New Tech High School of Napa, California is one example of an American
charter school that has gone beyond traditional educational instruction and assessments.
The school was created in 1996 when business leaders, educators and students were
frustrated with the state of education in California. At that time, current options were
leaving students ill prepared for college or a career and leaving local businesses searching
for skilled employees. Like other schools that were looking beyond traditional
educational knowledge and skills, New Tech High School uses predominantly project-
based learning to teach its students in both an academically rigorous and relevant-to-the-
real-world manner. Projects allow students to see how what they are learning relates to
what they are interested in and to real-world careers. Projects offer students more than
just the traditional educational experience, and include skills such as time management
and teamwork. The typical week at New Tech High School is anything but typical. On
Monday, students have six 45-minute periods to catch up on projects and meet with
teachers. Tuesday through Friday, there are three two-hour blocks a day for students to
work on projects and for teachers to assign and explain new ones. After the new projects
are assigned, students present their ideas to the class and decide which projects they want
to work on in teams. For example, one such project cited was the creation of an
interactive flash Web site that uses 3-D modeling to teach an old subject in a new way.