1. Educating the next generation of leaders in the 21 st century innovation economy Operated by the non-profit Center for Polytechnical Education chicagotechacademy.org

2. B ACKGROUND  Operated by the non-profit Center for Polytechnical Education under contract with Chicago Public Schools  Opened in September 2009 with 150 9 th grade students  Capacity will increase by 150 each year until we have 600 students in grades 9-12  A joint effort  Center for Polytechnical Education  Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council  Chicago Public Schools  Chicago Workforce Investment Council  Illinois Technology Association  Mayor’s Council of Technology Advisors  Renaissance Schools Fund chicagotechacademy.org

3. B ACKGROUND  Leadership  Matt Hancock, executive director  Howard Blackman, associate director  Hardik Bhatt, Advisory Council co-chair and CIO of the city of Chicago  Terry Howerton, Advisory Council co-chair and chair of the Illinois IT Association  Staff  7 full-time teachers, including one full-time Technology instructor (1:21 student ratio)  7 full-time-equivalent teaching assistants  50% of teachers have industry experience  Temporary location: Medill Multiplex Building at 1301 W. 14 th Street From Government Technology, November 2009 chicagotechacademy.org

4. A N EW M ODEL FOR E DUCATION  The polytechnical model of education  Prepares students for college and careers  Focuses on STEM education  Teaches real-world, 21 st century skills  Leverages strong industry partnerships  Austin Polytechnical Academy  Pioneered the polytechnical model  Manufacturing and engineering focus  Partners provide funding, field trips, job shadowing, guest speakers, and more  On-campus Manufacturing Technology Center (pictured at right) made possible by over $150,000 in private investment  Hailed by President Obama as a national model for education: “Austin Polytech is bringing hope back to the community.” chicagotechacademy.org

5. A N EW M ODEL FOR E DUCATION  Smarter education: inside the classroom  Our philosophy: every student can learn  Students earn course credit when they master 90% of standards-based material  If less than 80% of students master the material, curriculum and instruction are adjusted until they produce results  Smarter education: beyond the classroom  Classroom material is connected to useful applications in real-world careers  Industry partners provide industry exposure and career guidance for students  Students graduate ready to excel in the skilled talent pipeline that keeps US businesses competitive around the world chicagotechacademy.org

6. O UR F IRST Y EAR  Sustained a 96% attendance rate  That’s 12% higher than the Chicago Public Schools average  25% of students tested as “college ready” on the ACT’s EXPLORE test  All of them still in ninth grade  40% of students earned a B or better in every first semester subject  75% of students are “on track to graduate” chicagotechacademy.org

7. O UR F IRST Y EAR  100% of students successfully completed Year 1 Technology  History of technology  Basic technology skills, such as typing  Designing compliant and accessible websites using HTML and CSS  Fundamentals of object-oriented programming with.NET and Silverlight  Developing wireframe concepts and storyboards for web design planning  Using critical thinking to solve problems with technology  First up in Year 2 Technology  More object-oriented programming, starting with Silverlight applications for various platforms, such as mobile phones and web applications chicagotechacademy.org

8. O UR F IRST Y EAR  Over 25 high-tech field trips and guest speaker events with partners including:  Cisco Systems  City of Chicago’s Department of IT  CompTIA’s board meeting  Illinois Technology Association  Mayor’s Council of Technology Advisors  Microsoft (pictured)  New mentoring program  Developed in partnership with Accenture and the Illinois Technology Association  Sophomores will be paired with a mentor to guide them throughout high school  Mentors will also help teachers highlight real-world applications of class material chicagotechacademy.org

9. C HANGING L IVES A LREADY chicagotechacademy.org “The IT Kids: Tech-driven curriculum powers new high school” Sandra Guy, Chicago Sun-Times Photo by Jean Lachat May 1, 2010 “Gabriel Villarreal, 14, of Chicago's Southwest Side, loves video games and is a veteran of figuring out how they work… [H]e has learned a great deal about Web programming and designing Web pages, which will come in handy as he pursues his goal of becoming a video game- industry programmer.” “Keautishay Young, 15, of West Pilsen, is intrigued by how computers and mobile devices work… [She] sees herself becoming a businesswoman or a veterinarian, using her technology skills in either profession.”

10. chicagotechacademy.org C HANGING L IVES A LREADY Four students led high-tech presentations showcasing their work over the past year. Mr. Ballmer was impressed. He said Chi Tech is “changing today’s approach to education,” adding that Microsoft “anticipate[s] Chi Tech students will be the Chicago area’s future leaders.” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer: “The more I learn about this school, the more phenomenal I think it is.” Most 15-year-olds have modest professional networks, at best. But on June 10, 2010, our lucky freshmen got to meet with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

11. C ONTACT Matt Hancock Executive Director Center for Polytechnical Education (773) 278-5418 ext. 15 mhancock@polytechnical.org www.polytechnical.org chicagotechacademy.org