Foothill Technology High School presents an information night for incoming 9th grade families who are considering applying for 2014-2015.

1. Foothill Technology High School
2013 U.S News and World Report – “Best Schools in America” Top 1%
2012 & 2006 National Blue Ribbon School
2005 - 2012 Top 25 Ranked School in California

2. •
Information Night Agenda
Welcome &
Introductions
“Lottery” Process
–Q&A
Foothill Overview
Student & Staff Panel
–Q&A
Student Led Campus
Tour

3. Lottery Process
•
•
Lottery to take place in midFebruary
•
Letters mailed out in late February
•
Accepted students have one week
to confirm guaranteed seat
•
Siblings given priority - must apply
•
2013: 560 applications - 9th grade
•
Photo by Bethany Fankhauser/The Foothill Dragon Press
Choice Window – Jan. 17 – 31 by
4:00 PM
Foothill currently above capacity
•
Current enrollment 998

4. Magnet School of Choice
• Health Science,
Communications,
Technology Magnet
• No boundary areas &
open to any student in
the district
• Selection by a lottery
process

5. Small School Environment
• Foothill’s positive school
climate spotlighted in 2012
by WestEd.org
• Opportunities for academic
intervention
• Individualized attention to
meet their academic and
social needs

6. Excellent Teachers
• Highly educated staff engages students with innovative
instructional strategies and curriculum
• Foothill’s most recent AP and API test scores rank us among the
top high schools in the state and nation*
– Number 1 high school in Ventura County
– Number 216th high school in the U.S.
*U.S. News & World Report, 2013

7. College Prep Curriculum
• All courses taught at college
prep, honors or Advanced
Placement level
• Advanced Placement
participation and pass rate
well above state and
national average
• Approx. 70% of Foothill
graduates have met the
UC/A-G requirements
compared to county
average of 35%

8. Block Schedule
• 90 minute periods
allowing for a variety
of instructional
strategies and indepth study
•Students say they
are able to
concentrate better
on fewer subjects
each school day

9. Project-based Integrated
Approach
• Action-based
projects integrate
many disciplines
• Integrated
approach builds
relevancy that
increases student
learning
Photo by Jackson Tovar/The Foothill Dragon Press

10. Technology Communication
Website & wiki:
www.foothilltechnology.org
•
•
•
•
•
•
Forms
FAQs
Daily bulletin
Teacher pages
Syllabi
Homework
Online newspaper:
www.foothilldragonpress.org
•
•
•
•
Daily reporting
Video
Photos of school events
Student life and opinions

11. Technology Instruction
• 1:2 Student-toComputer Ratio
• PC pods
• iPads and
Chromebooks
• 9th grade
Education in the
Digital Age (1year course)
Photos by Aysen Tan/The Foothill
Dragon Press

12. Mobile Technology
“Leveraging digital tools to promote independence,
flexibility and capability in a rapidly changing world”
Can you spot
one of the
most
powerful
teaching and
learning
tools the
world has
ever known?

13. Mobile Technology at Foothill
Started to invest
fundraising
money into
mobile tech one
year ago
Educators from
area schools visit
Foothill regularly
to see mobile
technology
teaching tools

14. One morning at Foothill…
• 12th grade Government students use Explain Everything app
to show their understanding of Congressional committees.

15. One morning at Foothill…
• 10th grade Chemistry students solve stoichiometry problems
on Educreations app.

16. One morning at Foothill…
• 10th-11th grade Physics
students measure
precision and accuracy of
homemade catapults and
gather data on an iPad.
• They take photos of their
catapults to be used in
teacher evaluation of
project.

17. One morning at Foothill…
• 9th graders use Google Drive (Google Docs) to create and
store presentations about colleges.

18. One morning at Foothill…
• 9th grade English students draw their symbolic
understanding of the book The Boy Who Harnessed the
Wind with Doceri app, then post and present on Edmodo.

19. One morning at Foothill…
• 9th grade English students use Nearpod app on iPads to
review for test, take polls and draw their understanding
of George Orwell’s 1984.

20. One morning at Foothill…
• 12th grade English students use Chromebooks to create
social media pages for characters in Shakespeare’s King
Lear.

21. One morning at Foothill…
•11th grade Physiology students conduct a sweat gland lab
using iPads and Inspiration app.

22. BYOD?
Yes!

23. Student Opportunities
• Quality elective courses
in the areas of health
sciences, art,
communications and
technology
Photos by Bethany
Fankhauser ‘13 and
Lucy Knowles ’15 of
the Foothill Dragon
Press
• Bio Science Academy
and Communications
Strand
– VCMC Partnership
– Coastal Marine Biolabs
• ASB, FIRE, Speech &
Debate, Journalism,
Yearbook

24. Student Opportunities
Courtesy KEYT -- January 9, 2014

25. FIRE
• FIRE = Foothill Intervention Reinforcement and Enrichment
• Strategic academic intervention for all 9th graders and for
upperclassmen with a 2.0 GPA or lower
• Tutoring, research, integrated projects, study skills and
homework are a part of the FIRE format
• 9th graders with below 2.0 GPA dropped from 33% in 2005 to
under 10% the last several years
Foothill Tech FIRE mentors on a fire truck

26. Support Programs
AVID
•Advancement Via Individual
Determination
•National Demonstration School
•College culture school wide
•Field trips, specialized classes, study
strategies and college visits
•
•
•
•
RENAISSANCE
Academic Incentive Program
3.0 GPA or improve by .5
Nationally recognized program
Field trips, rallies, t-shirts, prizes,
weekly activities
Photos by (above) Natalie Smith; (left top) Bethany Fankhauser/The Foothill Dragon Press

27. School Activities
Foothill offers a wide variety
of opportunities for students
•Clubs
•Renaissance rallies/field
days
•2 formal dances
•Spirit weeks
•Air Guitar Celebration
•Weekly lunchtime activities
•Intramurals
•And much more!
Photo (left)
by Bethany
Fankhauser;
(below)
Aysen
Tan/The
Foothill
Dragon
Press.

28. Physical Education
Photo (above) by
Aysen Tan; (right) by
Josh Ren/The Foothill
Dragon Press.
• On Campus Dance –
Professional Dance
Instructor
• Supervised @ Mavericks
or YMCA
• P.E. on campus
• Personalized Fitness Plans
using Technology
• Independent Study (10,
11, 12 only)
• Athletics

29. Athletics
Foothill to begin
interscholastic athletics in
2014-15
Core Principles:
• Academics
• Balanced Approach
• Unified Programs
• Fitness for Life
Will compete in Tri-County
Athletic Association (TCAA)

30. Athletics
• All sports except wrestling
and football
• Innovative program – CAP
• Area facilities
• Professional coaches
• For athletics information:
www.foothilltechnology.org
/FAQ-foothill-athletics/
Ventura Aquatic Center,
top, photo courtesy of
the City of Ventura
Ventura College track,
right, photo courtesy of
VCCCD

31. Community Service Requirements
• All students must
complete 75 hours
of community
service during
their four years at
Foothill
• Powerful learning
tool to build
empathy and
teach respect for
others

32. College Bound

33. Some Foothill accomplishments!
• Top 1% of high schools in America – U.S. News and World Report
Ranked #216 among the approximately 22,000 high schools in
America (2013)
• Top 25 high schools in California - API of 906 (2013)
• Sixty percent of graduates enrolled in a four year university
compared to the state average of 15-20% (2013)
• A pass rate of 100% on the California Exit Exam (2013)
• Over three quarters of student body earning Renaissance status;
3.0 GPA or above (2013)
• National Blue Ribbon School – Only school in Ventura County to
be nominated (2012)
• AVID National Demonstration School (2012)