AP | Cambridge Capstone Program
and Credential
John Barnhill, Florida State University
Ken O’Donnell, California State University
Kelly Stromberg, North Central High School
Val Sismey, Cambridge International Examinations
Pamela Kerouac, AP Higher Education Policy, College Board
Perspectives from Higher Education
General Education in the Baccalaureate
☼ KNOW ABOUT human cultures and the natural world
☼
KNOW HOW to inquire, think, solve, communicate
☼
ENGAGE in the broader world
☼
INTEGRATE learning to adapt to new ideas
adapted from the Association of American Colleges & Universities
Chancellor Charles B. Reed
California State University
February 25, 2008
We held a series of meetings with agriculture, engineering, entertainment,
biotech, teacher education, criminal justice, and tourism and hospitality.
No matter the industry, we found similarities in the skills they wanted from our
graduates:
* Come ready to work the first day on time
* Communicate and think critically
* Work in teams
* Use technology
* Speak multiple languages and
* Think and communicate globally
The Triangle Fire (2005)
The World in a Box:
Containerization (2011)
“We are witnessing a new way of working
developing before our eyes.
“Today, breadth, cultural knowledge and
sensitivity, flexibility, the ability to
continually learn, grow and reinvent,
technical skills, as well as drive and passion,
define the road to success.”
Richard A. Greenwald
Drew University
October 1, 2010
We are done with focusing only on
“deep dive” learning in individual
subjects.
We need systems thinkers, who
can integrate what they know
across multiple disciplines, and
cultures, and ways of knowing.
Keith J. Peden
Senior Vice President Human Resources, Raytheon
Board Member, Massachusetts Dept. of Higher Education
The tension facing public
regional comprehensives
access and portability
vs.
integration and relevance
CSU General Education Breadth
Intersegmental GE Transfer
Curriculum (IGETC)
AP | Cambridge Capstone Program
and Credential
Program Description, Assessment, and Transcripts
New Program: AP | Cambridge Capstone
Program and Credential
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Program Goals
The AP | Cambridge Capstone Program aims provide the
opportunity to practice:
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Curriculum Structure and Credential
Requirements
Year
Two
To qualify for the AP |
Cambridge Capstone
Credential, students must:
Research Project
Research
EssayProject
(4500-5000 words)
1. Earn qualifying scores
on the Seminar Course
and Research Project
Assessments
th -12
th
10
Any
year
Grade
of HS
Year
One
Team
Project
Seminar Course
Seminar
CourseWritten
Individual
Presentation
Exam
2. Earn scores of 3 or
higher on three or more
AP Exams
Goals of the Seminar Course
Year
Two
• Develop and assess
problem solving, team
project-based work and
effective
communication.
Research Project
Research
EssayProject
(4500-5000 words)
th -12
th
10
Any
year
Grade
of HS
Year
One
Team
Project
Seminar Course
Seminar
CourseWritten
Individual
Presentation
Exam
• Expand critical thinking
and awareness through
inquiry and reflection on
issues of global
relevance.
Seminar Course Topics
Students explore topics through multiple thematic
dimensions to develop research & inquiry skills.
Sample topics
- Genetic modification
- Urbanization
- Alternatives to oil
- Artificial intelligence
- Technology & intelligent
buildings
- Online & interactive
communities
- China as an emerging
superpower
- Endangered cultures
- International law
- Supra-national
organizations
-Integration and
multiculturalism
Seminar Course
Culture
Economics
Politics
Global Topic
Ethics
Environment
Science
&
Technology
Sample topics
-Genetic engineering
-Medical ethics & priorities
-Standard of living & quality
of life
-Ethical foreign policy
-Religious-secular divide
-Economic globalization
-Migration and work
-Impact of the internet
-Ethics and economics of
food
-Economic role of women
-Science and politics of
climate change
-Industry and pollution
-Biodiversity
Development of Research and Inquiry Skills Is
Central to both Courses
Students engage in multiple iterations of the
Critical Path, a teaching and learning process.
Deconstruction
Detailed analysis of
a point of view.
Reconstruction
Identification &
evaluation of
evidence for and
against competing
points of view.
Reflection
Assess the impact of
research on personal
perspectives.
Communication
Communicate views, information and research effectively and convincingly.
Seminar Assessments Evaluate Multiple Modes
of Performance
Component
Team Project
Students are evaluated on their
individual contributions as well as
the group as a whole.
Duration
Group Report:
<3,000 words
Personal Report:
<2,000 words
Weight
Scoring
~20%
Internally
assessed;
externally
moderated
Individual Presentation
Students are given a problem
statement and source materials;
they conduct independent
research and develop and deliver a
presentation.
12-15m
~30%
Internally
assessed;
externally
moderated
Written Exam
Standardized examination that
assesses student mastery of
inquiry.
1h 30m
~50%
Externally
assessed, short
answers +
extended essay
Seminar Course
Goals of the Research Project
Year
Two
• Builds on AP and/or Seminar
Course subject, deepening
program of study
Research Project
Research
Academic Project
Paper
(4500-5000 words)
• Articulates with and provides
progression from Seminar
Course
• Enables students to develop
practical skills in research
methodology and the skills to
manage a sustained piece of
academic work
th -12
th
10
Any
year
Grade
of HS
Year
One
Team
Project
Seminar Course
Seminar
CourseWritten
Individual
Presentation
Exam
Assessed Components of the Research Project
Academic papers must include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Research Project
Assessments Overview
• Internal assessments-AP Teacher Training
• Performance Measures and Rubrics
• Externally moderated-Cambridge Trained Scorers
• Colleges will receive:
 HS course transcripts with the program listed
 Cumulative score report on AP scale of 1-5
 Recognition of Credential achievement after year 2
• College score report (see example)
The Value of Capstone to Colleges…
Paul Kohn, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Enrollment Services, GEORGIA Institute of
TECHnology
AP Cambridge Capstone Participants will be viewed as:
 Possessing a progressive orientation toward their education through the
meaningful application of learning in ways that surpass the traditional
AP curriculum;
 Better prepared to authentically describe their goodness of fit within a
research university;
 Eager to solve society’s “BIG” problems;
 Accustomed to working in teams, closely with teachers/mentors;
 Possibly more resourceful and ambitious than many of their fellow
college applicants.
Florida State University is a poster child for AP,
literally!
A brief look at FSU’s 2012 numbers:
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So why am I excited about another
AP Course?
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Capstone Pilot Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools, FL
Prince George’s County Public Schools, MD
Miami Palmetto Senior High School
Bowie High School
Barbara Goleman Senior High School
Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Miami Southridge Senior High School
North Miami Beach Senior High School
New York City, NY
Brooklyn Technical High School
Spring Independent School District, TX
McCracken County Public Schools, KY
Lone Oak High School
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, TN
Hume Fogg Academic High School
Independent Schools
Chadwick School, Los Angeles, CA
Carl Wunsche Sr. High School
Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA
Irving Independent School District, TX
Non-US Schools
Jack E. Singley Academy
Hong Kong International School, Tai Tam,
Hong Kong
Nimitz High School
Spokane School District, WA
North Central High School
Strathcona High School, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada
AP | Cambridge Capstone Program
and Credential
A Few Snapshots of the Pilot Schools
North Central High School
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North Central High School
AP Cambridge Capstone Implementation
• Urban Comprehensive Public High School
• 86% Graduation Rate
• 68% Graduate with college-ready transcript
• 73% College Retention Rate (BERC Group data)
• 77% Caucasian and 23% Students of Color
• 60% low income/Free or Reduced Lunch
• Of that 60% representing low income-40% are identified as living in
extreme poverty according to the Federal Description (less than 50%
of Federal Poverty Level)
• 45% of NC students participating in AP -eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch
• 33% of our seniors eligible for Free/Reduced lunch took an AP class vs.
18% or seniors statewide
North Central High School
AP Cambridge Capstone
Implementation:
• 19 students enrolled in Seminar Course
• Seminar students are each concurrently enrolled in AP Language & Comp
• 13 Seminar students are concurrently enrolled in a variety of additional AP
courses including Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Physics, US History, Chemistry,
Studio Art, Statistics
• All Capstone teachers are experienced AP teachers (AP Language and Comp, AP
Lit and Comp and AP European History)
• Topics include a variety of global issues related to technology, environment,
scientific advances, individual rights, demographics and economic
development
North Central High School
AP Cambridge Capstone implementation
• Student Feedback
• Faculty and administrator observations
• AP Capstone Teacher insight• Seminar experience-instructional shifts, collaborative learning
outcomes, new directions in assessment
• Topics explored
• Readiness for Individual Research project, time management, and Capstone
Research paper.
AP | Cambridge Capstone Program
and Credential
What’s Next?
Status of the AP | Cambridge Capstone Pilot
Fall 2012
Cohort 1: Students
began the Seminar
Course.
August 2013
Fall 2013
August 2014
Cohort 1: Score
reports for the
Seminar Course are
sent to designated
colleges.
Cohort 1: Students
begin the Research
Project. Transcripts
that include
Capstone
information are
included with
student
applications.
Cohort 1: The first
AP | Cambridge
Credentials are
issued to colleges,
along with score
reports for the
Research Project.
Cohort 2: Students
begin the Seminar
Course.
Cohort 2: Score
reports for the
Seminar Course are
sent to designated
colleges.
Get Ready for AP | Cambridge Capstone
Your institution may receive score reports and
transcripts from Capstone students in 2013.
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www.collegeboard.org/capstone
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Higher Ed Statement of Support
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60+ Institutions Have Signed the Statement of
Support
View the full list of institutions at www.collegeboard.org/capstone.
Thank You!
www.collegeboard.org/capstone
capstone@collegeboard.org
Q&A with Panelists