TO: High School District and School Administrators, Teachers of Technology/Engineering

FROM: Jacob Foster, Director of Science and Technology/Engineering, DOE

DATE: January 11, 2007

RE: Information Request for High School Technology/Engineering Courses Offered in Massachusetts

The Office for Mathematics, Science and Technology/Engineering at the Department of Education is looking to identify and learn about high school technology/engineering courses (or coordinated programs) that are offered across the state.

Background

The 1993 Education Reform Act included technology/engineering in the curriculum framework disciplines to be developed by the Department of Education. Technology/engineering has been a strand of our Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) Framework (http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html), and state policies have consistently included technology/engineering as an integral strand of science. Our state testing policy includes technology/engineering as one of 4 options students can take to fulfill the STE Competency Determination. The Department considers technology/engineering courses, which fit the description below, to fulfill science course requirements.

Why are we asking for technology/engineering course information?

To understand how many districts and/or schools are offering technology/engineering courses, and the nature of those courses.
To compile a collection of course syllabi that illustrate the variety of technology/ engineering courses currently offered. Select syllabi can be shared with districts, schools, and organizations to inform the creation of technology/engineering courses elsewhere.
To facilitate Department work with a number of higher education organizations to recognize that technology/engineering courses fulfill science course credit for college admissions. We need course information and sample syllabi to illustrate how these courses fulfill state science standards.

What courses are we trying to find out more about? (A description)

We are interested in technology/engineering courses (or coordinated programs) that provide students the opportunity to learn the set of standards articulated in the STE Framework, and related higher-level electives. Foundational courses, offered in the 9^th or 10^th grades, prepare students to take the Technology/Engineering MCAS test. Higher-level electives allow students the opportunity to explore related concepts in more depth and further develop skills related to the Engineering Design Process. Technology/engineering courses have an academic focus—the students are engaged in conceptual learning and develop skills related to the Engineering Design Process—rather than a technical focus—knowledge and skills needed for a particular career or product development. Technology/engineering courses have an experiential, hands-on element (a laboratory component) that enhances student learning of content and process skills.

Courses at the foundational level may have titles such as “Principles of Technology,” “Introduction to Engineering,” or “Engineering the Future.” Advanced or upper-level electives may have titles such as “Robotics,” “Honors Engineering,” or “Engineering Design and Development.”

What information are we requesting?

If you offer a high school technology/engineering course (or a coordinated program) that meets the description above, please help in this effort by contributing the following information:

Course title
A description of the course, course syllabus, outline, and/or scope & sequence
Name, author, and publisher of the textbook/text resource(s) used
Grade level(s) in which it is offered, and number of credits received
Any pre-requisites required to enroll in the course
Whether your school/district considers this a laboratory course, a science course, and/or a core academic or elective course
Please indicate if you are willing to share this information with other districts, schools, and organizations
The name of your school, district, and a contact

Please email or send this information by February 26, 2007 to:

Jacob Foster

Director of Science and Technology/Engineering

jfoster@doe.mass.edu

350 Main St

Malden, MA 02148

781-338-3510

Thank you!

We appreciate your help in identifying and sharing information about high school technology/ engineering courses. We will maintain consistent contact with all contributors and share our findings with you. Please call or email Jacob Foster with any questions you may have. Thank you for your assistance!