Career Magnet Academy

7171 Strawberry Plains Pike

Knoxville, TN  37914

Ph: (865) 622-3800    Fax: (865) 622-3799

https://www.knoxschools.org/careermagnet

Every Scholar Graduates with a “Diploma Plus”

Scholar Handbook 2024-2025

CMA Facebook= @CMAPSCC                                PSCC website= https://www.pstcc.edu/                

CMA Instagram=  @careermagnetacademy                        PSCC Facebook= pstcc strawberry plains

CMA Twitter/X= @CMA_PSCC_KCS                                PSCC Instagram= @pellissippistate

                                                                PSCC Twitter/X= @ps

2024-2025 FALL/SPRING BELL SCHEDULES 

CMA Expectations                                                        

Our goal is to prepare CMA students to truly embody the title of scholar, meaning they leave us career and/or college-ready.  To help accomplish this goal, our teachers, meeting as grade-level teams,  have designed a system of differentiated expectations that recognize and acknowledge the changing needs of developing teens.  Ultimately, these expectations seek to grow our students into more independent young adults as they progress along their journey from 9th through 12th grade. Below is a quick reference of our expectations.

Classroom Expectations

• First and foremost, administration supports teachers to set their own expectations within the classroom. It is the student’s responsibility to know the different expectations from teacher to teacher.
• Computers - Computers should be fully charged upon arrival to CMA each day. The expectation is that students will bring their device and charger to school every day. Students are expected to only visit websites approved by the instructor. Students may only use Knox County School-provided technology in the classroom. Any use of AI technology for classwork will be considered academic dishonesty (plagiarism/cheating) and is subject to both academic and disciplinary repercussions.
• During the presentation of information (teacher or student lead), students will remain seated and quietly attentive.
• The class will be dismissed by the teacher. Do not put away materials until instructed to do so. Please wait for the previous class to leave the room before entering.
• When a substitute teacher is present he or she should be treated with the utmost respect. Discipline reports will result in office referrals.

Cell Phones/Earbuds/Headphones: Cell phones/Earbuds/Headphones should be on silent and in teacher-assigned locations unless administrative approval. Cell phone use may be permitted during designated break times per teacher discretion. Phones may be taken up by the teacher/Administration if they are used during an undesignated time. Responsible use of technology is a must. Absolutely NO recording or photo-taking is allowed in class without the teacher’s permission.

Leaving Class: There should be no students in the hallway during the first and last 10 minutes of the class period. Every student must have a hall pass when out of the classroom.

Absence Academic Expectations:

Within 3 Days, students must check Canvas and e-mail their teacher to make arrangements for missing work.  When a student turns in any late work for their teacher, they must notify the teacher when they have submitted their academic work. Once the due date has passed, the assignment is considered late. The penalty for late work is at the discretion of the teacher.

*If the student is present when the due date is established, the due date remains the same.

If the student is absent on the due date, the assignment is due immediately upon return.

Cafeteria & Other Food/Drink Related Expectations

• Visitors are NOT permitted in the cafeteria or picnic tables during lunch periods.
• Students must remain in the cafeteria or picnic tables during their lunch periods. Students should NOT be in instructional or unsupervised areas.
• Food & Drink are only permitted in the classroom per teacher discretion.
• Eating areas are to be left clean and trash-free.
• Students/parents may not place food orders to be delivered to the school.
• Microwave use is prohibited during instructional time.

Parking and Traffic Information

Parents may drop off students at the front of the CMA entrance; however, parents may not pick up scholars in front of CMA due to bus traffic and safety concerns.  Rather, parents picking up their students should park in the rear parking lot of the PSCC Strawberry Plains campus.  This rule only applies to 4:30 dismissal time.  

Be Aware of the Following

• Students who bring personal items including but not limited to cell phones, electronics or large amounts of money should secure items at all times. CMA is not responsible for any lost/broken personal items while on campus.
• The use of technology is a privilege.  Misuse or abuse of the technology provided will result in loss of access on some level, depending on the severity of the infraction.
• Parents are encouraged to contact the teacher through email, Parent Square, or by calling the school and leaving a message. Electronic communication is recommended for the most timely response.
• Students are NOT allowed on the Pellissippi side of the building until they have a class there or are officially PSCC students. This includes the bookstore, vending machines, bathrooms, etc.

Dress Code

• Pants must be worn at the waist. No sagging allowed. No pajama pants.
• Shirts, blouses, & dresses must completely cover the abdomen, shoulders, back and must have sleeves. No midriff can be visible.  Low-cut tops that expose cleavage are prohibited. No sleeveless shirts for gentlemen are allowed.
• Head apparel, except for religious or medical purposes, is not allowed to be worn inside the school building.
• Footwear is required and must be appropriate for the activity.
• Clothing, accessories, backpacks, and notebooks must not display racial/ethnic slurs/symbols, gang affiliations, disruptive/vulgar or sexually explicit language/images nor should they promote items that students cannot legally buy such as, but not limited to, tobacco, vapes, drugs, alcohol, etc.
• Skirts, dresses, & shorts should be beyond mid-thigh length.
• Blankets are not permitted.
• Other prohibited items include large and/or heavy chains, studded or chained accessories, sunglasses (except for medical reasons), and skin-tight outer garments without proper coverage.

The school administration reserves the right to determine whether the student’s attire is within the limits of decency and modesty.

PSCC Expectations

• Attend all classes promptly and consistently
• Communicate with the Professor
• Students are required to meet weekly with the College & Career Counselor
• Utilize all tutoring opportunities when needed
• Be respectful to all students and faculty
• Remember that we are guests on the PSCC campus so be courteous and clean up after yourself
• If a dually enrolled student doesn’t have a PSCC class or a CMA class, they are required to be in college seminar.

• There may be times when a dually enrolled student has a late arrival class or they finish the day early. If they are a senior or a 2nd-semester junior, with the correct paperwork signed by a parent, they may come in late or leave early.  Once they leave campus for the day, they are not to return (ie not allowed to run to Taco Bell in their break between classes)
• Dually enrolled sophomores need to ask permission to go to the bookstore or vending machines during lunch. Dually enrolled Sophomore students are not allowed to leave campus.
• It is expected that nobody will loiter in the parking lot before, between, or after classes.

Misbehaviors and Disciplinary Options

***For a complete list of behaviors and consequence options, please refer to KCS Board policy J-191 Misbehaviors and Disciplinary Options

Career Magnet Academy Staff

KCS Grading Scale

Graduation Requirements

•  *The additional ½ credit in PE may be met by completing a PE course (in addition to Wellness) or by submitting a documented and equivalent time (65 hours) of physical activity in school-sponsored activities such as marching band, JROTC, cheerleading, dance, interscholastic athletics, or other board-approved activities.
• **The elective focus may be 3 courses in Business or 3 Dual Enrollment classes.

Criteria for Graduating with Distinction or Honors

Students may graduate with honors and/or distinction by meeting the criteria established for the Tennessee diploma with honors or distinction.

Honors Diploma

 Students who score at or above all of the subject readiness benchmarks on the ACT or equivalent scores on the SAT will graduate with an honors diploma.

The ACT benchmarks are:

ACT English                         18
ACT Math                         22
ACT Reading                          21
ACT Science Reasoning                  23

Distinction

Students will be recognized as graduating with “distinction” by attaining an un-weighted B (3.0) average and completing at least one of the following:

1. Earn a nationally recognized industry certification.
2. Participate in at least one of the Governor’s Schools.
3. Participate in one of the state’s All-State musical organizations.
4. Be selected as a National Merit Finalist or Semifinalist.
5. Attain a score of 31 or higher composite on the ACT.
6. Attain a score of 3 or higher on at least two advanced placement exams.
7. Successfully complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
8. Earn 12 or more semester hours of transcripted postsecondary credit.