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Strategies That Work:
Ways to Grow Your PLTW Program
Ashley GregoryJennifer
Strathman
Ritenour High School
•Located in St. Louis, Missouri
•Approximately 2000 Students
•63% Free and Reduced Lunch
•46.2% White
•41.2% Black
•9.6% Hispanic
PLTW Gateway to Technology
Foundation Courses
•Automation and Robotics*
•Design and Modeling*
Specialization Courses
•Energy and the Environment*
•Flight and Space*
•Green Architecture*
•Magic of Electrons*
•Science of Technology*
* Currently Offered
+ Offered Beginning 12-13
^ Offered via STLCC
PLTW Pathway to Engineering
Foundation Courses
•Introduction to Engineering Design*
•Principles of Engineering*
Specialization Courses
•Digital Electronics*
•Aerospace Engineering*
•Civil Engineering and Architecture*
•Biotechnical Engineering*+
•Computer Integrated Manufacturing^
Capstone Course
•Engineering Design and Development*
* Currently Offered
+ Offered Beginning 12-13
^ Offered via STLCC
Implementation: Challenges
•Administrative Turnover
•Began with Principles of Engineering Course
•1st Group of PLTW Students were mostly Seniors
•Communication Barriers between Administrators, Counselors, Teachers, Students and Parents
•Involvement of Partnership Team
Overcoming the Challenges
•Administrators focused on building-wide support for PLTW
•Motivated PLTW instructors
•Well-informed counselors
•Opening lines of communication amongst ALL stakeholders
•Background in math, science or technology or has shown interest in becoming involved with the PLTW program
•Proven the ability to develop a strong rapport with his or her students
•Willing to commit to organizing and facilitating Partnership Team meetings
•Willing to work closely with or sponsor the TSA
•Willing to work to promote the program to the community, middle school students and current high school students
Overcoming the Challenges:Recruiting the Right Instructors for
PLTW
•Invited 2 counselors to serve on PLTW Partnership Team
•All counselors have been to PLTW Counselor and Administrator Workshops
•Open lines of communication – inform counselors of program and content requirements
•Concurrent enrollment in upper-level mathematics class(es)
•Scheduling to meet PLTW student needs
Overcoming the Challenges: Informing RHS Counselors
•Involves all stakeholders of PLTW Program (teachers, students, administrators, counselors, industry representatives)
•Meets via email every other month, once a semester in-person
•Rotating morning/afternoon meeting times
•Guest speaking opportunities
•Field trips
•Teacher externship options
•Work collaboratively to develop strategies to improve PLTW program at RHS
Overcoming the Challenges: PLTW Partnership Team
Recruitment
•Middle School Gateway to Technology Program
•To start, Geometry 9 Students are automatically enrolled in IED
•Word of mouth
•Competition – weighted credit
•Engineering Week each March
•PLTW Instructor/Student relationships
•Promotional information/materials for counselors to disseminate to students and parents
•Well-defined criteria for enrollment
•Career Pathways
•Recommendations from teachers within the building
Retention
•Curriculum and Engineering Week
•Teachers
•STEM Presentations
•Moodle
•Field Trips – Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, MS&T, Mizzou, SLU, Wash U, SLCC, UMSL
•Guest Speakers
•Core Subject Connections
•Robotics
•Articulation/Honors Credit
•Extra Help Opportunities
Success at RHS•Nationally Certified – May 2008
•Growth in enrollment
•51 students in 2006-2007
•328 students in 2012-2013
•44% Female enrollment
•42% Minority enrollment
•21 Students in EDD Capstone its first year; only St. Louis school to offer on-campus
•This year we have 16 students
•Graduates pursuing engineering in post-secondary institutions
Success at RHS
•Strong partnerships with Advisory Team (local engineering firms, state colleges and universities)
•Parent communication and involvement
•Teachers want to teach in the PLTW program
•All staff buy-in
•Success despite no Industrial Technology program
Future Plans at Ritenour High School•Engineering Academy – All PLTW Students sharing same core academic teachers for four years
•Separate Engineering Wing for the High School
•Continued partnerships with engineers and engineering firms
•Core academic credits for PLTW courses (Example: Elective Math Credit granted for POE)
•Annual fieldtrips to engineering schools for all PLTW enrollees
•Internships for PLTW students
•Summer camps and academies
