May 9 school board meeting – action on graduation project

Date: Thu, 05 May 2011 16:34:51 -0400
From: Mia Munn
Subject: May 9 school board meeting – action on graduation project

Agenda item for the May 9 meeting

Click to access Agenda%20Item-%20Graduation%20Project%20Requirement%20May%202011.pdf

For Action:
The Graduation Project Committee, consisting of members from the four secondary schools, met on Tuesday, May 3rd. The following recommendations resulting from the meeting are submitted for your consideration:

• Eliminate the Graduation project as a graduation requirement in Chatham County Schools

• Stress the 21st Century skills obtained from a Graduation Project type activity are so important that students should be required to complete some type of activity

• Incorporate most of the Graduation Project components into a “school-based project

• Name the school-based project “Culminating Learning Activity” (CLA) – Climbing the Ladder of Achievement

• Use a template to design the CLA but give each secondary school maximum flexibility in developing their CLA

• Communicate changes to high school juniors, parents, and high school staffs by June 10, 2011

• Submit an outline of each high schools design to superintendent for approval by May 31st

• Tie the CLA to a course, not just a senior project, could be a four year CLA or at a certain grade level

• Complete the CLA in order to pass the course which would impact graduation, but the CLA itself would not be required for graduation

• Begin the CLA process 2011-2012 school term

• Reinstate assistance from Chatham Together as resources allow