Background

Beginning with the freshman class in 2012, students at Oakton High School have concluded each school year by sharing personalized, reflective presentations on the significance of their learning for a panel of teachers and their peers. These end-of-year presentations look different at each grade level: Freshmen reflect on their learning across the disciplines and how that learning has contributed to personal growth. Students share their presentations in a gallery walk exhibition for peers and teachers in a classroom setting.

Sophomores share how learning about global, literary, and scientific issues has caused their understanding to change over time, and they reflect on how a visit to a site of choice contributed to that learning. Students present as individuals for a classroom of students and incorporate a visual aid.

Juniors present their individually developed Capstone research questions and what they have learned about their topics and themselves as a result of extended inquiry.

Seniors participate in an exit interview in which they describe the scope and impact of their Capstone projects, and they reflect on how this culminating experience contributed to their growth as citizens. Seniors arrange their own interviews in May and early June.

Oakton faculty members from across the disciplines participate in the evaluation of these Presentations of Learning— because the individual growth of our students as learners and citizens matters to the entire school.

Who Participates in the PoL?

Students in grades 9, 10, and 11

What is the PoL?

Oakton’s Presentations of Learning are personalized, reflective presentations through which students develop their skills in self-awareness, critical thinking, communication, creativity, and citizenship. After weeks of standardized assessments, students will have the opportunity to represent their individual growth toward the attributes and skills expressed in the FCPS Portrait of a Graduate. Presentations of Learning constitute half of students’ final exam grades in English and/or social studies courses, so preparation for and attendance on PoL days are essential.

PoL 101

Students will present through their Advisory classes to an interdisciplinary panel of faculty members and a class of their peers. Throughout the PoL days, when students are not scheduled to present or observe, they will participate in several learning experiences tailored to their needs at each grade level.

When is the POL?

The full schedule can be found here.