During the 2008-2009 school year, all sophomores will complete the Cornerstone workbook and prepare for their Roundtable Exhibitions. This work will be completed during Torch Time and Resource mods. The Cornerstone year builds on the work gathered during the freshman year in Keystone classes. Sophomores will not only evaluate their academic progress since arriving at Columbus East High School, but will explore their personal involvement in the school and in the community. Each student will examine his/her individual growth plan and amend it according to the BCSC Learner Expectations and the Olympian Guiding Principles. In April, parents will be invited to participate in their child’s Cornerstone Roundtable Exhibition. The Roundtable Exhibition is designed as a showcase for students to share what they have learned about themselves in their freshman and sophomore years at Columbus East High School. Academic and personal goal setting will be stressed. Though Cornerstone is not formally affiliated with a specific academic class, it is the expectation that all students will include their completed Cornerstone work as part of their Senior Project portfolio.

Early in the junior year, counselors invite students and their parents to participate in the Milestone conference, where in-depth planning for graduation and post-secondary experience occurs. Whether the student is heading to employment, the military, or college, counselors assist the family to build on the high school experience to develop viable plans for the future.

The culminating activity of Pathways is the senior Capstone project, a student-selected exploration of a topic which results in a research paper, a project or product, and a presentation. The Capstone experience moves students away from departmentalized learning to an interdisciplinary approach where they use skills in writing, research, speaking and documentation.