WHAT IS THE pbHTA PROGRAM?

pbHTA (place-based HTA) is an engaging, “hands-on” project-based program offered to Oahu’s middle school students. This program is an alternative to HTA’s more traditional blended middle school program offered at the Waipahu campus. Instead, pbHTA is a blend of virtual instruction and place-based learning at numerous community partner sites on Oahu. pbHTA’s goal is to increase student engagement and critical thinking by focusing on issues that affect our community and developing meaningful, real-world solutions.

WHY pbHTA?

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS ONCE ENROLLED:

  • Attend regularly scheduled virtual class sessions.
  • Attend regularly scheduled community project-based site visits.
  • Attend student support sessions at HTA’s Waipahu campus (as directed by teacher and specific student needs)
  • Quarterly participation in Student-Led Conferences (SLC), exhibitions of learning, and performance assessment tasks completed at community partner sites.
  • Participate in an innovative, teacher-created standards-based curriculum which will include integrated content topics in the middle school core requirements of science, math, language arts, and history.
  • Participate in a mastery-based assessment model and innovative report card process.
  • Respond to all school communications.
  • Attend all mandatory Hawaii State Testing events.

FULL VIRTUAL COVID SCHEDULE

ESSENTIAL pbHTA PROGRAM COMPONENTS

  1. Place-based Learning and Site Visits- The program’s foundation rests upon real-world projects and problems that students will engage in with our community partners. The pbHTA “classroom” will be outside and knowledge and skills attained will be applied to those challenges facing our community. A student will be expected to visit a community site weekly. These weekly site visits will be scheduled in advance of each semester and a clear calendar of events will be communicated to both the family and the community partner.
  2. Virtual Classes- To provide maximum flexibility and a dynamic learning experience, HTA’s premier virtual class instruction and model will be integrated into the pbHTA program. A minimum of two virtual instruction class days per week will be expected and required. These virtual classes will provide the content knowledge that will then be applied during community site visits. Attendance will be mandatory and regularly recorded.​​
  3. ​Student Support: The pbHTA program recognizes that at times students may struggle to understand difficult concepts and will therefore need targeted small group and individual instruction with their teachers. Additionally, skill-based practice and workshops will be required in a face to face environment. To that end, one day a week will be reserved for such interventions during student support times at the Waipahu campus. This will be the closest pbHTA corollary to a traditional classroom and will be the only day scheduled each week at the Waipahu campus. setting.
Meet Middle School pbHTA teacher, Elissa Minamishin!

DO YOU QUALIFY FOR THE pbHTA PROGRAM?

  • Your family must attend a pbHTA enrollment information session to review program details and expectations.
  • Your family must be compliant with all HTA policies and procedures.
  • The learning Coach MUST be available to provide transportation 1 to 2 times per week to pre-arranged educational partner sites around Oahu.

pbHTA RE-ENROLLMENT PERIOD:
JAN 6, 2021-FEB 2 2021 

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS:

Please contact Mr. Zitello at mzitello@myhta.org or Mr. Shah at ashah@myhta.org.