NC Project Lead the Way (NC PLTW)

Cost will depend on your present facilities and computer equipment, the rate at which you introduce each of the PLTW courses, and the number of students enrolled in courses. To find out the most accurate cost, a district representative should contact his/her area PLTW State Leader (see "Contacting Us: State Leader"), send email for information to mail@pltw.org, send a Fax for information to 518 - 877 - 6260, or write for information to 747 Pierce Road, Clifton Park, NY 12065. A coordinator will contact you, answer all your questions, and will be your contact through the process of implementing the program if you decide that PLTW meets your community's needs.
To give you an idea, however, of the cost of implementing the program, consider the following: equipment/software costs for the entire multi-course program are no greater than $95,000 provided the school participates in the PLTW cooperative bid. The middle school program, Gateway To Technology, costs about $50,000. This cost can be less if the school has equipment that meets or exceeds the PLTW specifications. Also, this cost can be matched to the school's implementation plan. This means that some equipment may be purchased each year as PLTW courses are added. One, two and three year purchasing plans are common and up to the school to select. (See "Equipment and Supplies: Cost Estimates")
Computer software is leased through PLTW. PLTW has arranged a very affordable lease program that includes the latest version of leading "industry standard" software. (See "Equipment And Supplies: Cost Estimate") The price is included in the initial equipment cost identified above and the school should budget this amount each year for the annual software lease
Because all teachers of PLTW courses must be trained at PLTW's summer institutes, there is an additional cost for fees-room-board-incidentals,. Travel and stipends will vary depending upon the school's location and policies. (See "Cost Estimates: Training")
Each PLTW teacher must have a laptop which meets PLTW's specifications, as the teacher will need one during the summer institute and during teaching and during the year to learn the software and the pedagogy. Because ongoing teacher training is fundamental to the success of the program in your school, teachers will need to be released from teaching up to two days per year for each PLTW course they teach. The cost to the school will be for substitute teachers and travel to the training site in your state or region. As technology improves, ongoing training will be delivered through Distance Learning.

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:

The school provides PLTW with the names of the teacher(s) that will teach the program. The school does this each year as new teachers are added or as teachers add new courses to their teaching assignments.
The teacher completes an online assessment of skills self-test and questionnaire. The purpose of the assessment process is to assure that all teachers arrive for the summer institute training ready to prepare for their September teaching assignment.
The school completes the PLTW Summer Training Institute Registration online. The teacher selects summer institute training for the course the teacher will teach in the fall. (one two-week session for each course)
The school purchases a laptop computer which meets PLTW specifications (see Equipment and Supplies) for each teacher teaching in the program during the year prior to teaching.
The school also identifies a counselor from both the middle school and high school levels to participate in a regional PLTW Counselor Conference.
Students and parents are made aware of the PLTW program in a timely manner to permit them to consider PLTW courses as they plan their high school program.

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:

PLTW provides a list of equipment/software specifications required to teach the curriculum. The equipment is listed by course. A suggested room layout is also provided.
Schools compare their existing equipment to the PLTW specifications and return to PLTW an itemized list of items that the school believes will equal or exceed the PLTW specification. PLTW has the final word as to the equipment capability to support the curriculum.
Schools may purchase equipment/software from a list prepared by PLTW. PLTW prepares an annual cooperative bid of all equipment/software/supplies for all schools in the PLTW network of schools. The purpose of the cooperative bid is to provide the lowest possible prices for schools. Schools are encouraged to participate in the PLTW bid but it is not required. Schools may buy the items on the PLTW required list of equipment from any school-selected source. Schools may also buy items on the PLTW cooperative bid for other programs in the school.
Schools each year lease from PLTW the latest software.

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. 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 NC PLTW Schools 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: Nancy Shaw. She 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.

To reduce travel costs, teachers without an NATC in their state should attend the NATC closest to them, which offers the specific courses they will need. Teachers must attend the NATC in their state provided that the course needed for training is available at that NATC. PLTW anticipates that several additional NATCs will open in other sections of the country in the near future. As new NATCs are opened, they will not offer all PLTW courses in the first year. In time, all the training services now available at RIT will be offered by each NATC on its own or through an arrangement with RIT.

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.