JSerra Catholic High School announced today that it has been recognized as a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School for providing broad access to transformative learning opportunities for students through PLTW. It is one of just 64 high schools across the U.S. to receive this honor. PLTW is a nonprofit organization that serves millions of PreK-12 students and teachers in schools across the U.S.

We are very proud of the sustained excellence of our Engineering Magnet Program under the direction of Dr. Jan Kilduff," said JSerra Principal Eric Stroupe. "Through the Project Lead the Way Curriculum, our students have been exposed to a technical education that most students will never see in high school, and to be honored as a PLTW Distinguished School is the ultimate honor, especially given that less than 4% of schools using PLTW earn that title. Our country needs more engineers and I love the fact that through our program, Dr. Kilduff and his staff are getting more of our graduates headed along that career path. It's a terrific and well-deserved recognition!"

The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs. To be eligible for the designation, JSerra had to meet the following criteria during the 2017-18 school year:

• Offer at least three PLTW courses;
• Have 25 percent of students or more participate in PLTW courses, or of those who participated in PLTW, at least 33 percent took two or more PLTW courses during their high school tenure;
• Have 70 percent of students or more earn a Proficient or higher on PLTW End-of-Course Assessments, or 10 percent of students earn the AP + PLTW Student Achievement.

Through PLTW programs, students develop STEM knowledge as well as in-demand, transportable skills that they will use both in school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take.

"It is a great honor to recognize JSerra for their commitment to students," said Vince Bertram, President and CEO of PLTW. "They are a model for what school should look like, and they should be very proud of ensuring students have the knowledge and skills to be career ready and successful on any career path they choose."

JSerra is part of a community of PreK-12 schools, colleges and universities, and corporate and philanthropic partners across the country united around a passion for providing students with inspiring, engaging, and empowering learning opportunities. For more information about PLTW's recognition program, visit pltw.org/our-programs/program-recognition.