Nationally Ranked STEM Destination

#3 Best STEM High School in America by US News and World Report!

 School of Science and Engineering Magnet

Available seats for the 2022-2023 school year

• incoming 9th graders: 140 students
• incoming 10th graders: 23 students

NOTE: for applying 10th graders (current 9th grade), students will need to successfully take English II before school starts, August 2022.

1. Current DISD 9th grade students: Contact their counselor and request to be enrolled in Reconnect to take English II over the summer. 
2. 9th grade students not currently attending a DISD school: Contact their counselor to determine if their school provides an option to take English II over the summer. -or- Enroll in English IIA and English IIB through Texas Tech University ISD. Cost is $200 each semester. https://www.depts.ttu.edu/k12/courses/

Apply today!

www.dallasisd.org/choosedallasisd 

Application Process

Online applications to the School of Science and Engineering Magnet (SEM) will be available online beginning November 2021 through January 31, 2022. 

Students must meet GPA and test score eligibility in order to be qualified to apply. Students applying to SEM must meet the following eligibility:

• Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) in core subjects (Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies) 
• Minimum Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) or other norm referenced test score minimum

GPA Eligibility

80% Grade point average in core subjects (Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies)

Standardized Test Eligibility

70th Percentile on Spring 2021 STAAR in Reading AND Math OR Local 70th Percentile on upcoming 2021 Beginning-of-Year MAP Reading AND Math.

Note: Students who do not have Dallas ISD test scores can provide norm-referenced test scores. Click here to view a list of approved tests. 

Magnet Assessment

Applicants who meet the minimum GPA and test score requirements are eligible to move forward to the on-campus assessment process. The assessment will be scheduled online once eligibility has been met and all other required documents have been submitted online. 

Magnet Testing Announcements

We are excited to introduce our Virtual Testing Procedure. Again, we’d like to thank all of you for your flexibility in adapting to this change.  

Students will test during their original testing window. Students will need the following:

• An internet-connected device. It is strongly recommended that they have a device with a keyboard (instead of a tablet or phone), as they will be typing an essay.

• A stable internet connection.

• A quiet place to work. 

Procedure:

• Students will test during the original time slot scheduled for in-person testing.

• 48 hours before the testing window opens, students will get an email with the following information: 

• Confirmation of the time and date of their test.

• A link to the testing website.

• The testing website will open the day of their test. On the website, there will be 4 links:

• Registration/Honor Statement (do this first!)

• Essay Assessment

• Science/Biology Assessment

• Logic Assessment

• Students must complete the honor statement/registration form within 30 minutes of their scheduled start time.

• The three assessments will stay open for two hours, or as directed by 504/IEP documentation. Students can do them in any order.

• There will be a phone number provided and staff available to provide technical assistance during the test.

We have adjusted our assessment rubric as follows:

• 50% of a student’s total score will come from their most recent MAP math test.

• We will norm these to the historical performance of SEM students on our own math assessment.

• If a student has not taken a MAP math test, we will use the percentile rankings of whichever test they used to establish eligibility to apply.

• 30% of a student’s total score will come from an expository essay.

• This structure and rubric will be the same as the original assessment.

• Students will type (or paste) their answers into a Google Form.

• 10% of the student’s total scores will come from the science/biology assessment

• Students will be given a link to a video and answer a series of questions on a biology topic.

• No outside knowledge is required for success.

• 10% of the student’s total score will come from a logic test

• This will be done on a Google Form.

• No outside knowledge is needed to complete the test

Required Documentation

• Copy of student’s most recent report card (include home address)
• Dallas ISD MAP Scores or any Norm referenced test scores 
• Any existing IEP and/or 504 plan accommodation, if applicable
• Proof of residency (only current electric, gas, water bill or lease/mortgage will be accepted) If you are living with another family, or cannot provide either of the above listed items the following may be provided:
  • Signed letter stating family is living with another family and
  • Student Residency Questionnaire (click English or Spanish to access the form) and Utility bill (gas, electric, water) belonging to the person you are living with dated within the past 60 days (Proof of address will also be required at the time of acceptance, enrollment, and throughout the school year) 

*If the situation is temporary, once you have moved, you must provide proof of residency for the new home.

Selection Process

Seats will be awarded based on the following formula:

• 30% of the seats are awarded districtwide by rank-ordering of applicants based on overall criteria score without consideration of feeder pattern or sibling status 
• 70% of the seats are awarded within the comprehensive high school feeder patterns (adjusted proportionally for student population) by rank-ordering of applicants based on overall criteria score; subject to sibling rule or preference

Sibling Rule & Sibling Preference shall only be applied to an applicant who meets the criteria with a sibling who attends the same Vanguard, magnet Montessori, or Academy program and who will continue to attend that school the next school year. Siblings are defined as brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, step-brother, or step-sister living, in the same household.

• Sibling rule shall be applied to the prekindergarten-grade 8 Montessori programs (for more information on sibling rule click here)
• Sibling preference shall be applied to the Vanguard programs for grades 4-5, and grades 6-8 for Academies (for more information on sibling preference click here)

Qualified applicants who are not selected due to limited space will be placed on a rank-ordered waiting list. The wait list will remain active until the end of Dallas ISD's first grading period and student vacancies will be filled until that time.

Dallas ISD Policy EHBJ (LOCAL): For each magnet program, all qualified in-district students shall be served before any out-of-district student may gain admission into that magnet program. Proof of residence must be submitted each year.

Falsifying information on the Magnet application will invalidate the application, and the student's application will be excluded from the selection process. The Dallas Independent School District reserves the right to change a student's enrollment status, placement and/or programming upon receipt of additional information.