Enrichment · STEM Explorations

Judge the science,
not the poster board.

Judges see a dozen projects in an afternoon, and consistency is hard. Score each project on six criteria with the descriptors in front of you and the Regeneron ISEF weights built in, so the interview and the execution count for what they should. The generator totals each project out of 100, ranks projects by category and division and checks conflicts, approvals and feedback before you submit.

Score a projectWhat you get
$12one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $12

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the STEM explorations set, $49 for 11 items.

Projects judged

The worked example is made up: three senior chemistry projects scored by one judge. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · STEM Explorations$12

What you finish with
A record per project: fair date, project number, title, category, division, judge code, conflict of interest, approvals, six criteria scored 1 to 5 with descriptors, feedback for the student and private notes. Totals each project out of 100 with ISEF weights and ranks them by category and division; flags conflicts, missing approvals, a 5 or 1 with no comment, no feedback and a poster scored far above the science.
Who it is for
Science fair judges, fair organizers and teachers running classroom or school fairs, from grade 6 to 12.
Format
Browser rubric with a saved record per project. Prints one score sheet with feedback, all projects in a table or a blank rubric for the judging packet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv) for the fair office; exports and imports a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the STEM explorations set ($49) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The STEM Explorations space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Before judging, add each assigned project number.
  2. Declare any conflict and check approvals first.
  3. Score each criterion against its descriptor during and after the interview.
  4. Write one strength and one next step for the student.
  5. Clear the flags, then export the spreadsheet for the fair office.

Score a project

How the weights work

Where the 100 points come fromCriterionPointsA 5 meansResearch question10Focused, testable, grounded in sourcesDesign and methodology15Variables, controls, enough trialsExecution20Careful data, sound analysisCreativity20An original question or approachPoster10Clear, logical, data shown wellInterview25Owns the work and its limitsWhere the 100 points come fromResearch questionPoints: 10A 5 means: Focused, testable, grounded in sourcesDesign and methodologyPoints: 15A 5 means: Variables, controls, enough trialsExecutionPoints: 20A 5 means: Careful data, sound analysisCreativityPoints: 20A 5 means: An original question or approachPosterPoints: 10A 5 means: Clear, logical, data shown wellInterviewPoints: 25A 5 means: Owns the work and its limits
The poster is worth 10 points and the interview 25. Judges reward the student who understands the work over the one with the best printer.

Where the weights come from

The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair publishes judging criteria for scientific research projects with these point values. Many regional and school fairs use them or something close; your fair’s own rules come first.

Approvals

Projects with human participants, vertebrate animals, potentially hazardous biological agents or hazardous chemicals and devices need review and signed forms before experimentation. A project missing them goes to the fair’s Scientific Review Committee, not to the judges’ scores.

Feedback that helps

Students remember the comment longer than the score. One specific strength and one specific next step, tied to a criterion, is more useful than a long paragraph.

Sources

  1. Society for Science, Regeneron ISEF Judging Criteria: scientific research and engineering projects (societyforscience.org/isef).
  2. Society for Science, International Rules for Precollege Science Research: guidelines for science and engineering fairs, including Scientific Review Committee and Institutional Review Board requirements.
  3. NGSS Lead States (2013). Next Generation Science Standards: Science and Engineering Practices.
  4. Brookhart, S. M. (2013). How to Create and Use Rubrics for Formative Assessment and Grading. ASCD.

The worked example is made up. Weights follow published ISEF criteria for scientific research as known at build time; your fair’s own rubric and rules come first. Use project numbers, not student names. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.