STEM Academy

No. At this time, the program is available only in a full two-year format.

The STEM Academy school day runs from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, Monday through Friday.  Students check in with their advisor before their first class at 8:30. Classes end by 2:30 PM so that students have time to get back to their high schools for after-school activities.

Transportation between Sun Prairie and the Truax Campus for STEM Academy students is up to the student and their family.

The STEM Academy follows the Madison College academic calendar, which is different from the high school calendar.  The fall semester typically begins the day after Labor Day, runs for sixteen weeks, and ends about the third week of December.  The spring semester typically begins the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, runs for sixteen weeks, and ends about the second week of May.  Spring break is between the 8th and 9th weeks.

STEM Academy classes do not follow the typical high school schedule of the same classes every day in either a seven period or in a four-block schedule.  Instead, they follow a college schedule, with three credit courses meeting for three fifty-minute periods or two seventy-five-minute periods per week, four credit courses meeting for four fifty-minute periods or two 100-minute periods per week, and five credit courses meeting for five fifty-minute periods or two 125-minute periods per week.  Students are expected to study in the Student Achievement Center or in the Library at their Madison College campus during time outside of their scheduled classes.

Yes. Coursework for the STEM Academy ends in time for students to return to their home high school to participate in after school activities.

• • A minimum full-time college course load is twelve credits.  That would be four 3-credit classes per semester. Students with a twelve-credit load would attend two to four classes each day, depending on the scheduling of those classes. Students taking 16 credits that include a lab class could be in the classroom nineteen hours per week.  Note that, as college students, STEM Academy students will find they have two or more hours of work outside of class for every hour spent in class.  

  • Students may take more than twelve credits per semester.  In fact, they need to average fifteen credits per semester to complete the 60 credit Associate of Science degree, unless they take summer school. Students may also choose to take less than twelve credits if they need to, but need to pay attention to completing enough credits to meet high school graduation requirements. All STEM Academy students receive personalized guidance for course selection to meet their academic and career goals.

Being advanced beyond the minimum expectation of the program does not prevent a student from being considered for the STEM Academy. Students who excel in math are placed into an appropriate class, based on AP scores, placement scores, or other factors. There are not special cohort math classes for advanced students in the first semester.  Instead, advanced students select from regularly offered sections that include other Madison College students. Students who want credit for their high school AP classes need to take the AP test and share scores with Madison College for consideration for credit.

Madison College offers Spanish 1 through Spanish 5, French 1 through French 5, and two semesters each of Arabic and Mandarin Chinese.   There are no other options for world language study. Students take a placement test prior to starting courses to identify the appropriate course level.  World Language courses are taken with other Madison College students.

Yes. There are several hundred elective course options available at Madison College for students. Students must select from regularly offered sections.

• A thorough review of Sun Prairie high school graduation requirements has been conducted.  Students may complete their Civics, Economics, Ecology, and service learning requirements while in the STEM Academy, in addition to their English, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, and elective requirements.

Yes, students work with their student support advisor to meet the required ACP outcomes, including a post-secondary plan.

Student support begins before the first day of class with a one-week Learning to Learn Academy where students learn what it takes to succeed in college and build support networks with their peers.  Students take closed cohort sections of Introduction to College Writing and College Success their first semester in the program, some of which are taught by dually-qualified high school teachers. These teachers help bridge the gap between high school and college.  Students have a dedicated advisor who checks in with them every day. Guided time in the Student Achievement Center is also provided in the first semester. Instructors complete progress reports every four weeks so students know where they stand. In the second semester, students take more courses with the general student population, but still have one or two cohort sections for mutual support. Textbooks and a $6 per day lunch stipend are provided as part of the program.

STEM Academy students will not be all together for all classes during the two-year program. They will have a number of cohort-only classes the first semester and one or two in the second semester. Other courses they take will be regularly scheduled Madison College courses with other Madison College students.  It is important to note that STEM Academy students are Madison College students themselves!

Students currently enrolled in AVID need to make a choice.  They will not be able to continue in the AVID program while in the STEM Academy.

Students currently in the PEOPLE program will be able to continue and benefit from this while also attending the STEM Academy.

Yes.

Yes. STEM Academy students return to their home high schools to take the state-required ACT test in March of their 11th grade year.

No.  All classes must be taken through Madison College.

Once a student is accepted into the program, the student and their family sign a letter of commitment to the program.  The next two years of high school will be at Madison College.