Studio Contract Template¶

SDA Commons Wiki · South High School

Get Your Contract

Click the link → Google will prompt you to make your own copy → rename it [Your Name] — [Studio Name] Contract → save it to your Google Drive folder.

This is the master template for SDA studio contracts. Every studio a student undertakes in SDA begins with a completed contract — signed by the student and kept in their Google Drive folder. The contract exists so the student knows exactly what they're doing, why, and how they'll be assessed before they begin.

How Studio Contracts Work¶

A studio contract is a 1-page commitment document. It answers: 1. What is my Essential Question? 2. Which standard(s) am I working toward? 3. What will my Demo of Learning look like? 4. What will my Deliverable be (if this is a Week 6 studio)? 5. What does each proficiency score (1.0–4.0) mean for this specific studio? 6. What are my checkpoints?

The contract is created in the student's personal Google Drive folder, signed (by typing their name), and reviewed with Reese before Week 1 work begins.

The Template¶

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
SDA STUDIO CONTRACT
South High School · Self-Directed Academy
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

STUDENT NAME: ___________________________
DATE STARTED: ___________________________
EXPECTED END DATE: ______________________
COURSE: □ Grade 9 ELA/World History    □ Grade 10 ELA/US History

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PART 1 — WHAT THIS STUDIO IS ABOUT
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
[Student writes their driving question here — it should be genuinely
arguable, not answerable with yes/no]

WHY THIS QUESTION MATTERS TO ME:
[2–3 sentences. Personal connection or genuine curiosity.]

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PART 2 — STANDARDS
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

PRIMARY STANDARD (required):
□ ELA Standard: ___________________________
□ SS Standard:  ___________________________  + Era/Unit: ___________

CROSSWALK STANDARD (if applicable — circle one):
□ ELA: ___________________________
□ SS: ___________________________  + Era/Unit: ___________

STUDIO TYPE:
□ ELA-primary (demonstrating ELA standard with SS content as context)
□ SS-primary (demonstrating SS standard with ELA skills as method)
□ Crosswalk (both standards equally weighted — Mr. Reese approves these)

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PART 3 — DEMO OF LEARNING
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

DEMO MODE (circle one):
□ Written Assessment
□ Extended Writing
□ Verbal Conversation
□ Visual/Creative
□ Multimedia/Performance
□ Portfolio Annotation

WHAT MY DEMO WILL LOOK LIKE:
[1–3 sentences. Be specific. "I will write a 4-paragraph argumentative
essay..." not "I will write something."]

WHO WILL SCORE MY DEMO:
□ Self-assessment using the rubric
□ Peer review before submission
□ Submitted to Mr. Reese for initial feedback
□ Reviewed by Reese

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PART 4 — SKINNIES TO INVESTIGATE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Which skinnies are most relevant to your standard and demo mode?
List them here — you will use them to fill out Part 5.
Find every skinny at the SDA Commons → Skinnies.

1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PART 5 — PROFICIENCY TARGETS (What Each Score Means for THIS Studio)
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Use the skinnies you listed above. Translate each score level
into what it means for YOUR specific demo.

SCORE 1.0 (Novice) — With help, I can: ______________________

SCORE 2.0 (Approaching) — On my own, I can: _________________

SCORE 3.0 (Proficiency) — On my own, I can: _________________

SCORE 4.0 (Advanced) — Beyond the standard, I can: __________

MY TARGET SCORE FOR THIS STUDIO: _______

(These are your "success criteria." Your semester letter grade comes from
averaging your body of summative evidence and applying the district cut
scores — A 2.81–4.0, B 2.51–2.80, C 1.71–2.50, D 1.51–1.70, F ≤1.50 — so
consistent Proficiency (3.0) earns an A.)

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PART 6 — DELIVERABLE (Week 6 Studios Only)
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

□ This is a Week 6 studio (Deliverable required)
□ This is not a Week 6 studio (Demo only)

IF WEEK 6:

WHAT MY DELIVERABLE WILL BE:
[The publicly exhibited artifact. Different from the Demo — this is what
someone who doesn't know the standard can still understand and engage with.
Examples: poster, podcast, published essay, short film, physical model,
presentation for parents/community.]

WHERE IT WILL BE EXHIBITED:
□ SDA Commons (digital — published to the wiki or Google Drive)
□ Hallway or classroom display
□ Presentation to a specific audience (who?): ___________________
□ Other: _____________________________________________________

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PART 7 — YOUR TIMELINE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

WEEK 1 — Launch:
  Checkpoint: _______________________________________________

WEEK 2 — Dig:
  Checkpoint: _______________________________________________

WEEK 3 — Build:
  Checkpoint: _______________________________________________

WEEK 4 — Shape:
  Checkpoint: _______________________________________________

WEEK 5 — Finish:
  Checkpoint: _______________________________________________

WEEK 6 — Publish:
  Demo date: _______________________________________________
  Deliverable exhibition: ___________________________________

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PART 8 — RESOURCES
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

READING LIBRARY TEXTS I PLAN TO USE:
- [                              ](/reading-library/______________________________.md)
- [                              ](/reading-library/______________________________.md)
- [                              ](/reading-library/______________________________.md)

OTHER SOURCES (at least one you've found yourself):
-
-
-

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PART 9 — AGREEMENT
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

By signing below, I confirm:
- I chose this Essential Question because I'm genuinely curious about it.
- I understand what score I'm working toward and what it requires.
- I will attend all checkpoints.
- I will ask for help if I get stuck instead of sitting and waiting.
- My Demo of Learning will be my own work.

STUDENT SIGNATURE: _______________________ DATE: _______________

TEACHER REVIEW: □ Approved   □ Needs revision — see notes
NOTES: _________________________________________________________

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Notes on Filling Out the Contract¶

Essential Question¶

A good EQ is genuinely arguable and can't be Googled. Tests: - Can reasonable people disagree? → Good - Can it be answered in one sentence from a Wikipedia search? → Revise it - Does it connect to the standard? → Required - Does the student actually care? → Required

Examples: - Bad: "What caused the French Revolution?" (answerable, not arguable) - Better: "Was the French Revolution a success or a failure?" (arguable, but vague) - Best: "Who did the French Revolution actually liberate — and who did it betray?" (arguable, specific, personally charged)

Part 4 — Proficiency Targets¶

Students should fill this out using the relevant skinny as a reference. The skinny has the 2.0/3.0/4.0 breakdown. The contract should translate that into their specific demo:

For example, if the standard is WH.6_12.4 + Era 3 and the demo is Extended Writing: - 2.0: "I can identify the causes of the French Revolution and name at least 3 key events." - 3.0: "I can write a 4-paragraph argument explaining how Enlightenment ideas caused the French Revolution, with specific evidence." - 4.0: "I can compare the French Revolution to another revolution and argue which better achieved its stated ideals — with evidence and a clear counterargument addressed."

The Deliverable vs. The Demo¶

The biggest confusion students have is between the Demo and the Deliverable.

Demo of Learning = proof YOU understand the standard. Scored 1.0–4.0. Mr. Reese gives feedback. It's assessed.
Deliverable = something you share with the world. Not scored on the same rubric. It's how you put the learning to use. A poster, a podcast, a published essay, a presentation to parents. The Demo might be the writing itself; the Deliverable might be the final formatted version published on the Commons.

A student can have a 4.0 Demo and a simple Deliverable. That's fine. The Deliverable isn't scored separately — it's the demonstration that learning lives in the real world, not just in a notebook.

Google Drive Filing¶

When a contract is completed, the Google Doc is saved to:

The Commons → [Grade 9 ELA / Grade 10 ELA / World History / US History]
  → [Student Last Name, First Name]
    → Studio Contracts
      → [Studio Title] Contract — [Start Date].gdoc

Students keep all their contracts. By the end of the year, they have a complete record of every studio they chose, every standard they worked on, and every score they earned.