CAS Advisor Page
Below are the general reference handouts for CAS advisors. These include the powerpoint training, the advisor guide (which contains specific information and details for teachers), and the CAS cheat sheet, which provides a precis of the advisor guide for quick reminders.
| cas_cheat_sheet_for_new_advisors.docx |
| cas_new_advisor_handbook.docx |
CAS INTERVIEW #1 (September of Junior Year): For the first CAS interview, the primary goal is for the student to propose at least two to three CAS activities (perhaps including the CAS Extended Project), to seek approval for these activities/projects, and to conclude the interview with permission from the advisor to all proposed activities, at least one of which by the end of September of their junior year. As with any CAS interview, the student is required to lead the interview by proposing challenging, interesting activities that allow the opportunity of meeting the 8 Learning Outcomes (collaboration with others, engage in activities of a global concern, etc.). For any activity to be approved, the student must provide a signed supervisor form and have the activity questions filled out completely on managebac. The helpful instructions below provide a set of guidlines for advisors to work with, and the rubric provided will also allow advisors to make a judgment on managebac of standing: excellent, on-track, or concern (red flag). Please note: If a student is proposing an Extended Project at this point, it is important to judge its merit and acceptability by using the rubric listed under "CAS Interview 2."
CAS INTERVIEW #2 (December of Junior Year): The second interview may have a variety of purposes depending on the student, but the primary one that must be determined is that each student by now has already or is at this interview officially proposing their CAS Extended Project, as it is a requirement of CAS. The rubric is provided below and should be used by advisors very carefully in determining its merit and appropriateness. The discussion should focus on scaffolding, scaffolding, scaffolding! Do not let students present an idea to you, even if it sounds great, without discussing particulars: who, what, when, where, on what time table, why, with what funds and resources? Without strong answers to these questions, you'll be revisiting this in late spring, asking the same questions. This should be the focal point of the interview. If the student does not have an Extended Project proposed at this point, the student should automatically be marked as a concern on managebac and a note should be written on the student's CAS meeting notes that another meeting is necessary to resolve this issue. Once the Extended Project is approved (or if it has already been approved), then the secondary goals of this meeting are as follows:
1. to review the quality and quantity of student reflections, nothing whether they actually do more than tell events but address learning outcomes
2. complete any activities that, in the last four months, students have successfully completed and reflected on; this requires a 10:1 ratio of hours to reflections
3. approve further activities that are being proposed at this time
At the end of this meeting, advisors should log a meeting, indicating specific issues that need to be addressed (if any), place any supervisor agreement forms in the folders advisors are retaining, and update the flag (red, green, blue medal) that notes to the coordinator the student's current progress. The second and third handouts below provide various samples of additional write-ups students have used in the past to present more detail-oriented proposals. You have the right to request these, if you so wish, before approving them:
1. to review the quality and quantity of student reflections, nothing whether they actually do more than tell events but address learning outcomes
2. complete any activities that, in the last four months, students have successfully completed and reflected on; this requires a 10:1 ratio of hours to reflections
3. approve further activities that are being proposed at this time
At the end of this meeting, advisors should log a meeting, indicating specific issues that need to be addressed (if any), place any supervisor agreement forms in the folders advisors are retaining, and update the flag (red, green, blue medal) that notes to the coordinator the student's current progress. The second and third handouts below provide various samples of additional write-ups students have used in the past to present more detail-oriented proposals. You have the right to request these, if you so wish, before approving them:
CAS INTERVIEW #3 (May of Junior Year): By now, students have hopefully proposed the majority of their required CAS hours, including the required CAS Extended Project. Additional activities and projects here and there may be proposed in interviews 3 and 4; however, students are required to close out and complete any and all CAS activities and projects that are no longer active or continuing on into senior year. The goals of this interview are as follows:
1. discuss the success and/or struggles of the Extended Project, as this is the most challenging endeavor of CAS
2. the student should demonstrate quality reflections at a ratio of 10 hours for every one reflection for each activity they wish to complete
3. provide troubleshooting advice and help where needed in the student's CAS programme
4. close out and complete all activities that no longer are active or continued into senior year
At the end of this meeting, advisors should log a meeting, indicating specific issues that need to be addressed (if any), place any supervisor agreement forms in the folders advisors are retaining, and update the flag (red, green, blue medal) that notes to the coordinator the student's current progress. The following rubric will help serve as a guide for providing comments and an update flag to the coordinator on managebac.
1. discuss the success and/or struggles of the Extended Project, as this is the most challenging endeavor of CAS
2. the student should demonstrate quality reflections at a ratio of 10 hours for every one reflection for each activity they wish to complete
3. provide troubleshooting advice and help where needed in the student's CAS programme
4. close out and complete all activities that no longer are active or continued into senior year
At the end of this meeting, advisors should log a meeting, indicating specific issues that need to be addressed (if any), place any supervisor agreement forms in the folders advisors are retaining, and update the flag (red, green, blue medal) that notes to the coordinator the student's current progress. The following rubric will help serve as a guide for providing comments and an update flag to the coordinator on managebac.
CAS INTERVIEW #4 (October of Senior Year): As with CAS Interview #3, the focus of this interview is largely one of management and completion of activities and projects. At this point, students should be actively setting up their CAS programme for a successful completion in March of their senior year. It is extremely important that advisors assess where students are at in terms of completion of at least 50 hours in each of creativity, action, and service; the CAS Extended Project; the 8 Learning Outcomes; and quality reflections. If the student is not meeting these requirements, the student and parents should be made aware that risk of failing CAS is a distinct possibility. Students must continue at least one CAS activity until their final interview in March of their senior year to complete CAS. The goals of this interview are as follows:
1. discuss the success and/or struggles of the Extended Project, as this is the most challenging endeavor of CAS
2. the student should demonstrate quality reflections at a ratio of 10 hours for every one reflection for each activity they wish to complete
3. provide troubleshooting advice and help where needed in the student's CAS programme
4. approve activities for which the student has provided supervisor agreement forms and proposals on managebac
At the end of this meeting, advisors should log a meeting, indicating specific issues that need to be addressed (if any), place any supervisor agreement forms in the folders advisors are retaining, and update the flag (red, green, blue medal) that notes to the coordinator the student's current progress. The following rubric will help serve as a guide for providing comments and an update flag to the coordinator on managebac.
1. discuss the success and/or struggles of the Extended Project, as this is the most challenging endeavor of CAS
2. the student should demonstrate quality reflections at a ratio of 10 hours for every one reflection for each activity they wish to complete
3. provide troubleshooting advice and help where needed in the student's CAS programme
4. approve activities for which the student has provided supervisor agreement forms and proposals on managebac
At the end of this meeting, advisors should log a meeting, indicating specific issues that need to be addressed (if any), place any supervisor agreement forms in the folders advisors are retaining, and update the flag (red, green, blue medal) that notes to the coordinator the student's current progress. The following rubric will help serve as a guide for providing comments and an update flag to the coordinator on managebac.
CAS INTERVIEW #5: (March of Senior Year): The purpose of this final CAS interview is two-fold: to determine a pass/fail grade for the student using the rubric below and to debrief and reflect on the CAS experience as a whole. A final rubric should be filled out for every senior, pass or fail. Additionally, advisors should follow the checklist below that is provided. A final meeting log should be entered for each senior on managebac. It is important that the session focus largely on the overall CAS process itself. Any student who is expected to fail CAS should be reported to the CAS coordinator promptly, and the student's parents should be contacted promptly by the advisor to explain the situation.
