At the end of the 4th, 8th, and 12th grades, each Charleston Collegiate School student participates in an Exhibition of Mastery. These culminating events serve as authentic assessments of the student's readiness to move on to the next division or to college. In each, students complete a number of interdisciplinary components including writing a paper, creating visuals and/or an original plan or product, and presenting their ideas orally.
Senior Exhibition
The Senior Exhibition is a defining experience for Charleston Collegiate School's 12th grade students; it is a personal affirmation and a public celebration of what they have gained from their time at this school. Throughout the Senior Exhibition process, students meet demanding evaluation criteria and exhibit habits of mind and heart characteristic of inquisitive, responsible, and caring young adults ready for the demands of college. Supported by a joint committee of adults and peers, each senior pursues a yearlong, self-defined, scholarly research project resulting in a paper and "product." Past products created by seniors have included films, original art and photography collections, interior designs, novels, business plans, furniture, etc. The Product Exhibition and Senior Symposium held in May give these students an opportunity to present their ideas, creations, and research to members of the Charleston Collegiate community. Successful completion of the Senior Exhibition is a requirement for graduation.
More details about the Senior Exhibition process can be found here. The program for the 2010 Senior Symposium is available here.
Eighth Grade Exhibition
During the second semester, the eighth graders engage in a major investigative project involving research, interviews, surveys, data collection, a paper, and a presentation. Supported by the Middle School teachers and evaluated by a committee of teachers and administrators, eighth grade students explore a current topic of personal interest and relevance to teenagers and write about and discuss their research on the topic, as well as their ideas on how best to address it. Although the bulk of the work is done through the English class, this investigative project is interdisciplinary in nature, and students acquire skills and receive guidance for this paper in many of their classes. This Exhibition of Mastery serves as the second semester final exam grade for the English class. Successful completion of the Eighth Grade Exhibition is a requirement for promotion to ninth grade.
Fourth Grade Exhibition
The Fourth Grade Exhibition is an opportunity for the fourth grade students to demonstrate their ability to think creatively, write informatively, and speak confidently. During the last quarter of the year, the students identify a topic about which they are passionate; these topics are generally problems facing people, animals, or the environment. After researching the topic, the student designs a program to improve the situation. Examples of past topics include childhood obesity, endangered animals, alternative energy, and arts in the schools. Students spend a great deal of time during the fourth quarter researching their chosen topic and writing a paper. While most of this work is done in the classroom, the student must also be working on a presentation, knowing he or she has to be ready to answer any question about the chosen topic. In May, students, parents, teachers, and administrators learn about each student's idea to help the world through questions and discussion.
