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Perceptions Of Judges Toward Rigor Of High School Senior Capstone Projects At A Northern Ri Charter School, Michael A. Skeldon, Ralph Jasparro

K-12 Education

With trends toward high stakes testing moving inexorably forward, project-based components of Rhode Island's Performance Based Graduation system have been largely overlooked. Existing studies focus primarily on implementation of senior projects (Davidson, 2009; Lorenz, 1999; Mayer, 1999; Nicolini, 1999; Shaunessy, 2004; Singer & Hubbard, 2002). Some studies have found that increasing graduation requirements does not necessarily translate into rigor (Dounay, 2006; Lundsgaard, 2004). Less research exists on the lasting influence of projects as preparation for postsecondary pursuits (Egelson, Harman, & Bond, 2002; Pennacchia, 2010). Research on academic rigor is largely focused upon increasing course requirements (ACT, 2005; Christie, 2000; Kirst …