This time, it's the school that gets the high marks
High Technology H.S. ranked 7th among nation's top schools
BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer
High Technology High School's students are accustomed to getting high marks; now the school itself has received one of the highest in the country.

High Technology High School

U.S. News & World Report ranked High Technology High School in Lincroft as the seventh best high school in the nation and No. 1 in New Jersey in its Dec. 10 "America's Best High Schools" issue.

High Tech Principal Daniel Simon said that finding out about the award came about through a series of events.

"It's kind of funny," Simon said. "I was driving to work after picking up some bagels for the staff … when I received a call from one of our teachers."

The teacher's husband was listening to the radio when an announcement was made that High Tech was ranked seventh in the annual listing.

"I then tried to listen to the radio, trying to listen to the news cycle and it wasn't repeated," Simon said. "When I got to work, I received an e-mail from a parent informing me of the news. It's funny, the chain of events that occur before you find out about something."

The high school also received the periodical's Gold Medal Award, which is given to the top 100 schools nationally based on a College Readiness Index, with High Tech attaining an index of 98.8.

The index is keyed to the degree to which students master some college-level material, with a weighted average based 25 percent on AP participation and 75 percent on quality adjusted AP participation rates, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Simon said that he is proud to see the high school do so well but not completely surprised.

"Keep in mind that we are a career academy that is application-based," Simon said. "Every student here is a high achiever to begin with and they are as advertised."

The school takes students from school districts around the county who take classes with an emphasis on math and science.

High Tech is member of the National Consortium of Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology as well as the Monmouth County Vocational School District.

Simon has been the principal at High Tech for the past five years and has seen his school nationally recognized in many areas.

High Technology H.S. offers a four-year high school education with emphasis on math, science and technology.

Students take college courses during their junior and senior years at Brookdale Community College, and seniors are required to take a mentorship course for one semester.

Prior to receiving this high ranking, the school received the equally highly rated Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education in the 2003- 2004 school year.

High Tech was twice named a "Star School" by the state Department of Education, the top award for New Jersey schools in both 1994-95 and 2001-02.

In Newsweek magazine, for both 2006 and 2007, the school was listed in its "Public Elites" of high schools and was described as a "pre-engineering academy with top-notch humanities."

In the 2005-2006 school year, High Tech students received the highest average SAT scores in the state with a 2039.

Simon said that faculty and students alike are the reason the school is on the list.

"We bombard our students with math and science, and they come in right away knowing to expect an intense pace," Simon said. "They are all incredibly gifted, and I am thrilled for our school to get such great recognition."

High Tech is a pre-engineering academy, offering courses such as Introduction to Engineering and Design, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, and Principles of Engineering.

It is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology.

High Tech opened its doors in 1991 with a sophomore class, later adding a freshman class in the fall of 1995.

The overall student population at the school is 267.

The student population is kept relatively small, with typically 59-70 students per class year, allowing the school to maintain a low student-teacher ratio.

Sixty-five students are selected each year from a pool of more than 300 applicants.

"We have a very diverse faculty who come from different types of industry," Simon said. "Our teachers have all been in the trenches of industry, which you can't get from strictly book learning. They tell the students, 'How does what I do tie into what you do?'"

The No. 1 school on the list is Thomas Jefferson H.S. in Alexandria, Va., a school that Simon said was known internationally as a top school.

Other New Jersey schools on the top 100 list include Dr. Ronald McNair High School in Jersey City, which was ranked 26th, Princeton High School at 94, and Millburn Senior High School at 97.

Three other schools that are part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District were also recognized in the annual compilation.

The Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Sandy Hook and the Academy of Allied Health and Science in Neptune Township both were recognized with a Silver Medal, while Communications High School in Wall Township received a Bronze Medal.

When asked what made him more proud: the fact that the school was No. 7 in the country or No. 1 in the state, Simon said that the high number in the nation was one that stood out.

"It proved that our school is now on the national radar," Simon said. "To be ranked so high on a list that includes Thomas Jefferson is an accomplishment in itself."

Simon said that the national recognition is something that everyone involved in the school should be proud of because the students and teachers alike work together to learn.

"Our goal is to not only challenge these students but to nurture them as well," Simon said. are required to take a mentorship course for one semester.

Prior to receiving this high ranking, the school received the equally highly rated Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education in the 2003- 2004 school year.

High Tech was twice named a "Star School" by the state Department of Education, the top award for New Jersey schools in both 1994-95 and 2001-02.

In Newsweek magazine, for both 2006 and 2007, the school was listed in its "Public Elites" of high schools and was described as a "pre-engineering academy with top-notch humanities."

In the 2005-2006 school year, High Tech students received the highest average SAT scores in the state with a 2039.

Simon said that faculty and students alike are the reason the school is on the list.

"We bombard our students with math and science, and they come in right away knowing to expect an intense pace," Simon said. "They are all incredibly gifted, and I am thrilled for our school to get such great recognition."

High Tech is a pre-engineering academy, offering courses such as Introduction to Engineering and Design, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, and Principles of Engineering.

It is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology.

High Tech opened its doors in 1991 with a sophomore class, later adding a freshman class in the fall of 1995.

The overall student population at the school is 267.

The student population is kept relatively small, with typically 59-70 students per class year, allowing the school to maintain a low student-teacher ratio.

Sixty-five students are selected each year from a pool of more than 300 applicants.

"We have a very diverse faculty who come from different types of industry," Simon said. "Our teachers have all been in the trenches of industry, which you can't get from strictly book learning. They tell the students, 'How does what I do tie into what you do?'"

The No. 1 school on the list is Thomas Jefferson H.S. in Alexandria, Va., a school that Simon said was known internationally as a top school.

Other New Jersey schools on the top 100 list include Dr. Ronald McNair High School in Jersey City, which was ranked 26th, Princeton High School at 94, and Millburn Senior High School at 97.

Three other schools that are part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District were also recognized in the annual compilation.

The Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Sandy Hook and the Academy of Allied Health and Science in Neptune Township both were recognized with a Silver Medal, while Communications High School in Wall Township received a Bronze Medal.

When asked what made him more proud: the fact that the school was No. 7 in the country or No. 1 in the state, Simon said that the high number in the nation was one that stood out.

"It proved that our school is now on the national radar," Simon said. "To be ranked so high on a list that includes Thomas Jefferson is an accomplishment in itself."

Simon said that the national recognition is something that everyone involved in the school should be proud of because the students and teachers alike work together to learn.

"Our goal is to not only challenge these students but to nurture them as well," Simon said.