11. Create Senior Seminar For High School Students

Create Senior Seminar for High School Students Rationale Senior Seminars bridge the gap between high school and college. Aligned to Knowledge and Skills for University Success Standards (licensed by the College Board), senior Seminars are designed for students who rank in the academic middle 50%, aiming at preparing students for what they will be expected to know in college. Courses begin in 9th grade or earlier, and are designed by a team of high school and higher education faculty. The courses offer those students who may not want to take AP or Honors, but plan to attend a community college or university challenging curriculum learning opportunities in a comfortable and supportive high school environment. Here are some core components of Senior Seminars: a faster paced curriculum; emphasis on writing, feedback, editing and rewriting; clear grading expectations and detailed scoring rubrics; key outcomes that are measurable; an emphasis on the development of habits of mind, such as analytical thinking and intellectual curiosity; frequent evaluation and feedback from external sources, the teacher and peers; financial aid applications, encouragement, and support.

Source CEPR (2007). Senior Seminar Handbook. Retrieved from http://cepr.uoregon.edu/fipse/steps.php Conley, D. (2007a). Towards a More Comprehensive Conception of College Readiness. Eugene, OR: Educational Policy Improvement Center. Conley, D.T. (2008). Expecting Excellence: What Makes a Student College Ready? Educational Leadership, 66(2). Conley, D. (2005). College Knowledge. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Darling-Hammond, L., Ancess, J., & Ort, S.W. (2002). Reinventing high school: Outcomes of the coalition campus schools project. American Education Research Journal, 39(3), 639-673. doi: 10.3102/00028312039003639

Operations Energy Resources Senior Seminar

Partner: Local utility In response to a teacher’s request, a local utility funds solar energy car kits and fuel cell kits for students to conduct investigations as part of a course focusing on alternative energy.