The purpose of this study was to determine if a student's academic success, measured by grade point average (GPA) in mathematics, science, and communication courses, is correlated with student change in achievement during an engineering design challenge. Engineering design challenges have been implemented and researched in K-16 environments where engineering principles are applied to solve real world problems. For purposes of this research, an engineering design challenge was defined as a team-based activity in which students engage in solving a real world problem. This approach is initiated by negotiation of the problem definition. Design teams and clients work together to establish their problem and constraints. Previous quasi-experimental research has established that engineering design challenges are successful in increasing student achievement. To build upon this research base, the current study addressed the potential relationship between students' academic history, measured by GPA, and their experience during an engineering design challenge, as measured by an achievement test. In this research, student achievement was significantly correlated to science GPA, but not significantly to mathematics or communication GPA. Therefore, a student participating in this study was likely to perform better on the achievement test if their science GPA was higher. The differences are not only statistically significant, but they are practically significant. Results from this study indicate that while achievement gaps exist, these gaps are not widened while introducing engineering design concepts into a technology education classroom. Special education students performed poorly on the achievement test as did lower science GPA students, however, growth among these groups was not statistically different than their peers. Thus, engineering design infused into technology education does not disadvantage student growth as measured by an achievement test over time. (Contains 1 figure and 6 tables.)