SENIOR SEMINARS Specifics & Example Performances

1. SENIOR SEMINARSSpecifics &Example Performances CEPR Center for Educational Policy Research

2. WHY OFFER A SENIOR SEMINAR? • Senior Seminars bridge the gap between high school and college • 40% of students drop out of higher education before their sophomore year • Students have difficulty performing in the less structured, conceptually oriented college environment • Provides a challenging course for those that may not want to take AP or Honors, but plan to attend a community college or university • Offers challenging curriculum within the comfort and support of a high school environment CEPR Center for Educational Policy Research

3. SENIOR SEMINAR:REVIEW OF SIX CORE COMPONENTS • Pacing is faster than in most high schools • Writing is emphasized with required editing, rewriting, and frequent feedback • Grading expectations are clear and detailed scoring rubrics are used • Learning objectives are tied to college readiness and key outcomes are measurable • Emphasis is on developing habits of mind, such as analytical thinking and intellectual curiosity • Frequent evaluation is given students, including feedback from external sources CEPR Center for Educational Policy Research

4. SENIOR SEMINARS: ENGLISH • Course might be team-taught with a writer, poet, or faculty member from higher education • Content emphasizes analytical thinking and free exchange of ideas • Student writing is frequently critiqued • Number of works read and papers written is consistent with college expectations • Final course evaluation includes a narrative component in addition to a letter grade--students need to understand where they must add skills or change behaviors to be successful in college CEPR Center for Educational Policy Research

5. SENIOR SEMINARS: MATHEMATICS • Senior Seminar may be problem-based or have a problem component • Designed to gear students toward more complex application and use of mathematical knowledge and reasoning to find solutions to real world problems • Focus on an integrated application of knowledge the students have, but applying it to more challenging content • Application of mathematics can show students that mathematics is an important prerequisite for study in many fields CEPR Center for Educational Policy Research

6. SENIOR SEMINARS: SCIENCE • Systematic connections should be made between science and mathematics • Focus on key foundational concepts, laws, principles • Organized around one or two problems that require application of physics, chemistry, biology, or mathematics • Solutions presented for public view • Study may emphasize understanding of interaction between science and society and may include vexing public policy questions • Seminar approach may provide a positive, motivating experience for students who are historically underrepresented in the sciences CEPR Center for Educational Policy Research

7. SENIOR SEMINARS: SOCIAL SCIENCE • Designed to develop more integrated understanding of social science concepts • Draws on content knowledge previously gained to comprehend current issues and topics through the lens of a social scientist • Calls on students to collect, analyze, and interpret data on a social problem or issue, either current or historical • Requirements include making data-based presentations & suggesting solutions derived from analysis, not just opinion • Products can be put to the test of public review & comment • Key is the analytical approach • This senior seminar design could draw from civics, history, geography as long as analytical thinking is the key focus CEPR Center for Educational Policy Research

8. CHALLENGES & BENEFITS OF OFFERING SENIOR SEMINARS • Requires careful curriculum mapping to be sure objectives and content are articulated to connect with college readiness • Curriculum must be referenced to college readiness standards • Should not be an AP course, but could help students in AP courses consolidate their understandings of a subject area • Dependent on close relations between the high schools and postsecondary institutions • Ideally seminars are designed jointly by high school and post secondary faculty • Seminars give students a reason to remain engaged in academics during their senior year • Students with no math, science senior year will struggle in college • Can also provide placement information for local colleges CEPR Center for Educational Policy Research

9. EXAMPLE PERFORMANCES • Write a 3-5 page research paper structured around a cogent, coherent line of reasoning that: • incorporates references from several credible and appropriate citations • is relatively free from spelling, grammatical, and usage errors • is clear and easily understood by the reader • Read with understanding a range of non-fiction publications and technical materials • utilize appropriate decoding and comprehension strategies to identify key points • note areas of question or confusion • remember key terminology • understand the basic conclusions reached and points of view expressed • Complete successfully a problem or assignment requiring about two weeks of independent work and extensive research • utilize periodic feedback from teachers and other pertinent resource people along the way to revise and improve the final product CEPR Center for Educational Policy Research

10. EXAMPLE PERFORMANCES • Conduct basic scientific experiments or analyses that require the following : • use of the scientific method • an inquisitive perspective on the process • interpretation of data or observations in relation to an initial hypothesis • possible or plausible explanation of unanticipated results • presentation of findings to a critical audience using the language of science, including models, systems, and theories • Conduct research on a topic • be able to identify successfully a series of source materials that are important and appropriate to explaining the question being researched • organize and summarize the results from the search • synthesize the findings in a coherent fashion relevant to the larger question being investigated CEPR Center for Educational Policy Research

11. EXAMPLE PERFORMANCES • Create and maintain a personal schedule that includes a to-do list with prioritized tasks and appointments • Utilize key technological tools including appropriate computer software to: • complete academic tasks • conduct research • analyze datasets • write papers • prepare presentations • record data • Present an accurate self-assessment of readiness for college by analyzing and citing evidence from: • classroom work and assignments • grades • courses taken • a personal assessment of maturity and self-discipline CEPR Center for Educational Policy Research