New Tech Academy Coming to J. L. Mann High School
Technology That Enables - Teaching That Engages - Culture That Empowers
Incoming freshmen at J. L. Mann High Academy will soon have the opportunity to apply for membership in the school’s New Tech @ Mann, opening in August 2014 for 150 ninth graders who live in the attendance area or are accepted as a magnet student. A new freshman class will be added each year until the Academy has students in ninth through twelfth grades.
New Tech @ Mann, part of a national network of schools, will offer students a comprehensive high school curriculum with a focus on project-based instruction. Through project-based learning, students collaborate on meaningful projects that require critical thinking, creativity, and communication that allows them to answer challenging questions and solve complex problems.
The four-year planned curriculum will allow for AP credit and dual-course college credit. Students will largely determine the direction of the projects and they will complete an internship or a senior project before graduating. Support courses at New Tech @ Mann will focus on the technological skills students will need to complete projects and perform in the workplace or at college.
New Tech’s structure changes the way teachers work, requiring that they receive a year of professional development before beginning to teach the program. Teachers will receive a total of 600 hours of professional development over the first five years.
To learn more about the program, parents and students interested in learning about the New Tech @ Mann Program are encouraged to attend a Parent Night on Wednesday, January 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the school, 160 Fairforest Way, Greenville.
Applications will be available at the school and online beginning January 22. Applications will be reviewed for student interest in project-based learning, GPA, school attendance, and school discipline. Any interested home-based or accepted magnet student may apply.
About New Tech Network
The New Tech Network has 134 schools in 23 states and Australia, including two schools in South Carolina – Cougar New Tech in Walterboro and Scott’s Branch High School in Summerton. New Tech schools have a 97 percent graduation rate and 98 percent of their students are accepted into two- and four-year colleges.