Final Project
Final Project: My 90-Day Re-Entry Career Plan and Portfolio
This capstone for the Foundations Core brings together your work from all five courses into a career portfolio and a concrete plan for your first 90 days after release.
Requirements
- Gifts and Skills Profile
- Three career research profiles and your chosen certificate with reasons
- Final one-page résumé
- Tailored cover letter and reference list
- Rights and Resources sheet for your state
- Interview prep sheet with STAR stories
- Support and resource plan
- A written 90-day plan with specific actions, dates, and milestones in each phase (Days 1–7, 8–30, 31–60, 61–90)
Timeline
- Module 4: résumé and application packet complete
- Module 7: all drafts complete; ask for feedback
- Module 8: submit the plan and portfolio; advisor conversation and certificate selection
Grading Rubrics
Grading Rubrics
Every rubric uses the same four levels. Your instructor will mark the level that best matches your work for each row and add a short comment.
Module Assignment Rubric
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completeness | Every required part is done | Most required parts are done | About half the parts are done | Little of the assignment is done |
| Accuracy & Skill | Skills applied correctly with no significant errors | Minor errors that do not affect the result | Several errors that affect the result | Major errors throughout |
| Professional Quality | Neat, clear, and ready for an employer to see | Clear with small issues | Hard to follow in places | Unclear or disorganized |
| Effort & Growth | Went beyond the minimum or clearly improved | Solid, consistent effort | Minimal effort | Little evidence of effort |
Total possible: 16 points.
Reflection Journal Rubric
Journals are graded on effort and reflection, never on spelling, grammar, or the details of a personal story.
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completion | Responds fully to every part of the prompt | Responds to most of the prompt | Responds to part of the prompt | Entry missing or one line |
| Connection to Lesson | Clearly applies the week's skill or idea | Mentions the lesson | Vague link to the lesson | No link to the lesson |
| Faith Reflection | Thoughtfully engages the Scripture or faith theme | Engages the faith theme | Brief mention of faith theme | Does not address the faith theme |
| Personal Application | Names a specific next step or change | Names a general next step | Next step is unclear | No next step |
Total possible: 16 points.
Participation Rubric
Scored at the end of each module. Average the eight scores for the Attendance & Participation grade.
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance & Punctuality | Present and on time for the full session | Present; late or left early once | Missed part of the session more than once | Absent without make-up work |
| Preparation | Completed assignment and brought workbook every time | Usually prepared | Sometimes prepared | Rarely prepared |
| Engagement | Contributes thoughtfully and draws others in | Contributes regularly | Contributes when asked | Seldom contributes, even when invited |
| Respect & Covenant | Models the classroom covenant for others | Follows the covenant consistently | Needs occasional reminders | Needs frequent reminders |
Total possible: 16 points.
Final Project Rubric: 90-Day Plan and Career Portfolio
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completeness | All eight items included | Six or seven items | Four or five items | Three or fewer items |
| Résumé & Application Materials | Polished, honest, tailored, and error-free | Clear with minor errors | Several errors or missing sections | Missing or unusable |
| 90-Day Plan | Specific actions, dates, and milestones in every phase | Mostly specific | General or missing phases | Missing |
| Rights & Resources | Accurate, state-specific, with named resources | Mostly accurate | Vague | Missing |
| Calling & Reflection | Clear connection between gifts, research, certificate choice, and faith | Clear connection | Weak connection | Missing |
Total possible: 20 points.
Quick Guide
Re-Entry Career Quick Guide
Keep this guide with your important papers after release.
First 7 Days Checklist
- ☐ Check in with supervision
- ☐ Get state ID, Social Security card, birth certificate
- ☐ Secure housing
- ☐ Open a bank account
- ☐ Connect with a church
- ☐ Visit an American Job Center
My 90-Day Plan
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Days 1–7 | Documents, supervision, housing, bank, church |
| Days 8–30 | Job search daily, applications, interviews, budget |
| Days 31–60 | Employment, emergency savings, certificate coursework |
| Days 61–90 | Stabilize, review goals, give back |
Honest-Brief-Forward
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Honest | Acknowledge the conviction simply |
| Brief | One or two sentences, no excuses |
| Forward | Growth since, and why you're ready |
STAR Interview Answers
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Situation | Where and when |
| Task | What needed to happen |
| Action | What you did |
| Result | What happened because of it |
Your Rights and Employer Incentives
- ☐ Ban-the-box laws may delay record questions (check your state and city)
- ☐ Employers using screening companies need your written permission for background checks (FCRA)
- ☐ You must get a copy of the report before an adverse decision
- ☐ Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) for employers
- ☐ Federal Bonding Program: free bonds for employers
- ☐ Legal aid for record-clearing (expungement or sealing)
Interview Day
- ☐ Arrive 10–15 minutes early
- ☐ Bring résumé and reference copies
- ☐ Dress neatly and conservatively
- ☐ Prepare two questions to ask
- ☐ Send a thank-you note within 24 hours
- ☐ Follow up after about one week
My Contacts
Supervision officer: ____________________________
Re-entry coordinator: __________________________
American Job Center: ___________________________
Legal aid: ____________________________________
Church: ______________________________________
Mentor / accountability partner: ________________
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.— Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
Final Exam
- 1.
A transferable skill is:
- 2.
Which is a free, reliable career research source?
- 3.
Which résumé format is often best with gaps?
- 4.
A strong résumé bullet begins with:
- 5.
A basic cover letter has how many paragraphs?
- 6.
Before listing someone as a reference, you should:
- 7.
Ban-the-box laws generally:
- 8.
Under the FCRA, an employer using a screening company must:
- 9.
The Federal Bonding Program:
- 10.
STAR stands for:
- 11.
After an interview, send a thank-you note within:
- 12.
Which belongs in Days 1–7 after release?
- 13.
Networking is:
- 14.
Where can you get free help clearing a record?
- 15.
Facility work experience can be listed honestly on a résumé.
- 16.
Licensing rules for careers are the same in every state.
- 17.
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit can benefit employers who hire people with felony convictions.
- 18.
You should arrive for an interview right on time, not early.
- 19.
Describe the three parts of the Honest-Brief-Forward answer.
- 20.
Which certificate did you choose, and how does it connect to your gifts and calling?