How will the Graduation Project be accomplished at Sanderson High School?
The Graduation Project will be managed through the Steering Committee, the English classes, the entire staff, and the online web page. Timelines, forms, advisors, and mentors will be available to students to assist them in tracking their progress. The advisors and mentors will be secured by each student.

What assistance will be provided to students for preparing the graduation exit project, product, presentation, and paper- the 4Ps?
Each student is to have a Graduation Project Advisor who will be involved in the following:
a. Approve the student’s topic in collaboration with other teachers.
b. Guide the student through all components of the project.
c. Instruct the student in the proper form and process for writing the paper.

Will students be able to select their own topics for the projects?
Yes. Students will be able to select their own topics for the projects, but topics/projects will require approval through the school’s Graduation Project process.

Who will monitor the projects?
Each student will have an academic advisor, either chosen or assigned. Sanderson has a project coordinator and a steering committee who will
also monitor the process.

Will students and parents be provided a copy of the grading rubrics used for each of the 4 Ps?
Yes. The Steering Committee at Sanderson will distribute copies of the four rubrics to all staff, provide access of the rubrics on a shared server, allow
parents and students to access each rubric from our web site, and distribute the rubric to each student during the orientation to the Graduation Project. The rubrics are also available here.

What support will there be for at-risk students?
Go to the DPI web site and see Chapter 5:Intervention Strategies for the North Carolina Graduation Project.

What type of information should be included in the student portfolio?
Go to the DPI web site mentioned above and look at Chapter One and Appendix F.

How are we going to track transfer students to ensure they meet the graduation requirements?
Transfer students will be followed by the administration, guidance, the academic advisor, or graduation project coordinator to ensure they meet the graduation requirements.

Will Sanderson give Graduation Project waivers for students who transfer to North Carolina during the second of their semester senior year?
Yes.

What happens to the students who do not make standard on all four components-paper, product, portfolio, presentation?
High school exit standards are required to receive a high school diploma.

Will students at Sanderson will able to complete the project prior to their senior year?
The process will begin in their freshman year and culminate in their senior year.

Will Sanderson, the county, or the state provide any funding for students who cannot afford the cost of their project?
No. The project will not be evaluated on the amount of money the student has spent. Each project will be evaluated on its authenticity and evidence of
the student’s learning.

What are the changes for graduation requirements as a result of the new exit standards?
In addition to receiving proficiency on the five End-Of-Course exams (Algebra, Biology, English I, Civics and Economics, and U.S. History), students will also be required to complete and successfully pass the Graduation Project.

When did the exit standards go into effect?
The exit standards went into effect with the entering ninth grade class of 2006-07.

Will the exit standards be applicable for all students?
Yes. The exit standards will be applicable for all students. There will be, however, additional considerations that are applicable to exceptional needs children that will be dealt with on an individual basis by the Steering Committee. Students is the Occupational Course of Study are exempt from the exit standards requirement.

Will Sanderson provide guidance for any senior who fails any component of the project?
Yes. Sanderson will design a process where students can resubmit any/all of the components that were not at standard for passing.

How is a mentor selected?
The North Carolina Implementation Guide located on the DPI web site will provide information on the process for selecting an appropriate mentor.

Will the paper be modified for exceptional students (LD, BED, etc.)?
Sanderson will align any modifications to the individual student’s IEP.

If the project is placed in the senior English and a student does not pass the project, does that mean that the student will fail English?
No. English is a separate grade. The project is only connected to English through the written components of the project since all students at Sanderson take English. Passing English as a course and passing the Graduation Project are two separate tasks.

Since the paper is being done in the English classes, does it have to literary based?
No. The topic is open to almost anything and is of the student’s choice. The North Carolina Graduation Project Implementation Guide provides numerous suggestions for topics in a variety of areas/fields.

Can a student decide not to participate in the Graduation Project?
Yes, but the student will not receive a high school diploma. This is now a required component for graduation as set by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Neither Sanderson High School nor Wake County Public Schools has the authority to override this decision.