LSU STEM Pathways Overview

The open-source curricula for the LSU STEM Pathway courses first took shape at Lee Magnet High School in Baton Rouge in collaboration with LSU faculty. In addition to taking courses in the four “core” subject areas—English language arts, math, science, and social studies—all students at Lee MHS take LSU STEM pathways courses in one of the following four Lee Academies: (1) Biomedical Sciences, (2) Computing, (3) Digital Media & Arts, and (4) Pre-Engineering. The standards and inquiry-based curricula are open source. School districts pay the university a $96 administrative fee for each student receiving a university-issued STEM Pathway Certificate of Course Completion. Funds received are fully re-invested in the program and its open source curricula.

LSU STEM Pathways provide high school students with the opportunity to enroll in a progression of up to eight standards-based project- and inquiry-based STEM courses to attain industry-promulgated credentials, university-issued certificates of course completion, and/or dual enrollment credit. Students graduate with either a career-tech diploma OR an enhancement to their university-prep diploma with a Silver or Gold STEM Diploma Seal.

See here for an overview of all LSU STEM Pathway courses and here for all LSU STEM Pathways Course descriptions.

Under the approved state education funding formula, a school district offering a BESE-approved LSU STEM Pathway course that is taught by a trained and LSU-certified teacher receives $482 per student per course in the form of Career Tech and Career Development supplements. In the LSU STEM Pathways, the bulk of the student credentialing is not done by industry (like Adobe, Microsoft, etc.), but by LSU or ULM.

In 2019-20, over 2,800 high school students are participating in at least one of the LSU STEM Pathways courses, with 540 of them also earning LSU dual enrollment credit. The students represent 35 public and private high schools in 20 districts (Ascension, City of Baker, Central, Charter Schools, East Baton Rouge Parish Evangeline, Jefferson, Lafayette, Livingston, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, Private Schools, Rapides, St. John The Baptist, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, University View Academy, Washington, West Feliciana). They include over 72 % “high-needs” students (as defined by the US DoE) and 60 % Black or Hispanic students. Since the inception of the LSU Pathways in 2017, we have trained and certified over 90 high school teachers to facilitate the Pathway courses.

From 2020 on, supported by $9M in federal funding, LSU and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System will be expanding the LSU Computing Pathway to middle schools and will expand the reach of Introduction to Computational Thinking, a foundational core course in all four LSU STEM Pathways, to schools across the state. Moreover, a collaborative effort of the Louisiana Department of Education, the RAND Corporation, BloomBoard, and LSU will be rolling out Micro-Credentials for STEM Pathway teachers from 2020 on.

The statewide rollout of the LSU STEM Certification Pathways is a joint effort of the Louisiana Department of Education, Lee MHS, and faculty from Louisiana State University’s Gordon A. Cain Center for STEM Literacy, College of Engineering, College of Science, School of Art, School of Music, and the LSU Center for Computation & Technology.

In brief, the LSU STEM Certification Pathways Program:
  • provides high school students with the opportunity to enroll in a specialized progression of project-based courses (i.e., pathways) to attain industry-promulgated and valued credentials, university issued certificates of course completion, or dual enrollment credit in order to graduate with either a career-tech diploma or to enhance their university-prep diploma,
  • requires teachers who instruct the pathway courses to further their academic credentials by participating in intensive graduate-level LSU Pathway Training courses. If taken for credit, this program leads to a customized "Professional Graduate Certificate" issued by the LSU Colleges of Science or Engineering.
  • provides school districts with additional state funding to support the BESE-approved LSU STEM Pathway courses and required teacher training. Under provisions of the approved state education funding formula, a school district offering a LSU Pathway course with a LSU-trained teacher receives $482 per student per course in additional CTE/CDF funding.

For more information on the Pathways, see here; for additional information on the LSU Computing Pathway and the LSU-EBRPSS partnership, please go to the BRBytes website.

Pathways Overview

Pre-Engineering Pathway
Pre-engineering

In pilot stage since 2017-18.

Digital Design and Emergent Media Pathway
Digital Design and Emergent Media

In pilot stage since 2018-2019.

Computational Thinking & Computer Science Pathway
Computing

In pilot stage since 2019-20.

Biomedical Sciences Pathway
Biomedical Sciences

In pilot stage since 2019-20.

Pre-Engineering

Core Courses

LSU Electives

Other LSU Electives

  • Statistical Reasoning
  • Engineering Economy
  • Programming for Engineers

  • AP Calculus AB
  • AP Calculus BC
  • Statistical Reasoning or AP Statistics
  • AP Computer Science Principles
  • AP Computer Science A
  • One from:
    • AP Biology
    • Biology II
    • Biology DE
  • One from:
    • Chemistry II
    • AP Chemistry
    • Chemistry I DE
  • One from:
    • AP Physics I - Algebra Based
    • AP Physics II - Algebra
    • AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
    • AP Physics C: Mechanics
  • AP Environmental Science
  • Environmental Science

Digital Design and Emergent Media

Core Courses

LSU Electives

Other LSU Electives

  • AP Calculus AB
  • AP Calculus BC
  • AP Statistics or AP Statistic
  • AP Computer Science Principles
  • AP Computer Science A
  • Photography I
  • Photography II
  • AP Studio Art 3-D Design

Computing

This pathway is currently a key part of two major grants from the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Education supporting a research practitioner partnership with the East Baton Rouge Public School System. For more information on the BRBYTES please visit brbytes.org

Core Courses

LSU Electives

  • AP Calculus AB
  • AP Calculus BC
  • AP Computer Science A
  • AP Computer Science Principles
  • Computer Science I
  • AP Statistics or AP Statistic
  • One from:
    • AP Physics I - Algebra Based
    • AP Physics II - Algebra
    • AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
    • AP Physics C: Mechanics
  • CIW Network Security
  • COMP TIA+ Fundamentals of Computer Installation and Configuration
  • COMP TIA+ Networking Fundamentals
  • COMP TIA+ Programming with PL/SQL
  • Computer Science I (Dual Enrollment)
  • Computer Service Technology I
  • Computer Service Technology II
  • Computer Systems/Networking I
  • Fundamentals of HTML, CSS, and Javascript
  • Introduction to Programming
  • Java Programming
  • Statistical Reasoning or AP Statistics
  • Robotics Beginning

    • This pathway is currently a key part of 2 major grants from the National Science Foundation and US Department of Education. The computing pathway is part of a research partnership with the East Baton Rouge Public School System. For more information on the BRBYTES please visit brbytes.org

    Biomedical Sciences

    Core Courses

    LSU Electives

    • Forensic Science
    • Genetics
    • Bioinformatics
    • Conservation Biology

    Other LSU Electives

    • Data Manipulation and Analysis
    • Biomedical Capstone
    • Biology II DE
    • One from:
      • AP Biology
      • Biology II
      • Biology DE
    • One from:
      • Chemistry II
      • AP Chemistry
      • Chemistry I DE

    Jump Start Tops Tech Diploma

    • Quest for success
    • Agriscience I
    • Jobs for America's Graduates I

    • Environmental Science or AP Environmental Science
    • Statistical Reasoning or AP Statistics
    • Nurse Assistant
    • Introduction to Health Occupation
    • Medical Terminology
    • Psychology or AP Psychology
    • Anatomy and Physiology
    • First Responder/Emergency Medical Responder
    • Emergency Medical Technician
    • Workplace Safety

    Contact