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Graduation Project- Canton Area School District
Purpose
The purpose of the Graduation Project is to allow the student to exhibit problem solving skills, self-directed learning, decision-making skills, independent research, and cooperation with others. It is to be a stretch of the student’s abilities and skills. The idea is to take their skills to the next level of achievement. The project encourages students to demonstrate their creativity and showcase their talents and abilities from their educational experiences. This project also gives the student the chance to show accountability and responsibility in performing a significant task. Finally, the project concludes with an interview of the student and discussion of the student’s project experience.
Time Frame for Completion of the Project
The project will be incorporated into a four-year process, broken in to phases by the student’s grade classification.
PHASE I – Freshman Year
In May of the freshman year, each student will be introduced to the task of the graduation project and the process for its completion. The student will be given the packet, and the signed parent signature sheet will be completed and submitted to his/her advisor. The student will explore possible projects (Appendix A1, A2, & A3).
Phase II – Sophomore Year
During the spring semester of the sophomore year, the student will complete the
Graduation Project Approval Form (Appendix B1) and submit this to Ms. Segur. When the project is approved, the student must write a letter of intent (Appendix C1, D1 & D2, and E1 ) and submit this to his or her advisor. This letter is to be addressed to the student’s advisor and submitted to the project assessment committee. Once the project and letter are approved, the student may proceed with his or her project. The student will need to meet regularly with his or her advisor to show that he or she is making progress on the graduation project.
Phase III - Junior Year
The student will work on the completion of his or her project and the writing of the project process paper. The paper and the journal will be due to the advisor one week prior to the presentation of the project. Each student will continue to meet regularly with his or her advisor to show progress and receive guidance on his or her work in preparation for his or her final product and presentation.
Phase IV - Senior Year
The project process paper and typed copy of the journal will be due to the advisor one week prior to the student’s project presentation. The project will be presented to a faculty assessment committee in the beginning of the student’s senior year on the dates designated in the school calendar unless other arrangements have been made.
Due dates and deadlines will be set by the CASD Administration at the appropriate times.

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The Roles and Responsibilities of the Student, Advisor, and Assessment
Committees.
Each student is assigned a faculty advisor through a random drawing of names.
The drawing will be final and no changes are to be made unless approved by the Building
Principal and the Graduation Project Committee.
Student It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to complete all aspects of the
Graduation Project on time and to the best of his/her ability. The student must understand that this project is a graduation requirement. If this requirement is left unfulfilled, it could affect eligibility, Pass to Play, National Honor Society status, privileges, and graduation/diploma. Projects are due at the beginning of the senior year, and if a student has to resubmit, then he/she only has until the end of the first semester to resubmit it. If this does not occur by the specified deadlines, then he/she will not be able to participate in the graduation ceremony. Of course, those students who reached senior status later or are new students will be given additional time and sufficient deadlines, but they must follow these so that they can participate in graduation and receive a diploma. The graduation project must be completed satisfactorily so that seniors can receive a diploma.
Before the project is started, the student must complete and submit a signature sheet (9 th
grade) and a Graduation Project Approval Form (10 th
grade), and then word process and submit a letter of intent (10 th
grade). All of these must meet the deadlines and be approved in order to continue on with the project.
If the student needs release time from school because of the graduation project
(job shadowing, interviewing, internship), it is his/her responsibility to complete the paperwork (Appendix H1) and get the appropriate signatures. The student must complete this in advance to make sure that the release time gets approved in a timely manner.
The student is to make sure that he or she is keeping an open line of communication with the advisor on the progress of his or her project. The student must keep a journal of his or her planning, development, and completion of his or her project.
This journal and the paper will be submitted to the assessment committee to be graded as part of the project and its process, and this is due one week prior to the presentation.
The student must also take the time to set up his or her project presentation with the designated staff member. If the student will be presenting his or her project off of school grounds or in a special location, it is the student’s responsibility to make the arrangements. The student also needs to make sure that all media of the presentation are functioning before he or she presents, so that he or she is not at a disadvantage when he or she presents to the assessment committee. The student will need to consult with his or her advisor covering the proper attire or dress for his or her project presentation.

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*If you are job shadowing for your senior project, you have to fulfill the same obligations as the other seniors, plus these:
~A minimum of 50 hours job shadowing one or more people at one or more work places
~See Mrs. May to help you with setting up your dates and times of job shadowing.
~Research the job that you are interested in and the college education that you will need for this position.
~Interview the person/people who you are job shadowing.
~Fill out the necessary paperwork for this project (Appendix F1) as well as at the place of business.
~Keep a specific log about your entire experience.
~Take pictures and get visuals if you are allowed.
~In your paper and presentation, you will explain your experience as well as your findings from your research and interviews.
Project Approval CommitteeAfter Ms. Segur receives the forms, this committee will meet to discuss each student’s project. This committee will approve or deny the projects.
Advisor The role of the advisor is to guide the student through the process of the project and act as the link between the student and the school district administration. The advisor is to make sure that the student is taking care of his or work. The advisor is authorized to inform the student and his or her parents or guardians when appropriate to do so. The advisor should keep all pertinent papers and records of his or her students to present to the evaluation committee upon the completion of the project. Also, the advisor should keep the graduation project coordinator informed of any issues that arise. When the project is successfully completed, the advisor must submit the student’s completed evaluation sheet to the Guidance Office.
Assessment Committees A committee of faculty advisors will be selected to assess the student’s Letters of Intent and his or her projects upon its completion. The committee consists of 3 or 4 faculty members who will evaluate the student’s Letter of Intent. The same committee will conduct the final assessment of the project. The committee will be responsible for providing the student with feedback towards his or her project, when necessary. If a student should enter the remediation process, the assessment committee will complete the Resubmission Form (Appendix O1) and share this with the student.
Also, the committee should keep the graduation project coordinator informed of any issues that arise.
If the student, while completing his or her Graduation Project used adaptation or other special circumstances, the assessment committee may elect to use the appropriate comment from the report card sheet to accompany the grade.

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The Mentor Option
Mentor- Although not necessary, the student may elect to work with a mentor to serve as a guide through the actual process. The mentor is to provide proper expertise and technique to assist the student. The mentor is not to do the actual project but may assist the student in successfully completing the project. Mentors must file appropriate Act 34 and 151 Clearances with the Canton Area School District. It is the responsibility of the parent or mentor to make sure that this procedure is followed. The mentor is also required to fill out the Mentor Responsibility Sheet and have the student return it to their Advisor.
The mentor will need to sign off on the project journal and process paper. They are also encouraged to attend the presentation and exit interview, although they may not participate in the grading process.
Monitoring of Student Progress
This project is a state graduation requirement. The Canton Area School District is treating the project a class, assigning a grade, and rewarding the successful project with graduation credit. To monitor the student’s progress, the district will require regular meetings with the student’s advisor.
This project is cumulative. There are many aspects to and ingredients that go into this project. Some projects will involve more detail than others. In order to stay on task, the student will need to follow a time line of regular meetings with his/her advisor. The meetings will need to be set up by the student. The student will be required to show what progress was made since the last meeting. The advisor will record the date and time of the meeting, as well as any minutes that are pertinent to the meeting. The advisor is obligated to report any unsatisfactory progress as well as any missed appointments or deadlines to the parents or legal guardian as well as the graduation project coordinator.

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Resubmission
In the unfortunate event that the student has not yet met the minimum requirements of the project or does not complete the project process to the satisfaction of the assessment committee, the student will be required to enter the resubmission process.
The student must begin this process by meeting with his or her advisor and the assessment committee. In this meeting, the exact steps to satisfactorily complete the project must be made clear to all parties involved through the Resubmission Form. The student will be granted at least 30 days to complete his or her project to the satisfaction of the assessment committee, and this absolutely must be successfully completed by the end of the first semester. If this does not occur, students will not participate in the graduation ceremony.
Those students who are involved with the resubmission process will make the necessary changes or adjustments to their current materials and receive the appropriate grade based on the scoring rubric. They will not need to represent their project, unless requested by the assessment committee.
Students who are involved with the resubmission process will need to make the necessary changes and requirements set by the assessment committee. Upon successful completion of their resubmission, these students shall receive the minimum passing grade, which is an 80% and is set by the Canton Area School District. This project is a requirement by the State of Pennsylvania for high school graduation. Those students who do not meet the satisfactory standards of their assessment committee will not graduate with their class. Also, they will not receive a diploma from the Canton Area School
District until the project is successfully completed.

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Components of the Graduation Project
The following components are required of the student to successfully complete the graduation project in the Canton Area School District.
Parent Signature Sheet The first sheet of this packet is intended to inform the parent or guardian of the project and its procedures in order to graduate from Canton High School.
This completed sheet is to be returned to the advisor at the end of the ninth grade year.
Project Approval FormThis form (Appendix B1) has to be completed by the student about the intended project. The student should be concise and specific about his or her project. This will be submitted to Ms. Segur in April of the tenth grade year. Senior murals are not permitted. Projects relating to sports are discouraged, but they are at the discretion of the assessment committee and/or principal. Also, if an organization in the community requests a community-related project that involves a sport, the organization must submit a letter of request to the assessment committee. As previously mentioned, if a student is job shadowing, then he or she has certain requirements to fulfill.
Letter of Intent The letter of intent is to be written to the advisor and assessment committee members. It should be formal in its appearance and structure; it is in the form of a business letter. The Letter of Intent is to be typed and single spaced with Times New
Roman in 12- point font (Appendix D1 & D2). The contents of the letter should be as detailed as possible to answer any questions that the assessment committee may have about the intended project.
The body of the letter must have the following components:
 what the project is and its intended process (include dates and people)
 why it is an important or valuable project
 what the student will learn academically and in life skills
Included in this packet are sample letters and a “Yes Test” to act as a checklist for all of the major components of the letter. It would be the recommendation of the assessment committees for the student to go over the “Yes Test” checklist before submitting the letter of intent. (See Appendix C1.)
If the letter is approved, the student may begin working on the project. (See E1 for Letter of Intent Approval Form.) If the letter of intent is denied, then the assessment committee will provide the necessary feedback to the student as to why it was denied. If the assessment committee allows, the student may resubmit the letter of intent after he or she has made the necessary changes.
Job Shadowing Form -This form is to be filled out by the student who is doing job shadowing for his/her graduation project. (See Appendix F1.) If more than one person or organization is being observed by the student, then he/she has to complete a form for each one. On this form, the student has to answer questions about the experience and have the person who is being observed sign it after the experience and form are completed.

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Journal The student will need to keep a written journal or logbook of all activities contributing to the student’s graduation project. This will include planning, travel, research, development, and practical experience that the student will encounter or participate in. The journal should include dates and times, as well as the locations and duties or jobs performed that pertain to the project. This journal will be submitted to the advisor with the process paper one week prior to the project presentation. The format for the journal will be up to the student and his or her advisor. (See Appendix G1 & G2.)
Process Paper- Each student will be required to write a process paper about his or her individual project. This paper is to be typed and double spaced with Times New Roman in 12-point font. (See Appendix I1, I2 & I3.) One sample paper is included (see
Appendix J1). Also, you can see the scoring guide. (See Appendix K1.)
The paper should consist of three main components:

Proposal- The Proposal is basically the body paragraphs from the approved letter of intent

ProcessThe Project Process section will be a step-by-step description of what he or she did in the completion of the project. Student should provide resources, interviews, and experiences that were used to complete this project.

Reflective SummaryStudents should include in this section the changes in the project’s objectives, the thoughts and feelings about his or her project, and the learning experience from the projects completion.
Presentation and Exit Interview Students will be required to give a presentation of their project. The assigned project assessment committee will grade this project presentation. The presentation may be given to a service or professional organization, as long as the assessment committee can attend. The student will be graded on his or her delivery, visual display, content, and oral reflection. (Two sample visuals are included in
Appendix L1 and L2.)
The assessment committee will interview the student. This interview will consist of questions about the graduation project process and the student’s individual project and its process. This interview is a chance for the assessment committee to discuss the project with the student and give the student time to orally reflect on the project he or she completed, and his or her experience in working on the project. (See Appendix M1.)
Each student should consult with his or her advisor as to the appropriate attire for his or her project presentation. Obviously, we do not want formal dress for a presentation in a barn, but the student will need to dress appropriately for the presentation.

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In evaluating the graduation project, the following guidelines will be utilized:

Each evaluation will be allotted a time of 45 minutes. Of this time, 20 minutes will be devoted to the student presentation of the project, 10 minutes will be utilized for the exit interview and the remaining time will be devoted to the review of the student’s paperwork and scoring of the project grade.
 Graduation Projects will be graded according to the Canton Area School District’s grading policy. A student must attain a minimum of an 80% to receive credit towards graduation.

Satisfactory projects will result in the student receiving 1 credit towards satisfying his or her graduation requirements.

The project will be evaluated on the basis of 4 major areas. These include:
1.
Project Approval Form, Letter of Intent, Journal, and deadlines met
(30 points)
2.
Process Paper (25 points)
3.
Product (30 points)
4.
Presentation (15 points)
(See Appendix N1.)

In the event that a project is found to be unsatisfactory, the student will be provided with direction and recommendations as to how the project may be improved to achieve a passing status. This is outlined in the section entitled
Resubmission. (See Appendix O1.)

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SAMPLE PROJECT IDEAS
RESEARCH AREA
Architecture
Arts
PROJECT
Design and build a scale model of a home.
Design and build your own office.
Design and draw floor plans for a building.
Photograph, develop, and display original prints.
Design and create jewelry.
Design and create a portfolio of original artwork
Business Track companies in the stock market, invest in stocks,
and track its progress
Balance a budget for a person or company.
Research income tax process and help someone with
taxes.
Career Exploration Investigate a possible career choice.
Correlate career choice and personal strengths.
Possible job shadowing, interview, or short internship.
Communication Investigate and interview a stroke victim.
Investigate and interview a physically disabled person.
Create and develop a leadership seminar for students.
Community Service Develop and implement Clothes for Kids program.
Develop and implement a food drive.
Develop a program at a nursing home.
Research and develop a program to help the homeless.
Create a neighborhood watch program.
*See Ms. Segur for other ideas from the community!

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Computer Technology Create a web page for a sport, band, or any extra-
curricular club.
Design a computer program for balancing chemical
equations.
Develop a computer tutorial program.
Consumer and Family Science Design and film a cooking show for teenagers.
Create and design a clothing line for teenagers.
Assist in the management of a restaurant or community
dinner.
Dance Choreograph an original dance routine.
Drama Produce and direct an original play.
Health/Physical Conditioning Develop an individualized diet and exercise program to
overcome an eating disorder.
Investigate and devise a meal plan for a diet program
Create an aerobic workout video.
Investigate and volunteer in a marathon.
Industrial Arts Create and design a piece of furniture.
Landscaping Landscape a home or business.
Language Develop a tutorial for a foreign language.
Introduce elementary children to a foreign language.
Create a song in a foreign language.
Write to a foreign person in his/her language for a
significant period of time.
Literature/Reading/Writing Compose a book of original poetry.
Help first grade students with reading instruction.
Write and illustrate a children’s story.

Volunteer
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Mechanics/Auto Body Restore a classic car.
Create a portfolio of your original auto body repair.
Music Write and arrange a four movement musical piece
depicting high school years.
Science
Social Sciences
Investigate and complete French Creek projects.
Investigate and become an organ donor.
Investigate and complete models of chemical
structures.
Create a Rainforest Action Club.
Investigate and conduct a water testing program.
Work with post-traumatic stress syndrome vets.
Interview survivors of the Holocaust.
Receive training and conduct tours for a Museum.
Conduct a heritage day for your community.
Investigate cultures from different countries.

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1.
Do you have both inside addresses?
2.
Is it dated?
3.
Is it in letter form?
4.
Did you sign it?
5.
Is your proposal clear?
6.
Do you have a workable plan of action?
7.
Did you go into enough detail?
8.
Did you consider cost? (Do you have a budget?)
9.
Is it a stretch for you? (Are you going to learn anything from the process?)
10.
Did you tell us why you chose this project?
11.
Did you proofread your letter? Did you have others proofread your letter?
12.
Did you correct all spelling and grammatical errors?
You should be able to answer YES to all of these questions before you turn in your letter.

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GRADUATION PROJECT STUDENT LOG
________________________________________________________________________
Date: Advisor Student/Presenter
Time Spent: Initial Initial
Description of Activity:
Advisor
Initial
Student/Presenter
Initial
Date:
Time Spent:
Description of Activity:
Date:
Time Spent:
Description of Activity:
Date:
Time Spent:
Description of Activity:
Advisor
Initial
Advisor
Initial
Student/Presenter
Initial
Student/Presenter
Initial

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A period of excused release time may be necessary to participate in an internship, interview, job shadow, etc. The following form must be completed and signed before release is approved.
NOTE: If any student is found
using time irresponsibly, the
privilege will be taken away from that student.
Where do you want to go?
________________________________________________________________________
When do you want to do it? Date:_______________________________
Time:_______________________________
Why do you want to go?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
How does it relate to your Graduation Project?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
What do you plan to accomplish?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
Approval Signatures
Parent______________________________________
Advisor_____________________________________
Coordinator/Principal__________________________
Date____________________
Date____________________
Date____________________

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I.
The Proposal/Introduction Portion of the Process Paper
A.
The proposal/introduction should be three to five paragraphs long with three distinct parts and one to two pages in length.
1.
Part one should answer the question, “My project is . . .” a.
Indicate materials b.
Indicate goal/s c.
Indicate time frame
2.
Part two should respond to the statement, “I think this is a valuable/important project because . . .” a.
Indicate the reason the project was chosen b.
Relate to any future use of this process c.
Indicate how this will be a challenge d.
Indicate why this project will have value
3.
Part three should respond to the statement, “When I complete this project, I anticipate knowing . . .” a.
Indicate what may be learned in terms of academics b.
Indicate what may be learned in terms of maturity c.
Indicate what may be learned in terms of time management d.
Indicate what new skills may be gained e.
Indicate what old skills may be honed f.
Indicate what new information may be gained
B.
The proposal should mirror the proposal/letter of intent that was given to the advisor at the beginning of the process
II.
The Process Portion of the Process Paper
A.
The process aspect of the paper should be multi-paragraphs and between two and four pages long
B.
It should be chronological in nature
C.
It should go into specific details about what was accomplished and when. Here are some ideas of what to include.
1.
Describe any materials that were used
2.
Describe resources that were used
3.
Describe the steps and how they were accomplished
4.
Describe the meetings with advisors, mentor, officials, etc.
5.
Describe any setbacks that were encountered
6.
Describe any successes that were experienced
7.
Describe any alterations of plans that had to occur
III.
The Reflective Summary Portion of the Process Paper
A.
The reflective summary should be three to five paragraphs long and one to two pages in length
B.
It should reflect what was learned
C.
It should reflect what was gained academically and in the area of life skills
D.
It should reflect what had to be changed

E.
It should reflect a personal view on how the project turned out
F.
It should reflect a personal view on whether the end result was satisfactory
G.
It should reflect a personal view on whether this same project would be done again
H.
It should reflect successes
I.
It should reflect failures
J.
It should reflect any personal pride that was felt
IV.
Works Cited Portion of the Process Paper
A.
This should be included to reflect any research which was done
B.
This should be listed using the MLA format
V.
Formatting the Process Paper
A.
The process paper should have a cover page using the MLA format and Times
New Roman, 12-point font
1.
Double space
2.
Center top and bottom
3.
Center left and right
4.
Title of project: one enter
5.
By: one enter
6.
Student’s name: three enters
7.
Senior Project Process Paper: one enter
8.
Project advisor: one enter
9.
Date, i.e. 1 May 2004
B.
The proposal, process portion, reflective summary, and works cited page should be double-spaced and contain a subtitle at the beginning of each section
C.
Pagination should begin on page one of the essay
1.
Upper right-hand corner
2.
Last name of student, space, page number
VI.
Evaluation of the Process Paper
A.
It would be prudent to both self and peer score the paper using the PSSA guidelines
1.
Focus: contains a sharp, clear main idea
2.
Content: contains several (4-5) supporting details that explain the main idea
3.
Organization: is highly organized using a variety (3 or more) of transition words to make ideas flow
4.
Style: contains a strong variety of vocabulary and sentence structure with strong awareness of audience
5.
Conventions: contains few or no errors in mechanics, usage, spelling, and sentence structure (uses more than . ? !)
B.
Turn in copies of the paper to each person who will be grading the paper
C.
It would be prudent to have an extra copy in the event that another person might view the project
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1.
How have you grown personally or academically by completing your senior project?
2.
What was the process that you went through to decide on this particular project?
3.
If you were given the opportunity to change your project, what would you choose to do? Explain.
4.
What changes would you make to the process of your graduation project that could enhance its overall effect?
5.
What were your initial objectives? Do you feel these objectives were completed? Did your objectives change through the process of completing your graduation project? Explain.
6.
What advice would you give to an underclassman that is about to begin their graduation project?
7.
Would you recommend your project to others, why or why not?
8.
How could you apply your project to your future or to your community's future?
9.
What did you find the most challenging in your project process?
10.
What aspect of this project was the strongest/weakest for you?
11.
Did your attitude change while doing this project?
12.
What grade do you believe that you should receive for this project?

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NAME_________________________________________ DATE______________
PROJECT__________________________________________________________
I.
Letter of Intent/Journal/Deadlines (30 Total Points)
(5 pts.) Graduation Project Approval Form ______
(5 pts.) Letter of Intent submitted and objectives followed
(10 pts.) Journal depicting time commitment
(10 pts.) Deadlines were met
______
______
______
Total_________
II. Process Paper (25 Total Points)

Paper must contain all three components to be scored.

Introduction/Proposal (1-2 pages)

Project Process (2-4 pages)

Reflective Summary (1-2 pages) (5 pts.) ______

Process Paper will be scored based on the PSSA Writing Rubric.
(4 pts.) Focus
(4 pts.) Content
(4 pts.) Organization
(4 pts.) Style
______
______
______
______
(4 pts.) Conventions ______
Total __________
III. Product (30 Points Total)
(5 pts.)
(10 pts.)
(10 pts.)
Creativity and originality of product
Effort/quality of product
Demonstration of application of learning
______
______
(5 pts.) experiences and integration of investigation and discovery
Research sources
______
______
Total __________
IV. Presentation (15 Points Total)
(5 pts) Appearance/Preparation
(5 pts.)
(5 pts.)
Delivery/Method/Visual display
______
______
Oral Reflection ______
TOTAL GRADUATION PROJECT SCORE
Total_________
___________________________
_______
100 TOTAL
(Advisor) (Committee Member)
____________________________ ______________________________
(Committee Member) (Committee Member)
Student must achieve 80% or better to receive credit for this project. If the student does not achieve an 80% at first, then the student will be given a Resubmission Plan.

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