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Design Tech High School
Design Tech High School, nominated by Next Generation Learning Challenges and an anonymous organization, is a high school in Redwood City, California, that describes itself as a public charter school serving learners from a primarily suburban area.
Location Redwood City, California
Governance Public Charter School
Grades High
Students 560
Locale Suburban
Director of Innovation Nicole Cerra
Demographics
Percentage of students*
3%
English Learners
7%
Free/Reduced Lunch
33%
Students with Disabilities
African American or Black 1%
American Indian/Alaska Native —
Asian 26%
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 1%
Hispanic or Latino 14%
White 41%
2+ Races —
Why Design Tech High School was nominated
d.tech leverages a strong design thinking approach, lots of cllege and career prep, extracurriculars, Design Tech High implements the innovative learning model, Innovation Diploma, which uses the design thinking process to equip students with the tools and mindsets they need to explore personal purpose and address real-world challenges.
Student experience design
Students learn how they learn best, and how to manage authentic challenges. They helped design the campus, founded over 40 clubs and sports teams, and use their creative thinking skills to create positive change. Furthermore, by using an assessment system focused on competency-based learning, students have multiple opportunities to check their comprehension and revise work before completing letter-graded performance tasks and unit exams.
Core Practices
| Core Practices | Length of Use |
|---|---|
|
Anti-racist Practices |
5+ years
|
|
Assessments For Agency And Self-directed Learning |
5+ years
|
|
Client Projects |
3-4 years
|
|
Competency/mastery-based Education |
5+ years
|
|
Students Develop Projects |
5+ years
|
All Practices
Student Advisories
AI Literacy
AI For Learning Materials
AI For Teacher Productivity
Apprenticeships
Assessments For Career Readiness
Assessments For Deeper Learning
Career Advising & Support
Career Exploration
College Advising & Support
Community And Workforce Partnerships
Disaggregated Data On Student Participation
Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles
Grading Policies Focus On Mastery
All Courses Designed For Inclusion
Internships
Mental Health Services
Multi-tiered System Of Support (MTSS) In Academics
No Tracked Classes
Project-based Learning
Peer To Peer Support
Performance Based Assessment
Restorative Practices
Career Prep
key reasons for innovating
Address systemic inequities
Increase student agency
Some other reason
Date Updated: 4/1/2026
*Canopy profile data is self-reported or sourced from NCES data, then verified by school leaders.