Definition:

The senior portfolio is your answer to the question: “Who am I as a learner?” It is a collection of essays and artifacts that are presented before several evaluators and an audience of your peers at a formal exhibition.  The portfolio represents the culmination of your years at ISA and is a requirement for graduation. The purpose of the portfolio and exhibition is to demonstrate that you, as a candidate for graduation from ISA, have exhibited mastery of and continued engagement with the areas of ISA’s Graduate Profile and the educational mission of our school. 

The Portfolio Binder:

Each portfolio must include a collection of essays that address your educational development in each of seven specific areas: Academic Preparation, Technological Proficiency, Effective Communication, Problem Solving Proficiency, Personal Wellness, Collaboration and Leadership, Global Awareness.  A written reflection (minimum 500 words, typed) on each of the seven areas is required as part of your completed portfolio.  You will also complete an eighth essay, the Big Reflection, which ties all of this writing together with the big picture of you as a learner.  Your task will be to demonstrate where you began, the learning you experienced through relationships, travel, internship, extracurricular activities, service, classes, field trips, and other experiences, and how those experiences have changed you.  A minimum of two (2) artifacts must be included to support and illustrate each essay. Therefore, include assignments, photographs, certificates, etc., in the binder for each essay. The artifacts must be from at least two different grade levels during your high school career, and be sure to directly refer to the artifacts in each of your essays.

Evaluation of the Portfolio Binder:

The binder evaluation will be conducted according to the Senior Portfolio Rubric for the Written Component.

The Exhibition:

This presentation should represent you – your skills, your talents, and your visions.  Choose a metaphor that represents you as a learner and your growth through the ISA Graduate Profile.  The portfolio exhibition will be scheduled on the evenings of May _________, 2008.  Each exhibition will last no less than 15 and no longer than 20 minutes.  All portfolio exhibitions must be completed on these dates.  As a demonstration of your fulfillment of the Technological Proficiency and Effective Communication portions of the Graduate Profile, you must use technology to deliver a portion of your exhibition and you must present a portion of your exhibition in an international language (you should plan to speak at least 2 minutes in the selected language).  International language presentations must be written out, checked, and rehearsed in advance with the appropriate language teacher and the written portion must be included in the portfolio binder.  You are encouraged to avoid reading a script for your exhibition; however, you may choose to read the language component if needed.  The Senior Team will arrange for your advisor and ISA teacher(s) to be present at your scheduled exhibition time.  You will arrange for your significant adult evaluator and peer evaluator to attend.  You are also encouraged to invite your family, internship mentor(s) and others who have given you guidance and support.  Attendance is mandatory for every senior for the duration of the exhibitions on both nights.

Evaluation of the Portfolio Exhibition:

Several people will evaluate your exhibition.  They will include your advisor, a significant adult from outside of school, another ISA senior, and your senior team portfolio mentor.  The evaluation will be conducted according to the Senior Portfolio Exhibition Rubric.

Advising:

As the schedule for your presentation times is created, you will be assigned to portfolio mentoring groups. The first meeting of the mentoring group will allow you to ask questions related to process and content for your portfolio. If you need further advising, you may schedule additional times with your mentor.