Schools FAQ's

We also encourage School Officials to review FAQ for Teachers.

 What is the cost of offering the PLTW program?

Costs include facilities, computer equipment, software, and teacher training. Specifically…(More)

What happens after a school signs the contractual agreement and is a member of the PLTW network?

There are six steps which will occur over several months, including teacher selection, teacher assessment, Summer Training Institute registration, equipment purchases, counselor selection, and parent/student awareness…(More)

How does a school assess and provide the facilities needed to teach the PLTW Program?

 PLTW assists schools by providing a series of guidelines on how schools can meet PLTW specifications…(More)

How is PLTW measuring the success of its programs?

PLTW has contracted with TrueOutcomes of Fairfax, VA, to complete a multi-year study to see how well PLTW is meeting its mission and goals. This will include an annual analysis of enrollment trends, student satisfaction questionnaires, and a long-term study of college success by PLTW high school students. PLTW maintains direct contact with teachers in the program, all of whom have completed intensive training at one of PLTW's National Training Centers. Our feedback from PLTW schools, teachers in the program, school counselors, and students and their parents has been impressively positive. In addition, PLTW is committed to continuous improvement; courses are reviewed and updated every two years based on the experience of its students and teachers.

We need your cooperation and support:
In the first year of our next 5-year study of the PLTW program, TrueOutcomes Associates is asking for information from a random sample of 200 of our schools. TrueOutcomes will be asking each selected school to have their students register via the Internet and each teacher to complete annual test data online that they will use for research purposes only. Please be sure and participate. In the second year, TrueOutcomes will add to the number of schools asked to provide data and by the 5th year of the study, all schools will be asked to submit data. All information will be held in strict confidentiality by TrueOutcomes and will not be shared with any outside group or organization.

Could the PLTW program be offered in public, parochial, charter or magnet schools?

 Any school which can meet PLTW requirements may offer the program. These requirements include commitment to PLTW goals and standards, a sufficient number of staff and students to establish the program, and financial resources.

May schools offer only a couple of the PLTW courses?

 When you become part of the PLTW network, your school signs an agreement which establishes a consistent standard in all schools and a four-year implementation schedule. The agreement is automatically renewed yearly unless the school informs PLTW in writing. Schools which continue to offer the PLTW program to their students become eligible for participation in PLTW's national recognition programs: Exemplary High School and Exemplary Student.

May schools modify PLTW courses?

Courses may only be changed by PLTW through its ongoing teacher training program. Because PLTW is a national program, all schools in the network agree to maintain the quality standards and content of all courses.

Can we use equipment we already have?

Schools which implement the PLTW program are provided with lists of equipment requirements for the courses. Schools must attach with their application a list of their present equipment for review; it is important for this equipment to support the delivery of the PLTW curriculum…(More) If the equipment - whatever the brand - in your school meets PLTW specifications, your students will be able to use required equipment and successfully meet the established standards. Second, PLTW negotiates each year with the leading software makers to obtain exceptional prices on a lease basis; because the curriculum utilizes this software, there can be no alternative. In order to maintain consistency, schools agree each year to lease this software from PLTW at very competitive prices. Because there is a multi-year implementation schedule, schools will be able to budget their equipment and software needs over several years.

What do we do now if we are interested?

You might look on this website at the PLTW Network of Schools in your state and contact them for information on their experiences. You are invited to contact PLTW either through an online application or through email to your State Leader (see "Contacting Us: State Leaders" on this website). S/he will provide you with documents, including a timeline, which you will use in your planning and decision-making. PLTW is committed to working closely with all schools to meet their unique needs while meeting the requirements of the PLTW program. We look forward to hearing from you.

Why are there Varying Costs of Summer Training Institutes in different National Affiliate Training Centers?

Each National Affiliate Training Center (NATC) establishes its own fees to cover its room/board/tuition costs. These vary because of the location of the NATC, the requirement that each NATC offer a self-sustaining program, and the level and type of financial support within each state...(More)

Is it acceptable for Career & Technical Centers to share their Software Licenses with smaller school districts within their service area?

 We fully appreciate the value of the PLTW program to students in smaller high schools. Unfortunately, we do not have unilateral authority to change the software agreements we have signed with software publishing companies.

 However, as our goal is to keep improving the software license agreement for school districts, we will begin discussions with our software publishing companies to find some way to address the unique circumstances of these smaller high schools that are within independent school districts. As you know, negotiations take time. Hopefully, this will be accomplished within a year or so. In the meantime, Career & Tech Centers may not share their site licenses with smaller high schools that are part of independent school districts.