Boise School District: We Celebrate Our AP Capstone Diploma Recipients

Press release from the Boise School District:

August 24, 2021

Boise, ID -- 08/24/2021 -- In the Boise School District, 34 students have earned the AP Capstone Diploma™ and 15 students have earned the Advanced Placement Seminar and Research Certificate™ during the 2020-21 school year. That's up from 17 Boise District students who received the AP Capstone Diploma & AP Seminar and Research Certificate in 2018. The AP Capstone Diploma program helps students to develop critical thinking, research, collaboration, and presentation skills that are critical to academic success.

“We proudly recognize the achievements of students who participated in the AP Capstone Diploma program,” said Coby Dennis, superintendent, Boise School District. “Our AP Capstone students and teachers showed extraordinary commitment while facing historic challenges. This is a meaningful college readiness program that will serve our students well after high school.”

To receive the AP Capstone Diploma, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on four additional AP Exams. To receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research. Students are increasingly participating in the AP Capstone program. Over 2,000 schools participated in the AP Capstone program worldwide during the 2020-21 school year, when approximately 11,900 students earned the AP Capstone Diploma and 7,700 earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

Unlike traditional AP subject exams with a single end-of-year assessment, AP Seminar and AP Research assessments are project based and evaluate skills mastery through group projects, presentations, and individual essays completed throughout the year. Instead of focusing on one specific academic discipline, AP Seminar and AP Research are interdisciplinary: students are empowered to create research projects based on topics of personal interest and they are assessed on the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management, and presentation skills needed to complete their projects.

“Congratulations to the AP Capstone award winners, who conduct, present, and defend academic research on topics they are passionate about,” said Trevor Packer, College Board senior vice president of AP and Instruction. “Their ability to manage long-term projects, collaborate with teams, and deliver effective presentations will accelerate both their academic and professional careers.”

The 34 students who earned the AP Capstone Diploma™ and 15 students who have earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™ during the 2020-21 school year are pictured as follows:

This press release was produced by the Boise School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.