Personalized Assessment of Student Standards (PASS. PASS is a self-designed course (similar to an independent study) that is project- or research-based that is treated as an on-demand enrollment. Students are mentored through a two-part program to develop their project and demonstrate proficiency to receive graduation credit from their local school. All student candidates start with a Project Proposal and Review using the VTVLC PASS process. Once a proposal is submitted, a full review and collaboration meeting is set up with the student’s selected VTVLC teacher mentor. VTVLC then works with the student’s school to ensure maximum alignment to the local proficiency-based graduation requirements. A teacher mentor will be chosen according to the embedded academic content area of the project. In addition, students may also have additional mentors who will support the project as part of the PASS team. Each VTVLC Teacher/Mentor is an expert in their field. They are licensed Vermont educators who know their content areas, as well as having a breadth of other “real life” experiences that they can share with the student during the project. Working with a mentor will help the student develop a deeper understanding of the topic they chose.
