ASSESSMENT

Signature projects include built-in assessment methods so that the teacher and students know the project is a success. Assessment methods measure students' achievement of the disciplinary knowledge and applied learning goals of the project. Throughout the project, student work provides evidence of progress; students complete deliverables will they need to complete prior to the final exhibition?

Signature Projects are academically rigorous applied learning projects that are a hallmark of School to Career practice in Boston. Signature Projects are characterized by six A's:
   Authenticity
   Academic Rigor
   Applied Learning
   Active Exploration
   Adult Connections
Assessment

Examples of Assessment

Web Site Project
O'Bryant

Students will receive feedback on the web site via email and personal communication from their peers, school staff, school parents, Office of Technology staff, Office of Informational Service staff, and other industry professionals. A group evaluative meeting will be conducted one month after the site has been launched.

School to Career Pathway Video Project
Brighton

Students and experts collaborate in developing the project rubric. ♦ Participants establish and evaluate production benchmark. ♦ Students used a task description with a rubric to assess project progress. ♦ Teachers, students, and industry representatives perform regular progress reviews. ♦ Project completion. ♦ Students present video to various audiences.

Westie Water Wars Project
West Roxbury

Teacher reviews student ability to individually perform six water quality tests from LaMotte water testing kit and UEI protocol manual. ♦ Student teams evaluate products (computer slide shows, docucerts, video tape) along with organization and presentation skills at learning festivals and conference. ♦ Students use a task description with a rubric to assess projects. The goal is a 4! * Students participate in developing the rubric to make it clear and unequivocally fair. They have a stake in their success. ♦ Students keep notebooks, portfolios and floppy disks for regular progress review. ♦ Students produce an Internet Webography, video documentary, PSA storyboards and 30 sec. PSA's evaluated by professionals. ♦ Students keep notebook that is critiqued and evaluated by teacher and/or professionals of annotated research sources; Portfolio products include video treatment, storyboard, script and video production, and video production steps; Video screening and Oral review. ♦ Students make journal entries: describe, analyze and reflect on personal practice; Task description/Did I? sheets: Web map, research, questionnaire/survey, E-Buddies communication. Feedback provided by teacher.

Business Plan (NFTE) Project
East Boston

Business plan coaches meet with students on a regular business to assist students in developing their plans. Individuals will also be used from the community to act as judges for the business plan competition.

One in a Million Class Fund Project
Charlestown

Students are evaluated for group work as well as individual investment proposals and presentations. There are incentives for performing additional tasks, such as volunteering to speak at an information session for teachers interested in investing, or selling the most shares in the class fund. Students ultimately write a letter and submit a report to investors, informing them of the choice of stocks purchased, the portfolio's overall return on investment, and the most likely explanation for this result. They also present a graph depicting the daily fluctuations in the stock prices.

Students' work is critiqued based on the basic STC competencies. Individual work must meet standards for content and presentation. The grading system and rubrics used by teacher are derived directly from assignment sheets. Groups are also judged based on their effectiveness at dividing tasks and sharing the work. Each group, at the beginning of the project, writes a statement that describes their group dynamics and their plan for cohesiveness. In this document they indicate strengths and weaknesses of members and describe expected roles. These documents become the rubrics for group assessment by the teacher.

ETA / City Build
Mary Baker Eddy Entryway Structural Design Project
Dorchester

The students develop a model / prototype of the Entryway of the Mary Baker Eddy Library for presentation to a panel of engineers, architects, and construction workers. In the process, students participate in peer evaluation of the design, present to the school community as well as receive a grade for the class. During the presentation, students discuss the foundation of the schematic and reflect on the engineering and scientific principles used in the design.

From pH to Parkland Project
Charlestown

Detailed rubric includes criteria for graphs, analysis of graphs, bird summaries and drawings, presentation, and group-completed report and recommendations ♦ Weekly field sheets completed during field work ♦ Successful delivery of presentation ♦ Group-completed display

Books and Bookings Project
East Boston

Students will meet with the Chamber of Commerce, Main Streets Program, Children's Museum , Private Industry Council, and colleges with whom we have articulating agreements.

Children's Books - Read Them! Share Them! Write Them!
Boston High and West Roxbury

Students know that their project is a success if they can engage an audience of their peers and/or younger children while reading aloud. The criteria for a successful product includes a well written story that includes all five elements of the short story, a story that is appropriate for the age group that was targeted, the book was completed on time and of professional quality (word processed, correct punctuation, spelling, and grammar, with pictures or graphics that are age appropriate and related to the story), and the story was presented orally with evidence of time, focus, and commitment. The story map, rough drafts, and final draft reflect progress for the project. Before the final presentation a "Did I" sheet needs to be completed to demonstrate the students completion of all tasks related to the assignment. A rubric is aligned to the "Did I" sheet and the students give themselves a score before the product is submitted.

Codman Square Lead Contamination Initiative
Dorchester

The students develop products for distribution in the community and present their findings to a number of different audiences in the community. The students do offer peer evaluations as well as receive individual grades for class assignments and tests.

Narrowing the Digital Divide by Building Computers Project
J.E. Burke

The students will upgrade and/or build an operating computer to take home. Student use task descriptions, checklists, and logs for regular progress review. Teachers and professionals evaluate the video.

TechAssist - Helping Schools Help Themselves
Madison Park

Tests/quizzes given to students to test their knowledge during the process. ♦ Inventory and troubleshooting sheets, as well as log sheets, are reviewed on a consistent basis. ♦ The computers work and the customers are happy and invite us back and refer us to do more jobs.