ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Bishop Feehan High School proudly announces that it is one of approximately 1,500 schools worldwide accepted to implement the AP Capstone diploma program ― an innovative, rigorous program that allows students to develop skills that matter most for college success, such as research, collaboration, and communication.
The program consists of two new AP courses taken in sequence: APSeminar and AP Research. Developed in direct response to feedback from higher education faculty and college admission officers, AP Capstone complements the in-depth, subject-specific study of Bishop Feehan’s 17 other Advanced Placement courses and exams.
Feehan will start AP Seminar in the fall of 2018 led by head teacher, Margaret Peixoto. AP Research will follow for the 2019-2020 school year.
“Feehan is immensely proud to be chosen as an early adopter of the AP Capstone program,” notes Bishop Feehan president, Tim Sullivan. “These types of skills and this type of rigorous independent learning are exactly what colleges are looking for these days, and we couldn’t be more excited to be offering this program to our students so early. We are thankful to the College Board for recognizing Feehan’s advanced readiness for this program.”
With no prerequisites, AP Capstone is an additional entryway into AP, even for students who might otherwise take no AP courses. Students who complete the AP Capstone program will be well prepared for academic success in college with strong analysis, critical thinking and presentation skills. Additionally, students who earn scores of 3 or higher on AP Seminar and AP Research assessments and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing will earn the AP Capstone Diploma. This signifies their outstanding academic achievement and attainment of college-level academic and research skills. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher on both AP Seminar and AP Research assessments only (but not on four additional AP Exams) will earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.
Acceptance into the AP Capstone program marks another milestone in a multi-year review and acceleration of AP access at Feehan.
“This program is another entry point to the AP experience for our students,” says Bishop Feehan principal Sean Kane. “It comes on top of our recent efforts to increase AP participation at Feehan, which was already at a 10-year high. Any student who has demonstrated effective effort and enthusiasm for learning may participate — there will be no other course prerequisites. The program will advance our mission of excellence in scholarship and is part of the ongoing innovation in teaching and learning here at Feehan.”
About The Curriculum
The AP Seminar course, typically taken in 10th or 11th grade, equips students with the ability to look at academic or real world issues from multiple perspectives. Through a variety of materials— articles to research studies to foundational and philosophical texts—students tackle complex questions; understand and evaluate opposing viewpoints; interpret and synthesize information; and construct, communicate, and defend evidence-based arguments. Teachers have flexibility to cover local, regional, national, and global topics relevant to their students, around themes such as education, innovation, sustainability, and technology. Students are assessed through a team project and presentation, an individual project and presentation, and an end-of-course written exam. By tapping into students’ personal interests, AP Capstone gives students from a wide range of backgrounds an entry point into stimulating coursework.
In the subsequent AP Research course, students design, plan, and conduct a yearlong research-based investigation on a topic of individual interest, documenting their process with a portfolio. Students build on skills developed in the AP Seminar course by learning how to understand research methodology; employ ethical research practices; and collect, analyze, and synthesize information to build, present, and defend an argument.