So what is a project, anyway? In government, students might have to write a memo to a local zoning board weighing the land use issues involved in a proposed shopping center. In algebra, they might be asked to survey different groups of classmates - boys and girls, for example - about how much time they spend on homework. Then they would analyze the results by answering questions. What is the probability that five randomly selected students in the sample study at least four hours a week?
State officials say a project typically takes a student eight to 12 hours to complete, though the time is often greater for students with disabilities. Projects measure the same concepts that students need to know for the HSAs, with some key differences. While each of the exams must be done in one long sitting, students can complete a project over the course of several days or weeks. There's also more adult oversight.
Projects clearly outline steps that students must take to succeed, and a "project monitor" - usually a teacher in the subject being tested - signs off along the way to verify that the steps are being followed.
One biology project asks students to examine the relationship between the amount of water submerging aquatic vegetation in a bay and the cloudiness of the water. The students must first write a hypothesis, list the materials for an investigation to test the hypothesis and write a procedure for the investigation. Before moving on to step four, which involves identifying independent and dependent variables, they must get the project monitor's approval. By the time the students reach step 10, writing a conclusion, the monitor will have signed off three more times.
A student who fails an HSA must retake the test in its entirety. But if a project is not approved, the student is entitled to an explanation of what part or parts of the work was inadequate, and must redo only that part.
Tisha Edwards, who supervises the projects for Baltimore's school system, said the system always has some seniors who don't graduate, but she does not expect that the HSA requirement will be the barrier. "People thought, 'Oh, with these tests there were going to be more kids not graduating,' and that's not necessarily true," she said.
As students retake tests and work on projects simultaneously, many teachers are finding that students understand the concepts better from the projects and are now able to pass the exams.
