Jacksonville, AL – Jacksonville High School implemented a new College Boards AP Capstone diploma program last year and from this program they now have their first two graduates, Natalie Patterson and Luke Alvidrez. Jacksonville High School is one of fewer than 20 schools in the state to offer the program, and per the Jacksonville City School Public Information Officer, Ben Nunnally who also said, “We’re pretty proud of the kids!”
The Calhoun Journal had the opportunity to speak with Luke Alvidrez who is leaving for college this Sunday. He is attending California Institute of Technology and planing on majoring in Mechanical Engineering. When asked what made him interested in this program he shared that he knew is was a new program being offered and his AP US history teacher was teaching the first part. She recommended he look at it and upon doing that found that the writing skills, reports, presentations, and final research paper would really help prepare him for college.
The Calhoun Journal also had the chance to speak to Natalie Patterson. She shared that choose the program because it was in the summer of COVID and she was going into her senior year. The assistant principal who was also in charge of the program suggested it to her and asked if she was interested. Her schedule was already in place, but she felt this was a great opportunity. At that time there were roughly only 13 schools in Alabama offering this program and she felt it might open doors for her and give her more opportunities. In hindsight she believes it did have this effect. She was awarded an honor scholarship through JSU that only eight recipients receive. She felt this AP program made her more competitive and was one of the reasons the honor board choose her. She also was able to speak with a professor from The University of Toronto who also works with the Krembil Brain Institute. He was helpful in a research paper she was writing on the effects of caffeine, specifically coffee, in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. This professor did a study on this subject so it was a great opportunity that she might not have otherwise had. Miss Patterson stated that she felt these classes and this program helped her get a better understanding of the skills she will be using moving forward in her education. Miss Patterson will be attending Jacksonville State University in the Fall Semester and will be double majoring in Forensics and Biology.
Board of Education member, Marita Watson shared, “Jacksonville City Schools are proud to offer students the opportunity to expand their research and writing skills. This is the second year Jacksonville High School has offered this specialized AP program. The skills learned in these courses will prepare our students for higher education research.”
Upon launch of the program Jacksonville High School proudly announced that JHS is one of approximately 1,800 schools worldwide to implement the AP Capstone™ Diploma program―an innovative program that allows students to develop the skills that matter most for college success, such as research, collaboration, and communication. The program consists of two courses taken in sequence: AP® Seminar and AP Research.
Students who score a 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing earn the AP Capstone Diploma™. This signifies outstanding academic achievement and attainment of college-level academic and research skills. Students who score a 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research (but not on four additional AP Exams) earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™.
In AP Seminar, typically taken in 10th or 11th grade, students choose and evaluate complex topics through multiple lenses; identify credibility and bias in sources; and develop arguments in support of a recommendation. AP Seminar is a project-based learning course. Official AP Seminar assessments include research reports, written arguments, and presentations completed during the academic year. Students complete the course by taking an end-of-course written exam in May.
In the subsequent AP Research course, students design, execute, present, and defend a yearlong research-based investigation on a topic of individual interest. They build on skills developed in AP Seminar by learning how to understand research methodology; employ ethical research practices; and collect, analyze, and synthesize information to contribute to academic research. Like AP Seminar, AP Research is a project-based course. Each student’s official AP Research score is based on their academic paper, presentation, and oral defense. There’s no end-of-course exam for AP Research.
About AP
The College Board Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies—with the opportunity to earn college credit, placement, or both—while still in high school. Through AP courses in 38 subjects, each culminating in a rigorous exam, students learn to think critically, construct solid arguments, and see many sides of an issue—skills that prepare them for college and beyond. Taking AP courses demonstrates to college admissions officers that students have sought the most rigorous curriculum available to them, and research indicates that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college degree than non-AP students. Each AP teacher’s syllabus is evaluated and approved by faculty from some of the nation’s leading colleges and universities, and AP Exams are developed and scored by college faculty and experienced AP teachers. Most four-year colleges and universities in the United States grant credit, placement, or both based on successful AP Exam scores―more than 3,800 institutions worldwide annually receive AP scores. In the last decade, AP participation and performance rates have nearly doubled. In May 2018, 2.8 million students representing more than 22,612 schools around the world, both public and nonpublic, took 5.1 million AP Exams.
