Mike Schlueter and his Aerospace Engineering class got quite a treat recently when they were given a tour of the Control Tower at Midland International Airport by local air traffic controllers.
As you can see in the picture, the group was also allowed to view the inside of a World War II submarine hunter at the Air Power Museum.
Last April the engineering programs in ECISD reached an important milestone by gaining national certification through Project Lead the Way (PLTW), the nation's leading curriculum, instruction, and training organization in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education. The certification came less than two years after the program was first introduced, which is rare for any program of this type.
Specifically, the evaluation included instructional quality, availability of equipment for students to complete projects, usage of activity logs and project journals throughout the year, and on-going professional development opportunities for the instructors. In addition to national prestige, certification has tangible benefits for students as it now allows ECISD to offer courses that will grant college credit. There are currently 38 students enrolled in Project Lead the Way.
Next year the course is moving to Odessa High School and will go to single blocks, as opposed to double blocks this year, allowing more students to enroll, since many students do not have enough room in their day for a double-blocked course. In addition, two OHS feeder schools, Zavala Elementary and Ector Junior High are Gateway to Technology campuses, meaning they offer introduction to engineering courses that can seamlessly transition to the high school level. The plan is to grow interest in the program and expand it to Permian High School and two of its feeder schools in next couple of years.
Also, next year students can earn up to six (6) weighted GPA points for all classes in the Project Lead the Way program. Additionally, scoring an 85 or better on the PLTW assessment at the end of each course, allows a student to earn college credit. |