Senior Comprehensives

Definition

The mission of CAJ is to prepare students to “Serve Japan and the world for Christ”; Senior Comprehensives gives CAJ seniors the opportunity to do just that, and can be summed up in a single prompt: Propose and engage in a plan of action that effectively addresses a global issue.

Assessments

Senior comprehensives is based on 4 major tasks, each of which is assessed by a panel using a rubric and worth 25% of the final mark:

1. Research Portfolio (rubric): Establish a scholarly research base for the issue consisting of. an annotated bibliography, bibliography, and Interview.
2. Project and Summary (rubric): Complete a research-based, hands-on project that addresses the issue, demonstrates personal involvement, shows resourcefulness, and engages the community
3. Synthesis Paper (rubric): Propose an action plan that effectively addresses the issue.
4. Presentation (rubric): propose and justify an action plan that effectively addresses a global issue, and explain how you participated in enacting it

Timeline

• Early Fall: Final issue selection
• Fall: Interview submitted to Capstone
• Late Winter: Research Portfolio Completed
• Spring: Project Summary submitted to Capstone
• Late Spring: Synthesis Paper submitted with all other writing portfolio pieces in Capstone
• Late Spring: Presentation

Project Examples

• Senior Comprehensives Project Samples

Senior Shepherds

• Senior Shepherds

Transcript Notations

The following is the wording that will be included on your permanent transcript. Each transcript will state: The comprehensives at Christian Academy in Japan are designed to showcase a student’s talents, skills and applied efforts during a culminating event in their senior year. In a process that relies on both cooperation with the teaching staff and on independent work and problem solving, students engage an issue of their choosing as they think deeply about, and interact with, the problems of a fallen world. There are four elements assessed which are weighted equally for the final designation: Research, Writing, Project and Presentation.

Next, your rating (and only your rating, not the other levels) will be added. You will receive 1 of the following 5 ratings:

• (Name of this student) achieved an overall rating of: Exemplary achievement An exemplary rating in this rigorous process requires exceptional work in all of the comprehensive elements and only a few students attain this highest level of achievement.
• (Name of this student) achieved an overall rating of: Exceeds standard An exceeds standard rating in this rigorous process is a significant accomplishment and is only attained by those who achieve high marks in multiple areas of the comprehensives.
• (Name of this student) achieved an overall rating of: Meeting the standard Meeting the standard in this rigorous process is a notable and worthy accomplishment and indicates success across all or most of the elements.
• (Name of this student) achieved an overall rating of: Some Achievement
• (Name of this student) achieved an overall rating of: Little Achievement

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will I graduate if I do not do well on my comps?

Yes. A poor performance will be reflected on your transcript, but it will not keep you from graduating. (Keep in mind that most of the assignments for senior comprehensives will count for a grade in a given class; the Issue Action Paper and the Issue Action Presentation will not count for a grade in a given class.)

2. Will I graduate if I do not complete my comps?

No. You will receive an incomplete and not receive a diploma until you complete your senior comprehensives to an acceptable level that reflects reasonable effort.

3. Do I have to rewrite all the papers in my writing portfolio?

No. You may submit the papers you previously submitted, although you may certainly make changes if you are able to. If you are short of time, and have to make compromises, invest your energy in the Synthesis Paper and not rewrites of previous papers.

4. Can I cut and paste my papers throughout the year into my formal paper?

You may certainly use content from other papers, some of it word for word, but the purpose of the final paper is to synthesize what you have learned from various assignments into one formal paper.

5. Who is eligible to be on the panel for the presentation?

CAJ staff members who have a degree in education, are certified to teach, or have experience in teaching.

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