Forging new generations of engineers

1. Building Bridges Fall 2005 Conference Forging new generations of engineers

2. TECH PREP ON STEROIDS PROJECT LEAD THE WAY College and Career Transitions Initiative (system) Academy of Engineering Technology (Program) PLTW Curriculum PLTW Building a Transition System

3. Academy of Engineering Technology The Engineering Problem There are currently 1,300,000 engineering/engineering technology jobs available in the U.S. without trained people to fill them.

4. Advanced Manufacturing Survey • Surveyed over 200 Advanced Manufacturing Firms in St. Louis County. • Job training starting in High School was cited as the second highest need area / priority area for improvement. • # 1 Challenge facing companies was lack of skilled labor. • Improving training was most cited as specific action that would enhance the local business climate / grow local economy.

5. Academy of Engineering Technology The Challenge Schools are not graduating enough qualified engineers and technicians to meet the demands of business. • A shortage of engineers and technicians exists. • Enrollments in local university Engineering programs are down. • Persistence to graduation is down. • There is a need for engineers and engineering technicians in the St. Louis area.

6. Academy of Engineering Technology And to further complicate the problem…1. By 2010, half of all baby boomers will have left the workforce.2. By 2020, the other half will be retired.

7. Academy of Engineering Technology How will we equip our region’s workforce to meet the future demands of business and the global economy?

8. PLTW Curriculum “…a national program forming partnerships (currently over 500) among public schools, higher education institutions and the private sector to increase the quantity and quality of engineers and engineering technologists graduating from our educational system

9. High School Course Program • Principles of Engineering • Introduction to Engineering Design • Digital Electronics • Computer Integrated Manufacturing • Engineering Design and Development Note: Course program requires college entrance mathematics each year.

10. Academy of Engineering Technology -- School District partners agree to -- • Implement PLTW high school course curriculum • Identify and send to be trained appropriate teachers • Identify & support school counselors in the Fall professional development conference • Participate in regional consortium activities

11. In 2001, the Jones Study found secondary career and technical education in St. Louis was viewed as: • Important • Underutilized • Lacked a constituency • Had a negative image • Not a “real” high school • Old fashioned • An improvement • A supplement, not a replacement • Pathways made sense • Untested in St. Louis Co. • Site challenges • Best located in district high schools Career Academies were viewed as:

12. Academy of Engineering Technology Academy Overview Academy of Information Technology Academy of Life Sciences

13. What is a Career Academy? A small learning communityof students who take classes together for at least two years in a common subject area. The curriculum encompasses acareer theme, enabling the students to see the relationships between academic subjects and their application to a broad field of work. The curriculum includesextensive partnershipswith employers,colleges, and the community, bringing resources in from outside the school to improve student motivation and achievement.

14. Career Academies are the band experience for technical students

15. Engineering Technology: an Articulated Curriculum 4+2+2 articulated program of study in Engineering Tech-nology between participating High Schools, St. Louis Community College and 4-year partner institutions based on the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) model Engineering Technology Pathway Vision A Seamless 4+2+2 Pathway: 4 2 2 High School St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley University

16. PLTW Curriculum Academy of Engineering Technology (Program) St. Louis Regional Academy of Engineering Technology A Project Lead The Way initiative in partnership with St. Louis Community College, St. Louis County Economic Council, and these High Schools: Clayton Hazelwood Central Hazelwood East Hazelwood West Kirkwood Lindbergh Mehlville Parkway Pattonville Riverview Gardens Rockwood St. Louis Public Schools

17. Academy of Engineering Technology ACADEMIC CLASSES ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY CLASSES St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley – Dept. of Engineering & Technology Academy of Engineering Technology Mathematics, Science, English Social Studies, Physical Education Music / Art / Business Senior Engineering Design and Development (2 hours) Computer Integrated Manufacturing (1 hour) Mathematics, Science, English Social Studies, Phys. Ed. / Health Music / Art / Business Junior Digital Electronics (1 hour) High Schools Introduction to Engineering Design (1 hour) Mathematics, Science, English Social Studies, Foreign Language Phys. Ed. / SH, Music / Art /Business Sophomore Principles of Engineering (1 hour) Mathematics, Science, English Social Studies, Foreign Language Phys. Ed. / SH, Music / Art /Business Freshman

18. Academy of Engineering Technology ____ CAREER CLUSTER CLASSES COLLEGE - PREP ACADEMIC CLASSES Course may be taught at high school or at a 2-year college, and should be taught as a dual-credit course. Capstone Authentic Design and Projects (1 or 2 hours) Mathematics (College Algebra) Science (advanced) , Communications Arts (writing intensive) Social Studies, Phys. Ed. and supporting electives Senior Mathematics (Trigonometry), Science (advanced), Communications Arts (writing intensive) Social Studies, Phys. Ed. and supporting electives Junior Courses may be taught at high school or at a 2 year college, and may be offered as a dual-credit course. Specialized Technical Concepts and Contents (1 or 2 hours) Curriculum Integration Mathematics (Geometry), Science (Biology or Chemistry), Communications Arts (writing intensive) Social Studies, Foreign Language Phys. Ed., and supporting electives Sophomore Courses Taught at High School during Freshmen and Sophomore Years Applications of Technical Concepts (1 hour) Mathematics (Algebra I), Science (Biology or Physical Science), Communications Arts, Social Studies, Phys. Ed., and electives Freshman Introduction to Technical Foundations (1 hour)

19. Articulation– Academy of Engineering Technology 12 credit hours of transferable credit for completion of the PLTW course of study based on the following courses: GE:131 Engineering Technology Orientation 1 hour EGR:145 Computer Solids Modeling 2 hours ME:140 Introduction to Robotics 3 hours EE:230 Analog and Digital Electronics 3 hours ESC:100 Engineering Computer Appls/Design 3 hours

21. Academy of Engineering Technology Academy graduates will be able to: 1. use technology in problem solving. 2. understand and apply the scientific process. 3. be prepared for challenging college Engineering courses. 4. understand technological systems. 5. use mathematics in problem solving. 6. communicate effectively. 7. work in teams.

22. Academy of Engineering Technology What will an Engineering Academy graduate know and be able to do? We are perfect partners. We work together. Some parts I don’t understand, and he explains it to me exactly. It’s been a very good experience; I really like this project. Student, Clayton High School

23. HSTW 2002 NAEP Assessment How effective is the PLTW Curriculum? All HSTW sites who participated in both the 2000 (Mature Sites) and 2002 assessments Total Students N= 35,422 Total CTE Students N= 29,184

24. Academy of Engineering Technology Students who complete the five-course curriculum outperform other high school students enrolled in Technical courses in the areas of Reading, Math, and Science as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP Test).

25. Academy of Engineering Technology Project Lead The Way has been shown to be an excellent stimulus for college attendance

26. Academy of Engineering Technology Introduction at this level will attract more students to engineering, and will allow students, while still in high school, to determine if engineering is the career they desire. Students participating in PLTW courses are better prepared for college engineering programs and more likely to be successful, thus reducing the attrition rate in these college programs, which currently exceeds 50% nationally.

27. What causes this performance? Students are volunteers. Their attendance can be commanded, but their attention must be earned. I think it’s definitely challenging. I’ve been staying after and coming early so much, because it’s not something that you can work on just during the class period and go home and stop thinking about it. Gabe Rischal, Student Clayton High School

28. Beliefs That Underlie PLTW The business of school is to provide students with opportunities to do quality work; work that is engaging, work with which they will persist. I think it’s really cool. We get to work with hands-on stuff. This is a lot more fun than just sitting and doing paperwork. With this, if it doesn’t work, you’ll see how it doesn’t work and hopefully why it doesn’t work. The real world . . . where things don’t necessarily always work. Mark Goldman, Student Clayton High School

29. Results…… Students learn, test scores increase, and discipline problems decrease when schools provide students with the right work. Matt Dieckhaus, former Engineering Instructor, Clayton High School, Clayton, Missouri

30. Top Ten Things We’ve Learned

31. Lesson Number 10 The implementation of our partnership at times was challenged by disconnected systems.

32. Lesson Number 9 Students, parents, and K-12 educators get conflicting messages about what students need to know to enter and succeed in college.

33. Lesson Number 8 High School Science, technology and mathematics coursework between high school and college is not connected. College

34. Lesson Number 7 Students graduate from high school under one set of standards and three months later are required to meet a whole new set of standards in college. REMEDIAL WRECKING BALL

35. Lesson Number 6 Current data systems are not equipped to address students’ needs across systems.

36. Lesson Number 5 No one is held accountable for issues related to student transitions from high school to college.

37. Lesson Number 4 While we share the common goal of improving student performance, we often act in isolation; thus, efforts are sometimes conflicting or duplicated, and often certain needs are never addressed.

38. Lesson Number 3 Do not be afraid to question or ask for policy changes on current practices that do not facilitate the end result.

39. Lesson Number 2 A coherent sequence of academically rigorous courses that prepares students for more advanced coursework related to their occupational area of interest and successful completion of state academic standards; an exception, not a rule, in our high schools.

40. Lesson Number 1 A coherent sequence of rigorous technical skill coursework for grades 9 - 12 that culminates in dual/concurrent enrollment credit. Hopeful Parents

41. What would we do differently if we were going to start over?

42. We would . . . Get agreement at the very beginning about common data points that we all could use to measure progress; such as: HSSE Explore Plan ACT Accuplacer

43. We would . . . Stress that community college minimum entry requirements do not mean minimum preparation. We would make greater efforts to dispel this misconception.

44. We would . . . Demonstrate that the main purpose of rigorous technical coursework, at the secondary level, is to increase student achievement in math and science, thereby reducing postsecondary remediation. PLTW data

45. We would . . . Educate community college staff about the State K-12 standards.

46. We would . . . Make efforts to get everyone to understand how their teaching directly affects a student’s transition to college and that they are accountable for that transition.

47. We would . . .

48. We would . . . Start small and prepare for rapid growth, only dealing with committed partners.

49. We would . . . Use data to select diverse partners. Diversity attracts business interest.

50. We would . . . Ask community colleges to identify their standards. All partners must come to the table with a set of student expectations.