On admission, each student is placed into one of three math and science "tracks" based on your middle school—a Regular Track, a Fast Track, and a Super Fast Track. Each track doesn't really matter when college comes and completes a different number and difficulty of math and science courses. SEM stresses a philosophy of hands-off science education, and specializes in offering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses. Its mathematics courses range in complexity from Pre-AP Algebra II to AP Calculus BC and its own unique Advanced Topics of the Theory of Applied Mathematics course. Science courses range from basic-level courses such as Pre-AP Biology to higher-level courses such as AP Physics C and AP Chemistry. Of special note is SEM's unique "SuperLab" class, a laboratory-based course which combines the material of both AP Physics C and AP Chemistry. Tech courses that instruct students in Computer Science concepts and the Java programming language are also available in the form of Pre-AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science A.
Recognition
•2012 - SEM wins the Intel School of Distinction Award for the Best High School Math Program in the Country. •2012 - SEM Ranked #2 -Washington Post High School Challenge •2012 - SEM Ranked #4 -Newsweek.com In 2011, SEM was ranked the number 1 high school in America by the Washington Post. The school was also ranked number 1 in the Newsweek list of America's Best High Schools. In 2012, it was ranked the number one high school in the North Texas area by Children at Risk, a research and advocacy institute dedicated to helping children. In both 2005 & 2011, SEM has received the Blue Ribbon School award by the U.S. Department of Education. SEM was ranked as second best high school in the United States in 2007 according to the survey "The 1200 Best Public High Schools in the USA", it was eighth in 2006 and sixth in 2005. In 2007, SEM was ranked as the 18th best public high school in America by U.S. News & World Report. The College Board announced that SEM is number 1 in the world for passing minorities in Calculus AB and number one in the United States for passing Hispanics in Computer Science. In 2006, SEM was visited by President George W. Bush for excellence in education and the school's philosophy of emphasising math and science, something he stressed in his 2006 State of the Union address. The school consistently ranks number one in D Magazine's Best Public High Schools in Dallas and has been named the Academic UIL District Champion for District 9-5A and 11-5A in 2006 and 2007 respectively. In 2018, SEM was ranked as the 13th best public high school in America by U.S. News & World Report. In 2019, SEM was ranked as the number 1 best public high school in Texas by the U.S. News & World Report. SEM also ranked 12th place as the best public high school in America.
Extracurricular activities
Due to rules and regulations involving magnet schools, SEM has no sports teams. However, it does provide a wide variety of extracurricular activities and UIL teams: SEM won the AAAAA individual UIL Computer Science event at the UIL State competition in Austin, Texas in 2001, and also won the AAAAA team UIL Computer Science competition in both 2000 and 2001. SEM also won the 2012 and 2013 Academic UIL Region 2 5A competition. At the 2015 UIL State competition in Austin, SEM put up the highest team score in UIL Calculator Applications in all of Texas.
