Students stand in the spotlight on stage. With a bold red curtain behind them, they speak confidently, projecting their voices into the auditorium. They’re not performing a sonnet or a soliloquy, but instead presenting the results of their year-long, inquiry-based, collaborative learning projects.
These are North Central High School 10th graders, by the way, but after completing this course, they could have already have credit for college.
The College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone Diploma Program includes two courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. In SPS, the AP Seminar course integrates core standards for 10th grade English as well, fulfilling sophomore English Language Arts credit requirements.
“It’s designed to teach students how to read academic papers, write them, present them, and collaborate as a team,” explained Marina Gruis, noting that the course was developed in 2015 because the College Board found that some students could pass tests but couldn’t write college-level research papers.
“Because AP Seminar wasn’t tied to graduation requirements, it mostly attracted valedictorians and highly motivated students who had room in their schedules,” Gruis shared. “But moving AP Seminar into English 10 really opened the door for a much broader group of students. Some students who had never taken honors classes signed up simply because it sounded interesting or useful — and they absolutely excelled.”
Gruis has also heard from former students that AP Seminar prepared them for college in a significant way. “They were the only students in their dorms who understood research questions, academic databases, synthesizing information, and defending findings.”
She’s heard similar compliments from the admissions side.
“When college admissions officers and department heads see what students accomplish in AP Seminar, they’re often amazed because it resembles work many undergraduates don’t even do yet. It’s preparing students for graduate-level expectations,” Gruis said.
AP Seminar is also a College in the High School (CHS) course in partnership with Eastern Washington University, offering students the opportunity to earn college credit.
LINKS
Learn more about dual-credit opportunities.
Keep reading about AP participation in Spokane Public Schools.