Standard 10: Students demonstrate their learning through performance-based assessments and have opportunities to develop self-assessment and self-monitoring skills.
Concept 1: Students engage in STEM-specific performance assessments that provide opportunities for public demonstrations of learning.
The Computer Science Department tries to expose students to a variety of opportunities to improve their portfolio. The three main ways are with Certifications, Competitions, and Creating for the Marketplace.
End of Pathway Assessment
Currently, our students take the Microsoft Technology Associate Certification Exam. We have been taking the test since 2018. In 2017, we administered the NOCTI Programming Exam, but we decided in our Department that switching to the Microsoft Certification test would be a better outcome for our students. The Microsoft name recognition in technology is very impressive compared to NOCTI. Our program has had a lot of success on pass rates on the exam by taking a data based approach. Before the exam, students take a practice test to assess any gaps in their knowledge. Then teachers focus in on filling the knowledge gaps. Also, over time we have modified the curriculum to include the tested standards in various levels of the other pathway classes. That allows us to build on their knowledge over time, instead of cramming for an exam weeks before.
Competitions
The second way we encourage students to improve their portfolio is by competing. Our program offers an array of events including CyberPatriot, Esports, Regional Technology Fair, State Technology Fair, University of West Georgia Hackathon, Future Business Leaders of America, Technology Student Association, Congressional App Challenge, Remote Operated Vehicle, and Vex Robotics.
The Computer Science students often hear "There is only 1 first place!" as a way to encourage students to compete in local and regional competitions. That mantra helps motivate students to leave their comfort zone in the classroom and compete on various stages.
Competition Results:
The Computer Science students often hear "There is only 1 first place!" as a way to encourage students to compete in local and regional competitions. That mantra helps motivate students to leave their comfort zone in the classroom and compete on various stages.
Competition Results:
Marketplace
The final way we encourage students to help them stand out in the public is by publishing work in a marketplace. Most of the published works are apps on the Google Play store. We have over 70 Android apps in the market where our students compete with other professional developers for downloads. As of 2020, our program has had over 25,000 downloads and have reached over 150 different countries. We also have 7 iOS apps for Apple devices. Those are also popular in our community and abroad.
Our first Programming, Games, Apps in Society class started in the 2017 school year. After building the program with Introduction classes, our program finally had its first group of completers. Although this group was small, the students wanted to build an app. Our first app that we worked on was for our football coaches. The coaches wanted a way to track other team's tendencies, so they could make adjustments throughout the game. Our class put together an app called Football Play Call Tracker. After testing and getting the seal of approval from the coaches, our class decided to submit the app to be published on the Google Play store. Once we got approved, that opened the gateway for other students to submit their work to the marketplace as well.
Our first Programming, Games, Apps in Society class started in the 2017 school year. After building the program with Introduction classes, our program finally had its first group of completers. Although this group was small, the students wanted to build an app. Our first app that we worked on was for our football coaches. The coaches wanted a way to track other team's tendencies, so they could make adjustments throughout the game. Our class put together an app called Football Play Call Tracker. After testing and getting the seal of approval from the coaches, our class decided to submit the app to be published on the Google Play store. Once we got approved, that opened the gateway for other students to submit their work to the marketplace as well.
Concept 2: Students engage in goal setting, formative self-assessment, and reflections on learning.
Advisement
Based on feedback during Vertical Teams and School Improvement Plans, Carrollton High School found there was a need to revise advisement. Monthly advisement sessions felt like a great fit to increase focus on providing students an opportunity to set personal goals and monitor their own academic success in all courses throughout the semester without infringing on instructional time. The document linked below provides each student with activities to perform each month to help them self monitor their progress in and out of the classroom. Every student will participate in Advisement each month with the same teacher to build relationships.