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Happy New Year and welcome to the latest edition of the Action Bulletin.

There are a couple of new announcements this week. 

The 2012 Purchasing Manual will be posted to the Program Support section of the PLTW website on Monday, January 9.

• Please carefully review the manual as some items have changed and others have been eliminated.
• Contact productsupport@pltw.org with questions about your product orders.

Also, there is a new CIM Part C Assessment that is now available for schools utilizing the VEX platform.

2012 Purchasing Manual Available Next Week

The 2012 Purchasing Manual will be published on Monday, January 9. The Purchasing Manual can be accessed from the Program Support page on the PLTW website.

Ordering

When ordering, please review the manual carefully as we have introduced some items that are more cost effective, made some items optional, and eliminated a few items entirely.

Freight Estimates

To address concerns regarding freight estimates on purchase orders, pricing for most items ordered directly through PLTW (with the exception of equipment where the shipping cost varies significantly depending on volume) now includes shipping. We hope this change will allow for a more streamlined ordering process.

Questions? 

To better serve our network, we've changed our email address to productsupport@pltw.org for product orders and questions. Please use this email address when you have questions or issues regarding the ordering of products.

Assessment Reminders 

Spring Assessment Period

• The student enrollment process for the Spring Assessment Period, which begins April 23, 2012, is now open.
• All student population import files for this assessment period should be submitted by February 17, 2012.
• Please review New Student Enrollment Process for Assessments for details on the new bulk upload process available to all schools.

CIM Update

• A new Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Part C Assessment has been developed for those schools currently utilizing the VEX platform.
• Schools using VEX equipment and testing in the Fall/Winter Assessment Cycle may contact Kristin Donlon or Jason Taylor for a copy of the new CIM Part C.

Questions? Need more information?

• Visit our Assessment & Evaluation Web page and review the Frequently Asked Questions.
• For all content, general assessment questions and data requests, contact assessment@pltw.org.
• For all questions regarding the assessment system, including technical support, contact assessment_techsupport@pltw.org.

New Resources for Schools and Districts 

To introduce schools and districts to the PLTW program and to assist you with effectively starting up and maintaining your PLTW programs, we have created new resources that are now available on the PLTW website.

Guide to Getting Started 

• This PDF document features a brief overview of PLTW, information on all three curricular programs, steps to a successful implementation, who makes up the PLTW Network and more.
• The guide is intended to give schools considering the addition of a PLTW program an overview of implementation and complement the guidance provided by State Leadership Teams, PLTW Regional Directors and visits to existing schools.

The Guide for Implementation and Sustainability of PLTW Programs 

• This document is aimed at administrators, school district delegates, teachers and counselors, and is intended to be used in conjunction with the Getting Started Guide.
• It includes detailed checklists for school and district personnel, tips for developing a budget, suggestions for building a community partnership team and more.

Both guides have been posted to the PLTW website and are linked from the Getting Started and Program Support sections.

If you have any questions about implementing or sustaining your PLTW program, contact our School Support team at schoolrelations@pltw.org or 877-335-PLTW (7589).

Program Reminders 

Counselor Conferences 

A PLTW Counselor Conference is a professional development opportunity designed to inform school counselors, post-secondary advisors, principals, teachers and school administrators about PLTW's STEM Education program and provide information to help encourage students to enroll in PLTW courses.

Schools that have implemented a PLTW program are required to send at least one advisor/counselor to a Counselor Conference every year. We highly recommend that schools send all of their advisors/counselors to at least one conference.

Visit the Counselor Conference page for dates and locations. Registration is handled by the host institution.

Additional dates and locations will be added as they become available. For more information, contact the host institution or Laura Greenaway.

PLTW Extranet Updates
Your assistance in maintaining accurate school and district information in the PLTW Extranet is important and greatly appreciated.

Delegates

• Check your district's and schools' information in the PLTW Extranet.
• Make any necessary school deactivation requests, teacher removal requests and contact information updates for the district and all registered schools.

Teachers

• Update your email address and phone number (if necessary).
• Indicate the courses you will be instructing during the 2011-12 academic year.

If you have any questions or need assistance, contact the School Support Team.

New School and Program Registration 

New school and program registration for the 2012-13 school year opened in September.

District Delegates

• District Delegates now may login to the Delegate Console of the PLTW Extranet to add new schools or new curricular programs (Pathway To Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, or Gateway To Technology) to their districts.
• The deadline for adding new schools and programs from within the PLTW Extranet is June 30, 2012.
• However, it is recommended that new schools and programs are added by March 15, 2012 when Core Training registration opens so that teachers may reserve seats at the training sessions of their choice.

Schools

• If you do not know your District Delegate, use the PLTW School Locator to obtain your delegate's contact information.
• If you know of districts or schools that wish to implement a PLTW program for the 2012-13 school year:
• Refer them to the online registration process for new school districts and the Getting Started page for resources and information.
• Provide the contact information for their Regional Director who can answer questions and coordinate support through the State Leadership Team.

A New School Press Release Template is available for schools implementing a new PLTW program. By completing this template with school information, schools have a ready-made tool to promote their programs to local media outlets.