AP | Cambridge Capstone Pilot Program
Cathy Brigham, Ph.D.
New Pilot Program:
AP | Cambridge Capstone
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Program Goals
The AP | Cambridge Capstone Program aims provide the opportunity to practice:
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Curriculum Structure and Requirements
10th -12th Grade
Year Two
Year One
Research Project
Seminar Course
To qualify for the AP | Cambridge Capstone
Credential, students must:
1. Earn qualifying scores on the Seminar Course and Research Project Assessments
2. Earn scores of 3 or
higher on three or more AP Exams
Any year of HS Year
Two
Year One
Research Project
Seminar Course
Essay (4500-5000 words)
Team Project
Individual Presentation
Written Exam
Goals of the Seminar Course
10th -12th Grade
Year Two
Year One
Research Project
Seminar Course
• Develop and assess problem solving, team project-based work and effective
communication.
• Expand critical thinking and awareness through inquiry and reflection on issues of global
relevance.
Any year of HS Year Two
Year One
Research Project
Seminar Course
Essay (4500-5000 words)
Team Project
Individual Presentation
Written Exam
Seminar Course Topics
Seminar Course
Students explore topics through multiple thematic dimensions to develop research & inquiry skills.
Sample topics
- Genetic modification - Urbanization
- Alternatives to oil - Artificial intelligence - Technology & intelligent buildings
- Online & interactive communities
- China as an emerging superpower
- Endangered cultures - International law - Supra-national organizations -Integration and multiculturalism
Sample topics
-Genetic engineering
-Medical ethics & priorities -Standard of living & quality of life
-Ethical foreign policy -Religious-secular divide -Economic globalization -Migration and work -Impact of the internet -Ethics and economics of food
-Economic role of women -Science and politics of climate change
-Industry and pollution -Biodiversity
Culture
Global Topic
Science
&
Technology Politics
Ethics
Economics
Environment
Development of Research and Inquiry Skills Is Central to both Courses
Reflection
Assess the impact of research on personal
perspectives.
Deconstruction
Detailed analysis of a point of view.
Reconstruction
Identification &
evaluation of evidence for and against competing
points of view.
Communication
Communicate views, information and research effectively and convincingly.
Students engage in multiple iterations of the
Critical Path, a teaching and learning process.
Seminar Assessments Evaluate Multiple Modes of Performance
Component Duration Weight Scoring
Team Project
Students are evaluated on their individual contributions as well as the group as a whole.
Group Report:
<3,000 words Personal Report:
<2,000 words
~20% Internally assessed;
externally moderated Individual Presentation
Students are given a problem statement and source materials;
they conduct independent
research and develop and deliver a presentation.
12-15m ~30% Internally assessed;
externally moderated
Written Exam
Standardized examination that assesses student mastery of inquiry.
1h 30m ~50% Externally
assessed, short answers +
extended essay
Seminar Course
Goals of the Research Project
10th -12th Grade
Year Two
Year One
Research Project
Seminar Course
• Builds on AP and/or Seminar Course subject, deepening program of study
• Articulates with and provides progression from Seminar Course
• Enables students to develop practical skills in research methodology and the skills to manage a sustained piece of academic work
Any year of HS Year Two
Year One
Research Project
Seminar Course
Academic Paper (4500-5000 words)
Team Project
Individual Presentation
Written Exam
Assessed Components of the Research Project
1.
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6.
Academic papers must include:
Research Project
Capstone Pilot Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools, FL Miami Palmetto Senior High School
Barbara Goleman Senior High School Miami Southridge Senior High School North Miami Beach Senior High School New York City, NY
Brooklyn Technical High School
Spring Independent School District, TX Carl Wunsche Sr. High School
Irving Independent School District, TX Jack E. Singley Academy
Nimitz High School
Spokane School District, WA North Central High School
Prince George’s County Public Schools, MD Bowie High School
Eleanor Roosevelt High School
McCracken County Public Schools, KY Lone Oak High School
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, TN Hume Fogg Academic High School
Independent Schools
Chadwick School, Los Angeles, CA Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA Non-US Schools
Hong Kong International School, Tai Tam, Hong Kong
Strathcona High School, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Case Study 1: STEM
About the School
• Hume Fogg, Nashville, TN
• Urban public school
• Majority white; 14% low income
About Implementation
• 17 students in Seminar Course (mix of sophomores and juniors)
• Seminar students concurrently enrolled in a variety of AP science courses
• All Capstone teachers are science teachers
• Topics include a variety of global issues related to science
Case Study 2: Academy Model
About the School
• Barbara Goleman HS, Miami, FL
• Large public school district
• Majority Latino; 20% low income
About Implementation
• 92 students in Seminar Course (all sophomores)
• Students selected have a broad range of GPAs (25% have a GPA of 2.5- 2.75)
• Anchor course: AP Art History
• A five-teacher team (representing the seminar, art history, English, math, and science) fosters an interdisciplinary approach
• Capstone students housed in a separate building for most of the day
Case Study 3: Community Engagement
About the School
• Lone Oak HS, Paducah, KY
• Public school district serving a rural area
• Majority white; 20+% low income; 10% Latino
About Implementation
• 20 students in Seminar Course (all juniors)
• Anchor Course: AP US History
• Students selected the global topics
• Seminar teacher engaged community resources to connect research to local issues
Case Study 4: Deep Study of One Theme
About the School
• Deerfield Academy, MA
• Independent Boarding School
About Implementation
• 16 students in Seminar Course (all juniors)
• Anchor Course: AP English Language and Composition
• Seminar Course focused on a theme: “Global H2O”
• Two-teacher team for the Seminar and Research courses
• Long-term goal: Every senior will complete an oral defense of their Capstone Research Project
Case Study 5: Vocational Education
About the School
• Carl Wunsche, Spring ISD, TX
• District’s magnet school for vocational education
• Majority Latino; majority low income
• Capstone replaces senior year research project
About Implementation
• 12 students in Seminar Course (8 juniors, 4 sophomores)
• Anchor course: AP English Language and Composition
• Seminar topics: Genetically-modified organisms; water crisis; world hunger
• Capstone teachers led a PD workshop for all teachers in the school
• Wunsche Capstone students have been invited to attend a Global Education Conference at Texas A&M University
Campus Perspectives
• Benefits from an academic perspective
Cultivating a student body more able to think critically, analyze, and communicate
• Benefits from an admission perspective
• Proactive steps to prepare for these students, and, recruit them
• Benefits from a campus community perspective
• Creates an opportunity to have a cross-disciplinary
conversation about recruitment, degree requirements, and
appropriate credit and placement policies
Recognizing Capstone in a Variety of Ways
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Recruiting from Capstone programs
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Higher Ed Statement of Support
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Over 100 Institutions Have Signed
Amherst College Boston University Brown University*
Bucknell University
Carnegie Mellon University Claremont McKenna College Columbia University*
Concordia University (NE) Duke University*
Florida Atlantic University Florida Gulf Coast University Florida International University Florida State University*
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology*
New York University*
Pennsylvania State University*
St. Edward’s University
Stephen F. Austin State University Texas A&M University
Texas State University – San Marcos University of Arkansas
University of Chicago University of Florida*
University of Houston University of Miami University of Michigan*
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Pennsylvania
University of Rochester
University of Southern California*
University of Texas at Austin*
University of Virginia*
University of Washington*
Yale University*
*Institution represented on either AP Higher Education Advisory Committee or Cambridge Higher Education Advisory Committee
More than 100 Institutions Have Signed the Statement of Support
View the full list of institutions at www.collegeboard.org/capstone.
Get Ready for AP | Cambridge Capstone
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www.collegeboard.org/capstone
Your institution may receive score reports and
transcripts from Capstone students this summer.
Status of the AP | Cambridge Capstone Pilot
Fall 2012 August 2013 Fall 2013 August 2014
Cohort 1: Score reports for the Seminar Course are sent to designated colleges.
Cohort 1: Students begin the Research Project. Transcripts that include
Capstone
information are included with student
applications.
Cohort 2: Students begin the Seminar Course.
Cohort 1: The first AP | Cambridge Credentials are issued to colleges, along with score reports for the Research Project.
Cohort 2: Score reports for the Seminar Course are sent to designated colleges.
Cohort 1: Students began the Seminar Course.
