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Get ready for graduation
State issues new mandate for high school students.
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Published: September 5, 2008
HICKORY - The class of 2010 will have a new requirement before they can walk across the stage to receive their diploma.
Starting then, the successful completion of the N.C. Graduation Project will be a requirement.
A new mandate by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the graduation project requires students starting with the class of 2010 to complete the four Ps upon graduation — a paper, portfolio, product and presentation. Students can pick any topic they'd like to do their graduation projects on and submit it for approval. Part of the graduation project entails students working closely with a mentor in the community who is familiar with their subject topic.
While students aren't required to have the work completed until they're preparing to graduate their senior year, many Catawba County schools are beginning to work on the graduation projects now.
Catawba County Schools
"We've modified the project this year, so our juniors are writing three to five page papers instead of the required six to 10 page papers," said Cheryl Frye, secondary education director for Catawba County Schools. "They'll also put five hours into their product instead of the required 15 hours. They'll start their portfolio, where they'll house all their letters and pictures and information they've been gathering for the project, and they'll do a five-minute presentation. These resources will be available to them next year."
Frye said juniors will work on this during the semester they have English, and they'll be expected to complete it that semester.
Students who have English this semester turned in their graduation topic last week, and should have a mentor selected by today, Frye said. It will be approved and students can begin their graduation projects.
Students' projects will be reviewed and will receive an exemplary, satisfactory, developing/emerging or resubmit. Only the first two are acceptable. The projects will not receive an actual grade.
"This is not a graded performance, it's an assessment," Frye said, adding that none of the students will fail. "If they were having difficulty, we will catch them up to proficiency before they get to that point.
They all have an adviser to help with their paper and product. They have a mentor, and parents who are actively involved. If they start to fall down, there are people who can guide them along and help them out."
If there are students who have extremely limited English proficiency, Frye said, those students would be able to write their papers in their own language.
"With ESL students, if their English ability is limited, we'll help them to do it in their native language if need be, and we'll have judges in their native language," she said. "We will make accommodations for every student. The important thing is they complete the project."
Hickory Public Schools
At Hickory High, the school is working to have the students improve the skills they'll need for the graduation project at the freshmen, sophomore and junior level this year.
"The freshmen class is going over how to evaluate a source and working to have the tools it will need to identify a source," said Kate Richie, an AP history teacher at the school. "Sophomores are working on public speaking. Juniors usually write a research paper in English, but now they'll be writing their graduation project papers their junior year. Senior year is when it culminates with the final product."
Although the sophomores had to do public speaking before, Ritchie said it will now be more focused on what's needed for the graduation project. Likewise, the graduation project paper will now take the place of the paper juniors used to write in English. Public speaking will be encouraged in other subjects besides English, to prepare them for the oral presentation they'll have to make for the graduation projects, she said.
"I really see this as something that will empower students. It's something that's heaped upon them, but it's something of value," Richie said. "They're going to have to be able to organize their research and speak in public. Instead of a paper on nuclear missiles, this is something they want to do, and they're interested in because they get to pick the topic. We don't want it to become an onus."
Newton-Conover City Schools
At Newton-Conover, Associate Superintendent Janie Sigmon is fairly confident the students will do well with their graduation projects.
"We've had a committee set up for this for two years to work with the students, and have already done a pilot project with our AVID students," she said. "We have a plan in place for all grade levels.
It's something our seniors don't have to do this year, but if they do, they'll get recognition at graduation and special cords to wear with their cap and gown."
Sigmon said the school system has worked to get the word out to parents about what's required with the graduation project through parent forums and sending information home.
Kevin Campbell, principal of Newton-Conover High School, said the sophomores are also taking a class to help them learn what they have to do.
"The juniors took a graduation project class as sophomores last year. This year's sophomores are all taking it this year. They're learning what's necessary and needed to complete the projects," he said. "It's teaching them research techniques, how to cite sources and other things."
The class counts as an elective in the English department, but all the sophomores must take it, Campbell said.
Next year, the school will have a community coordinator helping seniors with their graduation projects, he said. This spring, that coordinator will be networking with people in the community, to see who would be willing to be mentors for the students next year.
"Hopefully the kids are prepared. The hardest part is putting it all together," Sigmon said. "It's not as big a deal as people think. The worst part is getting a mentor. We have a good network of contacts for the kids to use."
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