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Under the PLTW/School Agreement signed by districts, all high schools must be certified by the second year in the program and re-certified every five years after.  This process requires schools to demonstrate that they meet PLTW's quality standards in professional development of teachers and counselors; the implementation of curriculum using required equipment and software; the formation of a Partnership Team, and several others.

The High School Certification program recognizes schools which have successfully implemented the PLTW curriculum and provides an opportunity for students to receive college credit.  The process includes four steps:

1. self-assessment

2. a site visit

3. classroom/portfolio review

4. certification

A day-long visitation will be conducted by a committee composed of representatives from your Missouri Affiliate Center and from the school community, including the school district, industry, and parents.

Goals and Benefits of National Recognition

• Encourage schools in the PLTW network to excel in reaching exemplary PLTW standards;

• Insure college-level quality from a distance in all schools in the PLTW network;

• Provide an opportunity for interested students to receive college, transcripted credit and recognition;

• Highlight the importance of PLTW trained instructors;

• Recognize nationally, secondary schools which have achieved excellence;

• Strengthen the commitment of schools to the on-going maintenance of quality of the continually-upgraded program; and

• Foster increased enrollment in engineering and engineering technology by enhancing the benefits to students and their schools.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Overview:  It is important for interested high schools to see the process as a natural outcome of following the established standards of the PLTW program.  Schools must notify the Missouri Affiliate Center that they are ready to begin the process.  Once a high school notifies the Missouri Affiliate Center and forwarded the PLTW self-assessment instrument.  All schools in the PLTW Network have agreed to become certified within three years of beginning the program as noted on your PLTW School Agreement.

 

1. Complete the PLTW Self-Assessment
   Prepare the self-assessment to be forwarded to the PLTW State Director.

2. Notify the PLTW State Director and Affiliate Director
   The designated primary contact person for PLTW should send an e-mail requesting to participate in the process; after February 1 and by March 30 to:
   Doug Miller at W.Doug.Miller@dese.mo.gov and Ralph Flori at reflori@mst.edu

Here is an example request from the designated primary contact for PLTW within the district to the PLTW State Director.  It can be addressed to either:

Mr. Doug Miller PLTW State Director Missouri Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education P.O. Box 480 Jefferson City, MO  65102

Dr. Ralph Flori Associate Professor Interdisciplinary Engineering 107 Interdisciplinary Engineering Bldg. Rolla, MO  65409

Dear ______________:

Our School is interested in the PLTW Certification and the Student Recognition Programs.  We understand that once we are certified, eligible students may take the college credit examinations in Introduction to Engineering Design (IED), Principles of Engineering (POE), Digital Electronics (DE), any specialty course,and Engineering Design and Development (EDD) in January and/or May and, following a simple process, may then apply for transcripted college credit.

You will find our completed self-assessment application attached, and we understand you or one of the Missouri Affiliate Center team members will contact us for our site visit.

Sincerely,

Robin Smith, Principal

(School Name and contact info.)

3. Site Visit
   Visits will occur on specified dates each May.  Contact will be made with the school and a date for the visit will be established.  Schools participating in the process will need to send their letters after February 1 and no later than March 30.  It is the intent of the Missouri Affiliate Center to certify as many schools as possible during the month of May.  Schools that are not visited because of scheduling or time restraints may re-submit their request the following year.

4. Notification
   Schools will be notified within one month of the visit with the results of the review.  Schools that have not achieved High School Certification will be informed of the specific areas that they need to strenghen; once achieved and verified, the Site Team may then recommend Certification be granted.

 

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