General Policies

Student Teams

Students will work in teams of three people for STEM III projects. Students will choose their team for the Fall Semester (PBL 1 and PBL 2). Students will choose a new team for the Spring Semester (PBL 3 and PBL 4). The team for the Spring Semester may not consist of any team members who were on the same team during the Fall Semester.

STEM III Class Time and STEM III Work Outside of Class

Managing time for team projects is the focus of the 11th grade STEM tenet for collaboration. Student teams are scheduled for two 1-hour STEM III classes per week. Successful PBL teams work a total of 5 or more hours per week per team member. The additional hours require working outside of STEM III class time. Teams should make a work schedule and include the schedule in their weekly prototype report.

FabLab Use by STEM III Students

STEM III students will work in the FabLab during their STEM III class time. They may also work in the FabLab when they do not have STEM III on a not-to-interfere basis with scheduled classes. Students may not "hang out" in the FabLab during scheduled classes.

Off-Campus PBL Work During School Hours

Student teams may conduct off-campus PBL work during school hours depending on their project. This work may involve going to the sponsor location to test prototypes, researching materials at the store, or other work. These off-campus activities are not field trips since no teacher is present. However, students may require parent approval depending on the circumstances as listed here. If the off-campus PBL work during school hours:

  • Requires missing UP day activities. Parents must email Ms. Wineland (wineland_anna@hcde.org) to give their permission for their child to miss UP day activities.

  • Requires missing a STEM class: Parents must email Ms. Wineland (wineland_anna@hcde.org) to give their permission for their child to miss a STEM class. Students must contact the STEM teacher for the class they will miss in advance to make up missed work. If the parents give their permission, the absence will be treated as parent excused. However, students may still receive an attendance (TMI) intervention for missed classes if they are not caught up on assigned work. If the student does not have parent permission, then the absence will be recorded as unexcused and the student will receive an attendance (TMI) intervention for missed classes.

  • Requires missing a Chattanooga State class: Parents do not need to email Ms. Wineland with permission. However, students must contact their Chatt State teacher for the class they will miss in advance to make up missed work.

  • Does not require missing a class: Parents do not need to email Ms. Wineland with permission.

Whenever possible, students should plan off-campus PBL work during school hours during their unscheduled time or STEM III class time.

STEM III Learning Lab

Failure to turn in assignments on time is an example of a missed deadline. Missing two (2) deadlines will result in a STEM III Learning Lab or other intervention as stated in the academic behavior intervention chart. Your team can avoid this intervention by submitting your assignments on time. Missed deadlines accumulate during the quarter and reset at the start of the next quarter.

When a team or team member is assigned learning lab for STEM III, each student and their parents will receive an email notification explaining the reason for the learning lab and an updated schedule with the added learning lab. The learning lab will be for two (2) hours per week for a minimum of two (2) weeks.

Note: it is not always possible to schedule learning lab at the same time for team members due to their conflicting class schedules. In these situations, team members should use their learning lab to work individually on their project and plan to integrate work by all team members during their STEM III class. This approach to managing work is an important learning outcome for STEM III.

STEM III ER Policy

ER does not usually apply for STEM III since the ER days during these quarters are after the STEM III final presentations. Depending on the school year calendar, the ER days during the 3rd quarter may be during the Chatt State Spring Break prior to the STEM III final presentation week. Juniors are not required to be at the STEM School during this week unless they are assigned ER. However, the STEM School and FabLab are open to juniors during this week.

Your PBL team will be assigned ER during the 3rd Quarter ER Week for STEM III if your team is not on track to complete all project rubric requirements by the school day prior to ER. This determination will be made on the ER Determination Deadline Date. Your team should carefully review the project rubric and demonstrate you are on track to complete them.

HCDE Delays and Closure Impacts on Offsite Field Trips

If there is a two-hour HCDE school delay, offsite field trips (including offsite PBL kickoffs and final presentations) will proceed as scheduled. If HCDE announces a closure, offsite field trips (including offsite PBL kickoffs and final presentations) will be canceled and rescheduled as necessary. Students can check Canvas for a post for specific instructions.

Missing Classes for Kickoffs and Final Presentations During Regular Class Schedule

Attendance at kickoff and final presentation is mandatory. As a result, you will be required to miss other classes at the STEM School or Chatt State in order to attend your kickoff or final presentation. Students should make arrangements with teachers in advance to make up classes and assignments they may miss due to the kickoff and final presentation. Your absence from missed classes is only excused for the duration of the kickoff or final presentation plus reasonable travel time.

Here are some scenarios to illustrate this policy:

  • Scenario 1: My kickoff (or final presentation) starts at 9:30 AM and ends at 10:30 AM. Do I need to attend a STEM or Chatt State class at 11:00 AM?

  • Answer: Yes

  • Scenario 2: My kickoff (or final presentation) starts at 1:00 PM and ends at 3:00 PM. Do I need to attend a STEM or Chatt State class at 3:30 PM?

  • Answer: Yes

  • Scenario 3: My kickoff (or final presentation) starts at 1:00 PM and ends at 2:30 PM. Do I need to attend a STEM or Chatt State class at 9:30 AM?

  • Answer: Yes

  • Scenario 4: My kickoff (or final presentation) starts at 1:00 PM and ends at 2:30 PM. My only remaining class is STEM III at 3:30 PM. Do I need to attend my STEM III class ?

  • Answer: Yes. STEM III will never be canceled due to a kickoff or final presentation.

  • Scenario 5: My kickoff (or final presentation) ends at 12:30 PM but my parent cannot drive me back to STEM for a class at 1:00 PM.

  • Answer: Discuss this situation with Ms. Wineland prior to kickoff (or final presentation) to find a reasonable accommodation (e.g., submitting a parent excuse authorizing an early departure and modifying your schedule to accomplish missed work).

Flexible Scheduling for Kickoffs and Final Presentation During UP Days

We will have a very flexible schedule for kickoffs (or final presentations) during UP days. The guidelines are:

  1. Take the time you need to get your device charged, and be in a quiet space for your kickoff (or final presentation).

  2. Attendance at kickoff (or final presentation) takes precedence over UP Days activities at STEM.

  3. Use reasonable judgment and discuss special cases with Ms. Wineland ASAP.

Here are some scenarios to illustrate these guidelines:

Scenario 1: My kickoff starts at 9:30 AM and ends at 10:30 AM. Do I need to go to STEM first?

  • Answer: No. You do not need to go to STEM first but you need to return to STEM when your kickoff is over.

Scenario 2: My kickoff starts at 1:00 PM. Do I need to go to STEM first?

  • Answer: Yes. You need to go to STEM first and then go to your kickoff.

Scenario 3: My kickoff ends at 1:00 PM. Do I need to return to STEM?

  • Answer: Yes. You must return to STEM when your kickoff is over.

Scenario 4: My kickoff ends at 3:30 PM. Do I need to return to STEM?

  • Answer: No. You may end your day at the kickoff location and return home.

Scenario 5: My kickoff ends at 12:30 PM but my parent cannot drive me back to STEM.

  • Answer: Discuss this situation with Ms. Wineland prior to kickoff to find a reasonable accommodation (e.g., submitting a parent excuse authorizing an early departure and modifying your schedule to accomplish missed work).

As a good rule of thumb, add 30 minutes to whatever time is needed to travel to an offsite PBL event—it’s always better to be early than late!

Expectations for Kickoffs, Final Presentations, and Project Reviews

  • Attendance at kickoff and final presentation is mandatory.

  • Students should make arrangements with teachers in advance to make up classes and assignments they may miss due to the kickoff and final PBL presentation. See Ms. Wineland at least one week in advance if there is an unresolvable schedule conflict.

  • Students must be seated and ready at the scheduled start time for the kickoff or final presentation.

  • Students must remain for the entire final presentation by all teams and show respect to other teams presenting before and after their team.

  • Transportation to kickoff and final presentation is the responsibility of the student and parents or guardians.

  • Students must comply with STEM School dress code policy as excerpted here:

    • "When 11th and 12th grade students are out of the STEM School building, their dress should meet the standards of that location (Chattanooga State, UTC, or a community and business partner)."

    • "When 11th and 12th grade students present to any non-student group, regardless of location, students will dress in a professional manner."

  • The following clothes are examples of inappropriate attire for meetings with sponsors: shorts, t-shirts, jeans, athletic shoes, & pants with holes.

  • For final presentations, teams should discuss their attire and match the same level of dress (this does not mean students should dress identically).

  • Students are representing the STEM School when they are presenting to sponsors and will behave accordingly. Student behavior can positively or negatively impact whether our business and education partners choose to sponsor future projects with the STEM School.