HTA’s Vision
A community embracing the challenges of today and the opportunities of tomorrow.

HTA’s Mission
We empower students to succeed through our blended learning experience – face-to-face, virtual and independent
This installment of the Weekly Why? comes to us in the form of a What? question.  This year HTA’s Governing Board undertook the process of guiding HTA’s 3 year strategic planning process.  Working with our consultant, Eric Kapono, we offered multiple venues through which our entire community could share their feedback and ideas about how HTA should evolve over the next three years.  These opportunities included but were not limited to:

• Schoolwide Survey for parents and faculty
• World Cafe Focus Groups (every island)
• 2 day direction setting retreat with 22 Board, Faculty and Staff members
• 2 day strategy setting retreat with 64 faculty and staff members
• ½ day financial strategy retreat with Finance Committee and Friends of HTA
• Review of the school’s current DOE Schoolwide Plan, WASC self-study, StriveHI data and all other DOE and charter specific data available to us

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Based on feedback from the data collection, world cafe focus groups and schoolwide surveys, the Governing Board, faculty and staff composed the attached strategic plan document. This document will guide the school in terms of financial, academic and organizational planning from 2016-2019.  The plan offers multiple avenues through which parents, community members and students can have an active role in shaping our school’s culture and strategic directions.  Quarterly progress reports will be publicized and shared with our entire school community.  
We invite you to read this concise version of the schoolwide plan and to get involved with the dynamic evolution of HTA. 

Click here to view HTA’s Strategic Plan

Thank you,
Ms. Fitzgerald and Mr. Zitello
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Have a question about HTA?  Email your questions to Mr. Zitello mzitello@myhta.org or Ms. Fitz fitz@myhta.org and we will do our best to answer them in the Weekly Why? ​

This year HTA engaged our school community in an extensive strategic planning process. Our entire community had the opportunity to participate.  Many common themes emerged. One was that HTA should better utilize a community of  volunteers to help plan and organize school events and activities.
To this end, HTA will endeavor to create a true community organization called the HTA Ohana Committee (HOC). The intent of this committee will be to create a more active presence in growing our school wide community by tapping into the passion and dedication of our parents, teachers, and friends.
A group of teachers has taken the lead in beginning to form HOC.  They need your enthusiasm and ideas! If you might be interested in joining HTA’s Ohana Committee (HOC) for school year 2016-17, or would like to know more, please fill out this very BRIEF FORM
Have a question about HTA?  Email your questions to Mr. Zitello mzitello@myhta.org or Ms. Fitz fitz@myhta.org and we will do our best to answer them in the Weekly Why?

Since social media is used on a routine basis at home, it is the easiest way to spread news and information to our students, parents, and community members.  Social media also gives HTA a platform for recognizing student achievements, school accomplishments, and exciting events.  Not only does social media help to keep our families informed, it also helps build our school's brand and reach prospective new families.  Help us spread the word about HTA and show people the great things that are happening at our school by joining us on social media.  Each one of your "likes" or "shares" helps us reach a broader audience.  HTA has social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+ and Youtube.
"Like" us on Facebook:  HTA-Hawaii Technology Academy
"Follow" us on Instagram:  @htacharter
"Follow" us on Twitter:  @htacharter
​"Follow" us on Google+:  Hawaii Technology Academy
"Subscribe" to our YouTube channel:  Hawaii Technology Academy 

If you have something that you would like to share on social media, please email your submission to Kristen Wolf, Director of Communications, atkwolf@myhta.org
Have a question about HTA?  Email your questions to Mr. Zitello mzitello@myhta.org or Ms. Fitz fitz@myhta.org and we will do our best to answer them in the Weekly Why?

The Smarter Balance Assessment provides an annual snapshot of your student’s academic growth.  For students in grades 3 through 8 and 11, the Smarter Balanced Assessment offers the opportunity to apply the skills and content knowledge that they have learned in face-to-face class, online through the curriculum and in independent learning opportunities.   Based on last year’s results, our students are well prepared for success on the Smarter Balanced Assessment.  The length of the test has been reduced from last year as have the number of days of testing. Please be certain to review your division/island calendar for Smarter Balanced Assessment dates and times.
Did you know…
that Hawaii is not an “opt out” state.  If your student does not participate in the Smarter Balanced Assessment, HTA is demerited on our academic performance framework.  The academic performance framework is a key indicator in Hawaii’s StriveHI system for school improvement.  In 2015, HTA was demerited an average of 2% of those students who tested as proficient in each subject area.  As a result, HTA remains in School Focus status.  This means that our school falls subject to school improvement measures mandated by the Department of Education.  Below you can view an example of how a participation rate of less than 95% impacts our scores.


HTA encourages all students to participate in SBA testing so that we can celebrate the academic growth of our students and collect data to better equip us as teachers and parent learning coaches in enriching their learning experience.  As a reminder, if you refuse testing for your student, your student still needs to report to the learning center or test site on the scheduled test dates.
We thank you in advance for supporting your student during the Smarter Balanced Assessment.  
With Aloha,
Ms. Fitz and Mr. Zitello

...did you know that HTA’s Kona and Oahu Middle School Robotics teams both made it to the state competition this year?  The Kona team won theJudge’s Award for Sportsmanship and the Oahu team performed so well that they advanced to the World Competition!  Testimony from the students of Oahu’s HTA Robotics Team……….


7th Grader- A. Hanby:
“I love HTA Robotics because I met a lot of amazing kids and it helps me learn about technology and our future.”
7th Grader- S. James-Piedra:
“I think HTA Robotics is awesome because we get to learn about robots, and how to work as a team to solve different challenges”
7th Grader- C. Brown:
“I really enjoy HTA Robotics because I get to learn about how to program and build robots to solve a challenge. One day I would like to become a robot engineer”
8th Grader- R. Craythorn:
“I really like HTA Robotics because I’ve learned so much and met many interesting people. I can play around with robots and socialize with my friends.”
8th Grader- Z. Peerboom:
“I love HTA Robotics because it is a place that I can socialize, build and drive robots with other students that have the same passion.”

A message from Jeff Brown, the coach of Oahu’s HTA Robotics Team……….
“The HTA Robotics Team seeks help raising funds for our trip to the Vex IQ Robotics World Championships in Louisville, KY. Our students have worked tirelessly this season to secure a victory at the Hawaii State Vex IQ Robotics Championships. As State Champions we now need your help to reach our goal of attending the World Championships. In order to meet this goal, we are asking for donations or sponsorships from local businesses and the HTA Ohana.  By giving, you will be helping our students represent HTA and our great State of Hawaii as they compete with the best teams from around the world in this prestigious international competition.”
Why you might want to help?

• HTA is cultivating a true sense of school pride and ohana, one in which we support each other when and where possible.
• Successful schools celebrate school success! HTA is in the business of celebration, as there are countless other successes on a daily basis
• HTA Robotics has put out the “Bat Signal” to our community and we hope that people will consider helping.  Traveling to Worlds and participating in the competition is expensive, and although they are fundraising, the team hopes that the community will support them.  
• Click here to donate to the Robotics Team via paypal or check via HTA’s associated non-profit, Friends of HTA.
• Do you know about Friends of HTA? Friends of HTA (FoHTA), exists “to provide financial assistance for school related activities, functions, and facilities”.  Click here to visit the FoHTA website

HTA and the Oahu Robotics Team thanks you! for your support!

HTA students in grades 3-8 and 11 will take the Smarter Balanced Assessment this spring.  Unlike the old “smile and file” standardized tests, the SBA is not a “fill in the bubble/fill in the blank” test.  The SBA emphasizes writing, problem-solving, and critical thinking- the exact same skills that HTA’s students encounter in our blended learning program.  In taking the SBA, HTA’s students are able to exhibit and apply the academic skills that they have developed through their class projects, work in the online curriculum and personalized learning plans.   

Most important, the SBA results enable HTA’s faculty and administration to thoughtfully develop our blended learning program to ensure that we are meeting the academic needs of your student.  The faculty takes time and care to read the individualized student reports- reports that provide useful information on areas in which our students are doing extremely well and those areas where we need to provide more focus, instruction and dynamic learning opportunities.  The SBA results, coupled with report card grades, work samples and face-to-face learning provide an informative snapshot of how HTA can best craft enrichment opportunities, courses and a personalized learning profiles for your child.  

At HTA we empower students to succeed through our blended learning experience- face-to-face, independent and virtual.  Participating in the SBA provides your student with an independent opportunity to showcase his or her content knowledge and applied academic skills.  While not every student might enjoy the testing experience, we encourage students to consider this as an opportunity to stretch themselves and work on their test taking skills.  As we know, confident test taking is a skill that students need to develop to be college and career ready.  

In order to better serve your student, the length of the SBA has been shortened.  This year your student will sit the test over a three day period, rather than a five day period.  We believe that this will be less disruptive to our overall program.  Please refer to your division calendar for your island and grade level test dates and times.  Please ensure that your family prioritizes attendance on these dates to avoid making up the test at a later date.  Our teachers have planned their spring pacing guides around the test dates to ensure that your student does not feel overwhelmed.

We believe that HTA’s teachers and you, as parent learning coach, have equipped your students with the content knowledge, skill sets and confidence that they need to successfully navigate the Smarter Balanced Assessment.  We thank you in advance for preparing your student to take the test and look forward to celebrating his or her results next fall.

If you have questions about the Smarter Balanced Assessment and would like to learn more about the test, please contact our Instructional Support Team through Mrs. Goodhue at: mgoodhue@myhta.org

With Warm Aloha~
Ms. Fitz &  Mr. Zitello

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