Overview

The open-source curricula for the LSU STEM Pathway courses first took shape at Lee Magnet High School in Baton Rouge (Lee MHS) 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) Pre-Engineering, (2) Digital Media & Arts, (3) Computational Thinking & Computer Science, and (4) Biomedical Sciences.

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.

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 Pathway courses and required teacher training. The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) approved the LSU Pre-Engineering Pathway in June 2017; the Digital Design & Emergent Media Certification Pathway is currently under consideration. Under provisions of the approved state education funding formula, a school district offering a BESE approved LSU Pathway course receives $480 per student per course in additional CTE base weight and Career Development Funds.

For more information, see PathwayDescriptionMay2018.pdf