High Point honored

Wantage — High Point Regional High School has been selected as a winner in the 2010 Magna Awards competition. The Magna Awards is a national recognition program co-sponsored by American School Board Journal, the National School Boards Association, and Sodexo School Services that honors school board best practices and innovative programs that advance student learning. High Point was selected because of its submission on its Women in Engineering course This course was designed and taught by Mark Wallace, supervisor of Technological Studies at High Point. “With the help of local and virtual partners in engineering fields, we have developed the nation’s first Women in Engineering, Design & Technology course. Research indicates women are under-represented in engineering/technology-related careers. High Point Regional High School found a way to recruit and retain all types of students in math, science, and technology courses,” said Wallace. This program is in its eighth year and 135 girls have taken the course, marking a 40 percent increase in female enrollment in the Technological Studies Department. Many girls from the program have received scholarships and full tuition to prestigious colleges to study engineering. Several have chosen to seek technology teaching as a career. For the past 16 years, the Magna Awards panel of independent judges has reviewed programs that showcase school district leadership, creativity, and commitment to student achievement. All Magna Winners are recognized in a special supplement published with the April issue of American School Board Journal. The Magna Awards publication is also published online at www.asbj.com/magna. School Board member Walter Stumpf will be accepting the award on behalf of the High Point Board of Education.