Think of a class where you can analyze why Indiana Jones really couldn’t make one of his cinematically-enhanced jumps in real life. Now imagine solving that problem is part of your math and science homework.

This is a typical problem at New Technology High School, the public high school with a computer-based curriculum.

In scores released Tuesday by the state department of education, New Tech made the largest point gain in the Napa Valley Unified School District, surpassing its state-set Annual Performance Index target by 105 points. Last year the school scored 694 — on a scale of 200 to 1,000 — this year the school’s score was 804, four points higher than the state’s goal of 800 for every public school.

The school also went from the bottom 10 percent to the top 10 percent in the state ranking of 100 schools of similar educational and economic characteristics. The state uses annual tests on state standards and the high school exit exam to help develop the API numbers.

Principal Monica Tipton said she credits the increase to the simple realization from students that the test matters.

“Many students didn’t realize the importance the test had on how their school was seen,” she said. “They have a tremendous amount of pride in their school and a concerted effort was made by those students to have the test reflect what they can do and know.”

New Tech differs from traditional public high schools such as Napa High and Vintage in that the curriculum is project-based. Tipton said teachers work on essentially employment-oriented skills and time management.

“We believe very strongly in the power of relevance to motivate a student to learn,” Tipton said. “We use the same standards the test is based on and then find them in what kids refer to as the ‘real world’ and build problems.”

“It’s much more interesting for the kids and the big thing is they remember it — they don’t remember it just for a test, but remember it forever,” said Tipton.