Culminating project

A culminating project (also known as a senior project, grad project or exit project), is a project that challenges high school seniors to demonstrate their academic knowledge in an experiential way (in most cases). According to the US Dept of Education State Education Boards typically allow individual school districts to customize the project, based on basic state guidelines.

People reporting on the culminating project sometimes confuse the terminology with the state high school exit exam. The state exit exam is a written exam that usually tests student’s math, reading, writing, and science skills, whereas the culminating project is a required project that is usually a learning experience based on a topic chosen by the student. The project is mandatory in order to graduate.

The purpose of the project is to increase both teaching and learning. High school graduation standards have declined for several decades. School reform or the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a way to bring value back to the high school diploma as well as support students as they go out into the world prepared for college, a job, the military, entrepreneurship, internship, or whatever path students decide to follow once they graduate.

The requirement is an effort to increase the education standards. As college admissions and the workplace require more from their recruits, nationwide high school must too.

In an effort to be clear, it is restated that the culminating project is not required by all schools. Again, parents and guardians would have to check with the student’s school official website for graduation requirements.

However, for students that are required to complete a culminating project, this is a chance for the student to explore a topic of personal interest. The project provides an opportunity that student may not have otherwise. By completing the project, students have a real life experience that can help them in their next adventure in life (college, job, entrepreneurship, military, internship, etc.).

Students gain a number of important skills by participating in the process such as,

The high school graduation culminating project format varies from state to state and even school to school within the same state. Parents and guardians will have to check with their students specific school for their requirements. Typically the project consists of choosing a topic of interest, writing a research paper on that topic, having an experience directly related to the topic, keeping a journal of artifacts demonstrating your work, followed by the final step which is a presentation (US Dept of Education).

...
Wikipedia