In 2018-2019 school year, Spring
Valley is implementing the AP Capstone program, which will be open to ALL students in grades 10-12. The program is comprised of two AP courses — AP Seminar and AP Research— and is designed to complement and enhance the discipline-specific study in other AP courses. This program provides unique research opportunities for current AP students, or to expand access to AP by encouraging students to master the argument-based writing skills that the AP Capstone program develops.
Students take AP Seminar in their sophomore or junior year. In this course, students develop many
critical-thinking skills necessary for college success. Students work alone and in groups to brainstorm, develop, and implement research projects based in real-world issues. Though there is plenty of guidance, students experience a level of academic freedom not usually found in high school courses. And unlike many AP courses, the final 1-5 score is determined by a final exam and
students’ work throughout the year.
Students who successfully complete AP Seminar take AP Research the following year (junior or senior year). In this course, students spend a year conducting a research-based investigation into a subject of their choice. The goal of this research is to produce a 5,000-word research essay and a
presentation that defends the argument presented in the essay.
Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing receive the AP Capstone Diploma™. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research but not on four additional AP Exams receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™. This program offers students a unique opportunity to distinguish themselves to colleges and universities.
Interested students should contact their counselors to request enrollment.