Berkeley Technology Academy

2701 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Berkeley, California 94703, United States

The Berkeley Technology Academy is a school which believes in the power of transformation. They understand that every student and every family is unique and comes with their own individual strengths and challenges. Their position in the Berkeley Unified School District is to provide a comprehensive learning atmosphere that is responsive to the difficulties many of their students face while at the same time acknowledging the tremendous strength and ability they possess. They aim to provide a physical , mental, and emotionally safe space for students to acquire the skills needed to give them a competitive edge during and after high school.

They are an Alternative High School and also offer a credit recovery plan that is part of the school day system. The classes are 85 minutes per session. Longer courses grant us the opportunity to provide 80 credits a year, which is 20 credits more than students earn at the Berkeley High Comprehensive High School. Smaller classes (approximately 8:1 teacher to student ratio) give them a distinct advantage in the provision of individualized instruction. A diverse teaching staff that reflects the population of their student body fosters a relationship dynamic that helps to facilitate the management of culturally relevant pedagogies.

The Berkeley Technology Academy (BTA) is a continuing high school diploma program intended to meet the needs of students between the ages of 16 and 18 who have not graduated from high school, are not excluded from mandatory school attendance and are deemed at risk of not completing their education. Our goal is to challenge the conventional conceptions of high school graduates by offering uncompromising, comprehensive education to all our students and reversing underachievement among students performing below their potential. To do this, they need to strengthen family , school, business and community relationships in order to improve student achievement.

Rather than categorizing students as troublemakers or low-profile students, BTA acknowledges that students who have difficulty achieving them in a typical school setting are usually the most competitive, innovative, and intellectually competent students. BTA teachers and staff maintain standards of relationship, rigor and relevance, or the Three Rs of Education in their approach to teaching, mentoring and supporting students who perform below their potential.

BTA underlines the importance of positive relationships between staff and students, as well as families and community members, in the delivery of inclusive education. Offering a curriculum that satisfies the requirements of the UC / CSU for graduation , students are subject to strict college-preparatory academic standards. In addition, classes such as business, technology and entrepreneurship emphasize students' ability to gain knowledge in fields that are relevant to their communities and their personal experiences.