• Priority 2

    STEM-Focused Curriculum

    STEM Academy students will encounter a course of study that is under continual scrutiny in order to ensure that it meets current academic standards, provides a core education to produce the most highly prepared students and is delivered by enthusiastic instructors using innovative and effective methods. Digital learning is an integral part of every student’s experience, with instructors engaging students through blended pedagogies that promote anytime and any place learning. Students are given opportunities to learn at their own pace and to explore their own path to achieve their learning goals.

    2

     

    Benchmarks

    • Assure uniformity of academic standards via shared development and peer-reviews of unit plans that include
      • Standards and Assessment Alignment
      • Authentic and Project-Based Learning experiences
      • Presentation Expectations
      • Supports for below-, at-, and above-level learners

     

    • Implement an independent evaluation for student support programs to guide resource allocation.

     

    • Use student and parent satisfaction as indicators of success to guide programs toward promoting an academically supportive and nurturing climate.

     

    • Develop assessment plans with learning targets for all programs to establish clear standards and measures for success and improvement.

     

    • Align curricula to NJIT’s General University Requirements (GUR) and other post-secondary offerings.

     

    • Implement a progressive schedule that addresses curriculum expectations and student needs

     

    • 240 minutes per week of mathematics; with up to 160 additional minutes weekly of intervention or enrichment support
    • 240 minutes per week of applied science
    • 400 minutes per week of ELA, SS, research, and current events
    • 400 minutes per week of Major

     

    • Use the freshman year as an exploratory year that will provide students with a working knowledge of their pathway-- Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or the Computing Sciences.

     

    • Continue the partnership with NJIT’s Real World Connections (RWC) to provide exposure to tracks offered within the Computing Sciences pathway.

     

    • Establish partnerships with Project Lead the Way, Creative Learning Systems, RWC, and others to support the implementation of their respective program modules (PLTW: Engineering and Design, Principles of Biomedical Science, SmartLab: circuitry, computer graphics, digital communications, mechanics and structures, robots and control technology, software engineering, etc.; RWC: Animation, Web Development, Android App Development, Game Design, Crime Scene Investigation, CyberSecurity, Coding).