MA Schools

Creating a PLTW Implementation Plan

As your state affiliate institution, we can help you decide if PLTW is right for your school and what implementation options might be appropriate.

Who is involved in PLTW Implementation?

As your affiliate university, WPI:

  • Helps districts and schools learn more about PLTW
  • Works with schools to evaluate current lab facilities and plan for implementation
  • Hosts two-week, intensive Summer Training Institutes for teachers
  • Holds annual guidance counselor conferences
  • Conducts school certification visits
  • Offers undergraduate credit to WPI students from PLTW certified high schools

For successful implementation of the Project Lead The Way curriculum, school administrators, teachers, guidance counselors, IT specialists, and representatives from area colleges, businesses, and other community organizations should be involved through the school's PLTW Partnership Team.

MA Curriculum Framework Alignment

WPI has been working to determine the correlation between the PLTW curriculum and the MA Curriculum Frameworks. Here are some initial statistics:

  • 76% coverage of the Grades 9-12 Technology/Engineering Frameworks by a PLTW sequence of Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, and Digital Electronics.
  • 48% coverage to the Grades 6-8 Technology/Engineering Frameworks by just the first 9-week Unit in the Middle School PLTW sequence, Gateway to Technology (there are a total of 6 units in GTT).

Feel free to contact Terry Adams for available course objectives and correlation documentation.

If you would like to share curriculum alignment that you or your school have done, please contact Martha Cyr.

Certification

According to the PLTW District Agreement, when a high school is in its second year of implementation of the PLTW curriculum, an application should be made for certification. The national PLTW website provides detailed information on the school Certification Process.

Preparing for the Certification Visit

After you submit the school Self-Assessment Document 2, representatives from WPI will visit your school to do a certification visit. Download Preparing for the Certification Visit and visit PLTW Certifications to learn more about this component of the process.