By Casey O’Brien, Principal Aptos High School
Aptos High School is thrilled to be partnering with the College Board to offer a new Advanced Placement* (AP) course pathway called AP Capstone. AP Capstone is an innovative program that equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork and communication skills valued and endorsed by colleges and universities such as UC Berkeley and Harvard among many others. The program is based on two new AP courses — AP Seminar and AP Research.
Aptos has been selected, along with a small number of schools worldwide, to offer the innovative AP Capstone program and as of now AHS looks to be the only school on the central coast to be offering this course.
AP Seminar is a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational literary, and philosophical texts; listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts; and experiencing artistic works and performances.
Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. Ultimately, the course 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.
Principal Casey O’Brien, who has been working on the process of introducing AP Capstone at AHS for over a year now, stated that “it has been a long application process and I am so proud to offer such an incredible program option for our students. AP Capstone will foster creativity, scholarly practice, and academic intensity while preparing students to make logical evidence-based decisions. This is what colleges increasingly desire and what an ever-changing workplace increasingly requires.”
Informational meetings were held at Aptos High and the student and parent interest has been very high. When asked why they are excited about the course student Sydney Livingston said, “Because it is so unique and exclusive to AHS it will allow me to stand out among others in the college application process.” Erika Escalona said, “I am excited because it will give me the presentation and collaboration skills necessary for me to be more successful after high school.”
You are encouraged to read more about this exciting opportunity on the AP Seminar portion of the Aptos High website at https://ahs-pajaro-ca.schoolloop.com/AP and on the College Board AP Capstone website at https://lp.collegeboard.org/ap-capstone.
Questions can be directed to Principal Casey O’Brien at [email protected] or at 688-6565 ex 230 at AHS.
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*Advanced Placement is a program in the United States and Canada, created by the College Board, which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities often grant placement and course credit to students who obtain high scores on the examinations.