Other support programs were in place that helped the
planning, organization, and content knowledge of the
teachers. PLTW had a required two-week training session
during the summer, PLTW trainers could be contacted with
questions throughout the school year, and teachers attended
a year-long STEM integration teacher academy that the
middle school had signed up for that included five days of
training and 16 hours of Professional Learning
Communities (PLCs). The PLTW teachers that taught the
same class also talked often to share ideas and keep similar
class pacing.