The Oregon Diploma Project
“Student Choice, Voice, and Ownership”
Oregon Diploma Student Toolkit6/15/111
Table of Contents
Introduction...... 1
The Oregon Diploma Project: Student Choice, Voice, and Ownership...... 2
Sample Lesson Plan – “How to” Version...... 3
Classroom Activity Plan...... 5
Success and Strengths Free-Write...... 7
Background - Fast Facts...... 8
Deep Facts – The Oregon Diploma...... 10
Oregon Diploma Requirements...... 12
Discussion Guide for Meeting My Plan & Profile...... 14
Essential Skills for Graduation...... 15
Reading...... 16
Writing...... 17
Apply Math...... 18
Additional Web Resources for Students...... 19
Oregon Diploma Student Toolkit6/15/111
Introduction
The Oregon Diploma Project: “Student Choice, Voice, and Ownership” was developed through a grant in partnership with the Oregon Association of Student Councils (OSAC) and the Oregon Department of Education. In this pilot project, student leadersreceived training to mentor and teach younger students about the new graduation requirements.The pilot provided both information and incentive to the students who will be affected by the changes--and who better to help with that, than their peers! The message was not just about the change in requirements but also emphasized the notion of achieving success.
A special thanks to Nancy Moen, Program Director for Student Services at the Confederation of School Administrators (COSA), which includes OSAC and to Terry Witter, retired Gervais Advisor, who created the training materials and facilitated the trainings with students. The materials in the Student Toolkit were produced as a result of the grant.
For more information contact Theresa Levy, Diploma Implementation Coordinator, Oregon Department of Education, at 503-947-5736 or via e-mail at
Oregon Diploma Student Toolkit6/15/111
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The Oregon Diploma Project:
“Student Choice, Voice, and Ownership”
Dear Student Facilitator:
If you are holding this letter, you have volunteered to help teach students in the class of 2012 about the new graduation requirements and how they relate to their lives during and after high school.
What is the project?
“The Oregon Diploma Project – Student Choice, Voice, and Ownership” aims to help other students understand what they need to do to graduate from high school and to help them connect these graduation requirements to their own lives.
Why do we have a project?
Several years ago, many people in Oregon, including business leaders, community members, members of the legislature, educators, families, and students decided to improve schools statewide. Part of this effort resulted in new high school graduation requirements, which will first impact students who were enrolled as 9th graders in the 2008-09 school year. Using this toolkit, older students will: 1) teach younger students about the new state and local graduation requirements; 2) encourage them to relate the requirements to how they define success, and to identify their own strengths; and 3) help students begin to set academic goals and create personal plans. The primary goal throughout this project is to help students make school more meaningful.
How does this toolkit help you?
The toolkit will help you facilitate the lesson presenting the new graduation requirements. Feel free to modify it, change it, rewrite it, or use your own ideas while sharing information with your peers. Be creative, have fun, and ask advice from other students and teachers, counselors, parents and friends. Make this your own to best help your fellow students to have a “choice, voice and ownership” in their own future.
If you have any questions along the way, do not hesitate to contact Theresa Levy in the Office of Educational Improvement & Innovation, Oregon Department of Education at 503-947-5736 or via e-mail at .
Sample Lesson Plan – “How to” Version
Recommended Minimum Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes (75 minutes)
INTRODUCTION
This sample lesson plan describes activities to help ninth-grade students apply their education to their everyday lives outside of school and beyond graduation. This handout assumes that you, as a student facilitator, will work with other student facilitators and teachers as you prepare to teach this lesson. However, teachers, counselors and members of community groups may also use the toolkit’s plans and activity ideas to help students extend their learning beyond this session. This sample plan is a “jumping off point.” You can add, change and design what works best for you.
PURPOSE
The goal of education in Oregon is to prepare students to become responsible citizens, contribute to their own economic well-being (and to that of their families and communities) and enjoy satisfying and productive lives. In January of 2007, the State Board of Education voted to adopt new high school graduation requirements. School districts must provide students the opportunity to understand the importance of work and how performance, effort and decisions affect future career and educational opportunities.
This lesson uses hands-on activities to help students understand the connection between educational planning and a purposeful, satisfying life. The lesson also challenges students to make state and local graduation requirements more meaningful, building a foundation for future success.
OBJECTIVES
1.Students will learn the components of the new state graduation requirements, how they relate to local graduation requirements and why the state requirements are changing.
2.Students will consider ways the graduation requirements can help them create and achieve their own definition of personal success and ways to “be a success in their world.”
3.Students will learn how to set academic goals and create a personal plan.
MATERIALS: What will you need?
►Television with video player or computer
►“Did You Know” video
►Enough copies for the entire class of the following handouts:
- “Success and Strengths Free Write” Page
- Background Fast Facts – Oregon Diploma Project
- Deep Facts – Oregon Diploma Project
- Teacher Handout: “Discussion Guide for Meeting My Plan and Profile” (for teacher use after presentation)
- Education Profile (Sample)
- Large Sheets of Paper, Pens, Markers (two colors), Easel
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY PLAN
(75 minutes)
1.Introduce yourself, and use an Ice Breaker.(5 minutes)
Ice Breaker: Name Game (Favorite Vacation). Preferably, everyone is sitting in a circle, so everyone can see each other. Explain that everyone will introduce themselves. (Even in a regular class most of the class does NOT know everyone else’s name.) Everyone MUST also say where in the world they would like to visit or where their dream vacation is (location). This is to be brief.
2.Show the video “Did You Know?”(9 minutes)
►Tell students you will show a short video and lead a discussion afterwards.
►Let students know what to look for in the video:
- What were the most important messages conveyed in the video?
- What did you hear that you agreed with, what surprised you, or impacted you the most?
►Play the video, and watch it attentively yourself.
3.Discuss the video and lessons learned.(5 minutes)
►Ask students to think about the two discussion questions in #2 above and form pairs or small groups to discuss their answers.
►Ask the whole class to think about the video, and to summarize what they’ve learned so far.
- Do you know what you want to do after graduation?
- What tools will you need?
- What are business leaders, employers, and others saying they want in their employees?
4.Ask students to complete handout: “Success and Strengths Free-Write” page. (5 minutes)
►Discuss with students their definitions of success.
►Explain the assignment and focus questions:
- “How do you define success at home, school, work, or in your community?”
- “What strengths do you have that will help you succeed now and in the future?”
►Ask students to begin writing responses to each of the two questions and do the free-write yourself. (Pause a few minutes.)
►Ask the students if they have responses to each of the two questions. (Write responses on large sheets of paper.)
Materials:
►“Success and Strengths Free-Write” handout
►Large piece of paper, to record several definitions of success and strengths.
5.Explain reasons behind the project (seehandout “Fast Facts”).
►Let students know that one purpose is to help them make school more relevant to their own interests and definition of success.
►Tell students how your ninth-grade choices have influenced your choices now.
►There are new graduation requirements, beginning with students who were enrolled as 9th graders in the 2008-09 school year.
6.Presentation.(35 minutes)
“In response to business leaders, employers, educators, parents,and students…new diploma requirements have been developed.”(PowerPoint Presentation)
►Credit requirements
►Essential skills
►Personalized Learning Requirements
- Education Plan and Profile
- Career Related Learning Experiences
- Extended Application(e.g. Senior Project/Service Learning Projects)
7.Talk Back: Students share reactions and what they have learned.(3 minutes)
8.Summary.(10 minutes)
►Student Facilitator Summary
- “I wish I had known this when I was a freshman…”
- “Who can help you be successful?”
- Parents, Teachers, Counselors, Mentors
►Mentor/Advisory Teacher Summary
- Handout: Discussion Guide,“My Plan & Profile”
Success and Strengths Free-Write
Question 1: “How do you define success at home, school, work, or inyour community?” See examples to help you get started:
Oregon Diploma Student Toolkit6/15/111
Home
• Finishing chores
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School
• Learn something new each day
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Work
• Arriving on time
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My Community
• Help others and meet new people
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Oregon Diploma Student Toolkit6/15/111
Question 2: “What strengths do you have that will help you succeed in these areas of your life now and in the future?”
Oregon Diploma Student Toolkit6/15/111
Home
• Active listening
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School
• Using time well
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Work
• Getting along well with people
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My Community
• Being kind and helpful
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Oregon Diploma Student Toolkit6/15/111
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Background – Fast Facts
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS?
Education reform is the process of making school better for all students. This process has been underway in Oregon for several years. You’ve probably heard a lot about the OAKS and new graduation requirements. For many students, the OAKS is just another test and that’s all. There’s more to education reform than testing and new requirements.
A HIGH-TECH WORLD NEEDS HIGHLY SKILLED WORKERS.
It’s not enough for high school graduates to read and write, add and subtract. To support themselves and their families, today’s graduates need to know and be able to do complex tasks. This often requires high-level reading, writing, math, critical thinking and logical reasoning skills. In the past, high school graduates who lacked these skills found jobs that didn’t require them. But those jobs are fading fast. The Oregon Diploma is helping schools prepare all students for the 21st century world by ensuring they gain needed skills and knowledge.
SCHOOLS ARE WORKING HARD TO HELP YOU GET READY.
Today, Oregon has high, statewide standards called Oregon Academic Content Standards. These core standards are real-life skills and knowledge – things you’ll need to know and be able to do to be prepared for life after high school. Schools incorporate thestandards to help you prepare for work and life. Schools also check – using homework, classroom projects, state tests and more – to make sure you’re learning.
NEW GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS APPLY TO YOU.
Students who were enrolled as 9th graders in the 2008-09 school yearand beyond, face higher minimum graduation requirements than previous graduating classes. These requirements reinforce our state’s high expectations for student learning. The truth is, the more core classes you take, the greater your chances of mastering important skills and knowledge. Take challenging courses now so that all of your options are open when you graduate. Today’s ninth-graders have to meet three requirements to graduate:
►Course credits – earn at least 24 high school credits (districts may add more)
►Essential Skills
►Personalized Learning Requirements
- Education Plan and Profile (Make a plan for high school and beyond)
- Career Related Learning Experience
- Extended Application
- Career-Related Learning Standards
NOW IS THE TIME TO LEARN MORE AND BE PREPARED.
If you entered ninth grade in 2008, now is the time to plan which high school classes you’ll take, think about your strengths and weaknesses, and explore your college, career and life options. Educators and community leaders are ready to help you prepare and plan for graduation and beyond. But even students graduating before 2012 should care about the road ahead. Many school districts already use these new graduation requirements!
Talk to counselors, teachers, student leaders, parents and friends about them. Make sure you understand what they mean for you and start thinking about your plans for high school and beyond.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
My school requires more credits than the state. Which requirements should I follow?
State credit requirements are only minimums and local school districts can and do require additional credits. Be sure to follow your school requirements.
I want to go to college. What classes do I need to take?
Make sure you do research and find out! You may complete your district requirements but find out you didn’t take enough math, science or foreign language to get into your favorite school. Use your electives wisely! Colleges tend to focus on the core subjects of English, math and science, so challenge yourself and don’t just take the easy classes. Important note: Most colleges and universities require you to take at least two years of world language in high school. Check with your counselor for details.
GET MORE INFORMATION
Do you have more questions about education reform, graduation requirements and exploring your options? There are some great resources available.
►Talk to your school guidance counselor.
►Visit your local school or district web site.
►Check out the Oregon Department of Education’s Web site:
►Visit The Oregon Diploma webpage the Get Ready Oregon! webpage
►Visit the Oregon Student Assistance Commission (OSAC). The site has scholarship information and is the student financial aid agency for Oregon (formerly named Oregon StateScholarship Commission)
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Deep Facts – The Oregon Diploma
OREGON’S EDUCATION PLAN & PROFILE
As a student graduating from an Oregon high school, you must outline how you plan to meet your high school graduation requirements and how you will spend your first year out of high school. Creating a plan will help you start thinking about your future and focus on the courses you need to prepare for your career and educational interests, no matter what direction you plan to take.
THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE YOUR PLAN AND PROFILE A SUCCESS
►List your interests, experiences and skills.
►Research jobs and careers that might interest you.
►Look into whether there are other courses at your school or elsewhere that could help you meet the goals in your plan.
►Talk about your plan with your family.
►Expect to review and revise your plan once you create it.
►Find ways to talk to people in business, labor, government, the community, college and training programs about your plan. They can give you great ideas and feedback.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR PLAN
Your school should make sure that you:
►Have the support you need at school to make a successful plan;
►Are taught a planning process that helps you create, review and revise your plan;
►Are prepared for the options you want to choose after high school;
►Have ways to involve your family in the development of your plan.
HIGH SCHOOL COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Let’s be honest. To graduate from high school you have to meet certain minimum credit requirements. But the courses you need for graduation might not be enough to get into your chosen college or training program, or to qualify you for certain scholarship and financial aid programs. Usually, colleges, universities and trade schools require more classes, better grades and higher test scores than you need to graduate from high school.