Middle College High School: AVID Senior Portfolio Design
Table of Contents
Produce a hard copy portfolio in preparation for the Portfolio evaluation and interview.
Produce CANVAS eportfolio. (Refer to CANVAS eportfolio tutorial video)
Save on the SAUSD Google Drive pdfs, Google Docs for upload to CANVAS eportfolio.
Google username: Your Student ID
Google password: Use your eight digit Date of Birth—mmdd19yy
Portfolio Requirements Checklist: Organized in this order:
Student Name: ______ID:#______AVID Teacher: ______Period:______
Portfolio Piece / ü / Points / Needs Review / CommentsGoals/Career Development Growth
o Cover Letter / /10
o Resume / /10
o Personal Statement / /10
o Transcripts / /10
o Letter of Recommendation #1 / /10
o Letter of Recommendation #2 / /10
Meeting the CCSS Academic Standards/MCHS Student Learner Outcomes
o Santa Ana College Course Work: Multimedia Projects/Research Essays/Lab Reports / /10
o AVID: College/Career Planning Projects/Assignments / /10
o History/Social Science Projects / /10
o English Projects/Essays / /10
o Science Projects / /10
o Mathematics Projects / /10
o Electives: Drama, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, etc. / /10
o Evidence of Growth and Reflection: Comparative Analysis Paragraphs / /10
Community Service
o Community Service Logs / /20
o Proof of Community Service with Reflection: Impact of Community Service / /20
Appendix / /20
o Accomplishments
o Awards
o Self-Evaluation of Personal Qualities
o Other:
Cover Letter
Your Street Name
Santa Ana, CA Zip
Date of Letter (be sure to write the complete date)
Senior Portfolio Committee
Middle College High School
1530 W. 17th St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706
Dear Senior Portfolio Committee:
Paragraph 1:
o State the general purpose of the letter
o Tell about yourself:
o Emphasize your strengths, qualities, and important achievements
o Describe your career goals/personal ambitions
Paragraph 2: Write about specific contents of your portfolio and what you would like the reader to focus on or recognize as accomplishments. Indicate how your portfolio connects to your career goals. You should include the following in your writing:
o A brief description of your best work sample
o What special abilities the example highlights
o What you learned from doing this piece.
Paragraph 3: Tell about what the portfolio means to you; explain how it may help you reach your goals:
o How the portfolio related to your career goals
o How your work has improved
o What you achieved by completing your portfolio
Paragraph 4: Acknowledge and thank the committee for taking the time to review your portfolio; you may also thank any additional people who may have contributed to your success.
Sincerely yours,
Student Name
Resume
This is a one-page personal information sheet summarizing your experiences, qualifications, and special skills.
Your final resume must be typed and include the following:
o Header: Contact information (name, address, phone, email address)
o Objective: education and career plans
o Education
o Experience: paid and/or unpaid work experiences
o Skills and Languages
o Awards/Achievements
When formatting the resume, be sure to demonstrate:
· Career preparation skills
· Awareness of career goals
· Accuracy
· Completeness
· Neatness, professional overall appearance
· Uniform use of font size for categories, aligned bullets, correct spelling/grammar
Resume Planner:
Header:Name
Address
Objective / To obtain admission to UC Irvine to pursue studies in biology.
Education / Santa Ana College, Santa Ana, CA, June 2016
Overall GPA 3.7; Associate of Arts
Middle College High School, Santa Ana CA, June 2016
Overall GPA 3.9; Honor Roll each semester (optional)
Experience
Tutor, Think Together Program, Martin Elementary, Santa Ana, CA
Fall 2013-present
· Helped elementary school students apply mathematic and scientific concepts to their homework assignments
· Coordinated sports activities and social events
· Mentored students with reading and study skills strategies
Volunteer, Loaves and Fish Soup Kitchen, Santa Ana, CA
Spring 2014-present
· Served meals to over 50 families each week
· Assisted in preparation of meals
· Conducted food drives and collected donations
Skills and Languages
· Fluent in Spanish/English/American Sign Language
· Computer skills
· Researching and resource skills
Awards / · Middle College High School Gold Academic Excellence Award, 2013-15
· Bicultural Seal of Literacy Award, 2014
· Presidential Community Service Award, 2015
References / · Available upon request
UC Insightful Questions
The personal statement is an opportunity to tell readers about yourself beyond the formal application data. Reflect on the prompts and provide specific, concrete examples to convey your hopes, ambitions, or life experiences in an authentic voice. Present your information and ideas in a focused, deliberate and meaningful manner. Avoid writing a personal statement that is vague or unsupported by details (such as listing qualities and accomplishments).
Freshman applicants: Personal insight questions
Answer any 4 of the following 8 questions:
1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
Resource:
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/personal-questions/freshman/
Student Information Worksheet for Letter of Recommendation
Name: ______Student ID:______email:______
Writer of the Letter / Date the writer indicated the letter of recommendation letter will be completed:AVID teacher
Academic teacher
College Professor
SAC College Counselor
MCHS Counselor
Community Service Director
Other:
How long the person has known you:______
Describe your relationship to the writer and why this person can offer a fresh perspective about your individuality, work ethic, commitment, and intellectual endeavors, etc. Provide specific examples of activities, assignments, or interactions/experiences to highlight your qualities, profile, and character to help the writer focus on your strengths/contributions.
______
Relevant family history:
Provide concise profile of your family
A compelling backstory: greatest challenges in your life/hurdles you have overcome)
College and Career Plans/Aspirations (area of study/career interests, etc.)
Possible majors
Personal goals
Professional goals
Universities/colleges applying for admission
Associate of Arts (AA) status: (are you on track to earn the AA; how many college units have you completed thus far)
Academic Rigor: identify 4-5 college courses (including any Honors level) that you have taken to demonstrate rigor/use of critical thinking/writing/problem solving; describe a key assignment that you did well in to prove your ability to handle college level expectations.
Activities that show initiative, intellectual curiosity, resourcefulness, and self-agency or independence.
Individual accomplishments (academic and school-related; give grade level, offices held, etc.)
Community Service Activities/Involvement (church, charity, school-related service projects, independent community service endeavors, etc.)
Awards/Honors (include the name/year for the academic award, community service, certifications, etc.)
Employment Experiences (hours/week, work responsibilities, etc.)
Individuality: What else is important to note about you to make you stand out in a letter?
Make an impression: 6 words that best describe you supported by examples/actions
Other:
Self-Evaluation of Personal Qualities
Qualities / Concrete Examples/Evidence / Needs improvement / Average / Real StrengthLeadership
Self-discipline
Organization
Self-confidence/Assertiveness
Resilience: reaction to set backs or obstacles
Willingness to take risks/ stretch boundaries
Collaboration Skills: ability to work productively and to get along with others
Work Ethic: willingness to set short/long goals and to work hard to achieve them
Creativity/Imagination/Innovation
Critical Writing: Ability to write critically using cited evidence/research skills
Critical Reading: Ability to read and understand complex texts
Communication skills: Ability to express self orally
Empathy/Compassion: concern for others
Growth potential:
Other Qualities:
Academic/Intellectual:
· Describe your academic performance throughout high school; include your strengths and weaknesses or areas for growth.
· Would you change the way you approached your education?
Personal/Interpersonal:
· What extracurricular, community service or employment activities have you participated in? Describe how you have made an impact or have been influenced by this activity.
· Describe, if any, life challenges that you feel played an important part during high school with our academic performance and/or personal relationships.
Affirmation:
· Write a brief statement about why the college (s) to which you are applying should accept you given your profile as a student (academic, leadership, extracurricular, talent, life challenge, special need, etc.)
Caption Sheet Cover Page Template for Each Work Sample
Title of Assignment: ______
Name: ______
Subject: ______Gr. _____
CCSS/College and Career Readiness Standards:
o Select two target standards addressed in this assignment.
MCHS Student Learner Outcomes:
o Identify the SLO’s demonstrated in this assignment.
Purpose of the assignment:
o Explain what the paper or project required. Include details so your readers can easily understand the assignment and the steps taken to complete it.
Reflection:
o Explain how the assignment meets the particular CCSS standards addressed.
o Analyze what you learned by completing this assignment.
o Explain how the skills used and developed through the process of completing this assignment connect to your future goals.
o Evaluate the significance of the piece submitted as evidence. Why is this particular project/essay relevant to you? What were the benefits of doing this work?
Evidence of Growth and Reflection: A Comparative Analysis
Evidence of Growth: pick two assignments from the same discipline from two different grade levels (ex: two essays, two projects, two science labs, etc.) to demonstrate your growth in the academic skills/standards being addressed. For example, you can include an essay from your freshman year to contrast with an essay written in your senior year to show the contrast in skills you have acquired.
Growth Reflection:
Write two paragraphs to reflection on one particular area of growth as represented in the evidence provided. In the first paragraph, discuss the earlier work in detail and comment on the skills demonstrated; in the second paragraph, discuss the second work by contrasting the skills. Show how growth in the second assignment illustrates your maturity and academic preparation for future goals.
Name:
Senior AVID
Total Hours of Community Service (Gr. 9-12): ______
AVID Community Service Log Summary and Reflection Essay
Part I: Community Service Log at a Glance (9th-12th)
Total Number of Community Service Hours from Gr. 9 thru 12: ______
Grade 9:
Date / Organization/Location / My Activity/Responsibilities / Hours served
Total Community Service Hours:
Verified by:
Grade 10:
Date / Organization/Location / My Activity/Responsibilities / Hours served
Total Community Service Hours:
Verified by:
Grade 11:
Date / Organization/Location / My Activity/Responsibilities / Hours served
Total Community Service Hours:
Verified by:
Grade 12:
Date / Organization/Location / My Activity/Responsibilities / Hours served
Total Community Service Hours:
Verified by:
Part II: Reflection Essay:
Writing Prompt: Consider this statement: “Service is the rent we pay for living.” Reflect on all your community service endeavors and analyze the impact of your investment of time in energy. Using details from the log describing your activities/responsibilities, explain how you have been an agent of change in our community and how you have been transformed or enriched by these experiences.
Consider: Who, What, Why, When, Where, How? Construct a thoughtful reflection using information from your charts. (Add as many paragraphs as needed):
· Paragraph 1: Introduce your community service projects, the hours you invested, and explain why you value these projects.
· Paragraph 2: Describe the learning experiences you encountered and explain how you service helped others. In other words, how did you make a difference. Be specific and cite concrete/personal connections.
· Paragraph 3: How have you been transformed? What new skills did you gain? Did you gain a new perspective? How are you motivated by these activities? How has these experiences made a difference in your very own life?
Middle College High School Community Service Log
Student Name: ______
Grade Level: ___
Year of Graduation: _____
Semester: _____
Date / Hours / Description of Activity / Supervisor’s Title / Supervisor’s SignatureTotal Hours:
By signing here, I certify that the activities and hours listed above are legitimate and accurate.
Student Signature:______Date: ______
Parent/Guardian Signature:______Date:______
Community Service Verification Log and Reflection
Middle College High School
Student Name:______
Student ID:______
Grade Level:______
Volunteer Event:
Name of Organization/Club: ______
Address:______
______
Phone: ______
o Description of Community Service Completed:
o How did your community service impact the organization you served?
o What did you learn or gain through the experience?
Log of Hours
Dates / Hours / Dates / HoursTotal Hours for this organization ______
Signatures below affirm that the nature of the community service and the hours logged are accurately described.
Organization Supervisor Signature: ______Date: ______
Student Signature: ______Date:______
Parent Signature: ______Date:______
Professional Standards for the Portfolio Interview/Presentation
1. Dress for success: Keep it simple and professional to make a good first impression.
Men: slacks, sports coat, tie, dress shirt