Wake school board to discuss Graduation Project

There was a pretty good artlcle printed in the N and O on the 15th about the GP. There is 1 comment on it and it is very positive. I have tried several times to post my comment and to tell people to look at the feedback on this blog to get a better representation. I keep getting a message that they are experiencing problems and can't accept comments at this time and to try back later. To the average person reading this, they are misled into thinking that person's positive thoughts are the overall opinion - which we all know is not true!

From the beginning when this was dropped in our laps, I thought this SP was a bad idea. Really, some clueless muckety muck thought this would be brilliant. I immediately assumed the drop out rate would increase, getting a mentor would be difficlut because of the background check (not to mention WCPSS pays for each one) and the enormous amount of unpaid time the teachers and administrators would put into this. Think 500 seniors per school at 30 minutes each for a panel of judges alone; how many hours is that? This does not count all the behind the scene time teachers/admins put into trying to define and implement this project. You do the math. All unpaid. It was an unfunded mandate by the state. UNFUNDED MANDATE.

I have an A/B junior guinea pig. Every once in a while we kick him in his behind to do some "work" on his paper. He still can't find a mentor for his topic; can't get a response from anyone in the medical examiner's office despite numerous letters, email and phone calls. His AP English class is making the kids write the paper for a grade. The completed project with 10 page paper, presentation, "product" and log book is pass/fail. Even if a student fails, the school is going to help them get it right so they will pass and graduated.

I say, drop the project and don't worry about hurting someone's feelings because they've done work that will not get recognized. Think of that unrecognized work as your introduction to parenthood.

I blogged about this on my personal blog when it was first considered by the Board. It will definitely affect graduation rates. It's like our high school "term papers" on steriods.

Tassels and notation on transcript (whoopie), how about XXX number of points you can add to any one subject's grade, so your GPA can be improved, and really do improve the chance of getting into college.

My one main objection is that students (even at a 5th grade level) are not taught "how" to complete a project. How to think through the idea into a concept, how to research (other than internet googling), how to turn that into a written paper, and last of all, how to create a presentation.

Do parents (who will have to be involved, and we all know that) get some points (like roll over minutes), that will be applied to their son or daughter.

Is the GP a pass or fail project, or is there partial credit for work completed, or will each component be graded with a partial score awarded?

Again, another half-baked, half thought out WCPSS contrivance.

Those are some good ideas Bob. I agree that the mentor thing was not well thought out. Or perhaps wasn't thought out at all. Finding enough mentors is a HUGE task.

I would keep it for Wake with the following modifications:

(1) Scrap the "Mentor" requirement -- this was never well thought-out.

(2) Scrap the "Mandatory" part. Instead, let students who do it, and who do a good enough job, get course credit and/or some sort of "honors" at graduation. (Maybe +.2 on their GPA)

(3) Make the graduation project a requirement for valedictorians -- you can't be a valedictorian unless you finish your graduation project.

That way, the go-getters still get rewarded for doing the GP, but you remove the impediment to graduation.

The next monthly meeting of Wake Schools Community Alliance is this Thursday at 6pm in Garner. Please join our effort in bringing about the much needed change in the Wake County Board of Education. Our meeting content is constantly being updated and new information will be discussed. Bring your friends and neighbors.

Details can be found at www.wakesca.org.

I am so glad that we don't live in N.C. We live in Yorktown, VA. Our kids had enough obstacles to graduation such as end of year tests that had to be passed before they could graduate. Our tests were called SOL's instead of End of the year tests though. What is the point of this graduation project? It sounds like to me it is just another project. I hated it when the kids had to do projects. Projects were just a way to help those kids who don't test well. My kids would have much rather taken a test than have to do projects. In my opinion they are a waste of time. I understand that some kids do not test well, but instead of doing projects, why don't the teachers and schools cut them some slack? Projects are just another way of aggravating the parents. I understand if you have an A average in a class you don't have to do a project. Correct me if I am wrong, please. That is not fair. Everyone should have to do a graduation project. Everyone has to take end of year tests, don't they? This GP is being used to make students get good grades. If a student is doing the best they can, why should they be punished? If the average student has to do a GP, everyone should have to a GP.

There is a bill in the Senate to postpone (potentially scrap) the GP for different reasons. Theirs is monetary, with some concern for pushing many kids into dropping out when facing such a huge requirement. Schools are having to spend quite a bit of money to fund this GP. Some are hiring a person to head up their GP, it's that big. With all the other important programs being cut, and class sizes increased, and teachers being asked to not have fans, coffee makers, or personal heaters to save electricity, it seems like a slap in the face to ask them to take on 5-6 advisees per year (x2), review papers, products, 'judge' the presentations and products, etc. Not only that, but the cost of printing the 70+ page handbooks that each student gets, and the notebook or folder to put it in. It might be worth some e-mails to the Education committee voicing your opinions. Here is the story that originally ran about it: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6726314&status=o... Here is the link to the bill itself. You can click on each name to send them an e-mail. http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2... Here is the link to the actual committe members. http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/Committees/Committees.asp?sAction=... I would also suggest sending e-mails to our wonderful board, but I don't know if it would make any difference or not.

I speak as the parent of 2 high school students. One is a junior, so he is one of the guniea pigs assigned the GP. The handbook they are given is 70+ pages of confusion. They are even expected to write down 'reflections' as the try to figure out what is next. Even the teachers who are their advisors can't get clear answers on questions. It is so intimidating that any child even thinking he will now make it to graduation will just throw in the towel! As for work put into it. I don't know of a single junior who has done more than work on the paper part in their Jr. english class. That counts as an english grade, so no wasted work there. Most of them are still trying to figure out what to do next! Some just got a mentor. That's a whole other problem that you can't imagine! In my opinion, they are asking too much of these kids! School, work, homework, family, church, and then you're going to add the GP on top of that!

If it could be done in a more straight forward, simplified manner, that the average student could follow, without the mentor requirement and dropping the project, it might not be so bad. As it is now, it is ridiculous! If you want to see what I am talking about, go to any of the high school web-sites. Apex, Leesvilee, etc. and click on the graduation project handbook, or whatever that school calls it. I think anyone who hasn't seen what is expected of these kids will be shocked!

Beverley Clark said that the state board's decision had "blindsided" Wake

welcome to the "other" side of the fence there Bev, talk to the LRMS principal about being blindsided...seriously, I bet she could tell you a thing or two...talk to the parents who now have to adjust daily schedules because of some 11th hour wild hair....and the list goes on

just sayin'