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STUDENT HANDBOOK


I. GOALS AND OVERVIEW

A. What is an Independent Study Project (ISP)?
The Independent Study Project was integrated into yr 13 curriculum as a requirement
for graduation. This culminating assignment requires each 13
th
grader to develop a
project based on their individual interests and capacities, and then to pursue
fieldwork off campus for ten working days in order to achieve their project goals. The
school believes that this kind of hands-on investigative research will help make the
transition into the post-high school world more efficient and successful.

B. What are the goals of the ISP?
The ISP intends to engage students in activities and experiences that will encourage
them to be independent, curious, organized, resourceful, and creative problem-
solvers and life-long learners. Through their participation in the ISP, the school hopes
to further develop students who are able to confidently and effectively communicate
in two languages, to utilize information through a variety of technological resources,
and to be responsible citizens who actively participate in the creation of positive
changes within themselves and society at large.

C. Who is involved in the ISP?

1. You!
The student is the most important part of the ISP. The quality of your experience and
your final product/presentation depends entirely on how much initiative you take,
how responsible you are, and the degree to which you take the ISP seriously. The ISP
can be a very rewarding and interesting experience, butonly if you make it so!

2. Teacher and Professional Sponsors.
The majority of your work and time will be spent with these two adult mentors. Be sure
to work respectfully and responsibly with them at all times. The Teacher and
Professional Sponsors are responsible for the majority of your final grade on the ISP.


II. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND ISP COMPONENTS

1. Read your Student Handbook!
2. Come up with an appropriate and realistic project.
3. Complete the ISP Contract.
4. Compile a Diary.
5. Write a Self-Evaluation Paper.
6. Write an Investigative Report.
7. Design and display a Final Product.
8. Be punctual at all meetings and for all DUE DATES.
9. Initiate all meetings with Teacher and Professional Sponsors.
10. Contact your Teacher Sponsor and/or Ms. Annia if you have any problems
fulfilling any of the ISP requirements.




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III. DETAILED EXPLANATION OF EACH ISP COMPONENT

A. Formulating an appropriate and realistic project.
The importance of ADVANCED and THOROUGH planning cannot be overestimated if
you want to both enjoy your experience and do a good job. As in all scholarly work,
you should choose a project that will contribute to your intellectual and personal
growth. The ISP should be based on a career area that is of interest to you. It is a
good idea to figure out the goals of your ISP in as much depth as possible. Your
Teacher Sponsor will work with you to develop and clarify those goals as necessary.
Your project must contain clear objectives, a plan of operation, required readings,
and a tentative design of your final presentation. If your project is not in Bogot, you
must clearly state in your contract outline the reasons for working in another city or
location.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Your work should address how you as a future professional leader in
this field would be able to positively impact society and/or the community.

B. Working with your Teacher Sponsor.

Once you have been assigned a Teacher Sponsor, keep in mind that it is your
responsibility to initiate and be punctual to all meetings with your sponsor. It is NOT the
teachers responsibility to look for you. Remember that you may NOT interrupt a
teachers class time or miss your own class time to schedule or attend meetings with
your Teacher Sponsor. Also, dont forget that your Teacher Sponsor will be evaluating
you on both your academic performance AND your professionalism. Hence, it is very
important to be punctual and to follow through with all the commitments made with
your Teacher Sponsor. Furthermore, you must both agree on the language in which
the written report and diary will be written before you begin your project.


C. Finding and working with your Professional Sponsor.
The Professional Sponsor is the heart of your ISP fieldwork. During your fieldwork you will
be working with your Professional Sponsor. Many students already have their own
contacts for professional sponsors, however if you do not have any personal contacts,
the school will help you locate one.

NOTE: Your Professional Sponsor can NOT be your parent or any other family member
but, it is okay for you to do your fieldwork at your familys business as long as you can
find a non-family member to be your Professional Sponsor.

When you first approach your Professional Sponsor remember to take the following
steps:

Use utmost courtesy at all times.
Arrive promptly to your appointment, dress professionally, and be prepared with
all the necessary information about your project and your proposal.
Explain in a clear and concise manner the specific goals and objectives you
have for your project.

D. The ISP Contract Outline and Final Contract
The initial guide to writing your contract is found in the Contract Outline (see
attachments 2.1 or 2.1.1) follow the steps in the outline for a proper contract
presentation. You do not hand this sheet in it is just a guide.

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It is in the detailed ISP Contract (not the outline) where you clearly develop and
describe the goals and objectives of your project, where you plan to work, and who
you plan to work with (see attachments 2.3 or 2.3.1). It is crucial that you work with
your Teacher Sponsor.



E. ISP Investigative Report.
The ISP Investigative Report is the meat of your ISP and reflects all of the research
you conducted both during and prior to conducting your fieldwork. The report may
be divided into chapters or sections as you see fit. Your written report should include
appropriate visuals and graphs and should reflect the research materials you used
(i.e. books, internet resources, interviews, videos, etc.). Your investigative report should
be minimum 20 pages long. (NOTE: Double spaced whether written in English or
Spanish). GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCEyour Teacher
Sponsor will guide, assist, and suggest but will not re-write or do your work.


F. ISP Diary.
All students must turn in a Diary. The diary is a journal you keep during your fieldwork
(see Attachment 3.2 or 3.2.1). You are expected to begin the diary one day before
you begin your fieldwork, INCLUDE WEEKENDS, and you should have a minimum of 10
entries before you turn it in. In this journal you should record your feelings about your
preparation, work and progress on your professional/personal goals, your reactions to
events, activities, and people, and a log of your activities ON THE JOB. The diary must
be done on a computer (if you do not have access to a computer during your
fieldwork you can keep a hand-written diary and then transcribe it on the computer
at a later date). NOTE: As for the written report, your diary must be written in the
language agreed upon between you and your Teacher Sponsor.
To recap:
Records how youre feeling in terms of preparation.
Records your work and progress.
Records your reaction to different events and people that youre working with
during the project (your boss, your partner, your coworkers, etc.).
Where you make connections about work, school, and life.
Shows personal growth and gained insight.
Logs the actual work you are doing (research, observation, etc).
Be careful with language, grammar, punctuation!!
Shares only APPROPRIATE personal details (i.e. writing about partying,
boy/girlfriend stuff does NOT go in this diary).

G. ISP Self-Evaluation Paper.
You will complete your Self-Evaluation (SE) at the end of your field work (see
Attachment 3.3. Your Teacher Sponsor will rely on your SE as one of various
documents for evaluating your performance. It is important that you are honest,
critical, and upfront in your SE. In this paper, you must analyze your own performance
and your emotional and intellectual growth during the entire span of the ISP,
including your time doing fieldwork. In writing your SE, you should address the
following questions:

What did you learn from this experience?
How successful were you in achieving your objectives?
What did you learn about getting along with people?
How did you deal with challenging situations that you encountered?
How has this experience affected your plans for the future?
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H. ISP Final Product and Presentation.
The Senior Independent Study Projects reflect in-depth studies of a specific facet of
your lives and surroundings. It is of great value for KSI community to see and learn
from the endeavors made by the senior students in their ISPs. This presentation will
take place on May 30
th
.

Your final product must demonstrate the main goals and objectives of your ISP
and what you learned / accomplished during your fieldwork.

Your final product must include both something written and something visual and
you must integrate technology in some way.

You must have both a 5-minute and a 15-minute presentation ready for people
who visit your stand.

Your final product must be a product of your creativity and ingenuityit may NOT
be a commercially made advertisement for the company.

During the ISP presentation, you must be punctual and professional (in your
demeanor, your dress, attitude, cell phone use texting, chatting, etc.) at all times.
Part of your final product evaluation is based on both your punctuality and
professionalism during the presentation.

If you are absent or late during the ISP presentation, or if leave before the end of
the presentations, you may NOT apply for an Outstanding.

During the ISP presentation, selling anything, playing video games, watching
videos, visiting with friends and leaving your stand unattended for long periods of
time, inappropriate cell phone use and/or listening to music not related to your
project is prohibited and will result in lowering of your grade.

Projects dealing with music ARE NOT ALLOWED to exceed noise limits. Respect of
others projects and presentations is essential for the wellbeing of the ISP presentation,
and not abiding by this rule will result in the lowering of your grade or failing the ISP.


IV. EVALUATION PROCEDURES

A. How is your ISP graded?
You final evaluation is based on your Self-Evaluation, your Professional Sponsors
evaluation, and your Teacher Sponsors evaluation of your report, your diary, your SE,
your final product / presentation, and your punctuality, responsibility, and originality
during the course of the entire ISP. Your Teacher Sponsor is responsible for analyzing
all of your documents and compiling your final grade (see Attachments 4.1 4.5 for
sample rubrics).

Your Teacher Sponsor will assess student projects and determine whether they
deserve an UNSATISFACTORY, SATISFACTORY, GOOD, or EXCELLENT. If you earn an
Excellent AND are recommended by your Teacher Sponsor for an Outstanding, you
may then apply for an Outstanding.




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B. Who grades your ISP?

Teacher Sponsor: Responsible for monitoring your punctuality and professionalism
throughout your work on the ISP; grades your final product and presentation, your
written report, your Self-Evaluation, and your diary; makes final evaluation based on
both their own assessment and the assessments provided by your Professional Sponsor
(See Attachment 4.1 or 4.1.1)

Professional Sponsor: Responsible for monitoring your punctuality and
professionalism in your meetings prior to your field work and during the time of your
field work; responsible for turning in a written evaluation on your performance (see
Attachment 4.4).



QUICK INFO

DIARY Requirements
Records how youre feeling in terms of preparation.
Records your work and progress.
Records you reaction to different events and people that youre working with
during the project (your boss, you partner, your coworkers, etc.).
Where you make connections about work, school, and life.
Shows personal growth and gained insight.
Logs the actual work you are doing (research, observation, etc.).
MUST BE TYPED.
Spanish or English, depending on Teacher Sponsor approval.
Careful with language!!
Shares only APPROPRIATE personal details (i.e. writing about partying,
boy/girlfriend stuff does NOT go in this diary).
Read the sample excerpts if/when you are unsure about whether or not
youre on the right track.

RESEARCH PAPER Requirements
Minimum 20 pages long, double-spaced .
Organized, clear, no spelling or grammatical errors.
Thoroughly addresses your project/professional objectives and the goal of your
project.
Explains history, function, purpose of organization/business/ranch, etc.
Includes section on background reading (i.e. Basics of Marketing, food
production, stock market, sales, advertising, etc.).
Addresses how you as a future professional leader in this field would be able
to positively impact society/your community.
Includes appropriate end notes (for interviews, citations from specific sources,
etc).
Bibliography that lists all resources used.
1 copy ready and available at your stand. 1 copy for your teacher sponsor.

SELF EVALUATION Requirements
Two pages long.
YOUR analysis of your own emotional and intellectual growth.
Be honest and upfront.
Recognizes BOTH weaknesses and strengths with sincerity and thoughtfulness.
Addresses the following questions:
o What did you learn from the project (professionally and personally)?
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o How successful were you in achieving your goals?
o What did you learn about getting along with people?
o How did you deal with the most and least challenging situations you
encountered?
o How has this experience affected your plans for the future?
o What could you have improved in any/all aspects of your project?
o How punctual and responsible were you with all parts of the
project?
o Any other questions you wish to address.
MUST BE TYPED.
Spanish or English, depending on Teacher Sponsor approval.