​Momentum Builds Success: What the Course Completion Index Is Teaching Us

One of the advantages of a growing educational program is that, over time, it becomes possible to look beyond individual success stories and identify broader patterns. As Choose Aerospace has matured, we have reached the point where our course completion data can do more than document progress. It can help us better understand the characteristics of successful programs and identify practices that contribute to long-term success. 

This year we introduced the Course Completion Index, a tool that compares actual course completions with the number we would reasonably expect from a program based on its enrollment, curriculum, and progress through the school year. A score of 1.0 indicates that a program is meeting expectations, while higher scores indicate programs exceeding that benchmark. The index accounts for differences in program size, expected instructional pace, and the point in the school year, allowing schools of different types to be compared on equal footing. 

Although the Course Completion Index is new, its first results confirmed a pattern that many experienced educators would recognize immediately. Programs that have completed at least one full instructional cycle consistently performed better than newer programs. 

There is an old saying among teachers that the first time you teach a course, you hope to stay two days ahead of your students. By the fourth time you teach it, you can walk in with confidence. Lesson pacing is more refined, classroom routines are established, and preparation shifts from organizing the course to enriching it. The same progression appears to occur in Choose Aerospace programs. As teachers gain experience with the curriculum, they can devote more attention to their students and less to the mechanics of implementation. 

The analysis also identified two additional characteristics that appeared frequently among programs meeting or exceeding expectations. Many have developed strong relationships with local aviation employers and community partners, creating meaningful connections between classroom learning and career opportunities. Others met for more than one class period each day, providing students with longer blocks of uninterrupted instructional time. These observations suggest that experience, community support, and sufficient instructional time contribute to environments where students are well positioned to complete coursework successfully. 

The broader trend is equally encouraging. During the 2021–22 school year, Choose Aerospace students completed just over 100 courses. By the close of the 2025–26 school year, that number had grown to nearly 4,000 course completions. That remarkable increase reflects the commitment of teachers, administrators, and students across the country who have invested in building strong aviation maintenance programs. 

Perhaps the most encouraging finding is what these results mean for newer programs. Every mature program in the Choose Aerospace network began as a first-year program. The teachers leading today's high-performing schools also spent time learning the curriculum, refining their instruction, and building partnerships within their communities. Those investments produced stronger programs over time, and there is every reason to believe today's new programs can follow the same path. 

As we continue collecting data, the Course Completion Index will help us better understand how aviation maintenance programs develop and where additional support can make the greatest difference. In the meantime, there is another school year ahead, another group of students entering our classrooms, and thousands of courses waiting to be completed. Every completed lesson, every completed course, and every student who reaches the finish line represents another step toward strengthening the future aviation maintenance workforce.