Capturing the Capstone The Capstone Project: State of Tennessee

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Capturing the CapstoneThe Capstone Project
State of Tennessee

• Brenda Ables and Janis Kyser
• brenda.ables_at_tn.gov
• jkyser_at_clevelandschools.org

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Background and Rationale

• The High School Transition Policy adopted
  January 2008 by the SBOE
• Recommends a Capstone experience for seniors
• Task To prepare students to be ready for college
  and for workforce training

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Effects of The Capstone Project

• Emphasizes learning
• Engages students
• Allows students to learn about themselves
• Promotes higher-order thinking skills
• Connects new knowledge to what students know
• Encourages concrete applications

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Process for Seniors

• Move ideas or dreams toward topics of interest,
  specialization, community need, or career
  choices.
• Produce showcased products submitted for review
  and evaluation

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A Shared Partnership

• Administrators
• Teachers
• Counselors
• Project advisors
• Students
• Community
• Parents

• Share responsibility
• Advise, observe, dialogue
• Focus on topic and approach
• Mentor, provide jobs, and partner in service

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Five Core Components(15-40 Hours Expected)

• Approved Proposal
• Documented Research and Contact Hours with a
  Mentor
• Short Written Paper of 1200-1500 words
• Oral Presentation
• Review Panel

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Capstone Project Proposal

• Project Title
• Project Topic
• Goal(s)
• Strategy for Accomplishing the Project
• Materials for Oral Presentation
• Student and Parent Signatures

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Documented Research(under the Guidance of a
Mentor)
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Role of Mentors

• Offer guidance, suggestions, feedback, coaching
• Provide opportunities to volunteer at program or
  business
• Demonstrate skills, share knowledge
• Record progress with the project.

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Short Written Paper

• Length 1200-1500 words, minimum
• Format Word-
• Processed
• Documentation Modern Language Association (MLA)

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Seven Capstone Categories

• Senior Project
• Virtual Enterprise
• Internship
• Externship
• Work-Based Learning
• Service Learning
• Community Service

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Oral Presentation

• Length 10 minutes, minimum
• Potential Audience Parents, Teachers, Community
  Leaders, Mentor, Peers, Project Advisor
• Questions From a Panel of School/
  Community-Based Individuals

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1 Senior Project

• Self-Development through Creation and
  Construction
• Example Model of Repairs Needed for Limestone
  Dams in Tennessee
• Curriculum-Based Independent Study
• Example Extended Essay for IB Diploma Programme

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Senior Project Local Example

• Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet, Nashville, TN
• Welcome to Senior Capstone! We hope you take
  full advantage of this opportunity to design and
  partake in a meaningful learning experience that
  will allow you to explore possible careers/areas
  of study. . . . It is crucial that you identify
  and arrange a jobsite/mentor before returning to
  school in the fall. You will need to do some
• legwork by making inquiries of your own.
• Once you have identified a mentor, fill out
• and submit the Mentor and Placement
• Confirmation forms (see attached). These
• forms are to be on file before you start at
• your capstone site (Hume-Fogg Student
• Capstone Guidelines, 2008-09).
• Contact John Lee, Faculty Facilitator
• john.lee_at_mnps.org.

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2 Virtual Enterprise (VE)

• A simulated (virtual) business, set up and run by
  students with the guidance of a
  teacher/facilitator and a business partner
• No goods produced
• No currency actually exchanged

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Virtual Enterprise (VE) Local Example

• Blackman High School, Murfreesboro, TN
• 2002-03 Established first VE in Tennessee
• 2005 Established TN VE International Central
  Office,
• in partnership with TDOE and under the guidance
  of VE Central Offices in New York City
• 39 TN schools now offer VE.
• 45 businesses/firms participate.
• Contact Cindy Boyd, Director
• boydc_at_rcs.k12.tn.us.

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3 Internship

• Chooses to Work in a Challenging Setting
• Explores Interests and Talents
• Volunteers to Help Community Groups/
  Organizations
• Apprentices to Experience Career Possibilities

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Internship Local Example

• School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV)
• Integrative four-year program
• Joint venture MNPS Vanderbilt
• Ph.D. instructors
• 25 students per grade
• Contact Dr. Glenn McCombs, SSMV Director
• http//theschool.vanderbilt.edu/

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4 Externship

• Moves out of the traditional classroom setting
• Spends relatively short period(s) of time
• Partners with professionals in various fields of
  interest

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Externship Local Example

• Winterim at Harpeth Hall School, Nashville, TN
• Now in its 36th year of implementation
• Takes place during the month of January
• Choice of possibilities
• Conference with Karen Roark, Director
• www.harpethhall.org.

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5 Work-Based Learning (WBL)

• Concurrent work experience and class enrollment
• Five hours of required instruction per week
• An additional credit earned for WBL

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Work-Based Learning Local Example

• Alignment Nashville
• The Mayor's Office, Metropolitan Courthouse,
  Nashville, TN 37201615.862.5009
  audrey.cothran_at_nashville.gov
• Academic interventions to improve college
  entrance exam results
• Prevention of high-risk behaviors
• Internships and job preparation
• Opportunities for community service
• Transportation for before/after-school and
  Saturday activities

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6 Service Learning

• 15-40 hours outside school day
• Active participation in meeting community needs
• Project collaboration between the school and
  community
• 1. Identify a problem/project.
• 2. Provide supervised service.
• 3. Reflect to clarify values.
• 4. Celebrate successes.

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Service Learning Local Example

• Governors Study Partner Program (GSPP)
• Michael Pocchiari, Director
  study.partner_at_state.tn.us
• Established in 1987
• Matches successful students with those having
  difficulty
• Tutoring available for grades 1-12
• Training manuals provided for tutors
• Sponsored by Bell South

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• Students work cooperatively to
• identify a public policy problem in their
  community,
• research the problem,
• evaluate alternative solutions,
• develop their own solution in the form of a
  public policy, and
• create a political action plan to enlist local or
  state authorities to adopt their proposed policy.
• Participants develop a portfolio of their work
  and present their project in a public hearing
  showcase before a panel of civic-minded community
  members.

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• Provides a learning model that promotes the
  perception of young people as community assets.
  Meets the five characteristics of service
  learning when it is successfully implemented.
  Offers mentors and faculty
• (1) vision and leadership, (2) curriculum,
• (3) professional development,
• (4) partnership and community,
• (5) continuous improvement
  Jennifer Piscatelli, Education Commission of the
  States (2006),

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Student Outcomes of Project Citizen

• learn how to make connections across
  disciplines,
• know how to use what is learned in school to
  address real-life issues,
• develop people skills that allow them to work
  effectively in diverse group settings,
• build higher-order thinking skills that enhance
  their problem-solving and analytic abilities,
• increase their intercultural competencies e.g.,
  ability to converse in different languages and
  adapt to alternate cultural norms, and
• are able to effectively organize and utilize
  sources of information.

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7 Community Service

• Three Types
• Direct Service with those being served
• Indirect Service behind the scenes
• Advocacy to alleviate a community issue through
  lobbying government officials

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Community Service Local Example

• Father Ryan High School, Nashville, TN
• Nancy Langdon, Registrar www.fatherryan.org
• Putting values into action
• Working in nursing homes
• Serving in daycare centers
• Helping in schools for the physically and/or
  emotionally challenged

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Essential Questions for Schools

• What is your infrastructure already in place for
  The Capstone Project?
• Who will coordinate the project and maintain
  continuity from year to year?
• How will student activities be monitored and
  attendance taken?

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More Questions

• What research and documentation skills have
  students at our school already acquired?
• What community connections are strong for this
  school e.g., PENCIL partner(s)?
• How will we set up a mentor-match referral data
  base to link seniors and community members?

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Key In-House Questions

• Group of judges to review and grade
• Rubric to assess the oral presentation
• Pass/fail rating or other grade
• Online project guide for current and rising
  seniors
• Celebration plans

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Capstone Project Timelines

• Seniors achieve the maximum benefit in the
  college admission process by being able to
  declare Capstone status in December of their
  senior year.
• Completing The Capstone Project allows students
  to graduate with a Capstone certification.

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8th Through 12th Grade

• 8th grade Counselors introduce the opportunity
  of The Capstone Project to students and parents
  High School Transition Policy, p. 4 (3-a,b).
• 9th-10th grades Teachers emphasize and sequence
  skills, such as writing, research, documentation,
  oral communication, logging Capstone ideas.
• 11th-12th grades Students produce The Capstone
  Project

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The Capstone Project Manual

• Local and national examples
• Research findings
• Information for seniors 10 Steps
• Sample forms and logs
• Glossary
• References and resources
• Multiple online links

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Course 3500

• Capstone Project may be taken for credit.
• Special course approval process required
• Use the Capstone Manual for the course curriculum
• One half credit will be awarded

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Capstone Manual

• May be found on our website
• www.state.tn.us/education

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Top Ten Reasons to Love the Capstone Project

1. Self-esteem enhanced
2. Idea as topic
3. Real-life issues
4. College readiness
5. Society needs addressed
6. Students as resources
7. Pride in learning
8. Knowledge combined
9. Community collaboration
10. Voices showcased