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How Does a School Become a STEM School?

Ohio law provides a specific pathway for schools to seek and receive designation as a STEM or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) school. Designation recognizes a school as an effective place for STEM or STEAM learning.

Schools apply for designation from the Ohio STEM Committee, a committee of state and community leaders. The Ohio STEM Learning Network and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce support the designation process.

Updated rubric, video overview, portal

As schools prepare to seek designation over the 2024-2025 school year, new supports are available:

The Ohio STEM and STEAM Designation Rubric provides the foundation of the process. On July 10, 2024, Ohio’s STEM Committee approved a new, improved version of the rubric.
The committee also approved updates to the protocol for the site visits required for designation.
The Ohio STEM Learning Network has launched an updated version of the online Slideroom portal for schools seeking designation.

Learn about all these updates in a new video overview from the Ohio STEM Learning Network.

Step by step process guide

1) Attend a designation
Q&A session

The Ohio STEM Learning Network will host an in-depth question and answer session on the Ohio STEM and STEAM Designation Rubric, designation process, and available technical supports.

2) Complete informal self-assessment of your school

Developed based on the STEM and STEAM Designation Rubric, the STEM and STEAM Designation School Self-Assessment is intended to be used as an informal assessment to determine the school’s areas of strength and growth related to various STEM elements.

Complete assessment

Schools applying for the first time:

3a) Indicate interest and review timeline

The schools applying for initial STEM or STEAM designation are required to complete an Intent to Apply form. The deadline to submit an application for initial designation is February 3, 2025.
The schools should review the complete timeline for initial designation for the 2024-2025 school year. The timeline can be found on the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s website.

Review timeline

Schools continuing designation:

3b) Review the re-designation timeline

According to law, applications for re-designation generally begin five years after initial designation. Special requirements are in place for schools designated before 2017 or in 2018-2021. Review the Quality Monitoring Schedule here. You will need to know your school's initial designation year to use the timeline. This information is published by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

Review timeline

4) Apply for STEM or STEAM Designation

Review the Ohio STEM and STEAM Designation Rubric.

The Ohio STEM and STEAM Designation application is available through SlideRoom.

Please read and refer to the SlideRoom Information for STEM and STEAM Designation for details on accessing and completing the application.

Slideroom details

5) Host a Site Visit

Current and aspiring STEM and STEAM schools need to meet minimum requirements to participate in a site visit as part of the STEM and STEAM designation process.

Detailed information about the site visit, including the requirements, can be found in the Site Visit Protocol for STEM and STEAM Designation.

Site visit protocol

6) Receive Notification

The Ohio STEM Learning Network will notify the school of the Network’s recommendation regarding the school’s designation status within four weeks of the site visit.

The final OSLN recommendation will be submitted to the Ohio STEM Committee for their approval.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce will share the final vote from Ohio STEM Committee.

Do you have questions or need more information?

For more information about designation or if you have any questions, please contact Sandra Wilder.

Email Sandra WIlder