Inside New Tech High School at B.F. Darrell, the energy in the classroom feels different.
On the surface, it may look like students are simply having fun, but the liveliness emanating from the hall comes from engaging, hands-on instruction. For Channel Hutchinson, the school’s principal, this year’s strong STAAR results reflect something bigger: her school is responsible for a culture where creativity and collaboration thrive through project-based learning.
She says this instructional approach is the driving force behind New Tech’s growth.
“We’re learning this content so that we can apply it to real life. That’s a huge difference because our kids see the importance of the content beyond just the STAAR test,” she said.
One of the students Hutchinson sees thriving is senior Raymond C., who firmly believes New Tech prepared him for his future. The project-based learning model shaped how he learns, giving him more creative freedom and confidence in the classroom.
“With the help of my amazing teachers, I was able to obtain many leadership opportunities,” he said. “I have been able to grow, not just as a student, but as a person. I was able to use all of my collaborative and leadership skills that I learned at New Tech, and I know they will allow me to excel in the real world.”
Raymond is a representative for the Dallas ISD Teen Board, an assistant director for Pegasus Film Festival, and an AP ambassador. These are some of the reasons Hutchinson calls him “the man.”
Once a quiet student, he says teamwork and collaboration weren’t his strengths, but New Tech’s instruction helped him grow the ability to work with others.
Raymond also credited his teachers with supporting students’ academic and emotional needs during STAAR prep.
“Our teachers believe in the importance of mental health,” he said. “They allow us to temporarily disconnect from the academic world, recharge, and continue to grow and learn. Recurring tests can get exhausting, and drain our energy as students, so getting a small break from time to time makes a big change.”
This successful approach was evident in last year’s math growth, where students not only performed well on STAAR, but also found excitement in subjects they once struggled with. Math teacher Joe Jenkins said much of that success came from the school’s Imagine Algebra program.
“Seeing students that have never engaged with math get to a point where they are not only confident in their abilities, they’re actually having learning experiences they are excited about, that’s been a huge point of pride,” Jenkins said.
He credits collaboration among teachers and the project-based learning model for helping students see math as something real and useful.
“On any given day, students could be designing a robot to withstand a head-on collision using systems of equations or finding an optimal solution for launching a rocket using quadratic functions,” Jenkins said. “Every day, they are practicing math in a very real way. Once you’ve done learning it this way, trust me, you can’t go back to the traditional methods.”
Hutchinson said a mix of grit, purpose, and support reflects what makes New Tech unique.
“We educate the whole child,” she said. “Everything we do is rooted in a purpose that’s deeper than a test.”
When Hutchinson first arrived as assistant principal eight years ago, strengthening academics was a key focus. Over time, teachers and faculty aligned instruction to the project-based model, which emphasizes problem-solving, inquiry, and student voice.
Looking ahead, New Tech is focusing on strengthening writing across subjects and expanding internship opportunities. The goal is for every student to graduate with hands-on experience that connects the classroom to the workplace.
“Many of the electives New Tech offers aren’t just classes, but our students’ futures,” Raymond said. “New Tech helps us feel successful once we see the opportunities and outcomes of all of our hard work. Projects prepare us for the future and give us confidence in ourselves and our knowledge. As students, we are able to get a head start on what the future holds.”
