Senior Project Proposal

Student Name:
Joseph McCarthy_________ Advisory Teacher: M
rs. Rittersdorf_________
Project Description
What do you plan to do? Provide an overall description of your topic, creation, event, service, or
exploration.
I plan to explore different learning environments and why high school teachers pick to teach in
one environment compared to the other. I will also be finding out why teacher retention rates
are so low. I will be exploring this by conducting with high school teachers teaching in public,
private, and charter schools.
What will your final product be? This cannot be a presentation, paper, or the knowledge gained
since those are already requirements of the project.
My final product video of all the interviews. These interviews will included contain question that
will help me come to a conclusion.
Learning Stretch
Have you done anything similar or related to your project/topic before? What specific things will
be new and challenging to you in the process of completing this project?
In the winter of 2015 I taught a World History class. This included preparing a lesson plan, notes,
and a document analysis. This project is exploring a completely new field of teaching.
Future Goals & Career Pathway
What are your future career and/or educational goals? How will this project help?
I want to go to college to a history professor. With in talking to a history professor I have decided
that to get my degree in secondary education first. This project will help me discover why
teachers pick to work a one school over the other and why teacher retention is so low.
Project Criteria
What criteria does your project relate to? C
heck one or more.
X

Academic Challenge

Involves independent research study O

R
formal instruction from a
professional

Community Service

Is a leadership position that provides a needed and viable service to

a community agency or organization

Career

Related to students career pathway and/or provides extended

learning experience or internship that may involve potential future
employment

Personal Exploration

Represents an exploration in an unfamiliar area of interest

Explain how your project will meet the criteria checked off above. Be specific.
My project will meet the criteria checked off above by that I will be spending a lot of time
researching learning environments and why high school teachers pick to teach in one
environment compared to the other and finding out why teacher retention rates are so low. I
want to be a history teacher when I grow up. This project help me explore what I am wanting to
do for the rest of my life.
Research Requirements
Who will you interview for your research? This person needs to be a professional in the field you
are studying and cannot be your parent. How will you find/contact this person?
I will be interviewing teachers that have been teaching for a number of years. The following are
teachers that I will interviewing:
1. Jon Follo, Lincoln High School, Public
2. Jeff Schmidt, Plymouth Christian Academy, Private
3. Robert Fite, Canton Preparatory High School, Charter
I found these teachers by looking at the staff directory for these schools. I contacted these
teachers via email.
What topics will you research or your final paper? Remember, you need 6-8 reliable sources (one
peer-reviewed journal article, one book, and one professional interview).
Throughout this project I will be exploring education, and teaching within education.
Timeline
Create a timeline of when each part of your project will be completed. Be very specific and try to
include everything you need for this project (interview, materials collected, volunteers/venue
secured, event takes place, research done, paper written, presentation finalized, etc.)
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/senior-project-8817bed3-f587-49a9-9da4-d0d765f63
423

Parent Consent
This section is to be read, discussed with the student, and
filled out by the parent or legal
guardian.
As the parent/guardian of
Joseph McCarthy
I am aware my son/daughter must pass all aspects of
the Senior Project to meet graduation requirements.
Parent Signature____________________________________

Date________________

Student Signature___________________________________

Date________________