Academy for Information Technology

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Academy for Information Technology
AIT logo new.png
Location
1776 Raritan Road
Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
Information
Type Magnet public high school
School district Union County Vocational Technical Schools
Principal Gloria Griffith
Faculty 24 (on FTE basis)[1]
Grades 9 - 12
Enrollment 238 (as of 2009-10)[1]
Student to teacher ratio 9.92[1]
Color(s) Yellow, Blue
Website School website

The Union County Academy for Information Technology (UCAIT) is a full time four-year public high school located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus. The school is part of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools (UCVTS), which serves students in all of Union County. AIT focuses on education in Computer Science and Computer Engineering with an emphasis on Mathematics and Science. The first graduating class was the class of 2006. There were 51 students in the class.

As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 238 students and 24 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.92.[1]

Students have a very demanding curriculum which is on par with its sister school, the Union County Magnet High School. The Academy for Information Technology offers students the opportunity to become certified as a Microsoft Office Specialist, an A+ Hardware/OS Technician, an Oracle database Designer/Programmer and as a Programmer in the Java programming language.

Contents

[edit] Awards and recognition

Schooldigger.com ranked the school as one of 16 schools tied for first out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (unchanged from the 2010 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy (100.0%) and mathematics (100.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[2]

Based on the performance on the Class of 2006 in the completion of their Oracle 9i exams, the Academy for Information Technology was named an Oracle Academy of Distinction by the Oracle Corporation. A team of AIT students were recognized as international "Best of Category" winners in the October 2004 Oracle ThinkQuest competition.

[edit] The AIT Building

The AIT Building is a large structure with a clock tower, located in the center of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus. After going through several phases of names, the structure was officially dedicated on May 31, 2006, as "Bistocchi Hall - Academy for Information Technology" in honor of the district's superintendent, Dr. Thomas Bistocchi.

[edit] Admissions

Applicants to the high school will proceed through the admission process as follows:

  • Attendance at an information session
  • Submission of an application to the Principal's office
  • Admissions examination
  • Notification of acceptance

The following criteria will be considered for admission:

  • Grade Point Average (7th and 8th grade)
  • Standardized Test Scores (7th grade)
  • Admission Assessments

[edit] Scheduling

AIT classes run on a block scheduling system. Two revolving days (A/B) are broken up into five blocks (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10). Each block is 83 minutes in length, with the exception of 5/6. Depending on the student's grade level, periods 5 and 6 are Co-Curricular and the Lunch period, in some order.

[edit] Graduation requirements

In order to graduate from the Academy for Information Technology, a student is required to have taken:

  • Four years of English
    • Freshmen: English I - World Literature
    • Sophomore: English II - Early American Literature
    • Junior: English III - Modern American Literature
    • Senior: English IV: Choice of Two Courses (British Literature or AP English Language and Composition)
  • Four years of Mathematics. Mathematics courses depend on an individual's skill level, which is determined based on an initial assessment in the 8th grade year. Students are placed into one of the following classes each year:
    • Algebra 1
    • Combined Algebra (Algebra 1 & 2)
    • Geometry/Trigonometry
    • Math Analysis (Pre-Calculus)
    • Algebra 2/Trigonometry
    • AP Statistics
    • Probability & Statistics
    • AP Calculus AB
    • AP Calculus BC
    • Multivariable Calculus (Independent Study)
  • Four years of Science
    • Freshmen: Biology I, Foundations of Science (1 Semester), Scientific Data Analysis (1 Semester)
    • Sophomore: Chemistry I
    • Junior: Physics I
    • Senior: Choice of: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics C - Mechanics, Ecology, Anatomy and Physiology, Digital Electronics, or Psychology
  • Four Years of Fitness/Health
  • Four Years of Technology
    • Freshmen: Information Technology I - MOS Certifications in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
    • Sophomore: Information Technology II - CompTIA A+ Hardware/Software Certification (2006 Version)
    • Junior: Information Technology III - Oracle 9i Introduction to SQL (1Z0-007) Certification
    • Senior: Information Technology IV - Sun Certified Java Programmer (AP Computer Science A)
  • Three Years of Social Studies
  • Three Years of a World Language
    • Spanish I - Spanish IV
    • Hispanic Culture & Literature
    • Linguistics
  • Two years of Arts/Humanities
    • Intro to Humanities
    • Film and Genre
    • Mass Media and Communication
  • One half year of Career Education
    • This requirement is integrated into other courses and does not impact scheduling.


For a listing and description of all current AIT courses, please see the Academic Program Guide.

[edit] Articulation agreement with Union County College

In addition to the certifications resulting from the successful completion of each Information Technology level, college credits from Union County College are awarded for the equivalent classes. As of the 2010-11 school year, the articulation agreement with Union County College has been dissolved, and Information Technology courses have been restructured.

  • IT I -> CIS 100 - Intro to Computing Applications (3 Credits)
  • IT II -> CIS 101 - Intro to Information Systems (3 Credits)
  • IT III -> CIS 204 - Database Management (3 Credits)
  • IT IV -> CSC 100 - Computer Programming Fundamentals and CIS 106 - Java Programming (6 Credits)

[edit] Student organizations

[edit] Students

The Academy for Information Technology classes are relatively small with an estimated 60 students per grade and 24 students per class.

[edit] Transportation

Most of the students take school buses home, unless they live in Scotch Plains or another neighboring city (note: buses to these towns' high schools are still available). With written permission, some students may take the New Jersey Transit bus from a stop located at the edge of the campus. Students may also choose to drive to school by applying for a parking permit.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Academy for Information Technology, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 20, 2012.
  2. ^ New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 20, 2012.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 40°37′07″N 74°21′30″W / 40.618735°N 74.358361°W / 40.618735; -74.358361

Public and Private High Schools of Union County, New Jersey
Public
Map of New Jersey highlighting Union County.svg
Private
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