County– Number 216th high school in the U.S.

*U.S. News & World Report, 2013

College Prep Curriculum• All courses taught at college

prep, honors or Advanced Placement level

• Advanced Placement participation and pass rate well above state and national average

• Approx. 70% of Foothill graduates have met the UC/A-G requirements compared to county average of 35%

Block Schedule

•Students say they are able to concentrate better on fewer subjects each school day

• 90 minute periods allowing for a variety of instructional strategies and in-depth study

Project-based Integrated Approach

• Action-based projects integrate many disciplines

• Integrated approach builds relevancy that increases student learning

Photo by Jackson Tovar/The Foothill Dragon Press

Technology Communication

Online newspaper:www.foothilldragonpress.org

• Daily reporting• Video• Photos of school events• Student life and opinions

Website & wiki:

www.foothilltechnology.org• Forms• FAQs• Daily bulletin• Teacher pages• Syllabi• Homework

Technology Instruction• 1:2 Student-to-

Computer Ratio

• PC pods

• iPads and Chromebooks

• 9th grade Education in the Digital Age (1-year course)

Photos by Aysen Tan/The Foothill Dragon Press

Mobile Technology

Can you spot one of the most powerful teaching and learning tools the world has ever known?

“Leveraging digital tools to promote independence, flexibility and capability in a rapidly changing world”

Mobile Technology at Foothill

Started to invest fundraising money into mobile tech one year ago

Educators from area schools visit Foothill regularly to see mobile technology teaching tools

One morning at Foothill…• 12th grade Government students use Explain Everything app

to show their understanding of Congressional committees.

One morning at Foothill…• 10th grade Chemistry students solve stoichiometry problems

on Educreations app.

One morning at Foothill…

• 10th-11th grade Physics students measure precision and accuracy of homemade catapults and gather data on an iPad.

• They take photos of their catapults to be used in teacher evaluation of project.

One morning at Foothill…• 9th graders use Google Drive (Google Docs) to create and

store presentations about colleges.

One morning at Foothill…

• 9th grade English students draw their symbolic understanding of the book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind with Doceri app, then post and present on Edmodo.

One morning at Foothill…

• 9th grade English students use Nearpod app on iPads to review for test, take polls and draw their understanding of George Orwell’s 1984.

One morning at Foothill…

• 12th grade English students use Chromebooks to create social media pages for characters in Shakespeare’s King Lear.

One morning at Foothill…

•11th grade Physiology students conduct a sweat gland lab using iPads and Inspiration app.

BYOD?

Yes!

Student Opportunities• Quality elective courses in

the areas of health sciences, art, communications and technology

• Bio Science Academy and Communications Strand– VCMC Partnership– Coastal Marine Biolabs

• ASB, FIRE, Speech & Debate, Journalism, Yearbook

Photos by Bethany Fankhauser ‘13 and Lucy Knowles ’15 of the Foothill Dragon Press

Student Opportunities

Courtesy KEYT -- January 9, 2014

FIRE• FIRE = Foothill Intervention Reinforcement and Enrichment• Strategic academic intervention for all 9th graders and for

upperclassmen with a 2.0 GPA or lower• Tutoring, research, integrated projects, study skills and

homework are a part of the FIRE format• 9th graders with below 2.0 GPA dropped from 33% in 2005 to

under 10% the last several years

Foothill Tech FIRE mentors on a fire truck

Support ProgramsRENAISSANCE

• Academic Incentive Program• 3.0 GPA or improve by .5• Nationally recognized program• Field trips, rallies, t-shirts, prizes,

weekly activities

AVID•Advancement Via Individual Determination•National Demonstration School •College culture school wide•Field trips, specialized classes, study strategies and college visits

Photos by (above) Natalie Smith; (left top) Bethany Fankhauser/The Foothill Dragon Press

School ActivitiesFoothill offers a wide variety of opportunities for students

•Clubs •Renaissance rallies/field days•2 formal dances•Spirit weeks•Air Guitar Celebration•Weekly lunchtime activities•Intramurals•And much more!

Photo (left) by Bethany Fankhauser; (below) Aysen Tan/The Foothill Dragon Press.

Physical Education

• On Campus Dance – Professional Dance Instructor

• Supervised @ Mavericks or YMCA

• P.E. on campus• Personalized Fitness Plans

using Technology• Independent Study (10,

11, 12 only)• Athletics

Photo (above) by Aysen Tan; (right) by Josh Ren/The Foothill Dragon Press.

AthleticsFoothill to begin interscholastic athletics in 2014-15

Core Principles:

• Academics

• Balanced Approach

• Unified Programs

• Fitness for Life

Will compete in Tri-County Athletic Association (TCAA)

• All sports except wrestling and football

• Innovative program – CAP

• Area facilities

• Professional coaches

• For athletics information: www.foothilltechnology.org/FAQ-foothill-athletics/

Athletics

Ventura Aquatic Center, top, photo courtesy of the City of Ventura

Ventura College track, right, photo courtesy of VCCCD

Community Service Requirements• All students must

complete 75 hours of community service during their four years at Foothill

• Powerful learning tool to build empathy and teach respect for others

College BoundCollege Bound

Some Foothill accomplishments!

• Top 1% of high schools in America – U.S. News and World Report Ranked #216 among the approximately 22,000 high schools in America (2013)

• Top 25 high schools in California - API of 906 (2013)

• Sixty percent of graduates enrolled in a four year university compared to the state average of 15-20% (2013)

• A pass rate of 100% on the California Exit Exam (2013)

• Over three quarters of student body earning Renaissance status; 3.0 GPA or above (2013)

• National Blue Ribbon School – Only school in Ventura County to be nominated (2012)

• AVID National Demonstration School (2012)