TechBoston Academy student achievement skyrockets

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TechBoston Academy student achievement skyrockets

• 26 Oct 2005 with use of SMART Board interactive whiteboards Significant jump in standardized test scores supports cross-curricular benefits of SMART product CALGARY, Alberta --- October 26, 2005 --- SMART Technologies Inc. announces that TechBoston Academy, a Boston Public Schools pilot high school in Dorchester, Massachusetts, has dramatically improved student performance with a combination of approaches and efforts, including the use of SMART Board™ interactive whiteboards in every classroom. After 18 months of technology-based instruction, half of the TechBoston students scored in the top two achievement categories on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exams administered in 2004. MCAS exams are administered in grades 3–8 and 10, to measure student performance based on state curriculum standards. Headmaster Mary Skipper credits the significant increase in student test scores, in part, to the school’s effective use of SMART Board interactive whiteboards, which integrate with various technology tools and support TechBoston’s interdisciplinary learning approach. Aligned with National Educational Technology Standards set by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), TechBoston Academy integrates technology into its college preparatory curriculum. Students learn to use technology as a tool to assist them in all academic courses as well as advanced information technology courses, including Web development, digital art and networking essentials. Using SMART Board interactive whiteboards for lesson planning and delivery, TechBoston teachers take an interdisciplinary team approach to learning, where teachers in each grade level collaborate on cross-curricular lesson activities. For example, one cross-curricular project, centered around the novel A Raisin in the Sun, involved lesson activities using Microsoft® Publisher to design a newspaper from the novel’s era (history). Students used Excel® and virtual graphing calculators to compare price inflation between then and now (math) and Draw to outline story settings (language arts). Teachers display relevant websites, interactive multimedia clips and other reference materials on the SMART Board interactive whiteboard to reinforce key concepts and engage students in group discussions. “The students are as much a part of the fabric of our school as the faculty – both groups have taken strong ownership in the learning process at TechBoston,” says Mary Skipper, headmaster at TechBoston Academy. “Students and teachers alike have embraced the SMART Board interactive whiteboard as a 21st-century learning tool. I definitely consider it to be one of the key factors in boosting our level of student achievement on the MCAS standardized tests.” “As schools roll out initiatives in technology integration, professional development and standards-based curricula, they are putting SMART products in place to help students learn better. It’s all about putting the students first,” says Nancy Knowlton, SMART’s president and co-CEO. “Whenever you make learning exciting, it makes a difference in the classroom, and this definitely shows at TechBoston Academy.” About SMART Board interactive whiteboards The SMART Board interactive whiteboard is a large, touch-sensitive display. Connected to a computer and projector, the interactive whiteboard is like a giant computer screen that students and teachers simply touch to operate. Using their finger or a pen as a mouse, teachers and students can access and control any computer application, file or multimedia platform, including the Internet, CD-ROMs and DVDs. They can also write over applications in digital ink, then save their work for future study and review. The SMART Board interactive whiteboard engages students with diverse learning styles by providing both immediate access to a wide range of digital materials and a common focus for the entire class – not something easily achieved with other classroom technology products. It is the number one choice among primary and secondary school educators in more than 75 countries worldwide because it captures the imagination of students of all backgrounds and abilities in order to help them learn together, understand better and achieve more. For more information, visit www.smarttech.com/smartboard . About TechBoston Academy TechBoston Academy is a Boston Public Schools pilot high school that opened in September 2002. It has a mandate to integrate technology into its college preparatory curriculum. TechBoston is a participant in the Intel® Model School and Gates Foundation Model Secondary School programs. In addition to taking advanced information technology courses, TechBoston students learn to use technology as a tool to assist them in all academic courses. With the help of an academic advisor, students design an individualized course of study that takes into account their specific talents and interests. Internships at local companies are requirements for graduation. This experience allows students to cultivate necessary business and social skills. Students benefit from working on individual and group projects with high-tech mentors from the Boston area. For more information, visit www.techbostonacademy.org . For more information, contact: Public Relations SMART Technologies Inc. 1207 – 11th Avenue SW, Suite 300 Calgary, AB T3C 0M5 CANADA 403.802.2595 pr@smarttech.com