The Pennsylvania Department of Education mandates all students to complete a "culminating project" which is a graduation requirement delineated in the Marple Newtown School District’s Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan, adopted August 8, 1996, requires the project to be a culminating activity involving an interdisciplinary approach, synthesizing prior learning and demonstrating the usage of written, spoken, and oral skills.
The purpose of the Senior Project is to provide the student with a practical learning situation and an invaluable opportunity to utilize the knowledge and skills acquired over the course of the education process in a “real world” application. The Project relates to life outside the classroom in a genuine way and is a direct, practical application of the student’s abilities. The student is responsible to plan and develop his/her individual project.
The Senior Project provides the student with the freedom to go beyond the traditional educational program. An authentic assessment tool brings students face to face with the complexities and realities of their hopes and dreams. More importantly, it is a chance for the student to explore new options and interests, while focusing on the development of skills in the following areas: accountability, communication, creativity, critical thinking, goal setting, independent learning, and responsibility.
The student may select from a variety of interests such as:
· A Community Service Experience.
· An Original Research Effort.
· A Creative Production.
· A Scientific Investigation.
· A Career Exploration.
The following is a brief description of the stages of the Senior Project.
In this phase, the student selects a Faculty Advisor, develops the Senior Project's goals and proposal, and contacts a sponsor within the student's area of interest who will oversee the student during the three-week Project. The sponsor works with the student to create a suitable working environment for the Project. In creating a working environment for the student, it is key for the sponsor to include activities that provide the student with a meaningful insight into the student's chosen area. The student submits the Senior Project proposal to the Faculty Advisor detailing the Project and goals along with the Sponsor Agreement form.
In this phase, the student is working at his/her sponsor, recording daily observations and reactions in a journal and is required to meet weekly with the Faculty Advisor to review the journal. Also during this phase, the student will develop an outline for the upcoming Oral Presentation.
The student is required to give a twenty-minute Oral Presentation to the Evaluation Committee during the third week of the Project. The substance of the Oral Presentation is an analysis of the Senior Project.
overview timeline regulations journal oral presentation outline rubric grading
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