June 2006
_clip_image003.gif)
_clip_image002.jpg)
Mission of Central Falls High School
Central Falls High School is a standards-driven teaching and learning community that promotes literacy, effective communication, problem solving, critical thinking, civic responsibility and the skills necessary for living and working in a culturally diverse society.
Vision of a Central Falls High School Graduate
At Central Falls High School, students are engaged in meaningful, rigorous and diverse learning activities designed to prepare them for future education and successful careers as scientists, artists, business people, translators/interpreters, writers, journeymen, firemen, policemen, teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers, designers, technology experts, members of the armed services, and many others.
In order to graduate from the school, each student must provide evidence that she/he has achieved and demonstrated all six of the essential Learner Outcomes described below:
The Central Falls High School graduate is a
- Self-directed student , choosing to learn from models (adults and peers), to engage others in working together, and to evaluate his/her own performance and learning.
- Creative problem solver, choosing to utilize time and resources to work cooperatively and independently towards a defined goal.
- Effective communicator, choosing to clearly and confidently speak, listen, and interpret ideas across content areas, to write logically, concisely and persuasively, and choosing to use technology as a means of communication.
- Skillful user of technology, choosing to access on-line sources to exchange information, to analyze data using data-bases and spreadsheets, to interpret and present data effectively, and to use word-processing software .
- Responsible member of a community , choosing to recognize individuality and respect diversity, and to meaningfully participate in school and community life.
- Supporter and/or performer of the Arts, choosing to purposefully create, perform and/or respond to music, visual arts, theatre and/or dance, and to support fellow students as they engage in artistic endeavors of their choice .
__________________________________________________________________
Expectations by Grade Level
9 th GRADE -
Collect : 3 assignments from each subject area per semester for their Working Portfolio for a total of 12 entries per semester. (4 subjects x 3 entries)
Students will collect 12 entries first semester and 12 entries second semester for a total of 24 entries per year.
Select: “ 5” assignments for their Graduation Portfolio (1 from each academic course a 1 from a course of choice)
10 th GRADE-
Collect : 3 assignments from each subject area per semester for their Working Portfolio for a total of 12 entries per semester. (4 subjects x 3 entries)
Student will collect 12 entries first semester and 12 entries second semester for a total of 24 entries per year.
Select: “6” assignments for theirGraduation Portfolio in which they have demonstrated proficiency in the following Learner Outcomes:
(2 from each)
- Self-directed Learner
- Creative Problem Solver
- Effective Communicator
11 th GRADE -
Collect : 3 assignments from each subject area per semester for their Working Portfolio for a total of 12 entries per semester. (4 subjects x 3 entries)
They will collect 12 entries first semester and 12 entries second semester for a total of 24 entries per year.
Select “6” assignments for their Graduation Portfolio in which they have demonstrated proficiency in the following Learner Outcomes: (2 from each)
- User of Technology
- Responsible Member of the Community
- Supporter/Performer of the Arts
In addition students are required to write a Resume and Cover Letter related to their career and/ or college goals
12 th GRADE -
- Students shall use the first half of the year to ensure that all requirements have been met
- Students shall write a Summative Reflection of the entire portfolio to explain why they chose the entries they did and how this relates to their plans after high school
- Students may add up to “3” additional “best work” pieces
- Students shall defend their portfolios during the second half of the year to a predetermined Graduation Portfolio Review Committee. The committee will be comprised of administrators, teachers, support staff, parents and prominent members of the community
__________________________________________________________________
Student Responsibility
While the school will provide the resources and support necessary for successful portfolio completion and exhibition, it is the student’s responsibility to fulfill all requirements .
The student is expected to complete the assigned portfolio task within a specified pre-determined timeframe. If there are technical problems or other extenuating circumstances that prevent completion of an entry, it will be the student’s responsibility to seek out a solution to the problem. Ultimately the student must have a complete portfolio for graduation
CENTRAL FALLS HIGH SCHOOL students in the class of 2008 and beyond are bound by the Rhode Island Diploma System:
Students will be assessed in accordance with the RI High School Diploma System. Academic progress of Central Falls students is assessed in a variety of ways known as the Proficiency Based Graduation Requirements (PBGR). Beginning with the class of 2008, all students must show proficiency in essential learning expectations as reflected in specific tasks defined by the six core content areas. The core content areas include Mathematics, English Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Arts and Technology.
In order to graduate from Central Falls High School, students in the class of 2008 and beyond must complete the following:
__________________________________________________________________
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Earn 25 credits . Course credits are based on daily work, e- portfolios and end-of-course assessments that are common-scored by teachers in each department, including:
- English 4 credits
- Mathematics 3 credits*
- Science 3 credits
- Social Studies 3 credits
- Health & PE 2 credits
- Arts 2 credits
- Portfolio 1 credit
- Electives 7 credits *
*4 th year Math or Math-related credit required
**(3) of the (7) electives must be a combination of Applied Technology, Business Technology, and/or Foreign language courses.
Students must have a graduation portfolio in order to receive a high school diploma in RI. Academic credits alone are no longer sufficient for graduation purposes.
“…a student that fails his/her graduation portfolio must be offered an opportunity to redo the components that were failed. However, if a school has done all it can to support the student, has offered the student multiple opportunities to learn and practice his/her skills, has communicated clearly and carefully with all advisors, mentors, parents/guardians, has provided an opportunity to resubmit failed elements, and the student still does not pass, the student’s diploma should be withheld.”
The Rhode Island Department of Education, Portfolio Toolkit
|