The AP Capstone program has more than doubled this year with 88 students enrolled in the class, in comparison to 32 students last year. The diploma program consists of two core classes, AP Seminar and then followed by AP Research.
Both classes contribute to making AP Capstone a hands-on program designed to equip students with the skills of critical thinking, collaboration, public speaking and the process of conducting a research study.
“I think doing something is how you learn it the best,” AP Capstone and AVID teacher Kathleen Forsell said. “So, I think that the kids get an idea of what research studies are and what they’re doing. what researchers are doing, no matter what field they’re in. But I think when you do it yourself, you get to know it in a much deeper way.”
The increase prompted AP Psychology teacher Vicki Flam to be added as a second AP Research teacher.
“[Research] is a really great tie-in with AP Psychology,” Flam said. “With AP Research, students are creating their own research, but they also have to examine their own biases and where there’s a gap in current research. In AP Psychology, we talk about how overconfidence or hindsight bias are things that get in the way of any kind of research.”
Flam’s expertise lies in the very core process of research itself with her masters in psychology which enables her to bring a different perspective to the program.
“In my graduate program, I had to take research courses where I read scientific articles and wrote my own literary reviews,” Flam said. “I created my own kind of surveys, my own research, so I did that within my master’s program. So having done it myself and having been through it myself, I think that as a teacher, I can help guide students to be successful in that.”
Unlike the International Baccalaureate program which focuses on six different areas of study, the Capstone Diploma can be earned by scores of three or higher on both AP Capstone classes along with another four additional AP classes of the students’ choosing.
“It’s a program that really does make students stand out to colleges,” Forsell said. “They’re getting accepted into the honors colleges. It seems like it’s very much a plus one in acceptances, so I think that’s part of [the reason for the program’s growth], the students that go there and come back say that it’s really helpful.”
The classes build these skills through students picking different research topics, two for AP Seminar and one year long topic for AP Research, respectively. The class aids student’s current classes as well as their exploration in future interests with their independent ability to choose their research topic.
“It does work with other classes [students] are taking such as AP Statistics, AP Psychology, AP Biology or AP Chemistry,” Forsell said. “We’ve seen students that have gotten to do [research] here, then go off into college and be really successful. [With AP Capstone] the kids get an idea for what studies are and what they’re doing, what researchers are doing, no matter what field they’re in.”
The program proved to be helpful for current students who are diploma recipients in various ways.
“In terms of college apps this program is a great enhancer,” senior Staffina Alexander said. “Because you already have a written paper that is a clear demonstration of your skills. If it is related to your major, the research paper stands out as you’re also showing your commitment and interest in that subject. It proved to be a really helpful class for me and I can only see the benefits of it going ahead.”