By Landon Rogers

   In the 2022-2023 school year Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS) will be introducing the Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone program. This includes two new classes, AP Seminar and AP Research, which will be electives offered for students looking to work on problem solving, public speaking, and research skills.

   PVHS vice principal, Ms. Haley Jasper, had nothing but praise for the classes and talked about how there is no better preparation for college level research papers outside of the program. She had experience with the program at Creekside High School and was able to help in the grading process of the AP research papers as well as help approve how the research will be gained for their projects. “The best part of this class is seeing how students put together a piece of work they didn’t know they could do.” Ms. Jasper also said that she wants everyone who takes this class to walk away with confidence that they are prepared for college. 

   This course is broken up into two different classes: AP Seminar, which is taken first as a junior, and then AP Research, taken as a senior. The type of student required for these classes is self-motivated, interested in current issues, a critical thinker, and wants to better their research and writing skills. The College Board describes AP Seminar by saying students will “Develop and practice the skills in research, collaboration, and communication that you’ll need in any academic discipline.” The class is looked at as preparation for the next class, AP Research.

   AP Seminar has an AP test at the end of the year, unlike AP Research where that grade is replaced by a multi-thousand-word research paper. College Board says this class will build on what the student learned in AP Seminar to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of individual interest. Through this exploration, students will design, plan, and conduct a year-long research-based investigation to address a research question. 

   After completing both of these classes, as well as four other AP classes, students will receive the Capstone Diploma when they graduate. The Capstone Diploma is a certificate that is recognized by colleges that a student has critical thinking skills. The Capstone Diploma can even count towards college credit for qualifying scores. It is looked upon favorably by colleges and is another award that can be earned.