Technology academy opens at Wootton High

With just 43 students, mentoring is key

Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo chris rossi⁄the gazette Kay Zhang (left), 13, of Rockville, is one of 43 freshman belonging to the newly established Academy of Information Technology at Thomas S. Wootton High School. Monica Mattey (right), academy coordinator, said the program appeals to students interested in careers in the digital workforce.

In addition to earning a high school diploma, she will also be among the first graduates of the school’s new Academy of Information Technology.

‘‘My friends all say there’s going to be a big need in the future for [computer] programmers,” said Zhang, 13, of Rockville. ‘‘I think being part [of the academy] will help me a lot, especially when it comes time to apply for college.”

On top of taking the usual required classes like English and history, academy students take one to two specialized IT courses a semester and a college-level IT class at Montgomery College by their senior year.

By the time the academy students head to college, they have earned up to 15 college credits in computer programming or networking or information resource design.

‘‘It’s a program that offers a comprehensive four-year education in technology, something that the community, teachers and students have been asking for,” said Edward Owusu, assistant principal and administrator of the school’s Career and Technology Education Department.

The academy is part of the National Foundation Academy, which promotes a nationwide network of similar career-themed academies organized as small learning communities. Several Montgomery County Public Schools high schools host IT academies. Gaithersburg High School opened the first one in 2002, followed by Wheaton, Damascus, Springbrook and, also new this year, Seneca Valley high schools. Wootton used that institutional knowledge during its year of planning for the new academy.

‘‘We don’t get any extra funding to do this, so we had to think creatively to get this up and running,” Owusu said.

By limiting the program to just 50 students per grade, the academy also offers something not commonly found in schools with 2,500 students: personal attention.

Organized into small groups, the students will meet daily with academy teachers during brownbag lunches held in the computer labs.

‘‘By creating a smaller learning community, these kids will feel more connected to their teachers and each other,” Owusu said.

The academy accepted just 43 freshmen from among the dozens of eighth-graders applying for the program last April. The students, mostly from Robert Frost and Cabin John middle schools, submitted transcripts from seventh and eighth grade and two teacher recommendations.

‘‘We looked for well-rounded students, those involved in outside activities. We wanted to open it up,” said Monica Mattey, academy director and head of the school’s Career and Technology Education Department.

She said students will assume responsibility for the academy’s Web site and even do some public speaking at industry events.

‘‘This is definitely a commitment on the part of the students because the program demands more of their time outside of normal school hours,” she said.

A six- to eight-week paid internship is another novel aspect of the program.

‘‘I think the internship will help me in my future,” said academy student Michael Hart, 15, of Rockville. ‘‘It’s cool getting that kind of experience and meeting [industry] people.”

The internships take place the summer before the senior year at one of several government offices or companies involved with the program, to include Lockheed Martin Corp., Intervise, Montgomery College, Cisco Systems Inc., InfoStructures Inc., and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Officials at Intervise, a technology consulting firm in Gaithersburg, said academy students from Gaithersburg High School have worked, and worked out well, at summer internships offered by the company.

‘‘What surprises me about the program is that the kids are earning the same sort of professional certifications normally earned in college,” said Mike Priddy, president of Intervise. ‘‘It’s akin to an apprenticeship program found in countries like England where people pick a career and get training at an early age.”

But age does play a role in how the students perform.

‘‘From a technical and academic level, it’s not a reach for the kids. But maturity-wise, it’s a reach,” he said. ‘‘It’s a scary thing to be in a professional environment and that’s the big learning curve.”

With the school year just getting under way, the academy has not met as a group yet. That will take place in mid-October with an evening reception for the first academy class and their parents.

‘‘There will probably be some growing pains,” said Vicki Hart, parent of Michael Hart. ‘‘But I felt this would be a wonderful opportunity for my son. I know how colleges are looking for just that little bit of something that makes your child special.”