As RHS advances toward a more career-centric curriculum, the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Biomedical Science pathway’s third course will be implemented as planned next term. However, the PLTW Engineering pathway has been changed, which will delay the implementation of the second and third course.

PLTW Engineering teacher John Fuller has been forced to switch his second and third courses due to an unknown lack of credentials for that specific class. The former second course, Principles of Engineering, was not supposed to be taught, according to Fuller.

For students, this means the third class, Engineering Design and Development, will be offered in the Fall of 2019. Seniors and juniors this year will not be able to take this class, and those who took the second course will not be able to go onto the third segment without completing the second course in the new pathway.

“We aren’t offering it until two years [from now],” Fuller said. “Next year we are gonna offer the second class. Things have changed because of my credential. Normally we would be offering a third or fourth class, but with my credential, the whole pathway of my CTE program has changed.”

Despite this setback, the new second engineering course, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, will be offered next year.

Even though the current pathway will be scrapped for now, Fuller hopes to bring it back in the future by gaining credentials to teach the class.

“I’m hoping to go back to it down the road and do two pathways where I can offer a manufacturing pathway as well as a robotics and electrical engineering pathway,” Fuller said.

Although the PLTW Engineering program slowed its progress, the Biomedical Science program is on schedule. Medical Interventions, the third installment, will be available to students this Spring.

Medical Intervention teacher Erin Granucci believes this class will introduce students to real-world scenarios in the medical industry.

“Students will be following a family as they travel around,” Granucci said.

“They’re going to be able to intervene with diagnoses and problems that they’re having.”

Granucci believes her class will prepare students for future medical jobs, as it will include surgical techniques, genetics, and pharmacology.

PLTW Biomedical student Arianna McCurry is currently enrolled in the third course, and is excited to learn about subjects that will prepare her for her dream job.

“I want to be an ER doctor,” McCurry said. “This class is like a non-AP class that allows you to take these high-level of science. Taking it is a way to get ahead without having to deal with another AP class for my senior year.”
Granucci is also planning on gaining the credentials to teach the fourth class over the summer. Biomedical Innovation may be available as soon as next year.

“I’ll go to training for BI, which is the fourth class,” Granucci said. “Hopefully by next year we’ll be able to offer the fourth and final class.”