District outlines senior capstone and virtual-academy capstone tied to strategic plan

District staff and guest presenters described a new senior capstone aligned with strategic-plan item 1.6 and tailored for both in-person and virtual-academy students.

The proposed capstone contains three sections — academic, service to others and service to self — with students required to complete a selection of tasks in each category, compile artifacts into a Google Drive portfolio and present a culminating expo or digital showcase. Presenters said the capstone is tied to a small credit (pass/fail or graded quarter credit) for seniors and is intended to be introduced to juniors during the second semester kickoff so students have time to collect artifacts across trimesters.

A virtual-academy student gave an example capstone presentation and said they planned to attend college in January 2025, noting the course helped them pursue postsecondary visits and college credits. Presenters said Carolyn Lundt (high-school math) will host the course in Google Classroom and that staff will monitor progress weekly and contact families when students receive low-progress warnings.

Board members asked whether the capstone would be mandatory for graduation or expected as a senior showcase; staff said the intent is to make it meaningful and integrated into school time rather than a checkbox exercise, while preserving flexibility for students on work pathways. Discussion emphasized the need for clear teacher support, scheduled in-school time to complete capstone work, and measurable expectations so artifacts can be used for scholarships and resumes. Several board members recommended a template and regular check-ins with assigned advisers to prevent capstone work from adding undue out-of-class burden on families and teachers.

Next steps noted by staff: refine the capstone rubric, pilot the Google Classroom workflow, provide a rubric/template for advisors and present a final recommendation to the board at a future meeting.