The PA Department of Education mandated that to graduate, each high school student must complete an oral component, a written component and a final culminating project that includes synthesis, evaluation, creativity and thinking at the highest levels, and Bloomsburg has been ahead of that curve for several years.
Prior to the mandates, sophomores already completed a graduation project of sorts, but most of the work was completed outside school with English class assignments that included a separate essay.
Tenth grade English teachers DeAnne Casteel and Kathleen Mohr proposed tweaking what was already being done in tenth grade in and out of school to count as the graduation project.
The tenth grade English curriculum with these few tweaks met the state requirements when they were put into effect, and the in-school project now guarantees lifetime skills, taught the correct way. “This is important. In real life, you will have to speak, write and decide what you want to do as a career, so all this is definitely beneficial,” says Casteel, who was trained in career education in 2002 by the Department of Education. This included attending an intensive, one-week Governor’s Institute for Career Education that included how to organize a job shadow day.

High Standards
Today, the state and school recognize the importance of such a project. Any graduation project not completed by the end of a senior year causes a ‘hold’ in a student’s permanent record, which would derail graduation until it is successfully completed, but students have ample opportunity to succeed.
Recently, extra after-school classes were started, time that benefits transfer students, Bethesda students, Alternative Education students and students who have failed or procrastinated past the project deadlines.
“The class itself costs $135 and still does not guarantee a successful completion,” says Casteel.
Not including her regular students, Casteel also supervises Andrew Zimmerman, who is completing his project from Canada.
Casteel and Mohr have received many comments regarding outstanding student participation and cooperation. “Like previous years, I have received many comments saying that they wish their students did as high a caliber effort and preparation as BHS students,” she says, and students have expressed similar praise.
Sophomore Molly Payne job shadowed Cindy Miles and Associates as part of her career study of Pediatric Occupational Therapy. “I didn’t think I’d have as much fun as I did that day. Now, it’s something I am actually looking into for my future career,” she says.
Although the standards may seem high, they are not nearly as complex as some other districts, where students are required to write, present and volunteer for up to three years.