Forging new generations of engineers

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Building Bridges Fall 2005 Conference
Forging new generations of engineers
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TECH PREP ON STEROIDS
Building a Transition System
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The Engineering Problem
Academy of Engineering Technology

• There are currently 1,300,000 engineering/engineer
  ing technology jobs available in the U.S. without
  trained people to fill them.

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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.

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Schools are not graduating enough qualified
engineers and technicians to meet the demands of
business.
Academy of Engineering Technology
The Challenge

• 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.

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And to further complicate the problem1. By
2010, half of all baby boomers will have left
the workforce.2. By 2020, the other half will
be retired.
Academy of Engineering Technology
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How will we equip our regions workforce to meet
the future demands of business and the global
economy?
Academy of Engineering Technology
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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
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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.
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-- School District partners agree to --
Academy of Engineering Technology

• 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

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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
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Academy Overview
Academy of Engineering Technology
Academy of Information Technology
Academy of Life Sciences
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What is a Career Academy?
A small learning community of students who take
classes together for at least two years in a
common subject area.
The curriculum encompasses a career theme,
enabling the students to see the relationships
between academic subjects and their application
to a broad field of work. The curriculum
includes extensive partnerships with employers,
colleges, and the community, bringing resources
in from outside the school to improve student
motivation and achievement.
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Career Academies are the band experience for
technical students
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Engineering Technology an Articulated Curriculum
422 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 422 Pathway
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2
2
High School
St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley
University
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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 P
arkway Pattonville Riverview Gardens Rockwood St.
Louis Public Schools
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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
Mathematics, Science, English Social Studies,
Foreign Language Phys. Ed. / SH, Music / Art
/Business
Introduction to Engineering Design (1 hour)
Sophomore
Mathematics, Science, English Social Studies,
Foreign Language Phys. Ed. / SH, Music / Art
/Business
Principles of Engineering (1 hour)
Freshman
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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.
Mathematics (College Algebra) Science
(advanced) , Communications Arts (writing
intensive) Social Studies, Phys. Ed. and
supporting electives
Senior
Capstone Authentic Design and Projects (1 or
2 hours)
Junior
Mathematics (Trigonometry), Science (advanced),
Communications Arts (writing intensive) Social
Studies, Phys. Ed. and supporting electives
Specialized Technical Concepts and Contents
(1 or 2 hours)
Courses may be taught at high school or at a 2
year college, and may be offered as a dual-credit
course.
Curriculum Integration
Mathematics (Geometry), Science (Biology or
Chemistry), Communications Arts (writing
intensive) Social Studies, Foreign Language
Phys. Ed., and supporting electives
Sophomore
Applications of Technical Concepts (1 hour)
Courses Taught at High School during Freshmen and
Sophomore Years
Freshman
Mathematics (Algebra I), Science (Biology or
Physical Science), Communications Arts, Social
Studies, Phys. Ed., and electives
Introduction to Technical Foundations (1 hour)
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Articulation Academy of Engineering Technology
12 credit hours of transferable credit for
completion of the PLTW course of study based on
the following courses
GE131 Engineering Technology Orientation 1
hour EGR145 Computer Solids Modeling 2
hours ME140 Introduction to Robotics 3
hours EE230 Analog and Digital Electronics 3
hours ESC100 Engineering Computer Appls/Design
3 hours
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Academy of Engineering Technology
Academy graduates will be able to
1. use technology in problem solving. 2. understan
d 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.
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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 dont understand, and he explains it to
me exactly. Its been a very good experience I
really like this project. Student, Clayton High
School
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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

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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).
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Academy of Engineering Technology
Project Lead The Way has been shown to be an
excellent stimulus for college attendance
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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.
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What causes this performance?
Students are volunteers. Their attendance can be
commanded, but their attention must be earned.
I think its definitely challenging. Ive been
staying after and coming early so much, because
its 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
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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 its 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
doesnt work, youll see how it doesnt work and
hopefully why it doesnt work. The real world .
. . where things dont necessarily always
work. Mark Goldman, Student Clayton High School
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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
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Top Ten Things Weve Learned
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Lesson Number 10
The implementation of our partnership at times
was challenged by disconnected systems.
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Lesson Number 9

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

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Lesson Number 8
High School
College

• Science, technology and mathematics coursework
  between high school and college is not connected.

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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
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Lesson Number 6

• Current data systems are not equipped to address
  students needs across systems.

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Lesson Number 5

• No one is held accountable for issues related to
  student transitions from high school to college.

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

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Lesson Number 1

• A coherent sequence of rigorous technical skill
  coursework for grades 9 - 12 that culminates in
  dual/concurrent enrollment credit.

Hopeful Parents
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What would we do differently if we were going to
start over?
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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 Ac
cuplacer
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We would . . .
Stress that community college minimum entry
requirements do not mean minimum preparation. We
would make greater efforts to dispel this
misconception.
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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
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We would . . .
Educate community college staff about the State
K-12 standards.
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We would . . .
Make efforts to get everyone to understand how
their teaching directly affects a students
transition to college and that they are
accountable for that transition.
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We would . . .
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We would . . .
Start small and prepare for rapid growth, only
dealing with committed partners.
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We would . . .
Use data to select diverse partners. Diversity
attracts business interest.
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We would . . .
Ask community colleges to identify their
standards. All partners must come to the table
with a set of student expectations.
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We would . . .
Not get bogged down with common high school
course titles i.e., Algebra I, Algebra II,
Integrated Mathematical Concepts. Worry about
grade-level expectations and outcomes.
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We would . . .
Not make assumptions that most secondary
instructors understand postsecondary
expectations. There is a possible disconnect
between State standards and Postsecondary
standards.
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The Academy of Engineering Technology Success
Formula
PROVEN CURRICULUM COMMITTED PARTNERS
CCTI ENHANCEMENT ENSURES STUDENT SUCCESS
/
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TECH PREP ON STEROIDS
Building a Transition System
PROJECT LEAD THE WAY
PLTW