By Annie Zorn
Next fall, Lane Tech will be among the first 100 high schools worldwide, including schools in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, to begin offering the AP Capstone Diploma.
To receive a Capstone Diploma, a student must complete four AP classes along with two new classes, AP Seminar and AP Research.
The AP Seminar Course, will consist primarily of reading and writing. It will be similar to an English or History class, with the addition of real world topics and issues. An example of a topic that could be studied in the class is “whether national security is more important than a citizen’s right to privacy” according to the College Board website. Teachers will select the areas of study based on student interest and major news events. The academic approach will be interdisciplinary, and include literary explorations and in-class presentations.
“The students and the teacher are able to develop the curriculum through the school year, which is really wonderful,” Assistant Principal Ms. Beck said.
AP Seminar students will be evaluated on the basis of two course performance tasks and a written exam. Scores will be one through five, similar to other AP classes. A score of three or higher must be obtained on all of the tests to receive the diploma.
The AP Research class will not be offered until the 2015-2016 school year. It will focus on synthesizing information and the research process, eventually ending in a thesis paper and a public presentation or exhibition. This class is designed to help students with their research methods that will assist them in other AP classes and eventually college.
The two classes differ from each other in that the AP Seminar course will explore multiple topics, and AP Research course will be focused on a single research-based investigation.
“It’s more about giving as many students the opportunity to enhance their skills. Our mindset is you have these classes that are extremely beneficial to you. Here’s another opportunity for you to increase those skills,” said Beck.
Mr. Maslanka and Ms. Thompson from the English Department, and Dr. Bates from the History Department are currently the teachers for the program. They will attend workshops over the summer to develop their curriculum with other teachers from around the world.
Beck said the reason Lane was selected for the Capstone Diploma Program is because the school offers all of the 38 available AP classes. She also said that the AP program at Lane has grown by 700 percent in the last ten years, which likely caught the attention of the College Board. Lane is the only school in Chicago and one of only three in Illinois to join the Capstone Diploma program.
“It would be cool to graduate with the diploma. I bet it will look good for college applications,” said Jonathan Villagomez, Div. 677.
Students will not receive college credit for the AP Seminar and AP Research courses, but the Capstone Diploma will help them stand out during the admissions process. According to the informational handout distributed by the administration, the diploma will be as impressive to colleges and universities as an International Baccalaureate degree. Additionally, over 100 schools have officially expressed support for the program such as University of Chicago, New York University, and University of Southern Florida.
Because Capstone is a two-year program, only current sophomores and younger will be eligible for the diploma. Current juniors can enroll in the AP Seminar Course being offered next fall.
With the addition of mandatory gym classes for all grade levels next year, some junior students say they are planning on taking the Seminar course in order to get a waiver from taking a P.E. elective. Another reason some juniors will take the course is that National Honors Society, Lane Scholars, and the Alpha program now require it as a part of their programs.
“I wasn’t planning on taking it before, but it seems like an interesting class from what I’ve heard from friends. Plus I’d rather take it than another year of gym,” said Candice Ning, Div. 581.
Whether it’s to impress college admissions officers, to develop analytical and research skills, or just to get out of taking a gym elective, students who enroll in the AP Capstone Diploma program will be taking advantage of a new and rare opportunity.
