47 Compton Students Earn Unreal Engine Credentials With 92% Pass Rate
Compton Early College turns student passion for gaming into career-ready skills, portfolios, and industry certification through Gameplan.
Compton Early College High School is turning student interest in gaming and technology into measurable career outcomes, with 47 students earning the Unreal Engine 3D Fundamentals credential and pathway students achieving a 92% certification pass rate.
Through a structured Game Development pathway supported by Gameplan, students progress from foundational game design concepts to building interactive 3D environments and playable experiences in Unreal Engine.
The program connects a high-interest subject with career and technical education, giving students opportunities to develop technical skills, create original portfolio work, and pursue an industry-relevant credential.
Measurable Student Outcomes
The Game Development pathway has produced:
47 students earning the Unreal Engine 3D Fundamentals credential
92% certification pass rate
95% positive student ratings
27,857 minutes of student learning
Original, portfolio-ready Unreal Engine projects
Students use Unreal Engine to create interactive environments, original landscapes and playable game levels. Projects incorporate skills including player movement, checkpoints, collectibles, lighting, materials and Blueprint scripting.
The pathway is led by Career and Technical Education teacher Larry Hood, who teaches Game Design, AP Computer Science and esports at Compton Early College High School.
Before adopting Gameplan's Game Design Fundamentals curriculum, Hood relied on a combination of textbooks, Epic Games resources and community-created materials. Organizing and adapting those resources for students who were new to game development required significant preparation.
Gameplan provided a structured curriculum with pacing, assessments, teacher resources and flexible learning tools that could be incorporated into the school's existing CTE pathway.
"The content was exactly what I needed for the course," Hood said.
With a consistent instructional structure in place, students were able to move from introductory concepts into increasingly advanced real-time 3D projects.
Building Skills Beyond Game Development
The pathway also gives students opportunities to develop communication, teamwork, project management, presentation, problem-solving, testing and iteration skills.
Students who progressed more quickly through the curriculum often helped classmates troubleshoot technical challenges, creating additional opportunities for peer collaboration and leadership.
Those skills can extend beyond game development.
Real-time 3D technology is used across fields including animation, virtual production, visual effects, architecture, engineering, simulation and interactive media. The Unreal Engine 3D Fundamentals credential gives students an opportunity to validate foundational technical knowledge while building work they can showcase in future academic and career opportunities.
Turning Student Interest Into Career-Connected Learning
For schools and districts, the results at Compton Early College High School demonstrate how student interest in gaming, digital creation and technology can become a structured, career-connected learning experience.
Many schools already have students interested in these subjects. The challenge is giving teachers the curriculum, instructional structure and assessment tools needed to transform that interest into a sustainable CTE pathway.
Compton's results highlight the potential of combining student interest, teacher leadership, hands-on projects and a clear certification goal.
Students leave the pathway with more than exposure to game design. They leave with completed projects, validated technical skills and a clearer understanding of career opportunities connected to real-time 3D technology.
About Gameplan
Gameplan helps schools transform high-interest subjects into CTE-aligned career pathways where students develop real-world skills, pursue certification opportunities and create portfolio-ready work.
Media Contact
Gameplan Education Inc.
Gameplan.com
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Gameplan helps schools transform high-interest subjects into CTE-aligned career pathways. Through structured curriculum, industry-relevant learning, certification opportunities, and portfolio development, students build real-world skills for high-demand technology careers.
