SENIOR SEMINARS Specifics & Example Performances

1
SENIOR SEMINARS Specifics 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

3
SENIOR SEMINARREVIEW 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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