FAQ

Project Lead the Way Frequently Asked Questions:

Why are ETHS PLTW course grades weighted at the AP level?

PLTW courses are rigorous STEM courses. The curriculum is developed/maintained by a consortium of leading engineering schools in major universities in conjunction with private industry within the field of engineering. As part of that standard curriculum, students take an End of Course (EoC) exam to assess their understanding/learning. Like the AP exams issued by the College Board, PLTW affiliated colleges will accept high scores on this exam and award credit and/or provide admissions preference for students who have completed PLTW courses in high school (see question 3 below).

For this reason, ETHS and many other school districts with PLTW courses specifically equate PLTW courses to AP within their grade policies.

What does the research say about the benefits of taking PLTW courses in high school?

• High school graduates who participated in PLTW were nearly three times as likely to major in STEM, and 3 to 4 times more likely to study engineering, versus non-PLTW graduates.

• Students who took three or more PLTW courses while in high school were six times more likely to study STEM, and eight times more likely to study engineering, in college than their peers who had not taken PLTW while in high school.

• PLTW participation was significantly related to persistence into the second year of college, especially for those students who had taken three or more PLTW courses.

(Pike, Gary and Kirsten Robbins (2014). Using Propensity Scores to Evaluate Education Programs. Indiana University-Purdue)

How does taking PLTW courses in high school benefit students who want to pursue engineering-related degrees in college?

More than 150 colleges and universities recognize and reward the great work being accomplished by PLTW schools, students, and teachers.

• • Postsecondary institutions recognize PLTW students in a variety of ways -- check with individual schools – especially PLTW Affiliates – for information on recognition opportunities they offer to PLTW students. Examples of ways that colleges/universities recognize PLTW students include:

Scholarships: PLTW students often show increased performance and persistence versus their non-PLTW peers. As a result, many colleges and universities offer scholarships for PLTW students to attend their institution. The following are ways in which institutions are offering scholarships or grants.

• Students are awarded a scholarship or grant based upon their enrollment in PLTW programs or course(s)

• Students are eligible to apply for scholarships specifically designated for PLTW students.

Admissions Preference: Data show that PLTW graduates often excel and persist at a higher rate than their non-PLTW peers. As a result, many institutions wish to offer preference to PLTW students seeking admission. The following are ways in which institutions offer admissions preference to PLTW students.

•  PLTW courses act as one of the required courses for admission, such as a science or math equivalency course.

• PLTW programs or courses are part of the institution’s weighted admissions requirements used when accepting students into the institution or degree program.

•  Completion of a PLTW program or courses leads to automatic enrollment into the institution or degree program.

College-Level Recognition: PLTW classes are nationally standardized, project-based courses that prepare students for college-level work and culminate with a student assessment, which colleges and universities can use to determine if a student earns college credit. The following are some of the ways in which post-secondary institutions recognize and attract PLTW students.

• Course Substitution Credit: A PLTW course or sequence of courses substitutes for a program course—treated similar to AP or transfer credit.

• Advanced Standing Credit: A PLTW course eliminates the need for an elective course; or gives students no course credit, but gives them credit to advance their class standing (i.e. early registration, parking preferences, early financial assistance increase due to reaching junior status quicker).

• Partial Course Credit: The institution grants partial credit for a course, thus reducing the tuition to the student, but not the time.

• Bridge Courses: These are courses designed specifically to fill any gaps between the PLTW courses and related program courses.

• Test-Out or Challenge Exam: Students are allowed to sit for a challenge exam, which upon successful completion will give them credit for the program course.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: WWW.PLTW.ORG