Longview School

Longview School Graduation   How do people graduate from Longview School?  Longview School students who feel they are ready to leave the school may choose from two options.   Candidates who want a Certificate of Graduation from Longview must fulfill a series of requirements along a scheduled timeline during their last year at the school, including earning a majority of positive votes from a Graduation Committee.   Some students decide not to graduate.  Alumni from Longview and other Sudbury schools have gone on to lead successful lives, including attending college, without ever having earned a diploma.

 

 

Requirements

 

Longview School offers a Certificate of Graduation to students who have successfully completed the thesis process and have thus demonstrated they have taken responsibility for preparing themselves to be effective adults in the larger community. 

 

Students must also have attended Longview School at least two years and be 17 years of age or older at the time of the planned Thesis Presentation in order to begin this process.

 

The Thesis 

 

Students may either write a Thesis or do a project in conjunction with a written Thesis.  Projects and theses demonstrate that students have taken responsibility for preparing themselves to be effective adults in the larger community and should probably show the student as able to be

• responsible, mature, self-sufficient and independent;
• able to communicate effectively;
• able to identify his or her desires and realize his or her goals;
• able to function well in various groups.

 

The specific content and form of the document are left to the student, with the concurrence of the Graduation Committee [GC]. The following areas may be useful to address:

• Past activities and experiences at this school—inspirations, lessons learned, struggles overcome and other significant influences.
• Plans for the near (and, when applicable, distant) future.
• Evidence that the candidate is and will continue to be a responsible person.

 

Project ideas include an art show, community service project, internship, poetry, etc.  When completing a project, the written Thesis includes exploration of the purpose and process of completing it.  The GC must approve the form of any proposed Thesis.

 

Candidate’s Thesis Presentation

 

The Thesis Presentation is designed to be a flexible presentation of the main points of the student’s Thesis.  It allows candidates their choice of presentational style.  Candidates are encouraged to employ whatever means of expression would be appropriate and effective.  These might include an art, video, photographic, scientific or other type of exhibit; a performance of dance, music, or theater; or something verbal (e.g., a speech or publication).  Because the GC will have read the final draft of the Thesis, it is at the discretion of the student whether he/she read the Thesis at the Thesis Presentation.  In designing a Thesis Presentation, candidates should bear in mind that the emphasis should be on demonstrating that they can be effective adults in the outside world, and not simply that they are talented.  If a performance or exhibition is integral to a candidate’s presentation, it should be scheduled in advance of the presentation.

 

Thesis Process

 

1. The student notifies the School Meeting that he or she would like to begin the Thesis Process by December 1 of the school year in which the student plans to present the Thesis.
2. The student chooses a mentor to help the student with ongoing feedback, discussion, and general support in successfully completing the Thesis.  The mentor must be a member of the GC.
3. The student creates a Graduation Committee [GC] which shall consist of a minimum of one Longview staff member, one or two current or former Longview students, one or two parents of current or former Longview students, one non-staff Longview trustee, and one or two members of the outside community (not a current or former student, parent, or staff member). The committee must be an odd number of people. No nuclear family member can be a member of the GC.
4. The student submits a written Thesis Proposal to the GC that includes the content, timeline for completion, and necessary resources.  The Thesis Proposal is intended to be a preliminary written outline or plan of how the student intends to present the Thesis.  A Thesis Proposal should display thoughtfulness and a basic understanding of the Thesis on the student’s part.
5. The Thesis Proposal must be submitted by January 15 of the school year in which the student plans to defend the Thesis.  The GC must respond to the student within 2 weeks of having received the Thesis Proposal to let the student know if the Thesis Proposal is accepted or if not, why it is not acceptable.  If the latter, the student must resubmit the Thesis Proposal if s/he wants to continue the process.  A Thesis Proposal must be accepted by February 1 for the Thesis to be presented during that spring.
6. When the student has completed a significant portion of his or her Thesis and/or project, then he or she meets with the GC for a Check In.  The Check In is for general discussion about the student’s process and to provide necessary support.  This meeting must take place prior to March 1 before the spring the Thesis will be presented.
7. The student submits a rough draft to all members of the GC.  This must be completed prior to April 1 before the spring the Thesis will be presented.
8. Each member of the GC must return the rough draft with comments within 2 weeks of receiving the draft.
9. The student meets with the GC for a final round of feedback by May 1 before the spring the Thesis will be presented.
10. The student makes any necessary changes.
11. The student submits the final draft of her/his Thesis to the GC.  This must be submitted before May 15 before the spring the Thesis will be presented.

12.  If at any point the student does not meet a deadline created by the student in accordance with the dates in this document, it is at the discretion of the GC whether the candidate may continue the process or will have to wait until the following school year to restart the Thesis Process.

13. The student presents his or her Thesis to the GC at a meeting open to all members of the School Meeting, Board of Trustees, parents of current Longview students, family members of the presenter, guests invited by the presenter, and guests invited by School Meeting.  The Thesis Presentation includes a question and answer period run by the GC who may choose to open up the meeting to comments and questions by non-GC members.  Concluding the presentation, the GC and School Meeting members present vote by written ballot whether or not the student’s work merits a Certificate of Graduation.  2/3 strong majority is required for awarding of the Certificate of Graduation.
14. People attending the Thesis Presentation are expected to stay until its conclusion.  The door to the Thesis Presentation will be closed promptly at the scheduled start time and no one will be allowed in or out (except to use the bathroom or for an emergency) once the door has been closed.
15. If a candidate’s Thesis Presentation fails, the GC will deliver to the candidate a written critique which the candidate might use to improve his or her Thesis within two weeks.
16. Any Thesis Presentation that does not yield a Certificate of Graduation may be resubmitted during September of the following school year.  The GC may determine whether to grant a Certificate of Graduation, hold another Thesis Presentation, or deny the re-submittal outright.

 

After the Thesis Presentation

 

1. If, during the period between the decision at a Thesis Presentation and the end of the school year, a candidate awarded a Certificate of Graduation is found guilty of an offense, or any activity, which, in the opinion of the School Meeting, warrants reconsideration of the award of a Certificate of Graduation; then, up until the last day of school during the school year, the School Meeting may vote to deny the Certificate of Graduation awarded previously at a Thesis Presentation. 

 

2. A Certificate of Graduation is only officially awarded after the last day of the school year in which the candidate was awarded the Certificate of Graduation at a Thesis Presentation.

 

3. The Certificate of Graduation will only be officially awarded after tuition owed by the family of the candidate is paid in full.  Any changes to this stipulation can only be made with both 2/3 approval of School Meeting (in a meeting during the typical school year not during summer recess) and 2/3 approval of the Board of Trustees.

 

4. As soon as possible on or after the final day of the school year, the School Meeting arranges to issue a Longview School Certificate of Graduation, signed by the Co-Directors of the school, to those students who have been officially awarded a Certificate of Graduation.