Graduation by Exhibition

To graduate, students must fulfill state requirements for a diploma, and they must pass all of their junior and senior years with a C- or better. In addition, they must complete fourteen graduation exhibitions. Each exhibition is guided by a description and rubrics, and students must achieve “mastery” to pass their exhibitions. Each exhibition (except for the math and history exams) is evaluated by at least two faculty members. The exhibitions include the following:

Formal Writing

  • Literary Analysis Essay
  • Timed Persuasive Essay

Transition

  • Personal Transition Plan:    Students create this exhibition with the help of a transition counselor, and create a detailed and formal plan for their post-secondary goals. This includes considerations for financial and living arrangements, as well as educational and employment goals, and often includes actual employment and/or college applications, predicted budget, and outlines of one, five, and ten-year objectives.

Mathematics

  • Math Competency Exams or Math Project

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Research and Understanding

  • History Oral Exams
  • Research Paper
  • Science Project

Self-Reflection

  • Personal Learning Reflection
  • Creative Expression
  • Public Presentation
  • Leadership Project or Internship

Citizenship

  • Civics Exam
  • Geography Exams
  • Fairness and Equity Project

Technology

  • Technology Project:    Students are required to apply technology to fulfill one other senior graduation requirement or create a technology project to stand on its own.  The end product must demonstrate the use of technology in at least three of these application areas:
          • creativity
          • communication & collaboration
          • research & information fluency
          • critical thinking, problem solving, & decision making
          • digital citizenship

 

The graduation exhibition program is important for the mastery of content knowledge and academic skills. In addition, it is an essential learning experience for seniors because, in the process of completing the exhibitions, they are learning important skills such as self-advocacy, time management, long term planning, self-reflection, and accepting and responding to feedback.