Evaluating the graduates

Angelique Flores

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Seniors lined the hallways last week as they waited

to be called in for their exit interviews. Some were nervous, others more

confident. All were clad in their finest professional attire.

Almost like a job interview, every senior at Ocean View High School must

take part in one. Instead of resumes, they present portfolios of school

work. Instead of justifying their merit for a job, they justified their

merit to graduate.

The senior exit process is in its second year at Ocean View, which is the

only campus in the Huntington Beach Union High School District to adopt

the program.

The first step for the seniors is to compile a body of work for their

portfolio to show their performance according to the Expected School-wide

Learning Results, a state-mandated program for measuring educational

goals.

The goals focus on helping students to become community contributors,

academic achievers, critical thinkers, effective communicators and

lifelong learners.

The goals could have been achieved any time during a student’s high

school career and in any subject. Some portfolios include essays, poetry,

videos, music compositions, art and community service.

“The work in everyone’s portfolio is different, but the pride in the work

is consistent,” Principal Karen Gilden said.

The interviews give students an opportunity to highlight their talents in

areas other than academics, such as music, art and computers.

“It made us realize what was in us this whole time,” senior Josh Cable

said. “We see how what we do in high school ties into our future goals.”

After putting together the portfolios, seniors made presentations and

were interviewed by a panel of administrative staff, teachers, parents,

community members and juniors at the school.

“A lot of us were skeptical of the whole process, but now students

realize what they learned in high school,” Cable said.These benefits go

beyond academics. The interviews help them prepare for job interviews and

evaluations for college, Gilden said.

The exercise also helps some students decide what they want to do after

high school.

And sometimes, through the self-exploration and self-expression, some

interviews become emotional.

“I walked in on one panel to find a few of the panelists in tears,” said

Shawn Werner, the program’s director.

Some of the projects included in portfolios are deeply personal to the

students. For some, this was the first time they shared their hard work

with their parents. For others, they have learned about themselves and

tried things they never thought they would like.

“It validates the hard work that goes on in the classroom and reminds us

why we’re here,” Gilden said.

Students are the only ones who benefit from the project, though. It

serves as a gauge for how well the curriculum addresses the learning

results program, Werner said.

Ocean View’s program was created as a way to better connect the students

to the program. Other high schools within the district are considering a

similar method.