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AP Capstone School
The College Board AP Capstone Diploma Program Focuses on College-Level Independent Research, Collaborative Teamwork and Communication and Writing Skills Crucial for College and Career Success
CCS is one of approximately 1,500 high schools worldwide to implement the AP Capstone Program ― an innovative program that allows students to develop skills that matter most for college success, such as research, collaboration and communication. Developed in direct response to feedback from higher education faculty and college admission officers, AP Capstone complements the in-depth, subject-specific study of other Advanced Placement courses and exams. The program consists of two courses taken in sequence: AP Seminar and AP Research.
Under the instruction of Mr. Patrick Leonard, Cypress Christian School started AP Seminar in the fall of 2018.
This innovative program provides an even greater opportunity for our students to prepare for college and beyond. The program gives our teachers more flexibility with curriculum choices so their students can access more challenging coursework and sharpen their reading and writing skills.
The AP Seminar course, typically taken in 11th grade, equips students to look at real-world issues from multiple perspectives. Through a variety of materials, articles to research studies to foundational and philosophical texts, students tackle complex questions; understand and evaluate opposing viewpoints; interpret and synthesize information; and construct, communicate and defend evidence-based arguments. Students are assessed through a team project and presentation, an individual project and presentation and an end-of-course written exam.
The AP Seminar course, typically taken in 11th grade, equips students to look at real-world issues from multiple perspectives. Through a variety of materials, articles to research studies to foundational and philosophical texts, students tackle complex questions; understand and evaluate opposing viewpoints; interpret and synthesize information; and construct, communicate and defend evidence-based arguments. Students are assessed through a team project and presentation, an individual project and presentation and an end-of-course written exam.
In the subsequent AP Research course, students design, plan and conduct a yearlong research-based investigation on a topic of individual interest, documenting their process with a portfolio. Students build on skills developed in the AP Seminar course by learning how to understand research methodology; employ ethical research practices; and collect, analyze and synthesize information to build, present and defend an argument.
