With the growing need for some level of technical proficiency in the employment market—and for even more expertise in top-level jobs—Pittsburgh Science & Technology Academy, now ending its fifth year as a magnate 6-12 school in the Pittsburgh Public Schools system, is providing a new generation of students with a unique opportunity to gain that expertise.
Though middle school students have essentially the same core curriculum as in other PPS schools, the delivery method is integrated across disciplines and very hands-on.
For a recent assignment, 10th grade engineering students were told to design and build a Roman catapult. One might think the apparatus built from Plexiglas, cut using the lab’s 3D printer, that allowed for multiple launch angles would have worked the best. No—it came in second to crude looking machine made from pine blocks.
Aitan Haviv, who built a ballista (a kind of large crossbow), came in third. Asked if anyone built a trebuchet (the largest style of catapult), he said no, “trebuchets are too easy.”
In another part of the lab, Joshua Fitch is working on his design for a vessel to keep an egg from breaking when his teacher throws it off the school’s roof. It should be child’s play for Fitch, who a week earlier entered a swimming robot in a regional competition.
“We got first and second place,” he said.
The hands-on application of technology isn’t restricted to the engineering, chemistry, math or biology classes, it can be seen daily in music and art classrooms where students like 6th-grader Dante Reith composes a samba using Apple’s Garage Band application, or 7th-grader Maliyah Stackhouse uses Adobe Illustrator to render a logo for her Beltzhoover neighborhood from a drawing she’s conceived.
The school’s academic expectations are high, said Director James McCoy, and there have been growing pains in achieving them, and its diversity goals. But when creating a new school from scratch some of that is unavoidable.
Last year, the school graduated its first class of 56 seniors, all but one moved on to post-secondary work, and 85 percent were Pittsburgh Promise scholarship recipients. However, there are roughly 100 students per class.
“Several, unfortunately, had a steep learning curve, and returned to their home schools,” said McCoy. “Part of that is our fault. We weren’t pushing the love of science and math to the kids that were applying. We preach that now. This year’s graduating class has 88 students, so we’re getting there.”
And while the school as a whole doubles the district average in students who are proficient or advance in science and math, there is an achievement gap. Last year only one third of Sci-Tech’s Black students were proficient in biology on the Keystone exams. Sci-Tech is 47 percent Black.
McCoy said the school has created an equity team to make sure staff is not inadvertently overlooking minority student needs, and it also sets aside one period a day for academic support.
Shawn McNeil, who took over as principal this year, is proud of all his students, and of his staff.
“The emphasis on the quality of instruction, the exposure to different ways of grading students, the emphasis on science and math—and making it relevant to the students, those are the factors that will indicate whether students will be successful,” he said.
McNeill said he sees no reason why traditional high schools could not use the same delivery model—and achieve similar success—even with their larger populations.
Of course it also helps to have dedicated students. Demitri Bose plans to be one. Leaving the Sci-Tech with his dad, Dana after a Take Your Father To School breakfast, he spotted a hawk perched on the parking lot fence and charged over to take a photo with his phone. The bird obliged.
“I was a little concerned when he came over from Concord in Carrick, but his grades have gone up,” said Dana. “I’m always impressed when I come here. The teachers are first-class. And he loves math.”
