CLASS OF 2016 GRADUATION PROJECT

Transcription

1 Huntingdon Area High School CLASS OF 2016 GRADUATION PROJECT A Showcase of Student Achievement Name: Homeroom: Advisor:

2 Dear Parents/Guardians of Juniors: The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires high school students to complete a graduation project in order to earn a diploma. This handbook will guide students through the process of completing a successful graduation project. They should keep this booklet in a safe place. Details, such as frequently asked questions, deadlines, etc. are included in the rest of the booklet. Of utmost importance..the graduation project is a graduation requirement. Students who do not complete a project cannot receive a diploma. Also, students who do not meet established deadlines may not be able to walk in the graduation ceremony. Students who follow the guidelines and meet all necessary deadlines will easily complete the project and have a good experience doing so. A brief outline of the project process is as follows: #1 Choose a project, one that reflects community service or a possible career choice. #2 Choose an advisor for the project. The advisor will help with the hands-on portion of the project (see below). The advisor MUST be a Huntingdon Area High School faculty member. Students earn grades every marking period as a sign of their progress, and only faculty members can enter grades into our grading system. #3 Complete a Research Paper. The research paper is completed during the junior year in English class under the guidance and direction of the English teacher. Students will need to use specific skills, such as research, organization and time management, to produce a typed document of five, or more, pages. While the paper is to be a mixture of the writer s own words, quotes, and paraphrases, students are reminded that direct quotes are used in support of statements they have written in the paper. Only one long quote of more than five (5) lines may be used in the paper and must be pre-approved by the English teacher. All other direct quotes those of less than five (5) lines must also be pre-approved by the English teacher. Approval is to insure the appropriate and proper use of direct quotations in a research paper. #4 Summer Storage of Research Papers. Students will be given the choice of keeping their research papers over the summer or having the Guidance Office keep them in storage. #5 Complete a Hands-On Project. A related hands-on project will be done during the senior year under the guidance of the hands-on project advisor. The hands-on project is an experience or product related to some aspect of the research topic. The hands-on project requires a minimum of 25 hours of the student s time outside of the school day. Work done to prepare for the symposium or the panel presentation cannot count in the 25+ hours. NOTE: Work on the hands-on project may not start until the day after commencement exercises UNLESS a student has been given prior approval by the high school principal, i.e. at the time of the printing of this packet, that means the work on the hands-on project for the Class of 2016 could not start until June 3, 2015, the day after the Class of 2015 graduates. #6 Create a Portfolio. Details on the portfolio requirements are on page 8 of this packet

3 #7 Oral Presentation. As the last component, students will give a 5 to 7 minute oral presentation explaining the hands-on project and learning that occurred in completing it and the research involved. This is done at our annual Senior Symposium before a team of evaluators. Students also have the option of choosing to give their presentation privately before evaluators; this is known as a Panel Presentation. Panel presentations should be 5 to 20 minutes in length. Important Points to Remember: One of the objectives of the graduation project is to teach students to prioritize their time. During the completion of the research paper in the junior year, due dates are established by the English teacher. The paper can be done any part of the school year. The research paper will be graded as part of the English class grade as well as for the Graduation Project. The graduation project paper must be passed by Friday, May 15, Turning in the paper that day will NOT change grades given during the 3 rd and 4 th marking periods for work not completed on time. Turning in the graduation project paper on or after May 15, 2015 will result in the paper being sent to the guidance office and will mean the student will have to complete any corrections/revisions under professional supervision in summer school during the summer between the junior and senior years if a student wishes to graduate on time with his/her class. Summer school fees apply and are the responsibility of the student. A successful graduation project involves parent and teacher support as well as student initiative and selfdiscipline. We hope you will become involved with your son or daughter in this endeavor. If we all work together, this will be one of the most rewarding experiences the student will have at HAHS. If you have any questions, please call the Guidance Office at Also, a copy of this packet is available on the district s website. If at any time you need another copy, or would like to print out certain pages of the packet, follow these instructions: From your website browser, type: Once on the district s site, click on Schools and then click on High School. You should now be on the high school s main page. On the left-hand side, look for the icon that says Graduation Project Click on that icon and you will be taken to a file containing this packet

4 TIMELINE AND CHECKLIST FOR GRADUATION PROJECT JUNIOR YEAR Students begin working on their research papers in English class. The following should be turned in to one s English teacher on due dates to be set by him/her (due dates can be before, but not later than, the last day of the marking period): Appendix A (Area of Interest/Choice of Advisor) Conduct research for the paper, under the guidance of your English teacher. Final Research Paper, including title page, outline, and reference page turned in to one s English teacher on a due date to be set by him/her (but must be passed by Friday, May 15, 2015, meaning you must turn it in BEFORE this date in order to give the teacher time to review it): Appendix B (Research Paper Evaluation Form) Note: Students and parents/ guardians should remember that the English teachers have the discretion to incorporate the writing of the graduation project paper into their classes as they so desire. A teacher is free to complete the work any part of the school year. A teacher is free to assign points/grades as he/she chooses in accordance with his/her classroom grading style as well as the district s grading guidelines

5 SENIOR YEAR First and Second Marking Periods Senior year: Hands-on project 25 hours minimum (Cannot begin counting hours until after the graduation date of the previous class): Appendix C (Project Log)... As you work on your hands-on project, remember: To log all time and activities. You must complete a MINIMUM of 25 hours on the handson project. This must be done outside of the school day and does not include time spent consulting with your hands-on advisor. You also CANNOT include the time you use to get ready for symposium, such as making your poster board. You are encouraged to show evidence of working with a professional or someone who works directly in the field. This person would be your mentor. Appendix D (Student Self-Evaluation) Should be completed and handed-in to the student s project advisor. Third and Fourth Marking Periods Senior year: Hands-on project ready for either Symposium or Panel Presentation Graduation Paper and Project Portfolio, including final copy of the research paper, rough drafts, note cards, etc., due for either Symposium or Panel Presentation High School Portfolio, including resume, career portfolio* and Appendix E, due for either Symposium or Panel Presentation Symposium: Date to be announced Usually the end of May 2016 Panel Presentation: Date to be announced Usually the week after symposium *The career portfolio requires the completion of a career interest inventory on an internet website. See the next page for details regarding this requirement. Treat this portion as an assignment. You will independently complete it here at school in the Writing Lab, or do it at home following the instructions provided on the next page

6 Career Portion of Senior Portfolio Career Cruising Go to website At the top, log in Username: See Guidance Office for username and password. Password: Click on Login at the top and then click Create My Plan Complete the information on that page, creating your own username and password Click Create My Plan. Accept the Terms and Conditions Click on Assessments Click on Matchmaker & My Skills Click on Start New Matchmaker Enter a Name for your Session and click Start Now Answer the questions Your results will appear Under Level of Education, choose one or more and click Update My Results Choose FOUR jobs to explore by clicking various icons on the left-hand side of the screen Choose one career of the four that you searched. Choose the one that you find most interesting. Print the Job Description for the one job you chose. Keep the job description for your senior portfolio. You must include at least one job description in your portfolio. Meet with your school counselor to explore more ways that Career Cruising can help you

7 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is a graduation project? See Page 1 and 2 of this handbook for a detailed description of the project components. Why complete a graduation project? The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires high school students to complete a detailed project in order to graduate. This means that by state law all 501 school districts in PA s 67 counties are required to have in place a graduation project. Local school districts are free to design their graduation projects within state guidelines. The Huntingdon Area High School s project encourages students to reach their full potential and become lifelong learners and productive citizens. What type of graduation project can I do? The only guideline the high school has is that a student chooses a project that is community-service oriented or that directly relates to the career in which the student is interested. What happens if a student does not write the graduation project research paper in his/her junior English class? A student will complete the research paper during the junior year in English class. IF a student does not complete the paper at that time, two things are at risk: 1) failure of junior English; and 2) failure of the graduation project which means no HAHS diploma. It may be numerically possible to pass English the junior year if the paper is not completed, but it is highly unlikely. If a student fails junior English, he/she must make it up in summer school as it is against district policy to take two English classes in one school year. IF a student somehow manages to earn a percentage grade in junior English which is a passing grade without writing the graduation project research paper, the paper still must be written to meet the graduation project requirement necessary to be awarded a HAHS diploma. In order for the student to graduate on time with his/her class and have the opportunity to participate in commencement activities, the writing of that paper would be done under professional supervision in summer school during the summer between the junior and senior years at the student s expense. How do I choose a Hands-On Project Advisor? Ask a high school faculty member to be the hands-on advisor and then complete Appendix A. Choose an advisor with whom one feels comfortable or one who may have some experience related to the hands-on project

8 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (Continued) What is the difference between an advisor and a mentor? An advisor is the high school teacher a student chooses to guide him/her through the project. A mentor is someone with whom the student works to complete the minimum of 25 hours required for the hands-on project. The mentor cannot act as the advisor, but the advisor might be able to act as the mentor. The mentor can and should sign the Appendix C which is the project log for the hands-on project; this signature indicates the completion of the work described on the log and verifies the hours worked. In most cases, a mentor cannot be a family member. **What happens if I miss a deadline? Deadlines are important, in high school, college, or in the work world. All of us suffer consequences if we do not meet deadlines. The consequence for missing a graduation project deadline may be that a student may have to take and pay for a summer school class, or may not participate in graduation ceremonies. Work closely with your junior English teacher and the hands-on project advisor to make sure all deadlines are met. Not being in school on a deadline date does not excuse the student from the responsibility of turning the item in on time. Arrange to have the work delivered to school either by a friend or a parent/guardian. Will I earn a grade on my graduation project? The research paper will receive a percentage grade that will factor into the junior English grade. The completion of the graduation project is either Pass or Fail. A student must pass the graduation project in order to receive a high school diploma. Once a student completes all portions of the project, the student will receive a gold seal and a passing grade on his/her final high school transcript. What is the difference between symposium and panel presentation? At symposium, a group of two evaluators will circulate among all the displayed projects, typically set up in the high school gym and outdoors if necessary. The sample Presentation Evaluation Form on page 10 of this handbook shows how the hands-on project will be evaluated. After the 5-7 minute presentation, a student will be required to respond to questions. Students choosing panel presentations will formally present their projects to an audience of three or more evaluators. The same Presentation Evaluation Form will be used. After a 5-20 minute presentation, the student will be required to respond to questions. What can and cannot be included as part of my required 25 hours hands-on project? Can include: Hours spent planning and/or participating in an event you organized as part of your project; phone calls made or meetings with partners to prepare or plan for event; actual work you re doing to volunteer, such as doing community service hours or helping with manual labor; time spent on the focus of your project, such as caring for animals or working on a vehicle, etc. Cannot include: Writing/Revising your research paper; making your poster board for symposium; putting together your senior portfolio; anything NOT directly related to the actual accumulation of your 25 hours

9 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (Continued) What is a portfolio? A portfolio is a compilation of a student s work and accomplishments in 9 th through 12 th grades. It could be described as a student s high school scrapbook. Below are some guidelines to follow when putting together the portfolio: Purchase a three-ring binder. You can put your items in clear plastic sleeves, but it is not necessary. Just make sure everything is neatly arranged. The first page should be a table of contents (one page preferred). The second page should be a resume (one page). The evaluators will be looking for both on the day of senior symposium. There are resume-writers on the computers in the writing lab, and you can access these through various websites on the internet. Resume writers are designed to format your resume; you only have to choose the format and type in your information. Please ask your English teachers or your guidance counselor for assistance if you have any questions. Your resume will not be elaborate, which is fine. You will have only past or present job information, activities, relevant information regarding courses, etc. It need not be lengthy; just brief and to-the-point. Your portfolio will consist of evidence of your best work in high school and a reflection of why you considered this a valuable learning experience on your Portfolio Reflection Sheet. This can be done with photos, examples of work (i.e. papers, exams), any way in which you can demonstrate your skills, knowledge, etc. This should be primarily high school work; middle school work may not be appropriate. However, if you have a few pieces of middle school work that you think is related to your future plans, it may be included. You should include at least four or five Portfolio Reflection Sheets in your portfolio, each containing a paragraph about the item you chose to reflect on. Talk about what you learned why it was a valuable assignment why you think you did well, or better yet, what you may have done to improve the assignment. You should place all your reflections in one section in your portfolio labeled Reflections. The portfolio should consist of a career assessment students complete on the internet. See page 5 of this packet for instructions on completing the career assessment. You want to organize your portfolio in a consistent manner. You may label the sections 9 th through 12 th grades, although this is not the only way to do it. Think scrapbook. You may want to consider organizing the information in different sections, such as Academics, Extra-Curricular Activities, Volunteer Time, or any other ideas you might have. Include a section in the portfolio for your research paper and hours log. This section should include your completed research paper itself, along with Appendix B and Appendix C (the hours log). You must also include Appendix D (Student Self-Evaluation) and Appendix E (Portfolio Reflection Sheets four or five of them, as noted above). You do not need to do a separate binder for your research paper. However, if you wish to have two binders one for your portfolio items and one for your paper you may do so. Blank copies of the Appendices can be obtained at click on Schools, then High School, and then click on Graduation Project Transcript You will receive an unofficial copy of your transcript after the end of the 3 rd marking period your senior year. You are not required to put your transcript in your portfolio, but many students do. It is up to you

10 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (Continued) Your portfolio should be a reflection of you, not your best friend or someone you sit beside in class. Your portfolio should reflect your personality. Be neat and organized. But don t consider quantity to be the most important thing. Quality, not quantity, is important for the portfolio. This is not a competition to see who has the most stuff. The items chosen need not be your best work, but should demonstrate growth over your time in high school. Did you improve? Then show us how! What is a resume? A resume is a brief account of one s education and work/professional experience; it may contain some personal information, too. Resume styles have changed over the years. Today, brief, focused resumes are preferred as many employers do not have the patience or the time to review three, four, or five page resumes. The resume that is concise and straight-forward will usually be the one that gets noticed. You can search the internet for resume examples, or use your school ID and personal password to log onto Word. Once you are in Word, click the Office Button in the top left side of the screen and choose New. Along the left side under Microsoft Office Templates, choose Resume. What is a Portfolio Reflection Sheet? A portfolio reflection sheet gives the student the opportunity to reflect on his/her best high school work or experiences. Choose a few works (minimum of four) from the portfolio and reflect on why these particular assignments or accomplishments were good learning experiences, why these items were chosen as examples of one s best work or any other reflection one wishes to share. Blank Portfolio Reflection Sheets are included in this packet as Appendix E. Completed sheets do not have to be submitted to the Guidance Office but must be shown to the hands-on project advisor and included in the portfolio in one section labeled Reflections. How should I dress for my presentation? One of the key areas evaluated during the Symposium or the Panel Presentation is appearance. It is very important to dress professionally and conservatively. This is not a fashion show of the latest casual and/or sports wear. One needs to dress to impress, just as if for a job interview at a corporation or other type of office. Closer to presentation time, students will receive a memo with specific dress guidelines. What Appendices does the Guidance Office need to see? The junior English Teacher will submit Appendices A and B to the Guidance Office. The hands-on advisor will submit Appendix C to Guidance Office. NOTE: Appendices D and E will be approved by the hands-on project advisor but will not be turned in to the Guidance Office. Who should I see if I have questions about my project? In your junior year, you should speak to the junior English teacher regarding research paper questions. The hands-on advisor takes over the senior year. Any questions concerning the hands-on project should be directed to your chosen hands-on project advisor. General questions can be directed to the appropriate guidance counselor

11 INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPENDIX SUBMISSIONS ALL FORMS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY DUE DATES SET BY TEACHERS AND/OR AS LISTED IN THE TIMELINE: APPENDIX A: Complete the form; Choose a hands-on advisor (must be a high school teacher); Have hands-on advisor sign form; Have your English Teacher sign form; English teacher will submit form to Guidance Office; Guidance Office will mark as posted and return form to English teacher. APPENDIX B: Complete your research paper and submit it to your English teacher; English teacher will use Appendix B to evaluate your research paper and determine if it passes or needs revisions; English teacher will submit Appendix B to the Guidance Office once your paper receives a pass; Guidance Office will mark as posted and return form to English teacher. SUMMER STORAGE: English teacher will organize all research papers. Students wishing to have their papers stored in the Guidance Office over the summer will return their papers to the English teacher. English teacher will create a sheet listing each student who has chosen to have the paper stored in Guidance; You can pick up your paper in the Guidance Office at any time during your senior year. You will be required to sign that your papers were returned; Students who choose to keep their papers will assume full responsibility. You will need your research papers for symposium. If you choose to keep your paper and you lose it, it could count against you at symposium. APPENDIX C: As you complete your 25 hours of hands-on work, you should be logging your time on Appendix C (forms are available on the high school s webpage); Have your mentor and/or hands-on advisor (the person who can attest that you actually did the work) sign the form; Submit the form to your hands-on advisor by the due date; Hands-on advisor will ensure you have completed your 25 hours; sign the form; and submit it to the Guidance Office; Guidance Office will mark the form as posted and return it to your hands-on advisor; The hands-on advisor will return it to you for symposium. APPENDIX D: See the detailed instructions on the Appendix D form. You do not have to give this form to the Guidance Office, but you will need it for symposium. APPENDIX E: Your hands-on advisor can review the form for you. You do not need to submit this form to the Guidance Office, but you will need it for symposium

12 Project Presentation Evaluation Form (SAMPLE) Exemplary I. Physical Project 1. Poster Board: Neatness Effective use of pictures/drawings Evidence of a learning experience related to career or community service Quality of project/workmanship in terms of thoroughness or completeness TOTAL POINTS FOR SECTION I: Not Evident II. III. IV. Student Speech (evaluating Content and Delivery) 1. Introduction (stated or implied purpose with an interesting attention getter) Body of speech -- look for these areas: Discussion of process/strategy/sequence Main ideas and points supported by accurate details Evidence of learning (listen for self-discovery clues such as "I learned," "I plan to use this knowledge," or "I never knew") Organization (not choppy; flow of ideas) Conclusion (evaluation/application to future) Effective speech techniques (language usage, eye contact, poise/posture, rate/ volume/clarity of voice, natural gestures) Dress/Appearance TOTAL POINTS FOR SECTION II: Question and Answer Period 1. Impromptu skills (how fluently, confidently, and easily student answers) Quality of student response (knowledge) Interaction with evaluators (show respect, pride in school and in project) TOTAL POINTS FOR SECTION III: Portfolio 1. Graded Research paper (Appendix B) Evidence of 25 hours of project work outside the classroom (Appendix C) Student Self-Evaluation (Appendix D) Portfolio Reflections (Appendix E) Career Search (for four different careers) Resume Overall neatness and organization Various grade level components from classes TOTAL POINTS FOR SECTION IV: TOTAL SCORE: (60 is passing; Note: Each student is required to show a Physical Project and a Portfolio in order to pass, regardless of points)

13 APPENDIX E HUNTINGDON AREA HIGH SCHOOL Portfolio Reflection Sheet Instructions: Choose four or five items from your portfolio to reflect on. Put all reflections together in the portfolio in one section labeled Reflections. Use this sheet (or create your own sheet) to reflect on assignments in your portfolio. You will need to use at least four or five of these sheets, as you are required to reflect on four or five different items in your portfolio. Write a paragraph about the assignment you chose. You can discuss why you chose that particular assignment, what you learned from it, why you think you did well on the assignment or maybe how you could ve done better, or anything else you can think of be creative in your reflections! PUT ALL THESE SHEETS WITH THE ASSIGNMENTS IN A SEPARATE SECTION IN YOUR PORTFOLIO LABELED REFLECTIONS. Name Grade School Year

14 APPENDIX D Huntingdon Area High School Graduation Project Student Self-Evaluation STUDENT AND ADVISOR INSTRUCTIONS: Students should thoughtfully answer the following questions using complete sentences. Give the completed form to your hands-on advisor, along with your project and portfolio, by the due date posted on the timeline in the graduation project handbook. Your advisor will return it to you and you should keep it for symposium. The evaluators at symposium may ask to see it. You do not have to submit this form to the Guidance Office. I. What gave you the most difficulty? Why? What did you do about it? What else might you have tried? II. What was the most rewarding part of your project? What do you consider its greatest strength? III. What have you learned and/or how do you plan to use this knowledge in the future?

15 APPENDIX C Project Log Log all time and activities. All entries should be thorough and specific, preferably in a paragraph format that clearly explains what you have done, learned, or experienced. Evidence of working with a professional or someone who works directly in the field must be represented in this log. Be sure to include the person's name, position, company, and phone number. Faceto-face contacts are always best and must be verified with their signature. You may also communicate with this person by letters or . Attach the original letter(s) or printed communications. Telephone calls should be reserved for out-of-town contacts. You MUST complete a MINIMUM of 25 hours on the HANDS-ON PROJECT. Record entries below. ADVISORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING HOURS ADD UP TO AT LEAST 25. ADVISORS WILL SIGN THE FORM AND SUBMIT IT TO THE GUIDANCE OFFICE FOR RECORDKEEPING PURPOSES. THE LOG WILL BE MARKED POSTED AND RETURNED TO THE ADVISOR. STUDENT WILL NEED TO HAVE THIS LOG ON THE DAY OF SYMPOSIUM. STUDENT NAME: MENTOR NAME: (NOTE: The mentor cannot be a parent or guardian) YOU MAY USE THE BACK OF THIS FORM MENTOR PHONE NUMBER: IF ADDITIONAL SPACE IS NEEDED. Date Time Activity / Explanation Mentor Cumulative Signature Time Totals TOTAL HOURS: ADVISOR S SIGNATURE:

16 APPENDIX B Research Paper Evaluation Form Student Name: Student I.D.Number: Basic Required Components Yes No Title page Minimum 5 sources, no encyclopedias Minimum 5 pages in length Correctly cited reference page Correct format, typed, double-spaced, Style Manual guidelines I. APA Requirements (one revise rating requires attention) All researched information is documented Mixture of writer's own words, quotes, and paraphrases Proper parenthetical noting (form) Reference page done correctly (alphabetical, reverse indent, proper punctuation, contains all necessary information) Exemplary Passing Revise II. III. IV. Focus/Content (two revise ratings require attention) Demonstrates an awareness of audience and sustains a single point of view Establishes and maintains a clear purpose and exhibits a clarity of ideas Information and details are specific to topic Ideas are fully developed Organization (two revise ratings require attention) Logical order or sequence is maintained Appropriate paragraph development Logical transitions are made within sentences and between paragraphs Introduction and conclusion are evident Style (one revise rating requires attention) Effective and precise word choice Voice, tone, originality of language Variety of sentence structures, types, and lengths V. Conventions (one revise requires attention) Mechanics: spelling, capitalization, punctuation Usage (e.g. pronoun references, subject-verb agreement) Sentence completeness Evaluated on Evaluated by Pass Revise Additional Comments:

17 APPENDIX A Huntingdon Area High School Graduation Project Area of Interest/Choice of Advisor Student Name Homeroom Student ID # STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS: Complete this form and submit it to your English teacher and your advisor. I. Paper Topic/Project Selection Your paper topic and hands-on project must be related (see page 6 of the project booklet for examples). The graduation project should reflect either community service or a possible career choice. Please indicate your paper topic and hands-on project in the spaces below: Paper topic: Hands-on project: II. Advisor Selection Your junior English teacher supervises the writing of the graduation project research paper during the 2 nd semester of the junior year; it is a graded component of the junior English course. The hands-on project advisor must be a Huntingdon Area High School faculty member. Be careful to choose your advisor according to the needs of your project (i.e., a math teacher for a math-related project). You must have a signature from that person in order to secure him or her as your advisor. CHOOSE YOUR ADVISOR EARLY since advisors will be limited in the number of students they may advise. Should you choose not to select your own advisor, an appropriate faculty member or administrator will be chosen for you by the principal. III. Plagiarism I understand that plagiarism is the use of another person s words or ideas without correctly citing them; it is a form of theft. It is dishonest; it is illegal under the Copyright Act of 1968; it will result in a failing grade for my research paper and could result in failing the graduation project. English Teacher s Name Advisor s Name English Teacher s Signature Date Advisor s Signature Date I have read and understand the requirements, the timeline for the graduation project and the definition of and consequences for plagiarism. Student s Signature Date Parent/Guardian s Signature Date