Recommendation to the School Board re: NTN Implementation 9-12

The following questions guided the work of the NTN Advisory Committee:

1. Will students be able to passport out to take classes through the traditional high school
such as AP or foreign language courses?

2. Do we require an internship or service learning credits as part of graduation

requirements?

3. How do students access co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities?

4. Do we cap NTN numbers so that 1/3 of each class remains in NTN?

5. How do we address courses that have students from different grade levels in the
course?

6. Is there a need for facility upgrades/changes based on decision of school within a school
or separate school?

The committee has completed its work and is making the following recommendations:

1. Students will be able to passport out of the New Tech pathway to access classes not
already offered in the NTN pathway through the traditional high school such as AP or
foreign language courses.

2. An internship or service learning credits will not be a graduation requirement for

students in the new tech pathway. The same graduation requirements will apply to all
VHS students in the new tech pathway. The committee encourages teachers to build in
internship and service experiences into the courses in the new tech pathway.

3. Students will access co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities just as they do

currently.

4. The advisory committee would like to see the district be flexible with the NTN numbers
so that we can respond to the demand.

5. The NTN pathway courses will accommodate students from different grade levels as we
do currently.

6. Yes, there is a need for facility upgrades/changes based on decision of school within a
school. The district will work with each principal to determine the best location in the
building.
The following are ideas generated by the committee for expanding and sustaining
partnerships with area businesses for the purpose of student internship experiences as well
as teacher externships:

1. Survey our own parents/families for business/career opportunity

2. Invite people in for tour
3. Getting out the heres how you can help brochure
4. Lunch & Learn & Project Culminations at area businesses
5. Open house revamp @ New Tech schools
6. Student centered research/approach to identifying partners
7. Look for opportunities in the news
8. Process/Protocol for thanking community & social media
9. New Tech web page on district page
10. Add process/protocol for thanking community & social media to the end of project
planning toolkit
11. Cross promotion & student showcase @ public events
12. How can we share with other similar programs @ APEX & @ Iowa Big?
13. Explore cyber security DMACC West (IT Pathways)
14. Provide some clarification of what an internship experience is like. Give examples
15. Clarify what happens in projects
16. Dont forget to look within (school & school district) for ideas and sources great place
to serve as a proving ground and get great examples.
17. Communicate to business HR departments what NTN students can do to contribute
towards solving a business problem
a. Safety videos
b. Provide examples of how NTN students have contributed to or enhanced a
business
18. Seek out: Science Center, Living History Farm, JOPPA, Child Serve, Chamber of
Commerce, Human Services, DSM Menace (Kum&Go), Pioneer, WDM Library
19. Organized by the students
a. Host a community event where students display the ideas or things they have
already done and what they could do for them
b. Reach out to the businesses
20. When we are looking at how to communicate in a clear concise way we can look at our
own board as a resource to help craft this message
21. Lets get after it with Dowling & ICA partner with them
22. What connections do the parents have?
a. Exploration of possibilities
b. DNR
23. Externships collaborative effort
a. 2 week rotation in summer
 b. Clear/concise communication
i. Challenge
ii. Impact
iii. Solution
c. Purpose driven branding
24. Clear communication
a. Foster a process
b. Education of what were asking for
25. Share examples
26. Utilize internal opportunities to market/show
27. Presentation/exhibit/showcase tables in conjunction with other events
28. Go out to business networking events
29. Connecting with Chambers (WDM, Clive, etc.), non-profits, Rotary Clubs
30. Need brochure detailing how to be involved
31. Explain how students are gaining real life skills
32. Create study tour/executive tour targeted businesses
33. Promote and sell teacher externships
34. Work with BOEE on creating a license renewal (Drake credit for us) possibility for
teacher externships
35. Is there a way to look beyond Iowa?
36. To help with sustaining partnerships promoting the businesses who do connect with
NTN social media posts, etc.
37. Work through our current parents
38. Run an ad, newscasts connect with KCCI, WHO, etc.
39. Get feedback from businesses re: how to speak with businesses in their language
a. Tent/booth at sporting events
b. WDM City book goes out quarterly
c. WDM Living magazine

The following are ideas generated by the committee for communication and advocacy of the
NTN/PBL model that could lead to financial support or commitments from area businesses,
community members, and parents:

1. Billboards
2. Commercials
3. Choice & Flexibility in curriculum and activities and sports
4. Students are best marketers
5. Parents access to see whats going on
- Section of website dedicated to NTN
Videos
 Forum for questions
6. Panel of teachers/parents/administrators for parents to get their specific questions
answered
7. Project presentations for the public (i.e. invite community in for Lunch & Learn with
project presentations from students
8. Look into a new business model of an open house done during the school day with a
guided tour including visit to classrooms, panel of students, conversation with the
principal, etc.
9. Project Showcase Night that highlights sponsorships @ school, @ business sites
10. Bus advertisement! Shrink-wrap it on a bus or big magnets
11. Sponsored classrooms/electives
12. Double marketing
- Valley w/companies = benefit to Valley
- Companies w/Valley = benefit to company
13. Testimonials
- Parents
- Students
- Alumni
14. Track students success
15. Chamber & Rotary groups
16. How do you encourage staff to be visible members of the community?
17. Process to inform
- Protocol for staff to inform Elaine
18. Internet newsletter that is pushed to community rather than just parents
19. Social media channels
20. Educate 5th/6th staff on message What to say
21. What are the range of choices?
- What does Valley have that others dont?
- NTN is one of the latest choices
22. How do you attract diversity to WDM?
23. Continue to foster relationships with businesses and community
- What is the value of those partnerships?

The administration recommends approval of the recommendations put forth by the NTN
Advisory Committee for the 9-12 NTN pathway.