1. Starting an AP Capstone Program: Three Districts’ Perspectives
Island Trees UFSD
Plainview-Old Bethpage CSD
Wantagh UFSD
Thursday, November 17, 2016

2. What We’ll Discuss Questions and Answers Why AP Capstone?
What is AP Capstone?
Things to consider when deciding if AP Capstone is a good fit for your district
What are the ways AP Capstone can be structured?
What is the timeline for adoption of AP Capstone?
What are the costs involved?
Questions and Answers

3. Why AP Capstone?

4. Why AP Capstone?
To enhance the current opportunities within your district for purposeful research (Start a program or add to it!)
Provides skills and experiences that our students should acquire before graduating.
Advancing and/or bringing attention to the need for college readiness. What does your current AP program look like? How much research are students truly exposed to in a purposeful manner across grade levels?

5. What is the AP Capstone Program?

6. Introducing AP Capstone
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
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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. AP Seminar 25% 35% 40% Exam score based on:
Students learn how to:
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%

10. Team Project and Presentation
Completed by the end of February
Three to six students per team
Students complete and submit their individual research (1,200 words) and reflection (800 words)
A written team report of approx. 3,000 words is submitted
A team presentation of 8-10 minutes and responding to some defense questions

11. Individual Research Based Essay and Presentation
Completed by the end of April
College Board provides academic texts around a common theme
Students determine their research question based on the source material provided
Students complete a 2,000 word essay
Students do a 6 to 8 minute presentation and defend their presentation based on two questions they receive

12. AP Seminar Exam Taken in the beginning of May
Three short answer questions and two essays
Essay one compares two documents with varying view points
Essay two requires students to synthesize and create an evidence based argument

13. The Role of AP Seminar Teachers The College Board has clearly defined the role of the teacher in preparing students for their AP Seminar Performance Tasks.
Before Performance Tasks 1 and 2 have begun, teachers should:
Make students aware of task components, requirements, deadlines, and scoring criteria
Provide generic sample questions for research, discussion, and oral defense
Conduct class instruction on the skills required for the performance tasks while working on their research and presentations
Share rubrics with students
Encourage peer review and editing
Once Performance Tasks 1 and 2 have begun, teachers may not:
Assign, provide, distribute or generate research questions for students
Conduct or provide research articles, or evidence for students
Write, revise, amend, or correct students work
Give specific, directive feedback to individual students
Identify specific questions for oral defense that students will be asked during their presentations

14. AP Research Academic Paper 75% Presentation and Oral Defense 25%
Exam score based on:
Students learn how to:
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%

15. What are the best ways to Structure AP Capstone
Schools have flexibility on how they can structure AP Capstone:
In Wantagh, POB, and Island Trees, we offer the following:
The AP Seminar course is offered to students in the tenth grade. This course is taken as a student’s English 10H course. 
Wantagh and POB also have a number of eleventh grade students that take it as an elective.
The AP Research course will be offered to students in eleventh or twelfth grade who have successfully completed the AP Seminar course. AP Research is a stand alone elective course.

16. AP Seminar Criteria This is locally determined.
In Wantagh, we have applied the following criteria:
Teacher recommendation and Department Director approval.
Must have and maintain an 90% average or better in 9th grade Honors -OR- Must have and maintain an 95% average or better in 9th grade
Regents English with no grade lower than 90%
In Island Trees, we have applied the following criteria:
Teacher and administrator recommendations from 9 AP Prep English and 9AP World History (90 or higher)
Commitment to rigorous AP course load: 3 AP classes in 10th grade, then AP Research, 11 AP English, and 11 AP US History in 11th
Intrinsic thirst for independent and collaborative learning: self-motivation, ability to work collegially

17. AP Capstone: The Benefits

18. Benefits of AP Capstone
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

19. POBJFK Students Explain
What AP Capstone is
“an influential phenomenon that challenges and stimulates students to think above and beyond their preconceived notions”
“a course that will make you step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to your full potential”
“a class where you not only develop research skills and techniques, but you build a community of curious and persistent students”
“a way to teach your brain to look at the world in a whole new lens”
“an excellent way to learn vital abilities to assist you not only in college, but for the rest of your life”
“an avenue to question conventional problem solving skills and create solutions to unexplored problems in cooperation with our peers”

20. 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.
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.

21. Timeline for Adoption
Ideally, the planning process begins at least one year prior to implementation.
Work backwards from your high school course request process.
Hold a parent meeting prior to students enrolling in courses.
Send out parent invitations to students that would potentially meet your criteria.
Work with department leaders to determine a “best teacher fit” for the courses. Who is willing to take the first step and attend a week of training over the summer?
Plan for future staffing considerations…

22. Costs Involved in Implementing AP Capstone
Teacher training to attend summer institute plus expenses
Additional staffing (Co-teaching model)
Technology
Curriculum writing
Instructional texts aligned to the chosen theme

23. Some Resources

24. Special thank you to Wantagh, Island Trees and Plainview-Old Bethpage for sharing your experiences.
Lori Christensen, Island Trees
Beth Roemer, Island Trees
Chris Widmann, Wantagh
John McNamara, Wantagh
Ray Tesar, Plainview-Old Bethpage
Jeff Yagaloff, Plainview-Old Bethpage

25. AP Capstone: Question and Answer Session