Senior Capstone Experience Framework

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Senior Capstone Experience Framework

• A Guide for South Dakota Schools

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Senior Capstone Experience

• What are Senior Capstone Experiences?
• Why implement Senior Capstone Experiences?
• How do we implement Senior Capstone Experiences?
• Where do we find the time?

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Enter to Learn Leave to Achieve

• A Rationale for Senior Capstone Experiences.

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Senior Capstone Experiences..

• Prepares student for post-secondary with
• Research
• Analysis
• Developing a Product
• Completing a Portfolio
• Completing 15 hours of Mentoring
• Presentation

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The Senior Experience

• is a high school capstone that requires students
  to demonstrate not only what they know, but what
  they can do.
• States, school districts, and high schools
  focusing on restructuring, raising high school
  standards, and actively engaging all Seniors in a
  challenging and relevant educational process
  incorporate the Senior Capstone Experience.

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Elements of a High Quality Senior Capstone
Program

• Clear and Aligned Purpose
• Explicit, Rigorous Criteria
• Authentic Project
• Community Involvement
• Coordination and Comprehensive Communication
• Adequate Staffing and Supervision
• Parent Involvement
• Celebration and Recognition

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Implementing the Senior Capstone Experience

• Organize
• Plan
• Design
• Implement
• Evaluate

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Step One Organizing

• What are the goals for the Project?
• Does the administration support the program?
• Does the staff support the program?
• Who are key people that should be involved?
• Has funding been allocated?
• What is our timeline?

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Step Two Planning

• Assign duties and responsibilities
• Address anything that can prove to be detrimental
• Alleviate fears of students and parents
• Be upfront and honest
• Explain the purpose
• Explain cost and time commitment
• Explain benefits
• Determine how the program will fit into your
  curriculum.

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Senior Experience Options

• Project imbedded in a core subject
• Project offered as a stand-alone course
• Project offered as a semester course
• Project offered as a year long course
• Project is a requirement for high school
  graduation
• Project is assigned a letter grade
• Project is graded by pass/fail

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Project Personnel

• What personnel do you need??
• Senior Project Coordinator
• Faculty Advisors (if you choose to do this)
• English Teacher(s)
• Project Mentors
• Panel of Judges

The Student!
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Step Three Designing

• This step involves identifying and tailoring the
  components for your school. This is the big
  picture piece.

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Roles and Responsibilities

• Student
• It is the responsibility of the student to meet
  all guidelines and timelines for the Senior
  Experience.
• Faculty Advisor
• All professional staff members are available as
  advisors. Advisors should be limited to no more
  than five advisees to be able to effectively work
  with each one.
• OR
• One Advisor coordinates the entire program with
  help from faculty members in finding mentors.

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Roles and Responsibilities

• English Teacher(s)
• The English teacher is responsible for monitoring
  the research phase of the Project.
• Senior Project Mentor
• Each student must have a Mentor who has
  expertise/experience with the topic. The Mentor
  must commit to working with the student for 15
  hours.
• Senior Experience Coordinator
• Schools should have one person designated as the
  Coordinator. This could be a paid position with
  release time provided.

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The Four Project Phases

• How will these components fit together?
• Paper
• Product
• Portfolio
• Presentation

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Initial Documents and Forms

• Senior Capstone Guidelines
• Letter to Parents
• Project Timelines
• Point Breakdown

• Topic Selection Guidelines
• Topic Selection Worksheet
• Topic Proposal
• Topic Approval Form
• Letter of Intent
• Topic Change Form

Your Action Plan will Serve as Your Compass
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The Research Paper

• What are the guidelines for your school?

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Baltics Research Paper Guidelines

• 8-10 pages in length
• Several Checkpoints
• MLA format
• Five sources minimum
• Bibliography
• Note Cards
• Noodle Tools
• Stress research vs. report

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The Product

• The product can be oriented around the
  performance of a skill, the development of some
  physical product, or the study of a profession.
  It is an appropriate and logical
  outgrowth/extension of the research paper. It
  demonstrates application of knowledge.
• Powerpoint does not equal Product!

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Projects Require a Learning Stretch, Which is

• An addition to the students own knowledge or
  skill
• Something they havent tried yet
• Searching for answers to questions they have
  about a topic.

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The Portfolio

• Sections
• Required Documents
• Topic approval form, signed mentor forms, typed
  overview, reflection, etc.
• Research Paper
• Outline, bibliography, polished final draft
• Journal
• Product
• Evidence of Work pictures, materials collected,
  etc.
• Baltics portfolio checklist and rubric (show
  example portfolio)

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The Journal

• Each weekly entry should cover the following
• Describe what was done on the Senior Capstone
  Experience that week.
• Write a personal reaction or evaluation of what
  was done that week.
• Baltic 1/3 page of Word document, submitted
  through Web CT

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The Presentation

• The Senior Experience Presentation is the
  culminating event, which must include the entire
  learning experience. It should reflect elements
  of the paper, product and the portfolio.
• Baltic 2 nights, practice night in the works
• Rubric

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Program and Student Evaluation

• Program Evaluation should be a yearly event.
  What worked well? What didnt? What are we going
  to change for next year?
• Student Evaluation How are we going to evaluate
  student results? What rubrics should we use?
  Should one phase count more than the other?
• Are we making any gains in student achievement?
• Evaluate at the conclusion of each school year.

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Contact Information

• Marsha Kucker mkucker_at_edec.org
• High Schools That Work State Director
• office - 367-7680
• cell 280-0650
• Scott Fossum scott.fossum_at_mitchelltech.edu
• Central Area Tech Prep Director
• office 800-MTI-1969
• 995-3072