Download STEM School Profile - CEED CODE: 310089
The School
The STEM Academy is part of Passaic County Technical Vocational Schools (PCTVS), a national award winning, comprehensive career and technical high school district serving over 4200 students. The STEM Academy recently held its historic first graduation of the Class of 2022. Located on a 55+ acre campus in Wayne, NJ, the STEM Academy accepts students from all municipalities throughout Passaic County. Over 80 faculty members deliver the curriculum of 50+ courses and three focused integrated STEM career areas; Biomedical and Life Sciences, Computer
Science, and Engineering.
A student can:
- Eventually earn 30+ college credits in high school
- Gain experience in multiple STEM careers
- Join one of STEM’s 3 popular programs of study
- Take part in dozens of community service projects
- Enjoy PCTVS’s exciting athletic program. Through more than two dozen sports, young adults learn the true value of sportsmanship and teamwork
- Compete in academic and vocational forums for state and national honors
- Benefit through the PCTVS “It Starts with One,” “Like No Place Else,” “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” “We Are,” “PCT & I,” “Imagine,” “Ready. Set. Go!,” and “Bulldogs Level UP!” campaigns
Mission Statement
"We are a diverse, progressive learning community that promotes educational excellence by challenging our students to become knowledgeable, productive and socially conscious members of a global society through quality educational programs delivered by a highly skilled and dedicated staff in a nurturing environment."
Awards and Achievements
The following highlights a number of recent STEM honors:
- STEM Academy was approved to be an APCapstone institution. Students can complete an AP Seminar, AP Research plus four additional AP classes to receive this designation. We are one of 2000 schools nationwide to receive this status.
- Many students participated and passed their first virtual college class via Passaic Community College. Students took this class in addition to the demanding 9 core classes that they are currently taking.
- STEM students recieved State and National honors such as were Questbridge scholar- ships, Horatio Algers scholarships, and Merit scholar semifinalists.
- STEM students serve as teaching assistants in our Fall, Spring and Summer STEM Pro- gram for 5th–8th graders interested in STEM. They taught students how to collaborate and to learn through trial. They assisted to teach them the engineering design process, how to code, and about the Scientific Method.
- STEM students helped to organize and design a STEM Expo that follows International Science & Engineering Fair (ISF) guidelines.
- STEM Junior won 1st Place in the Microsoft DigiGirls Competition. She designed an AI app to prevent coronary artery disease. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLq9RiNeEh4
- Student selected to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum: Medicine in Boston
- Two Biomedical Students represented PCTVS in the HOSA NJ Regionals
- Students from the STEM Academy competed in a Shark Tank style competition as part of the Life Science Diversity Conference. STEM students had two weeks to prepare a project. The result was “No-Plas,” a biological way of speeding up the decomposition of plastic bottles in landfills via the enzyme ideonella sakaiensis, an entry that earned the STEM students third place at the competition!
- The STEM team created two versions of their product – a mist that’s applied to garbage bags and a pad that’s disposed of with garbage. Both concepts utilize bacterium to break down polyethylene.
- An athletic powerhouse, PCTVS has won eighteen state championships and achieved many other legendary accomplishments, which include our Football State Championship, Wrestling State Championship, Winter Cheerleading Co-ed Varsity State Championship and many other County and Big North Conference Liberty Division Championships!
- STEM students have contributed to the success of our winning teams in Football, Soccer, Volleyball and Wrestling.
Graduation Requirements
In order to qualify for a PCTVS diploma, a student must earn a total of 167.5 credits which include the following:
| Language Arts | 20 | credits | |
| Math (Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2) | 15 | credits | |
| Social Studies | 15 | credits | |
| Physical Education | 15 | credits | |
| Health Education | 5 | credits | |
| World Language | 5 | credits | |
| Science | 15 | credits | |
| Electives | 15 | credits | |
| Financial Literacy | 2.5 | credits | |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 5 | credits | |
| CTE Program/Career Exploration | 55 | credits |
*Each student is required to complete four years of Technical/Vocational training, of which 17.5 credits must be successfully earned in grade 12. All students must participate in a senior research capstone project.
Career and Technical Educational Programs
Students can apply to:
- Academy of Biomedical and Life Sciences
- Academy of Computer Science
- Academy of Engineering
|
| |||||
| 4yr/2yr College | 88% | ||||
| Employment | 11% | ||||
| Military | 1% | ||||
| Grading System | |||||
| Grade | Numeric | GPA | |||
| A+ | 98-100 | 4.2 | |||
| A | 92-97 | 4.0 | |||
| A- | 90-91 | 3.8 | |||
| B+ | 88-89 | 3.5 | |||
| B | 82-87 | 3.0 | |||
| B- | 80-81 | 2.8 | |||
| C+ | 78-79 | 2.5 | |||
| C | 72-77 | 2.0 | |||
| C- | 70-71 | 1.8 | |||
| D+ | 68-69 | 1.5 | |||
| D | 65-67 | 1.0 | |||
| F | 0-64 | 0.0 | |||
| Code | |||||
| I | Incomplete | ||||
| M | Medical Excuse | ||||
| NC | No Credit | ||||
| E | Excellent | ||||
| S | Satisfactory | ||||
| N | Needs Improvement | ||||
| U | Unsatisfactory | ||||
| Principal's Honor Roll | |||||
| A or B in all courses & minumum of 3.8 GPA | |||||
| Honor Roll | |||||
| A or B in all courses |
|||||
|
Graduates of STEM traditionally attend four year or two-year colleges and universities, a wide variety of technical | ||||
| Alvernia University | Florida Southern College | Pennsylvania State University | The University of Texas at Arlington | |
| American University | High Point University | Princeton University | Trinity College | |
| Arizona State University-Tempe | Idaho State University | Quinnipiac University | University of British Columbia | |
| Bergen Community College | James Madison University | Ramapo College of New Jersey | University of California | |
| Boston College | Kean University | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rochester | University of Connecticut | |
| Brigham Young University-Idaho | King’s College | Rochester Institute of Technology | University of Kentucky | |
| Caldwell University | Marquette University | Rowan University | University of Maryland | |
| Clemson University | Midlands Technical College | Rutgers University | University of New Hampshire | |
| County College of Morris | Monmouth University | Savannah College of Art & Design | University of New Haven | |
| Delaware Valley University | Montclair State University | Seton Hall University | University of Pittsburg | |
| Drew University | New Jersey City University | St. John’s University | University of the Sciences | |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | New Jersey Institute of Technology | Stevens Institute of Technology | Valparaiso University | |
| Essex County College | New York University | Stockton University | Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology | |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Syracuse University | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | |
| Felician University | Nova Southeastern University | The College of New Jersey | Western Michigan University | |
| Florida Institute of Technology | Passaic County Community College | The University of Alabama | William Paterson University of New Jersey | |
| Yale University | ||||
School Counseling Department
The STEM Academy School Counseling Department has four full-time, on-site school counselors which are assigned to students in each of the vocational areas. The department also has one dedicated student assistant coordinator who offers social/emotional support for students in crisis.
| Vocational Area | Counselor |
| Academy of Biomedical and Life Sciences | Laura Bania |
| Academy of Computer Science | Lauretta Cregar |
| Academy of Engineering | David Inigo |
| Coordinator School Counseling/Admissions | Dr. Ines Drummond |
| Student Assistance Coordinator | Jennifer Presing |
Extracurricular Programs
There are over 50 athletic and co-curricular programs offered to students as part of PCTVS. The high school participates in the Big North Conference and has won state, county, and league championships in numerous sports from football to basketball, volleyball to track and wrestling.
- Among the 4200 students on campus, most participate in one or more of42 student organizations including: Marching, Concert and Jazz Bands, LEAP (Leaders Emerging Among Peers), Gifted/Talented, as well as service clubs in Business, Finance, and Health.
- Student organizations strengthen the qualities of community & civic responsibility, enhance special interests and inspire school unity and spirit! National, state and local recognition for extraordinary patriotic and extensive community service.
- Many of our Biomedical and Life Sciences students are involved in HOSA (Health Occupations Student Organization). HOSA develops leadership and technical skill competencies through a program of motivation, awareness, community service, which is an integral part of the Biomedical and Life Sciences program.
- Our Computer Science and Engineering students are involved in STEM based student organizations such as; Engineering Club, Robotics Club, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Society of Black Engineers (SBE). These organizations promote leadership and camaraderie. Students are involved in collaborative experiences/challenges as well as gaining the opportunity to further their career awareness via guestspeakers and lectures.
PCTVS Board of Education
| Position | Members |
| President | Michael Coscia |
| Vice President | Damaris M. Solomon |
| Commissioner | Glenn L. Brown |
| Commissioner | Aleksandra Tasic |
| Commissioner/Interim Executive County Superintendent of Schools | Kesha Drakeford |
| Board Secretary | Mae Remer |
STEM Academy Administration
| Position | Members |
| Chief School Administrator | John Maiello |
| Assistant Superintendent | Joseph Sabbath |
| Assistant Superintendent | Ted Szczawinski |
| Business Administrator | Richard Giglio |
| Principal | Joaqium Johnson |
| Director of Pupil/ Personnel Services | Nick Bucci |