As the first school in the nation that connects high school, college, and the world of work through dynamic partnerships, P-TECH is pioneering a new vision for college and career readiness. With a unique 9-14 model, the goal for our diverse student population is 100% completion of an associate degree within six years. Through an emphasis on technology and work readiness skills, P-TECH has the power to transform generations.
In order to take college courses in Year 2, students must score at least a 75 on the English Regents and 80 on a math exam. Students who meet these requirements will be taking two college courses in year 2: Speech (SPE 1330) and Logic & Problem Solving (EMT 1111). As a result, in the month leading up to the exams we are emphasizing test preparation and encouraging students to spend as much time as possible working toward improving their scores. See the Home Learning page for more resources to help you prepare.
Math is FUNdamental!
To succeed in technology fields, it is essential that students have strong skills and content knowledge in mathematics. Our goal is for all students to score at least an 80 on the Integrated Algebra state exam. We are working hard to meet this goal. Over April vacation, all students are expected to complete a packet of math work. The assignment has been emailed to students and parents, and it can be downloaded from the Math Home Learning page.
The Best is Yet to Come...
At the last meet of 2011, the freshman 4x200 relay team earned the first gold medal of the year for the Robeson campus! P-TECH students (L-R) Rushawn Tyne, Kiambu Gall, Tahmel Anderson and Davon Wilkinson set a blazing pace to earn the gold against fierce competition in only their second meet of the year. With our own Coach Griffiths at the helm, this could be the start of big things for the boys track team in 2012, and beyond. Congratulations!
Citizen IBM on our Mentoring Kickoff
Our partners at IBM created a wonderful video from our mentoring event - take a look!
We're on CNN!
Over 100 IBMers visited P-TECH on October 14 for our mentoring kickoff event, and CNN was there to cover it. Take a look!
Thanks to CNN for the great piece, and thanks to the IBMers who have volunteered to mentor our students.
Latest News
Tech Giants and Public Schools Embrace Vo-Tech
Fast Company attended our engineering week event with IBM mentors. What happens when a public school and a huge tech company work together to educate young people? P-TECH!
The Pathways in Technology Early College High School or P-TECH offers a science, technology, engineering and math curriculum that leads to the simultaneous granting of a high school diploma and an associate's degree...The goal is to equip its graduates with the knowledge and skills for entry- and mid-level employment at tech companies. P-TECH achieves this objective by partnering with the New York City Education Department, the New York City College of Technology, the City University of New York and IBM.
TIME Magazine editor Rana Foroohar writes about how this school has the potential to transform the national conversation about education and economic development. "National competitiveness is the topic of the moment, but so much of the debate about it is conducted at 35,000 feet, at the policy level. In late March, I visited a place in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where change is happening on the ground."
Mayor Bloomberg writes in The Financial Times about the way forward for globablly competitive cities. He cites P-TECH as one of the major ways that New York is improving the climate for economic development and making education work for all of our young people.
Six years of high school? Longer school days? A math and science focused curriculum? It might not seem like the ideal high school experience to most, but for Alec Miller, “It’s worth it.”
9th grader Tahmel Anderson writes about his experience transitioning from a mediocre middle school experience to P-TECH. He is progressing quickly at our school, leaving bad habits from former schools behind--with this well-written entry as all the evidence you need that his skills have improved already.
Student Council President Brigette Luboa blogs for IBM's Smarter Planet website, with an entry titled "Good-bye safe private school. Hello risky new school with free associate's degree!". Brigette made a transition bigger than most, coming from a small Catholic school where she was one of only 35 students in her 8th grade class. We're so glad that she's excelling at P-TECH so far, a stellar example of our exceptional student body.
IBM, working with the New York and Chicago, has released a "playbook" for replication of the 9-14 postsecondary partnership school model. Blending high school, college, and career in one, this is the first step in the development of several new schools following our model. It is a tribute to our work here and our robust partnerships that this model is being learned from and replicated around the country.
IBM, Lenovo Look to High Schools for Future IT Workers
This eWeek article discusses the mission behind P-TECH and similar initiatives around the country: preparing underrepresented populations for careers in technology. As the Mayor said in his State of the City address a few weeks ago, “It’s a new way of thinking about secondary school based on today’s economic realities.”
CNN Radio visited P-TECH to learn more about our unique model, the innovative curriculum, and how we work with our partners to deliver results for all students. As Mr. Davis says: “In order to be competitive, students definitelyneed to leave with job-readiness skills so that way they can really have a shot at middle- and high-income lifestyles.”
Mayor Bloomberg delivered his 11th State of the City address on Thursday, Jan. 12. In the speech, held at Morris High School in the Bronx, he announced plans to develop three new schools inspired by the P-TECH model. These schools will cover grades 9-14, with different industry partners and career paths. We're honored to serve as a model for other schools in the city and around the country
IBM Executive Stan Litow writes about P-TECH in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, arguing that cities around the country should form public-private partnerships to tackle major problems--much like P-TECH.
High School-College Hybrid - U.S. News and World Reports
"The creation of grades "13" and "14" allows the school to focus on career training, according to P-Tech Principal Rashid Davis. The six-year curriculum is heavy on co-op and internship opportunities, especially during those final two years. Each student is assigned an IBM mentor, so that students can put a face to the profession they are pursuing."
In the past few days, Mayor Bloomberg has promoted P-TECH multiple times as part of the Education Nation summit, hosted by NBC in New York City. We'll post the video when it's available, but for now, read the article, and the text of his remarks is below.
“Last year, I also talked about how we would form some new partnerships with businesses, nonprofits, and universities to more directly connect our students to colleges and careers — and we have done that. One great example I wanted to share with you is what we call P-Tech, the new Pathways in Technology High School that we created jointly with I.B.M. and the City University of New York, which opened its doors this year. This groundbreaking public school runs from grade 9 to grade 14. You may have noticed two extra grades in there, and that’s because students at P-Tech will learn the traditional core subjects, and also receive an education in computer science and complete two years of college work. When they graduate from grade 14 with an Associate’s Degree and a qualified record, they will be first in line for jobs with I.B.M., something that is really important in this day and age to all our kids.
“The students at P-Tech will also help us further another of our long-term goals: to diversify our local economy by supporting industries that have the potential to grow and expand here."
Take a look at this clip of the Mayor on Meet the Press with David Gregory. He mentions P-TECH as the manifestation of the city's goal to graduate students who are ready for college and careers.
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