FVL STEM Academy FAQ
What is the FVL
STEM Academy?
What is Project Lead the
Way®?
Why should I consider the STEM Academy for my
child?
How will this program benefit my child
academically?
Is the Academy only meant for students who are going into science
or engineering careers?
What STEM
classes will be offered and when?
Who are the
teachers?
What other courses are a part of the STEM Academy?
How are these courses different from what has been offered in the
past at FVL?
How does being enrolled in the Academy affect other required
courses?
Can my child take these in place of other required science and math
classes?
How much homework should I expect my child to bring
home?
Is tutoring
available?
Is the time of the school day changed for STEM Academy
participants?
Are there any costs associated with participating in the STEM
Academy?
Is financial aid
available?
What do I need to do to obtain the earned college credit?
Is it a 4 year
program?
How can my child apply for the STEM Academy?
What are you looking for in a letter of recommendation?
How many spots are
available?
Can my child attend another school and attend FVL only for the PLTW
STEM courses?
Does my child need to re-apply for
the STEM Academy if they were enrolled in a class during the
current school year?
Will additional seats
continue to be available to non STEM Academy students as was the
case with Principles of Engineering (POE) this year?
What is the FVL STEM Academy?
The Academy is a new educational opportunity that features
specialized STEM
(Science-Technology-Engineering-Math) courses through the
national Project Lead the Way®
education program. In addition, the Academy will emphasize
rigorous general education courses, providing graduates with the
greatest opportunity for success in a post-secondary STEM
program.
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What is Project Lead the Way®?
Project Lead the Way, or PLTW, is
a national non-profit STEM education initiative that seeks to
provide high schools with a rigorous, relevant STEM education.
Through an engaging, hands-on curriculum, PLTW encourages the
development of problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creative
and innovative reasoning, and a love of learning. The PLTW high
school STEM education program gives students a brighter future by
providing them with a foundation and proven path to college and
career success in STEM-related fields.
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Why should I consider the STEM Academy for my
child?
The STEM Academy is designed to challenge students who
have an interest in STEM related fields and who are highly
motivated to learn. Students enrolled will be challenged
academically with the goal of giving them the greatest opportunity
for success in post-secondary STEM programs and STEM careers.
All STEM courses with the exception of the capstone course are
college credit capable through Milwaukee
School of Engineering (MSOE). In addition, students in
the academy will be encouraged to enroll in the other rigorous
general education course offerings FVL has to offer, including
advanced and honors courses.
In all, students enrolled in the STEM Academy will have
opportunity to graduate with 18 or more college credits at less
than half the cost they would normally be.
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How will this program benefit my child
academically?
The PLTW high school STEM education
program provides the inspiration for a new generation of
innovators, the practical skills and hands-on experience to make
students' knowledge count in the real world, and the basis for the
next generation of leadership in the sciences, technology,
engineering, and mathematics.
PLTW develops motivated, well-rounded students by instilling
confidence, stressing the importance of self-discovery, encouraging
innovative problem solving and critical thinking, teaching team
building, and rewarding creativity.
Your student will develop skills essential for achievement in
the classroom and success in college and at work.
Not to mention:
- PLTW students achieve significantly higher scores in reading,
mathematics, and science.
- PLTW graduates earn higher GPAs as college freshmen.
- PLTW graduates are 5 to 10 times more likely to study
engineering and technology.
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Is the Academy only meant for students who are going
into science or engineering careers?
The focus of STEM related courses is certainly to provide an
introduction to related careers in science, technology,
engineering, and math. However, students involved in the
academy will also develop a broad range of skills that will benefit
them in college and in the workplace, regardless of the field they
choose.
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What STEM classes will be offered and
when?
PLTW's Pathway To Engineering (PTE) high
school curriculum is designed as a four-year high school sequence
which includes three foundation courses, a specialization course,
and a capstone course. Students in the Academy will typically
take one course in each of the first two years, two courses in the
third year, and one the last year. Below is a description of
the year-long courses and a tentative timeline for when they will
be introduced into the curriculum.
Foundation
Courses
Introduction to Engineering
Design (IED) - Fall 2011
Designed for 9th or 10th grade students, the major focus of the
IED course is to expose students to the design process, research
and analysis, teamwork, communication methods, global and human
impacts, engineering standards and technical documentation.
Students use 3D solid modeling design software to help them design
solutions to solve proposed problems and learn how to document
their work and communicate solutions to peers and members of the
professional community.
Principles of Engineering
(POE) - Fall 2012
This survey course of engineering exposes students to major
concepts they'll encounter in a postsecondary engineering course of
study. Students employ engineering and scientific concepts in the
solution of engineering design problems. They develop
problem-solving skills and apply their knowledge of research and
design to create solutions to various challenges, documenting their
work and communicating solutions to peers and members of the
professional community.
Specialization
Courses
Aerospace Engineering (AE) -
Fall 2013
AE explores the evolution of flight, navigation and control,
flight fundamentals, aerospace materials, propulsion, space travel,
and orbital mechanics. In addition, this course presents
alternative applications for aerospace engineering concepts.
Students analyze, design, and build aerospace systems. They apply
knowledge gained throughout the course in a final presentation
about the future of the industry and their professional goals. This
course is designed for 10th, 11th or 12th grade students.
Computer Science and
Software Engineering (CSE) - Fall 2013
CSE is project- and problem-based, with students working
in teams to develop computational thinking and solve open-ended,
practical problems that occur in the real world. The course
aligns with the College Board's new AP Computer Science Principles
framework. The course is not a programming language course;
it aims instead to develop computational thinking, to generate
excitement about the field of computing, and to introduce
computational tools that foster creativity. Students
completing this course will be well-prepared for a first course in
Java or other object-oriented language. This course is
designed for 11th or 12th grade students.
Capstone Course
Engineering Design and
Development (EDD) - Fall 2014
This is an engineering research course in which students will work
in teams to research, design, test and construct a solution to an
open-ended engineering problem. The product development life cycle
and a design process are used to guide and help the team to reach a
solution to the problem. The team presents and defends their
solution to a panel of outside reviewers at the conclusion of the
course. The EDD course allows students to apply all the skills and
knowledge learned in previous Project Lead The Way courses. The use
of 3D design software helps students design solutions to the
problem their team has chosen. This course also engages students in
time management and teamwork skills, a valuable set for students in
the future. This course is designed for 12th grade students.
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Who are the teachers?
Mr. Alan Nolte serves as
the director of the STEM Academy. Mr. Nathan Nolte , is slated to
teach IED and the new CSE course next fall. Alan Nolte plans
to teach the AE course. Mrs. Jenny Retzlaff will
take over as the new POE instructor in 2013-14.
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What other courses are a part of the STEM
Academy?
In addition to the PLTW courses, students will be enroll in the
traditional college preparatory track of courses at FVL, which
includes four years of comprehensive religious instruction.
Students in the Academy will be expected to be concurrently
enrolled in traditional math and science course in addition to the
PLTW courses they take each year.
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How are these courses different from what has been
offered in the past at FVL?
While FVL has historically provided a variety of technical
education opportunities, the PLTW curriculum will take project
oriented learning to the highest level. PLTW STEM courses
focus on merging multiple disciplines into a comprehensive learning
experience comparable to similar college-level courses. This
is why every PLTW course, except for the final capstone course, is
college-credit capable.
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How does being enrolled in the Academy affect other
required courses?
Students enrolled in the Academy will also follow the normal
course requirements for all students enrolled at FVL. In
addition, Academy students at all times must be enrolled in at
least one general math and one general science course because of
the STEM focus of the program.
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Can my child take these in place of other required
science and math classes?
No. The PLTW courses are to be taken in addition to other
required science and math classes.
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How much homework should I expect my child to bring
home?
The amount of homework a student could potentially have is largely
dependent on their academic abilities and the quality use of
in-class and study hall time while at school. On average,
traditionally enrolled students will have 1-2 hours of homework a
night. Students enrolled in the Academy can likely expect an
additional 30 minutes on average per evening.
To assist with completion of work at home, laptop computers will
be made available for students to take to and from home.
These computers will have all the necessary software needed for
STEM courses allowing students to work on assignments and projects
outside of class.
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Is tutoring available?
Peer tutoring services are available and coordinated through the
FVL National Honor Society program. Additional tutoring may
be arranged with teachers on an individual basis as their schedules
allow.
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Is the time of the school day changed for STEM Academy
participants?
No. STEM courses will be scheduled into the normal eight
period day like any other course.
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Are there any costs associated with participating in the
STEM Academy?
Students enrolled in the STEM Academy will be required to pay an
additional fee of $600 per year in addition to
their FVL tuition. This fee will help to offset the costs of
equipment including a laptop on loan to the student during the
school year, software, materials, and ongoing teacher
training.
Additionally, there is a fee to receive the appropriate credits
for a college credit capable course from the awarding
institution. Families are not required to purchase these
credits but are encouraged to do so since the cost is significantly
lower than would be for a college student. Below is a list of
current credit offerings and their approximate cost:
| College Credit Capable
Courses |
Awarding
Institution |
Cost in
2011-12
|
Credits
Earned |
| PLTW Courses (except EDD) |
MSOE |
$65 per course |
3 credits
|
CAPP Economics or Calculus
|
UW-Oshkosh |
$120 per credit |
3-4 credits |
Honors English
|
Wisconsin Lutheran College
|
$120 per credit |
3 credits |
|
AP Exams*
|
College Board |
$87 per exam
|
3-4
credits |
*AP exams do not provide transcripted credit from an
institution.
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Is financial aid available?
Financial aid is only available at this time to offset FVL tution
costs on a needs basis and as funds are available. Families
seeking financial aid must complete all portions of the FVL Financial Aid Application in order to
be considered. Financial aid is not currently available to
cover the STEM Academy fee OR college credits earned at the high
school level.
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What do I need to do to obtain the earned college
credit?
Families of students enrolled in the STEM Academy will work
closely with our FVL Guidance office regarding course planning,
college credit application, and post-secondary and career
planning.
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Is it a 4 year program?
Ideally, students will see the greatest benefit from the Academy
by participating in the program during all four years of high
school. The Academy will accept applications from incoming
freshmen and sophomore students.
Families may opt to step away from the program if they so
choose. Should a student leave the program, they will need to
reapply to regain entrance.
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How can my child apply for the STEM
Academy?
The application window is currently open for current 8th and 9th
grade students. An initial deadline of December 21, 2012, has
been set for applicants. Additional applications will
continue to be accepted after December 21 on a first come, first
serve, basis as seats are available. The application fee will
be waived for submissions by November 30.
Students will be selected based on previous academic
performance, recommendations from former educators, principals,
pastors, or other relevant sources. 24 seats will be
available for the first STEM Academy class. Should those
seats be filled, a waiting list will be established until seats
become available.
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What are you looking for in a letter of
recommendation?
We are looking for evidence from those who have worked with
your child that they are willing and capable of completing the STEM
Academy program. Examples of evidence may include the
following:
- Interest in science and/or math
- Background or experience in STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, Math) related activities in or outside of school
- Willingness to learn
- Self-motivated to complete assignments and projects
- Capable of working with others on group projects
- A talent for problem solving
- Interest in building or taking things apart to explore their
functionality
- General computer skills
- Other seemingly relevant information
- Academic ability (although this alone does not necessarily make
a good candidate)
As always, specific examples are better than general
descriptions.
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How many spots are available?
The current STEM Academy budget plans for up to 24 students per
class.
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Can my child attend another school and attend FVL only
for the PLTW STEM courses?
No. The goal of the STEM Academy is not only provide STEM
related courses, but also to provide a complete Christian education
focused on success at the post-secondary level.
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Does my child need to re-apply for the STEM Academy if
they were enrolled in a class during the current school
year?
No. All exisiting STEM Academy students are welcome and
encouraged to schedule the next available course(s) in consultation
with their parents, STEM teacher, and Guidance counselor.
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Will additional seats continue to be available to non
STEM Academy students as was the case with Principles of
Engineering (POE) this year?
Seats in POE, AE, and CSE will be made available to
non-STEM Academy students after an initial deadline has past for
current STEM Adacemy students and as space permits.
Information will be distributed in the spring concerning course
availability.
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CSE is project- and
problem-based, with students working in teams to develop
computational thinking and solve open-ended, practical problems
that occur in the real world. The course aligns with the College
Board's new AP Computer Science Principles framework.
The course is not a programming language course; it
aims instead to develop computational thinking, to generate
excitement about the field of computing, and to introduce
computational tools that foster creativity. Students completing the
course will be well-prepared for a first course in Java or other
object-oriented language. The CSE course is designed for 11th or
12th grade students.