Academy for Information Technology
Encyclopedia
The Union County Academy for Information Technology (UCAIT) is a full time four-year public high school located in Scotch Plains
, New Jersey
, on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
. The school is part of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools
(UCVTS), which serves students in all of Union County
. AIT focuses on education in Computer Science
and Computer Engineering
with an emphasis on Mathematics and Science.
As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 204 students and 16.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8.
Students have a very demanding curriculum which is on par with its sister school, the Union County Magnet High School
. The Academy for Information Technology offers students the opportunity to become certified as a Microsoft Office Specialist, an A+ Hardware/OS Technician, an Oracle database
Designer/Programmer and as a Programmer in the Java programming language
.
Based on the performance on the Class of 2006 in the completion of their Oracle 9i exams, the Academy for Information Technology was named an Oracle Academy of Distinction by the Oracle Corporation
. Additionally, a team of AIT students were recognized as international "Best of Category" winners in the October 2004 Oracle ThinkQuest competition.
The first graduating class was the class of 2006. There were 51 students in the class.
. After going through several phases of names, the structure was officially dedicated on May 31, 2006, as "Bistocchi Hall - Academy for Information Technology" in honor of the district's superintendent, Dr. Thomas Bistocchi.
The following criteria will be considered for admission:
For a listing and description of all current AIT courses, please see the Academic Program Guide.
are awarded for the equivalent classes. As of the 2010-2011 school year, the articulation agreement with Union County College has been dissolved, and Information Technology courses have been restructured.
or another neighboring city (note: buses to these towns' high schools are still available). With written permission, some students may take the New Jersey Transit
bus from a stop located at the edge of the campus. Students may also choose to drive to school by applying for a parking permit.
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Scotch Plains is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the township population increased to a record high of 23,510.-History:...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
The Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus is a hub for education located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.This campus contains:*Union County Vocational Technical Schools**Union County Academy for Performing Arts...
. The school is part of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools
Union County Vocational Technical Schools
The Union County Vocational Technical Schools are a grouping of schools on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, United States. This organization offers six potential programs to the student, five at the High School level and one at the adult education...
(UCVTS), which serves students in all of Union County
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
. AIT focuses on education in Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
and Computer Engineering
Computer engineering
Computer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...
with an emphasis on Mathematics and Science.
As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 204 students and 16.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8.
Students have a very demanding curriculum which is on par with its sister school, the Union County Magnet High School
Union County Magnet High School
The Union County Magnet High School is a magnet public high school located in Scotch Plains on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus, serving the vocational and technical educational needs of students throughout Union County, New Jersey. The Magnet School serves approximately 280...
. The Academy for Information Technology offers students the opportunity to become certified as a Microsoft Office Specialist, an A+ Hardware/OS Technician, an Oracle database
Oracle database
The Oracle Database is an object-relational database management system produced and marketed by Oracle Corporation....
Designer/Programmer and as a Programmer in the Java programming language
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
.
Based on the performance on the Class of 2006 in the completion of their Oracle 9i exams, the Academy for Information Technology was named an Oracle Academy of Distinction by the Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
. Additionally, a team of AIT students were recognized as international "Best of Category" winners in the October 2004 Oracle ThinkQuest competition.
The first graduating class was the class of 2006. There were 51 students in the class.
The AIT Building
The AIT Building is a large structure with a clock tower, located in the center of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools CampusUnion County Vocational Technical Schools Campus
The Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus is a hub for education located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.This campus contains:*Union County Vocational Technical Schools**Union County Academy for Performing Arts...
. After going through several phases of names, the structure was officially dedicated on May 31, 2006, as "Bistocchi Hall - Academy for Information Technology" in honor of the district's superintendent, Dr. Thomas Bistocchi.
Admissions
Applicants to the high school will proceed through the admission process as follows:- Attendance at an information session
- Submission of an application to the Principal's office
- Admissions examination
- Notification of acceptance
The following criteria will be considered for admission:
- Grade Point Average (7th and 8th grade)
- Standardized Test Scores (7th grade)
- Admission Assessments
Scheduling
AIT classes run on a block scheduling system. Two revolving days (A/B) are broken up into five blocks (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10). Each block is 83 minutes in length, with the exception of 5/6. Depending on the student's grade level, periods 5 and 6 are Co-Curricular and the Lunch period, in some order.Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate from the Academy for Information Technology, a student is required to have taken:- Four years of English
- Freshmen: English I - World Literature
- Sophomore: English II - Early American Literature
- Junior: English III - Modern American Literature
- Senior: English IV: Choice of Two Courses (British Literature or AP English Language and CompositionAP English Language and CompositionAdvanced Placement English Language and Composition is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program....
)
- Four years of Mathematics. Mathematics courses depend on an individual's skill level, which is determined based on an initial assessment in the 8th grade year. Students are placed into one of the following classes each year:
- Algebra 1
- Combined Algebra (Algebra 1 & 2)
- Geometry/Trigonometry
- Math Analysis (Pre-Calculus)
- Algebra 2/Trigonometry
- AP Statistics
- Probability & Statistics
- AP Calculus AB
- AP Calculus BC
- Multivariable Calculus (Independent Study)
- Four years of Science
- Freshmen: Biology I, Foundations of Science (1 Semester), Scientific Data Analysis (1 Semester)
- Sophomore: Chemistry I
- Junior: Physics I
- Senior: Choice of: AP BiologyAP BiologyIn the United States, Advanced Placement Biology , is a course and examination offered by the College Board to high school students as an opportunity to earn placement credit for a college-level biology course....
, AP ChemistryAP ChemistryAdvanced Placement Chemistry is a course and examination offered by the College Board as a part of the Advanced Placement Program to give American and Canadian high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn college-level credit.-The course:AP Chemistry is a course...
, AP Physics CAP Physics CPart of the College Board's Advanced Placement Program, consisting of two separate courses:*AP Physics C: Mechanics*AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism...
- Mechanics, Ecology, Anatomy and Physiology, Digital Electronics, or Psychology
- Four Years of Fitness/Health
- Four Years of Technology
- Freshmen: Information Technology I - MOS Certifications in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
- Sophomore: Information Technology II - CompTIA A+ Hardware/Software Certification (2006 Version)
- Junior: Information Technology III - Oracle 9i Introduction to SQL (1Z0-007) Certification
- Senior: Information Technology IV - Sun Certified Java Programmer (AP Computer Science A)
- Three Years of Social Studies
- Freshmen: World History
- Sophomore: US History I
- Junior: US History II
- Senior: AP United States HistoryAP United States HistoryAdvanced Placement United States History is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program...
, American Government, EconomicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
/Global Ethics
- Three Years of a World Language
- Spanish I - Spanish IV
- Hispanic Culture & Literature
- Linguistics
- Two years of Arts/Humanities
- Intro to Humanities
- Film and Genre
- Mass Media and Communication
- One half year of Career Education
- This requirement is integrated into other courses and does not impact scheduling.
Articulation Agreement with Union County College
In addition to the certifications resulting from the successful completion of each Information Technology level, college credits from Union County CollegeUnion County College
Union County College is an accredited, co-educational, two-year, public, community college located in Union County, New Jersey. As the first and oldest of New Jersey's 19 community colleges, Union County College has been serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The...
are awarded for the equivalent classes. As of the 2010-2011 school year, the articulation agreement with Union County College has been dissolved, and Information Technology courses have been restructured.
- IT I -> CIS 100 - Intro to Computing Applications (3 Credits)
- IT II -> CIS 101 - Intro to Information Systems (3 Credits)
- IT III -> CIS 204 - Database Management (3 Credits)
- IT IV -> CSC 100 - Computer Programming Fundamentals and CIS 106 - Java Programming (6 Credits)
Student organizations
- Animal Care Club
- Bridge Building Club
- Chess Club
- Community Service Club
- Drama Club
- FBLAFBLA-PBLThe Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, or FBLA-PBL, is an American career and technical student organization that has its headquarters in Reston, Virginia...
- UCVTS FBLA website - Forensics Club
- Math LeagueMath LeagueMath League is a mathematics competition for elementary, middle, and high school students in the United States. The Math League was founded in 1977 by two high school mathematics teachers, Steven R. Conrad and Daniel Flegler. Math Leagues, Inc...
- Multi-Cultural Club
- National Honor SocietyNational Honor SocietyThe National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
- Newspaper Club, TechToday
- Robotics Club
- Science OlympiadScience OlympiadScience Olympiad is an American elementary, middle, or high school team competition which tests knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 6,200 teams from 49 U.S. states compete each year. Most teams compete in three levels of competition: regionals, states, and nationals...
- SkillsUSASkillsUSASkillsUSA is a United States career and technical student organization serving more than 320,000 high school and college students and professional members enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled, and service occupations, including health occupations. Since 2010, SkillsUSA has had Thomas...
- Student Government
- Yearbook Club
- Morning Announcement Team
Students
The Academy for Information Technology classes are relatively small with an estimated 60 students per grade and 24 students per class.Transportation
Most of the students take school buses home, unless they live in Scotch PlainsScotch Plains, New Jersey
Scotch Plains is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the township population increased to a record high of 23,510.-History:...
or another neighboring city (note: buses to these towns' high schools are still available). With written permission, some students may take the New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
bus from a stop located at the edge of the campus. Students may also choose to drive to school by applying for a parking permit.
External links
- The Union County Academy for Information Technology Web site
- Academic Program Guide
- 2006-2007 School Profile
- Data for the Academy for Information Technology, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...