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The first thing to remember is that Senior Project® is only a program which means it is as good or as bad as we make it. The key to implementation and success is hinged on several beliefs. All graduating exit students should be actively engaged and rigorously involved in learning and applying sophisticated skills. The senior year should be challenging and, to some degree, student-driven. Remember, 75% of the students in traditional high schools are "Wanna Be’s." They want to be seniors. They watch seniors, model what seniors do, and can’t wait to become seniors themselves. If these students see seniors as disengaged and laid back, then they perceive the last year of high school as easy and unimportant. However, if they see the seniors challenged, excited, and meeting a requirement framed by high standards, learning tension, interest, and skill, then they see the senior year as challenging and critical to their future. Senior Project® high schools believe the seniors deserve the best efforts and highest expectations. After all, shouldn’t seniors represent the most skilled and educated students in the high school?

Senior Project® high schools believe it is a mistake to ask too little of the seniors. Planning and preparing college or workforce applications, though important, should not be the rigorous, defining focus of the senior year. We shouldn’t accept irresponsibility and disengagement as normal, nor should we allow substandard work.

Though lowering the senior year bar may represent a tolerance policy and be a traditional mind set, it does not prepare seniors for life after graduation. Success in life, school, employment, relationships, and financial stability—all require hard work, goal setting, commitment, and problem-solving abilities.

Diplomas should not be "given," but rather "earned." Earning a diploma, like most things of worth, takes time, work, focus, and a competent, accountable skill demonstration during the exit year.

In other words, a culminating performance demanding sophisticated skill application and student initiative should be a standard exit expectation. It is important to require that seniors work hard, problem solve, and practice self-directed learning. In doing so, they’ll likely exhibit excitement and interest in reaching a personal educational goal.

Because we are committed to the idea that every educator is a teacher of seniors, we are skeptical of a process that implies only certain people teach seniors. In reality, seniors are the end result of a huge effort involving a large number of people. The little child in kindergarten is simply a "senior in progress." In fact, all educators teach seniors, so we should all be aware of seniors’ skill levels and the quality of work they produce. How can a viable curricula be developed if we, as an educational family, do not all sit down as a team and review together the active work and applied skills of our graduates?

Consequently, quality Senior Project® programs embrace all staff, all seniors, the community, and are district-wide endeavors that are not isolated. Senior Project® represents a long-term educational legacy that requires a vision and a continued commitment. Stellar programs take time to develop and need to be evaluated, upgraded, monitored, and adjusted every year. The staff should be willing to take some risks, think outside the box, and make some mistakes. The old saying, "If you are not making any mistakes, you are probably not making anything" certainly applies to the Senior Project®. No amount of information, planning, or prior experience will make the path perfectly clear. Sophisticated programs represent hard work and constant vigilance, just as all good teaching does.

Of course, there is a great deal of excitement, many expectations, some struggling, and much problem solving and, occasionally, program challenges from staff, parents and seniors. (Remember, no amount of information, planning, or prior experience will ever make the path perfectly clear.) The program is complex and encompassing. Sophisticated programs do not happen the first year; quality takes time and work. We advise schools to set yearly goals and maintain perspective. However, perhaps the most universal experience is double-edged. One side is filled with pride, excitement, and a vision of what could be. The other side represents stress, concern and surprise related to the overall quality of the seniors’ work and, often, evidence of lack of skills or appropriate attitudes. The Senior Project® often begins with duality: excitement and frustration.

Some schools implement a Senior Project® program and experience little conflict. Others end up embroiled in escalating conflict. Often careful prior planning alleviates some of the challenges. Anticipate and prepare to address those issues that might create concern:

• Feelings of lack of communication or false information
• Increasing requirements
• Increasing workload
• Implementing change
• Shifting the ‘traditional’ senior year
• Jeopardizing graduation

Many times program challenges can take a great deal of time to resolve. Often the challenges are based upon erroneous and/or lack of communication or fear of change. Traditionally, the senior year has, for decades, changed very little. Parents and students are often concerned about GPA’s and workload. (Research indicates that the senior year is not particularly rigorous though many seniors work and are in AP or honor courses.) Of course, when these same students enter college or the workforce, their lives, the expectations, skills and understanding of requirements necessary to move forward successfully multiply. Once a student has graduated, few parents feel comfortable contacting their child’s professors to discuss the workload requirements, assignments or grades just as few parents feel comfortable calling employers to discuss job requirements, salaries or projects assigned their son or daughter. We must maintain a realistic transition between high school and the "Real World."

Though all graduating seniors should be able to read, write, think, and speak, many students (regardless of grades) do not demonstrate strong, independent skill application. Often students are so heavily coached or cautiously guided that their work is not really reflective of what they can do independently. Sometimes a student’s final work represents a hidden and quiet group effort: teachers, peers, parents, siblings, coaches, mentors, friends, and neighbors. The grades and work may be misleading and not truly indicative of the student’s abilities. (Consider the extremely high college dropout rate; only about 25%–30% of those who enroll finish. In addition, the number of businesses that decry the poor attitudes, skills, and abilities of high school graduates may indicate the lack of solid skills.)

Staff concerns often involve Senior Project® issues related to workload, lack of training or change. Teaching and administrating in the traditional setting is difficult enough. Adding a new program often increases stress and uneasiness. Also, new programs come and go, and some veterans are reluctant to invest time and energy unless it becomes clear that the Senior Project® is meaningful, worthwhile, ‘here to stay’ and supported by not only the staff but the administration. (The Senior Project® process should be part of the workday, fall within teacher contract and not be an ‘add on.’) Clearly, the Senior Project® does increase the workload of some staff or (perhaps) all depending upon the model. Of course, the key is to thoughtfully, selectively abandon some of the prior duties and requirements. Efforts should not be duplicated, workload should be shared, and time and compensation adjusted.

Senior Project® high schools experience a renewed energy and sense of focus. Staff members join together and engage in very directed goal setting, curricula revision, and teaching strategy discussions. The beauty of the process is that this experience is not extrinsically motivated but is intrinsically generated. There are no threats or sanctions but rather good educators simply balancing the opportunity and challenge. They not only want students to do well but understand that too much help promises unnecessary dependence. They move back and work within the framework of a student-driven process. Graduation should occur when the teacher is no longer needed. Senior Project® high schools work toward that vision.

Perhaps one of the most common mistakes is not developing a long-term commitment or lasting vision. The commitment and vision need to be supported, revisited, tended, and nurtured. Good things grow from a well-tended garden. Sometimes the Senior Project® is simply "planted" in the curriculum with minimum understanding. The full workload falls on just a few, staff engagement is limited, the administrative and school board interest and support dwindle once the program is implemented, and then the standards and expectations are hard to maintain or become weakened.

Senior Project® is a complex blend of performance-based and traditional teaching and learning. Because of this, the learning curve is high not only for the students but also for the adults. Unfortunately, some staff and/or administrators may operate under the assumption of controlled isolation believing that individual teaching assignments and/or new programs are unrelated to other disciplines, people or other jobs. These folks view involvement or the expectations of others as territorial threats, rather than an opportunity. The inability or unwillingness to work as a team impacts program quality.

Common missteps occur when a high school and/or district has not taken the time or invested the money to ensure that the staff and the implementing team have attended a Senior Project® training and/or haven't received release time for program planning. Training avoids wasted time, alleviates some of the struggles encountered and addresses ways to avoid emotional burnout as well as underscoring ways to ensure program quality.

Also, a school or a district may not understand the workload options and, therefore, assign program responsibilities without addressing the obvious. A program established in this environment usually exists more because of compliance than real commitment.

During the process, the students operate in a real-world setting; a world where:

• Success and simple solutions are not guaranteed.
• Sometimes one must work hard and work late.
• Individual effort is important and valued.
• Flexibility is necessary.
• Personal sacrifice may be tied to personal gain.
• One must learn to work solo.
• One must learn to work with someone else.
• Asking critical questions is a skill.
• Frustration and stress may rear their heads.
• Best-made plans may not always work.
• Self-evaluation is constant.
• Sometimes uncertainty rules.
• Feelings of independence are enjoyed.
• Learning can be fun.
• Excitement is felt.
• Some things are simply boring.
• Creativity is required.
• Personal ownership and engagement motivate.
• Interpersonal skills are practiced.
• Personal growth and empowerment are powerful and sustaining.

Yes, you don’t want your judges to be in the dark about student presentations. Give them as much information as you can. Why?

It provides judges time to come up with questions.
It gives judges information about the student.
It focuses judges on the presentation.
It lets judges know how diligently the students have worked, plus it encourages students to work harder knowing that someone else will be reviewing their work.