Written by Justin Escobales  |

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As you can see from the title, this is just an update on the status of the Junior Portfolio, the assignment that we (sophomores) have to do junior year as a requirement for graduation. As far as I can see, we still have no idea what is going on. We understand that we have to gather work, and that we have to specifically ask for the special rubrics that are for the portfolio. We don’t get the rubric with most assignments. This has led to very few sophomores having many materials collected for an assignment due next year as a graduation requirement. Who is to blame for this? I would say the teachers, but that isn’t true.  Last year some teachers didn’t even know it was happening.

For the last three weeks we have had workshops on the Junior Portfolio. Were these workshops productive? “Yeah a little bit.” says Jason Hicks.  “I feel there isn’t enough information” says Bailey Shea. Some of the seniors, who were running the workshop, didn’t know what was going on though, which isn’t really their fault considering it isn’t their problem. These workshops recently spawned little worksheets for us to fill out for each rubric. The questions on it are either easily answered or extremely vague.

During our freshman year, we were given assignments specifically for the Junior Portfolio. However, these weren’t that useful because we didn’t understand how the rubrics worked. Some of us still don’t understand. They look simple enough. They have five categories, and in each, several small blanks for us to fill in. Apparently, the idea is that we fill in the blanks for each category. The assignment is given an overall grade based on whichever category was filled in the most. For example, if I have an assignment that has mostly the fourth category filled in, then it is considered a four. After we have done this we give it to the teacher, who does the same thing. However, if we score “goal” on the CAPTs, we can use the sections of the test in their respective areas instead of an assignment.

Also, we are supposed to present our work to a panel. We are supposed to talk about the assignments, reflections that we must write, and the rubrics. The presentation is, apparently, the only part being graded, and they are grading us on whether or not it seems we have thought about our progress.

My advice, they should end it now when they are still ahead and try again some other time. When they do try again, they should work with the staff so everybody knows exactly what is going on. I don’t think this because I don’t want to do the project. I think this because it is obvious that it wasn’t thought out in advance, and people are going to have a very hard time doing a project that is apparently supposed to be very easy.