Coppell ISD is closing schools. We're trying to innovate our way out of this budget crisis. For New Tech, for our students, for their future.
Read Our StoryFlex Friday is not just a schedule—it’s the cultural engine that drives New Tech High @ Coppell. Every Friday, our students design their own learning day, choosing from a diverse menu of sessions led by both peers and facilitators. These range from academic support and enrichment to club meetings, sports, guest speakers, and hands-on workshops. The entire campus comes alive: cricket matches on the field, chess tournaments in the gym, yoga classes in the classrooms, DECA activities in the courtyard, and guest lectures in the media center.
This level of personalization and autonomy is only possible with a dedicated campus. Our flexible spaces allow for simultaneous, student-driven activities, something that cannot be replicated within the rigid scheduling and space constraints of a traditional high school. Flex Friday exemplifies our commitment to project-based learning, real-world experiences, and student agency. It is a pillar of our school’s identity and a key reason families choose New Tech. Without our own campus, the logistical and cultural foundations that make Flex Friday possible would be at risk, threatening the very qualities that set us apart.
At New Tech, our Networking Teams and Captains (NTCs) function like college houses, bringing together students from all grades for service, competition, and mentorship. These cross-grade teams meet and engage during Flex Fridays, fostering a sense of belonging and healthy competition. Each team has its own name, traditions, and decorated spaces, deepening group identity and pride.
A standalone campus is essential for the success of the NTC system. Our students need flexible meeting areas for simultaneous activities, service projects, and competitions. The ability to move freely across campus is crucial for the dynamic nature of NTC events, like the Snacker Challenge, NT Olympics, and NT Gives Back. These traditions are essential for student engagement and the long-term success of the program. In a larger, traditional high school, our unique culture and peer-mentoring model would be diluted by competing programs and priorities.
New Tech’s dedicated campus is designed with all learners in mind, especially those who are neurodiverse or twice-exceptional. Our facilitators create sensory-friendly classrooms, quiet zones, and flexible spaces with adjustable lighting and sound-absorbing materials. Sensory break areas equipped with calming tools are available throughout the school, allowing students to self-regulate and return to learning refreshed.
Our project-based learning (PBL) approach empowers students to take ownership of their education, selecting and developing projects that align with their interests and strengths. This is especially beneficial for students who need both advanced challenges and individualized supports. Cross-grade groupings foster mentorship and social skill development, and blended learning allows personalized pacing and access to materials in multiple formats. All of this requires adaptable environments and collaborative spaces that simply do not exist in a crowded, traditional high school.
New Tech High @ Coppell is not just a school; it is part of a national movement for deeper learning. According to research by the Learning Policy Institute, the New Tech Network, comprising over 200 schools across 25 states, has successfully integrated deeper learning practices into diverse communities and school settings. Deeper learning goes beyond traditional academics, focusing on critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and the ability to apply knowledge in real-world contexts.
All New Tech Network schools, including ours, use project-based learning as the core instructional approach. This method engages students in multifaceted, authentic projects that require them to synthesize information, solve complex problems, and present their findings to real audiences. The Network’s research shows that these practices not only deepen academic understanding but also promote equity by supporting meaningful learning for all students, including those who have historically been underserved.
A key finding from the Learning Policy Institute is that deeper learning environments thrive when schools have the autonomy to design their own structures and cultures. New Tech’s standalone campus is essential for fostering the strong relationships, flexible spaces, and collaborative culture that deeper learning requires. The Network’s ongoing professional development for educators ensures that our teachers are equipped to create these environments, mirroring the same project-based, experiential learning they provide to students.
By maintaining our own campus, New Tech High @ Coppell can continue to serve as a model for how deeper learning transforms student outcomes and prepares graduates for success in college, careers, and civic life.
New Tech High @ Coppell offers a small-school environment with a private-school feel, attracting families seeking personalized, innovative education within the public system. Our campus supports a culture of trust, autonomy, and strong relationships between students and staff. The Networking Teams, Flex Fridays, and project-based learning model all depend on a close-knit, relationship-rich environment. The focus is on inclusion, psychological safety, and restorative practices. Students are encouraged to collaborate, co-create norms, and participate in community-building activities. The emphasis is on building trust, empathy, and prosocial skills, helping students feel valued and connected.
If New Tech were to move into Coppell High School, we would lose the flexibility and ownership that allow our traditions to thrive. Our students would become just another program, and the unique rhythms, expectations, and freedoms that define our school would be lost. The result would be a loss of identity, student engagement, and the very qualities that have made us a model for innovation in education.
Our current campus allows New Tech to expand enrollment and programs in response to community demand. Integrating into CHS would provide only the bare minimum of space, with no room for growth or program expansion. CHS is already crowded, and absorbing New Tech would negate efforts to relieve overcrowding. A standalone campus enables us to continue innovating, partnering with local organizations, and offering unique opportunities such as our guest speaker series and leadership programs, which require flexible scheduling and campus-wide access.
New Tech High @ Coppell has been recognized for its commitment to college and career readiness, inclusive culture, and meaningful instruction. Our project-based, student-driven approach equips learners with real-world skills and confidence. Parents, students, and staff consistently voice that consolidating or relocating New Tech would disrupt our strong culture, academic programs, and student well-being.
As New Tech High @ Coppell is a smaller campus, career based classes, like business or computer science, are smaller, leading to opportunities for students to network one on one with both teachers and people in the community setting these students up for their post education life. By consolidating New Tech High @ Coppell, the ability for these classes to remain active in our community becomes much more difficult for teachers, because it brings up the question of ‘fairness’ between the two schools. Field trips that used to be integral to learning would now disrupt a larger group of students more than if New Tech High @ Coppell had its own campus.
New Tech High @ Coppell is able to encourage students to excel academically in part due to the small campus it provides; it offers a safe alternative to the larger campus of Coppell High School. The smaller campus provides a quieter space for students and allows our students to have privileges that would not be available on a different campus.
A hallmark of the New Tech High @ Coppell experience is the vibrant tradition of school-wide events and authentic community engagement, which extends learning well beyond the classroom walls. These signature experiences—Slamming for a Cause, the annual Haunted House, and Project Walks—are deeply woven into the fabric of our school culture and exemplify the real-world, collaborative spirit at the heart of the New Tech model.
Slamming for a Cause is a celebrated annual event that transforms our cafeteria into a stage for student voice and social impact. Freshman learners, known as ‘Rookies,’ research global human rights issues, craft original spoken word pieces, and perform in a school-wide poetry slam. The event draws students, families, and community members together, raising awareness and funds for local charities through admission, bake sales, and silent auctions. The energy and purpose of this event are only possible because our campus can be reconfigured to accommodate large audiences, multiple fundraising activities, and the technical needs of a live showcase.
This project is a living example of the five pillars of the New Tech Network outcomes that are core to the high school’s mission: Agency, Collaboration, Knowledge and Thinking, Oral Communication, and Written Communication. Throughout the process, students demonstrate agency by taking ownership of their research and creative expression; they collaborate in teams to refine their messages and organize the event; they apply knowledge and thinking skills to analyze complex social issues; and they develop both oral and written communication through the creation and performance of original poetry.
Slamming for a Cause is also distinctly cross-curricular, representing a partnership between Honors Human & World Geography and Honors English I classes. Students must meet distinct criteria for each subject area, integrating research and analytical skills from Geography with the literary and rhetorical techniques of English. This collaboration ensures that learners engage deeply with both content and skills, preparing them for future interdisciplinary challenges.
Slamming for a Cause is more than a fundraiser; it is a testament to our commitment to advocacy, creativity, and community partnership. It is hard to imagine this event finding time or space at CHS.
Each fall, the entire New Tech campus is transformed for the annual Haunted House, an immersive event designed and operated by students under the leadership of the Student Council. Over several days, classrooms and hallways become themed attractions, with every student contributing to design, construction, and performance. The Haunted House not only showcases student creativity and teamwork, but also serves a philanthropic purpose for the community: families bring their kids, alumni come back, and neighbors line up. By the end of the night, thousands of dollars had been raised to donate to support local nonprofit organizations such as Safe Haven, the American Red Cross, and the SPCA. This large-scale, collaborative event depends on full access to the campus, flexible scheduling, and the ability to adapt spaces for creative use. The Haunted House exemplifies the hands-on, student-driven learning that defines New Tech and could not be replicated in a shared or restricted facility.
Beyond the Haunted House, New Tech’s calendar is full of student-led events that create deep ties with the local community. Spring Fling, hosted by the Student Council in early April, brings the feeling of a carnival to campus—bounce houses, food trucks, carnival games, petting zoo, laser tag, and more that draw hundreds of families each year. In the fall, the Networking Team Captains (NTC) organizes the Fall Festival, featuring booths of food, drinks, Halloween-themed games, and a trunk-or-treat that has become a favorite tradition for young children. Hosted once in the fall and once in spring, Hope Squad’s Art & Heart Fair turns the campus into a marketplace where local vendors and artists sell handmade goods as uplifting music plays live in the media center. These events have given students real-world experience in planning, leadership, and community service. They require the flexibility of a standalone campus: space to manage crowds, time to prepare and set up, and freedom to make a school a center of connection. Relocating New Tech would weaken the deep connections students have formed with the community they serve, creating a ripple effect on the people who once benefited and found joy from New Tech’s presence.
Project-based learning at New Tech culminates in Project Walks, a defining feature of New Tech’s assessment model, which involves the involvement of community members in evaluating student work. Student teams present their work to panels of evaluators—including educators, industry partners, local professionals, parents, and other community members who engage in in-depth Q&A sessions. These events transform the school into a dynamic showcase, with classrooms, hallways, and common areas all serving as venues for presentations and exhibitions. During Project Walks, students can defend their ideas, receive real-time feedback, and celebrate their achievements with the broader community. This multi-perspective evaluation exposes students to a diversity of viewpoints and standards, simulating the real-world experience of presenting to varied audiences and receiving feedback from outside their immediate circles.
Such authentic assessment is invaluable preparation for life beyond high school, fostering adaptability, communication skills, and an appreciation for constructive critique from multiple sources. The scale and complexity of these events require a campus that can be fully dedicated to their execution, with flexible scheduling and space allocation to accommodate simultaneous presentations and large audiences. These events are at the core of the New Tech model and aren’t peripheral.
In keeping with the mission to prepare students for the demands of college and the professional world, New Tech High @ Coppell requires every student to complete a minimum number of volunteering hours as a graduation requirement. This service-learning component ensures that students contribute meaningfully to our communities and develop civic responsibility, mirroring the expectations found in many leading high schools and postsecondary programs.
Additionally, all seniors must complete a Capstone Project to graduate, a culminating, multi-phase experience comparable to the senior design projects or theses required in bachelor’s and graduate programs. Students select a topic of personal or professional interest, conduct in-depth research, and design a tangible product or service that addresses a real-world problem. The Capstone journey encompasses planning, fieldwork, a reflective research paper, and a formal presentation before a panel comprising educators, parents, and community members. This process allows students to synthesize and showcase their accumulated knowledge, skills, and growth, providing a bridge to postsecondary expectations and professional practice.
The New Tech Network, which supports innovative schools nationwide, has documented the importance of separate campuses for schools with unique models, such as ours. Their research highlights that standalone facilities are crucial for maintaining the integrity of project-based learning, fostering strong school cultures, and supporting the diverse needs of students. Schools that share space with traditional programs often struggle to maintain their identity, autonomy, and program quality. The Network’s findings reinforce our lived experience: a dedicated campus is not a luxury, but a necessity for New Tech’s continued success and growth.
New Tech Network notes that co-location amplifies perceived inequities by placing two models side by side. For example, CHS students observe New Tech’s Flex Fridays: cricket matches, chess tournaments, and guest speakers. They may perceive unfair advantages, even if both schools operate under different philosophies. Research confirms that proximity breeds comparisons, often framed through a lens of injustice.
Potential flashpoints:
These perceptions aren’t trivial. Studies show students interpret fairness through three lenses: distributive (grades/resources), procedural (rules), and interactional (respect). A shared campus risks failing on all fronts:
As the New Tech Network’s research emphasizes, standalone facilities are critical for innovative models to flourish without being stifled by incompatible systems. For Coppell ISD, investing in New Tech’s campus isn’t just about space; it’s about safeguarding a culture that transforms how students learn, lead, and belong.
The New Tech Network model is intentionally designed to transform the traditional high school experience into something far more dynamic, collaborative, and future-focused. At its core, New Tech High @ Coppell seeks to emulate the atmosphere of a college seminar or a modern corporate workplace, environments where individuals are colleagues, ideas are exchanged freely, and learning is an active, shared pursuit.
Unlike conventional high schools, where students are often passive recipients of information, the New Tech approach treats students as colleagues in their own learning journey. Facilitators (teachers) and students work side by side, co-creating projects, solving real-world problems, and engaging in meaningful dialogue. This collegial environment encourages mutual respect, accountability, and a sense of ownership that mirrors both higher education and the professional world.
Classrooms at New Tech are intentionally structured to foster seminar-style discussions and teamwork. Instead of rows of desks, you’ll find flexible spaces with whiteboards, movable furniture, and technology that support group problem-solving, brainstorming, and presentations. Students regularly collaborate in small groups, much like college seminars or workplace teams, where they are expected to contribute, challenge each other’s thinking, and build consensus.
The physical and cultural design of New Tech campuses supports this vision. The goal is to create an environment that feels more like a tech company or a university innovation hub than a traditional school. Students move freely between collaborative workspaces, project rooms, and quiet zones, choosing the setting that best fits their current task. Leadership opportunities abound, from running club meetings to organizing guest speaker events, echoing the autonomy and initiative valued in the professional world.
Project-based learning (PBL) is the backbone of the New Tech model. Students engage in authentic, complex projects that require critical thinking, creativity, and communication: skills essential for college and career success. Facilitators act as coaches and mentors, guiding students as they navigate challenges, set goals, and reflect on their growth. This approach not only deepens academic understanding but also builds confidence and real-world problem-solving abilities.
New Tech High @ Coppell is not just a school; it is part of a national movement for deeper learning. According to research by the Learning Policy Institute, the New Tech Network, comprising over 350 schools across 37 states and Australia, has successfully integrated deeper learning practices into diverse communities and school settings. Deeper learning goes beyond traditional academics, focusing on critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and the ability to apply knowledge in real-world contexts.
All New Tech Network schools, including ours, use project-based learning as the core instructional approach. This method engages students in multifaceted, authentic projects that require them to synthesize information, solve complex problems, and present their findings to real audiences. The Network’s research shows that these practices not only deepen academic understanding but also promote equity by supporting meaningful learning for all students, including those who have historically been underserved.
A key finding from the Learning Policy Institute is that deeper learning environments thrive when schools have the autonomy to design their own structures and cultures. New Tech’s standalone campus is essential for fostering the strong relationships, flexible spaces, and collaborative culture that deeper learning requires. The Network’s ongoing professional development for educators ensures that our teachers are equipped to create these environments, mirroring the same project-based, experiential learning they provide to students.
By maintaining our own campus, New Tech High @ Coppell can continue to serve as a model for how deeper learning transforms student outcomes and prepares graduates for success in college, careers, and civic life.
Central to the New Tech experience is a relationship-rich environment where every student is known, valued, and supported. Smaller class sizes, cross-grade networking teams, and a culture of mentorship foster strong connections among students and staff. This sense of belonging is critical for personal and academic growth and is a hallmark of both successful college programs and high-performing workplaces. Traditional public high schools often operate on a competitive, individualistic model. Students work alone, assignments and tests are graded individually, and there is an implicit (or explicit) competition for top grades, recognition, and limited opportunities. This can foster rivalry and sometimes adversarial relationships among students. While some group work may occur, the prevailing culture often values individual achievement over collective success. This can limit the development of teamwork, empathy, and communication skills that are crucial beyond school. It is a different philosophy. In a relationship-rich New Tech environment, students and staff are viewed as colleagues working together toward shared goals. This collegial approach encourages open exchange of ideas, shared learning, and ‘rooting for one another,’ which strengthens both academic and personal growth.
A standalone campus is fundamental to New Tech High @ Coppell’s mission and success. By intentionally modeling itself after college seminars and innovative corporate campuses, New Tech Network schools and NewTech High @ Coppell prepare students not just for graduation, but for lifelong success in higher education and the modern workforce. The need for a dedicated, standalone campus is rooted in this vision: only in a purpose-built environment can the New Tech model fully deliver on its promise of transforming students into empowered, collaborative, and future-ready leaders. Having our campus preserves our unique culture, supports diverse learners, enables innovative programming, and allows our community to thrive. Merging with a traditional high school would undermine the very qualities that make New Tech a beacon of innovation and student success in Coppell ISD. Our community, our students, and our future depend on maintaining and investing in our own campus.e: ‘Why New Tech High @ Coppell Needs Its Own Standalone Campus’,
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