Grades 9-11 Milestones

Every 9-11th grader in JCPS must complete a Milestone that helps prepare you for your senior Defense of Learning.  This year at Male, we will be completing Mini-Defenses of Learning as our Milestones.  

1. You will complete at least one mini-defense-worthy artifact in every course you're taking (except Study Skills). Each of your teachers will discuss their expectations for these artifacts.  You likely create several defense-worthy artifact in each class, but each course is responsible for a minimum of one.  

2. Make sure your artifacts are uploaded to the old Backpack platform.  We will use a new platform next year, but for now, you upload artifacts in the same place you always have. 

3. In addition to uploading artifacts to the old Backpack platform, you will also keep a running JTS Artifact Slide Deck where you will create slides for each potential artifact you complete each year.  You will continue adding to this slide deck through your senior year at Male.  

• When you complete a potential artifact for a class, you will also complete ONE Artifact Slide (see running JTS Artifact Slide Deck template) and an Artifact Reflection requirement at the end of a project, presentation, or writing piece. On the slide, you will link your Artifact(s) and Artifact Reflection(s) and explain how that project/artifact demonstrates the targeted Success Skill.

4. Artifact Reflections are aligned to each designated success skill. A reflection should be completed as you complete the Artifact Slide in your running JTS Artifact Slide Deck.  Your teacher will make sure you complete the reflection that is tied to that course's Success Skill. You will be able to type directly on the reflection.

5. Finally, an Artifact Rubric will be completed after you complete your artifact, the Artifact Slide, and the Artifact Reflection. (This rubric may be completed in place of or in addition to the rubric your teacher gave you for this assignment.) The district Artifact Rubrics are aligned to the success skills that help you build toward your senior Defenses of Learning.  You can start practicing for their defense one artifact at a time and receive feedback from your teachers. This rubric might be completed by your teacher, or it might be completed in small groups and peer-reviewed.  Your teacher will let you know which Artifact Rubric to complete based on your designated Success Skill.  You will be able to type directly on the rubric.  

6. This process will be completed in each of your classes this year. 

You are a student in a US History class, and you are completing a project on the Civil Rights Movement.  This project fits perfectly with the JTS Success Skill for this course, Globally and Culturally Competent Citizen.  To make this your artifact for this class, you will:

1. Complete and present your project as assigned by your teacher. 

2. Complete the Artifact Reflection for Globally and Culturally Competent Citizen.

3. Complete ONE slide in your running JTS Artifact Slide Deck.  Be sure to use the slide template for the correct Success Skill. This slide allows you to explain how the Civil Rights Movement project helped you become more globally and culturally competent and grow as a learner.  

4. An Artifact Rubric is completed by either your teacher or a classmate, and your Mini-Defense Milestone is marked complete in our tracking platform.

This process will be completed in every class you take this year.