Biotech Academy: Challenging Assumptions and Changing Lives

by Diane Demée−Benoit
Susan Tidyman
When Erica Diaz began high school, she did not expect to graduate. "As a freshman, I just
thought I was going to be a single mother and at my age −− at 16!" Miguel Villafana thought he
would graduate from high school, but college was not in his plans.

It turns out neither Erica nor Miguel gave themselves enough credit. Erica graduated in June and
hopes to be a doctor. Miguel isattending San Diego State and mentoring high school students.
Their lives were changed by their experiences in the Biotechnology Academy at Andrew P. Hill
High School in San Jose, California.

Connecting career exploration with academics is not a new idea. Academies have been operating
in schools across the country for over 30 years and have a proven record of success. A number of
rigorously designed studies, both in California and nationally, have generally shown
improvements in attendance, retention, graduation rates, and grades. They also show that both
students and teachers like academies better than traditional high schools. (Visit casn.berkeley.edu
for links to these reports.) (See Top Ten Frequently Asked Questions [download PDF (44 KB)]
for more information about career academies.)

More familiarly known as the Biotech Academy, this "school−within−a−school" was founded in
1999 as part of Andrew P.Hill's medical magnet program. It serves approximately 125 students
out of the total school population of 1,923 students. Since the career academy model has proven
to be especially effective at reaching students with socioeconomic and academic challenges, over
50 percent of the academy students were selected because of their at−risk status. "The goal of the
program isn't to accept 'C' and above (students). I am looking for that 'D' and 'F' student who is
capable of being able to do the work but who is, for some reason, not doing it," says Director
Mary Metz.

Personalization −− A Team of Caring Adults

The Biotech Academy is a work in progress striving to sustain all the qualities that research and
experience indicate make an academy successful −− small learning community, college prep
curriculum, and post−secondary partnerships. Committed adults−− teachers, counselors, and
business partners −− work together to keep students in school, help them plan for the future, and
encourage their academic achievement. A critical element of the academy is that every student is
known and valued, and that every student has a caring adult in his or her life. Teachers work as a
team to ensure that each student is known well and has the support needed for success.
In order to achieve their goals, teachers participate in voluntary meetings twice a week to discuss
student progress, to develop curriculum, and to coordinate the many outreach events. As a
community, the teachers try to learn about the students' living conditions, family support, and
outside interests. For Villafana, the personal connection with the teachers, and the advice they
gave, was critical to his staying in school and, ultimately, his acceptance to college. "Biotech,
they would not let us go.

Whatever they had to do, they would do −− call us at home, tutoring," recalls Villafana.
Students are recruited and enroll at the end of the ninth grade for this 10th− through 12th−grade
program. Academies keep students and teachers together over the course of three years, so
students develop close−knit relationships. Diaz notes that the academy's family−like atmosphere
promotes familiarity and a sense of comfort. "Since I have almost all my classes with all the
same students, it's easier for me to work," she says. "The teachers are always behind you. They
talk about you in meetings and they know what's going on in your life."
The Biotechnology Academy staff is dedicated to helping every student reach his or her potential.
They believe they make a
difference in the lives of the Biotech students and are, therefore, willing to spend additional time
beyond the school day, and
Copyright © 2005 The George Lucas Educational Foundation | All Rights Reserved 1