Fairview High students are making history by being the district’s first Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone Diploma candidates.
Seven students completed the rigorous AP Capstone requirements, but four students went the extra mile and earned an AP Capstone Diploma. Caleb Fuller, Maggie McGowan, Logan Ryerson and Santina Santoro are all AP Capstone Diploma candidates. The other three students in the class were Chase Green, Sean Osborne and Madi Wright.
Other high schools offer the AP Seminar class, but Fairview High is the only school to have offered the both the AP Seminar and AP Research class necessary to complete the diploma.
During their AP Research class, students chose a topic based on current research. Each topic must be approved by the Institutional Review Board. At the end of the year, students prepare a 15-20 minute presentation and a 4,000-5,000 word essay to showcase their work.
To receive an AP Capstone Diploma, students must earn a score of three or higher on their AP Seminar exam, AP Research exam and four other AP Exams in addition to completing the regular classwork.
“These presentations are a culmination of a school year’s worth of research,” said FVHS AP Research teacher Laura Lowry. “They have to determine a method, conduct research and analyze the findings. This highlights the incredible academic journey and the results of the student’s research.”
The AP Capstone Diplomas are reported to universities as AP Scholar Awards and acknowledged on any AP score reports sent out after earning the diploma. In 2017, only 30 students from Tennessee earned the AP Capstone Diploma according to the CollegeBoard.
From WCS inFocus
