Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering

Program that Works

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Summary

PLTW complements traditional college-preparatory academic studies with challenging career/technical studies, providing students with hands-on exposure to real-life engineering challenges and challenges in biomedical sciences. Gateway to Technology (GTT), the PLTW middle school program, is divided into five independent nine‑week courses developed for grades six through eight and is taught in conjunction with a rigorous academic curriculum. Most of the PLTW course can be used for college credit.

Target Population

Middle (Gateway to Technology) and high school (Pathway to Engineering, and Project Lead The Way Biomedical Science) students interested in engineering and other science and math fields.

Goal(s)

Increase the number of highly skilled engineers, engineering technologists, and biomedical scientists produced by the U.S. educational system.

Program Highlights

PLTW students take more challenging courses and score higher on high school achievement tests.
PLTW students are more likely to attend and complete college, and to choose engineering as a focus in college than the typical freshman.
PLTW has been implemented in 3000 schools across all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia.

The Facts

Year introduced:1999

Number of schools:approximately 2000 schools

Costs:Basic courses and materials for the pre-engineering curriculum total approximately $50,000 for two 26-student laboratories (assuming an empty room) for the middle school curriculum and $65,000 for one 20-station laboratory (assuming an empty room) for the high school curriculum

Region:National

Partners

Higher Education

PLTW has developed a nation-wide network of 35 Affiliate Universities

Business

AIA/NDIA
NAM
NFPA
Lockheed Martin
Intel Corporation
Northrop Grumman
Rockwell Automation
Rolls Royce
Sprint

Non-Profit / Philanthropy

NAPE
NAF
NACME
CASEE
EEES
SME-EF
Kern Family Foundation
Kauffman Foundation
Knight Foundation

Government

Evidence of Impact

Studies show that PLTW students experience more rigorous curriculum and higher achievement.

Study 1:

Project Lead The Way Works: A New Type of Career and Technical Program: A study by a partner in the program development found that PLTW students were more likely to complete a rigorous course of study in high school and score significantly higher in reading, mathematics and science on a NAEP-referenced assessment than similar students across all career/technical fields.

Study 2:

Report on the Third Year of Implementation of the TrueOutcomes Assessment System for Project Lead The Way: An assessment sponsored by the developer found that most PLTW students planned to attend college, and as college freshman had significantly higher grade point averages and chose a course of study focused in engineering and technology at 5 to 10 times the rate of typical freshmen.

Extent of evidence:Two studies sponsored by the developer.

Evidence of replicability:The PLTW Engineering program has been implemented in 2000 schools across 49 states and the District of Columbia.

Contact Information

Project Lead the Way
21 Corporate Drive, Suite 105
Clifton Park, NY 12065
(518) 877-6491
http://www.pltw.org/index.cfm

PLTWEngineering.pdf

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