Tech Valley High School - Frequently Asked Questions

Partnerships Critical to the Success of Tech Valley High School

Why are partnerships with stakeholders critical to the development of Tech Valley High School?
The organizers of Tech Valley High School and the Tech Valley High School operating board believe that the school can be a model that reflects the best thinking of the region. To that end, and in accordance with the state legislature, stakeholders from K-12 education, business, higher education, organized labor and government mobilized as the Business Alliance for Tech Valley High School.

What is the Business Alliance for Tech Valley High School?
The Business Alliance for Tech Valley High School was formed to connect economic development with public education in Tech Valley by influencing and sustaining a regional high school focused on emerging technologies. Its membership is 30 leaders from business, economic development, higher education, K-12 education, organized labor and government.

It supports and advises the operating board, administration, staff and students of Tech Valley High School to ensure a strong linkage and ongoing interaction between the real world of work in an emerging technologies community and the school’s curriculum and activities. It focuses on developing and implementing strategies and tactics to connect Tech Valley High School with the Tech Valley economy through:

• Workforce development: To address the employment needs of businesses focused on emerging technologies in our community.
• Professional development: To foster a sustained partnership between business and education in the development of teaching and learning skills.
• Economic development: To provide a link between economic drivers and public educational initiatives.
• Educational reform: To help affect a regional transformation in education to address 21st century standards and skills.

It provides a conduit for information and requests from business-to-school and school-to-business; introduces “best-of-class” business processes and practices into the school; facilitates externships, internships, tours, guest speakers, loaned executives, etc.; provides additional thought leadership in the areas of curriculum, staff selection, special projects, etc.; and continuously validates the school with the business community.

The Business Alliance is co-chaired by Kevin Leyden, a solution executive in the Albany office of IBM, and Amy Johnson, president of Capstone Inc., Latham

What has the Business Alliance for Tech Valley High School accomplished to date?
It developed a detailed Strategic Framework for Tech Valley High School, which, in great part, has informed the Strategic Operating Plan for Tech Valley High School. Additionally, it helped immeasurably in rallying the business, higher education and organized labor community to help pass the state legislation.

It was instrumental in forming implementation teams that are moving the Tech Valley High School initiative through its next stages. Nearly 100 leaders from K-12 education, business, higher education, organized labor and government are members of these teams, which meet regularly to help shape and implement the school.

Among the thought leaders for the school are:

• John Cavalier, retired chairman of the board, MapInfo Coproration
• John Ebersole, president, Excelsior College
• Linda Hillman, president, Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce
• Amy Johnson, president, Capstone Inc.
• Kevin Leyden, solution executive, IBM
• William F. O’Connor III, AIA, expansion project director, Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass.
• Dr. Roger Saillant, CEO, Plug Power
• Charles Steiner, president, The Chamber of Schenectady County
• Dr. Lawrence Sturman, director, Wadsworth Center/Health Research Inc.
• Lyn Taylor, president, Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce

In addition, the Business Alliance has helped to form the Tech Valley School Foundation, chaired by John C. Cavalier, retired chairman of the board of directors of MapInfo Corporation, Troy.

What is the New Technology Foundation?
The New Technology Foundation (NTF) is a leading school development organization that seeks to replicate the success of New Tech High School in Napa, Calif., which opened in 1996 and is regarded as one of the most innovative and successful high schools in the United States today. The foundation has a network of 37 schools.

NTF is based in Napa, Calif., and is a grantee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to encourage innovative approaches to education in the United States. Tech Valley High School was awarded a grant of $400,000 for professional development for teachers and start-up costs for the school. Additionally, Tech Valley High School has access to the NTH Learning System^tm to help shape the program and curriculum as well as NTF’s existing data bank of curriculum and best teaching practices. Tech Valley High School is the New Technology Foundation’s first replication site in New York State and the Northeast. The school is developing an inventory of rigorous inter-disciplinary projects that reflect the New York State learning standards.

What is the importance of the partnership between the New Technology Foundation and Tech Valley High School?
The New Technology Foundation (NTF) supports start-up and implementation of 21st century schools across the United States. In August 2006, it announced that Tech Valley High School was the recipient of a $400,000 grant – the first school in New York State, and in the Northeast, to receive this funding from NTF, whose work is supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Our partnership with NTF allows Tech Valley High School to tap into the collective experience and wisdom of a leading-edge network of schools, so it can use best practices – and help develop new best practices, right here in Tech Valley.

The $400,000 NTF grant is used to:

• Transfer all best practices and knowledge from the New Technology High School model to Tech Valley High School.
• Help Tech Valley High School design its facility and technology infrastructure.
• Train all Tech Valley High School teachers in project-based learning and coach and support them for the start-up year and three years of implementation.
• Train the Tech Valley High School principal and coach and support him for the start-up year and three years of implementation.
• Install the NTH Learning System at Tech Valley High School.
• Provide technology support to Tech Valley High School for the start-up year and three years of implementation.
• Host a professional learning community of principals and teachers from all New Tech High schools across the country, including Tech Valley High School.