1. An Introduction to the AP Capstone™ Program
Lambert High School

2. Welcome
Lambert High School is committed to every student’s success. We believe access to challenging course work such as Advanced Placement® (AP®) plays an important role in that success. To complement the suite of AP courses at our school, we are proud to introduce a new program at our school in Fall 2017:

3. What We’ll Cover Topic Background on Advanced Placement®
Advanced Placement: The Basics
Our AP Courses
AP®: Skills & Advantages that Last a Lifetime
What is the AP Capstone™ Program?
Program Overview
The Courses: AP Seminar & AP Research
Exam Fees
AP Capstone Program: The Benefits
Benefits and Student Testimonials
Support from Colleges
Next Steps: Help Your Child Make the Best Choices
AP: Start the Conversation
Program Contact Information
Questions and Answers
Presenter reviews agenda with attendees, makes sure everyone can see the screen, hear, etc.
Presenter asks for questions prior to launching the next part of the presentation.

4. Background on Advanced Placement®

5. Advanced Placement ®: The Basics
AP® courses are college-level courses offered in high school
Courses reflect what is taught in top introductory college courses
Students take AP Exams at the end of the course to measure their mastery of college-level work
A score of 3 or higher on an AP Exam can typically earn students college credit and/or placement into advanced courses in college
Presenter can add to this information with the following points:
Advanced Placement® is a program developed and overseen by the College Board, the not-for-profit organization that is responsible for the PSAT/NMSQT®, SAT®, and other programs and services in college readiness and college success that help more than seven million students each year prepare for a successful transition to college.

6. Our AP® Courses
AP Capstone: AP Seminar, AP Research - starting Fall 2018
Arts: Music Theory, Studio Art: Drawing Portfolio, Studio Art: 2-D Design Portfolio, Studio Art: 3D Design Portfolio
English: English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition
History and Social Sciences: Art History, European History, Human Geography, Macroeconomics, Psychology, United States Government and Politics, United States History, World History
Mathematics and Computer Science: Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Statistics
Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics 1, Physics 2, Physics C: Mechanics, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
World Languages: French Language and Culture, Latin, Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture
Presenter will highlight courses in each content area

7. AP®: Skills & Advantages that Last a Lifetime
Taking an AP course helps students build critical thinking skills, confidence, and the essential time management and study skills needed for college success.
Nationally, research shows that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam typically earn higher grade point averages in college and have higher graduation rates than their non-AP peers.*
*2009, The College Board, “The Relationship Between AP Exam Performance and College Outcomes"
Students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely to complete a college degree on time.* Graduating in four years represents a significant savings on the cost of college.
Only 1 in 4 college students completes a bachelor’s degree in 4 years.
The average cost of college for a single year is $21,500** for public colleges (in-state tuition, fees, room/board, misc. expenses).

8. What is the AP Capstone Program?
Play introductory video “AP Capstone: A Paradigm Shift from Content to Skills”

9. Introducing - AP Capstone
is an innovative program that helps you stand out in the college admissions process by developing the critical skills needed to succeed in college and in your future career.
Emphasizes Critical Skills Needed for College & Beyond
Complements the in-depth subject-matter study in AP
Two new courses—AP Seminar and AP Research—allow students to immerse themselves in topics that matter to them, while they develop the analytic, research, problem-solving, and communication skills that colleges seek in their applicants.
The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program is offering AP Capstone™.
AP Capstone™ is an innovative program that helps students stand out in the college admission
process by developing the critical skills needed to succeed in college and in life.
Two new courses — AP Seminar and AP Research — allow students to immerse themselves in topics that matter to them while developing the analytic, research, problem-solving, and
communication skills that colleges seek in their applicants. This challenging program
helps deepen a passion for learning, gives students greater confidence in their academic
skills, and provides a broader perspective on their world.

10. The Pinnacle of Distinction – AP Capstone Diploma™
This challenging program helps students deepen their passion for learning, gives them greater confidence in your academic skills, and a broader perspective on their world.
Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™
Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams will receive the AP Capstone Diploma.
AP Capstone promotes student engagement with challenging college-level curricula and allows students to choose the AP courses in pursuit of the AP Capstone Diploma.
The AP Capstone Diploma option provides a framework for students taking multiple AP Courses to distinguish themselves in the college admission process.
The AP Seminar & Research Certificate recognizes students for completing a challenging college-level curricula which will serve as a foundation for success in college.

11. QUEST An Overview of the AP Capstone™ QUEST Framework
Throughout the AP Capstone™ program, students consider and evaluate multiple points of view to develop their own perspectives on complex issues and topics through inquiry and investigation.
The program provides students with a framework to develop, practice, and hone their critical and creative thinking skills as they make connections between various issues and their own lives.
The recursive nature of this process allows students to go back and forth between the different stages of inquiry as they encounter new information.

12. AP Seminar Students learn how to: Exam score based on:
Investigate real-world topics from multiple perspectives
Carefully analyze information, write evidence-based arguments and effectively communicate them
Work independently and with a team to research a topic, develop a written report and deliver a presentation
Team Project & Presentation
25%
2. Individual Research- Based Essay & Presentation
35%
End-of-Course Exam
40%
Example Topics
Democracy
Education
Environment
Revolution
Technology
Sustainability
AP Seminar is a foundational course that aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision in order to craft and communicate evidence-based arguments. Using an inquiry framework of questioning, understanding, evaluating, synthesizing, and transforming, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, foundational, literary, and philosophical texts; listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts; experiencing artistic works and performances; conducting research and evaluating evidence; constructing and supporting arguments; and collaborating and communicating. The course topics and themes engage students in cross curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and themes through the examination of divergent perspectives.
Students engage in conversations about complex academic and world issues through a variety of lenses, considering multiple points of view to can gain a rich appreciation for and understanding of the complexity of important issues. Teachers have the flexibility to choose 2-4 appropriate topics or themes that allow for deep exploration based on:
Students are assessed through two through-course performance assessment tasks and a written exam. The following assessments are summative and will be used to calculate a final AP Score (using the 1-5 scale) for AP Seminar.
Teachers & Students select and study 2-4 topics.

13. AP Research Students learn how to: Exam score based on: Academic Paper
AP Seminar is a prerequisite to AP Research.
Students learn how to:
Exam score based on:
Design, plan, and conduct a year- long mentored, research-based investigation
Apply research methods and practices to address a real-world topic selected by the student
Write a college-level research paper
Present and orally defend research findings and methodology
Academic Paper
(4, ,000 words)
75%
Presentation and Oral Defense
25%
The second course in the Capstone experience allows students to explore deeply an academic topic, problem, or issue of individual interest. Through this inquiry, students design, plan, and conduct a year-long mentored, research-based investigation to address a research question.
In the AP Research course, students further their skills acquired in the AP Seminar course by understanding research methodology; employing ethical research practices; and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information as they address a research question. The course culminates in an academic paper of 4, ,000 words and a presentation, with an oral defense.
Those students who elect to investigate an artistic or other topic that lends itself to a performance, exhibit, or product will arrange for the panelists to view their work to provide additional context prior to the presentation and oral defense. This activity is not formally assessed.
AP Seminar is a prerequisite to AP Research.

14. AP® Capstone Exam Fees
The exam fees for AP Seminar and AP Research are $141 each.
Assistance is available for eligible students with financial need:
The College Board offers exam fee reductions for eligible students with financial need.

15. AP Capstone Program: The Benefits

16. AP Capstone: The Benefits
Earn Distinction – Stand out in the college admission process and have the opportunity to earn valuable college credit or placement
Acquire Critical Skills – Students acquire challenging college-level analysis, writing, and research skills that are increasingly valued by colleges
Choose what to study – Students choose their own research topic and study issues and topics of interest and importance to them

17. What Students are saying about AP Capstone
“We get a topic, and we dive deep into it, looking at not just the facts but different perspectives, which ones are strongest, which ones are missing something… [It]…teaches us to learn and think, and prepares us for college and life in a way that no other class does…” —Senior, North Central High School, Spokane, WA
“The expectations in the [AP Seminar] course are a lot higher. We are expected to be more responsible and more attentive about what is going on in the world around us.” —Sophomore, N. Miami Beach High School, Miami, FL
“[In college interviews,] it gives you something to talk about. I can be really specific and colleges see that you have an interest.” —Senior, Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, NY
“[I’ve gained] confidence… I speak more now. In this environment your opinion is needed. You feel part of a family.” —Junior, Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, NY
Currently being offered in over 600 schools worldwide students involved in the program think that AP Capstone:
Helps them see an issue from multiple perspectives
Challenges their thinking
Helps them construct a cohesive argument
Has helped them improve their presentation skills
Play video – “AP Capstone: A Student Perspective”

18. What Colleges are saying about AP Capstone
“At the University of Washington, we would be very interested in enrolling students who have distinguished themselves through the AP Capstone program.” Phillip Ballinger, Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admissions, University of Washington
“AP Seminar and AP Research are terrific classes that prepare students to think in non-formulaic ways.” Stuart Schmill, Dean of Admissions, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“AP Capstone provides more of the learning students will need for success in college and beyond: effective communication, original research, collaboration, and critical thinking. Ken O’Donnell, Senior Director of Student Engagement, California State University
With many colleges endorsing AP Capstone, many college and university admission professionals believe the AP Capstone curriculum and learning objectives are uniquely aligned with core objectives of higher education and the skills students need to succeed on their campuses.

19. Below are some of the 140+ colleges that have endorsed AP Capstone for its challenging interdisciplinary curricula. Also, over 100 colleges have developed credit policies – a few are below outlined in green.
Over 130 colleges and universities have signed a Statement of Support endorsing AP Capstone for its challenging interdisciplinary curricula.
Over 100 colleges and universities have developed credit policies for AP Seminar and/or AP Research – some of these are outlined in green.
Students and parents should Visit for the full list of college credit policies for AP Capstone.
The College Board designed the AP Capstone diploma program in response to colleges' and universities' need to identify students who have challenged themselves with a challenging academic program and who can arrive on campus with the critical skills increasingly valued by colleges and beyond – independent research, collaborative teamwork, communication, and analytical writing.
The AP Capstone experience will be most valuable for students seeking to build the skills critical to success in college and to stand out in the admissions process. Accordingly, while Capstone will help students in a variety of college courses, the AP Capstone diploma is primarily valuable for admissions consideration.
AP Seminar and AP Research are newly launched. As of September 2015, over 100 colleges and universities award credit for the successful completion of an exam. The College Board is currently providing the detailed information that colleges, universities and state systems need to make sound, data-driven credit policy decisions.
The colleges and universities that have confirmed that they will grant credit for AP Seminar and AP Research exam scores have done so because these courses build skills that specifically map to similar courses offered to their first-year students. However, there are other institutions that will not grant credit because the AP Capstone courses do not align with a first-year course.
Visit for the latest list of colleges with credit policies for AP Seminar and/or AP Research.

20. Next Steps: Help Your Child Make the Best Choices

21. AP Capstone: Start the Conversation
Help your child prepare to talk to a teacher or counselor about AP Capstone. Here are some questions to encourage your child to think about:
Is AP Capstone right for me?
Before you talk to a teacher or counselor, think about what interests you:
What college majors are you considering? What careers excite you?
Do I enjoy challenging myself to think in new ways?
Do I like to collaborate and learn from others?
Ask your counselor or teacher the following questions:
How will the courses be structured in the school schedule?
Are there other courses that can help me succeed in AP Capstone?
What steps do I need to take?
Complete the Capstone application by the deadline
Presenter: Encourage families to talk openly and realistically with students about the time commitment, challenges, etc., without exaggerating the difficulties. Many students take multiple AP courses and thrive. Others find better success with one or two AP courses, depending on their other school, work and home commitments.

22. Additional Information about AP Capstone
The AP Capstone Brochure
The AP Capstone Website
AP Students – Course Information
apstudent.collegeboard.org
Direct questions and concerns to:
AP Coordinator: Lisa Robinson
AP Administrator: Brandi Cannizzarro
Presenter: Encourage families to explore these resources on their own and with their children as they’re researching college opportunities and options.

23. Timeline
Fill out the APPLICATION for the AP Capstone Diploma Program cohort
Send the Teacher Recommendation LINK to two of your teachers, one Science/Math and one ELA/SS/WL
Applications are open from Feb 1-27, 2017
Students will be informed if they have been selected to be part of the program by the end of March.

24. Questions and Answers