Information for Administrators, Educators, Parents, and Students: Resources for Senior, Culminating, or Capstone Projects

The "senior project" has been defined as a culminating high school initiative that demonstrates your students' ability to write, speak, acquire and use knowledge, solve problems, and apply a variety of skills, including time management and task analysis. It is a culminating assessment that demonstrates what students know and can do as they prepare to graduate. It prepares them for college and/or the workplace and can help them transform their senior year into one that is uniquely challenging and stimulating. The project normally requires that students use comprehensive resources as they work through the four general phases of the process, namely; 1. writing a research paper that reflects their information acquisition and literacy skills; 2. conducting a rigorous, self-identified project; 3. developing a portfolio demonstrating and verifying the process they used; and 4. delivering a formal -- usually oral -- presentation on their findings, conclusions, and recommendations. This document contains information about the growing number of students who are completing senior, capstone, or culminating projects, and the goals and execution of these projects.