Students from Highland Prep West are given an assessment after they complete an engineering course, known as the PLTW Final Exam. The assessment tests students on rigorous educational standards and is developed using a secure exam browser. Unlike other exams, the PLTW Final Exam primarily focuses on problem-solving and critical thinking in a real-world context. The assessment questions are designed to involve real-world situations that students would most likely encounter, therefore, delivering a more dynamic and technical assessment.
Students receive detailed score reports that include a scale score ranging from 100 to 600. The scale score report places the student in one of 4 categories- either Novice, Practiced, Accomplished, or Distinguished. The report gives an indication of the level the student's knowledge is in for that particular engineering course as well as provides individual evaluation scores on specific skill clusters. At Highland Prep West, a total of 6 students scored exceptionally high, thus granting them the most esteemed recognition of "Distinguished".
Amongst the students that received this score, 5 are juniors and most remarkably, one is only just a freshman. These scores are not only something for students and their parents to be proud of, but can be incredibly beneficial to a student's future. In scoring in the "Distinguished" category, students have the opportunity to obtain college credit from more than 30 colleges, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Another advantage to scoring well is students can use their test scores to qualify for internships and apprenticeships. Including PLTW distinguishable scores can even help strengthen a student's college application or resume.
The 6 students who received this remarkable score were from the engineering classes that took the PLTW Final Exam in December before students left for winter break. The PLTW exam is given a total of two times a year with the first being in December as mentioned, and the second being in May, before students are released for summer break.