Suffolk Reporter

Ten William Floyd High School seniors have earned the AP Capstone distinction on their future high school diplomas based on their performance on AP exams through May 2024. To earn this designation, students must score a 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and a 3 or higher on four additional AP exams of their choosing.

The AP Capstone program consists of two courses that allow students to tailor their experience by immersing themselves in topics that matter to them while developing analytical, research, problem-solving, and communication skills. This program helps students develop critical thinking, research, collaboration, and presentation skills vital to academic success.

Participating in AP Capstone also helps students stand out in the college-application process and develop key academic skills for high school, college, and beyond. The College Board notes that successful participation also builds self-confidence and enhances independent-thinking and problem-solving skills.

Congratulations to the ten students – Aisling Aylward, Victoria Basharina, Angelina Campos, Alice Chen, Rachel Chen, Kaitlyn Corn, Hiba Farooq, Joshua Lugo, Zariel Macchia, and Mathew Reis – on this achievement. Congratulations also go to their teachers: Jessica Vultaggio and Jennifer Endres (AP Seminar), and Dr. Martin Palermo and Erin Hansen (AP Research).

AP Seminar is the foundational course of the two-year AP Capstone Program. It provides students with opportunities to think critically and creatively, learn how to research areas of interest, develop arguments and consider solutions while working collaboratively with others. Students use an inquiry framework to practice reading and analyzing various documents and media to synthesize information from multiple sources. They also learn how to develop perspectives in written form as well as deliver oral and visual presentations individually and as a team.

AP Research allows students to explore an academic topic or issue of individual interest deeply. Students design, plan, and conduct research over the school year to address a specific question using skills acquired in the AP Seminar course through research methodology. They employ ethical research practices while accessing, analyzing, synthesizing information addressing a research question. Students build a research portfolio write an academic paper present an oral defense of their work using multiple sources learning how to develop perspectives in written form deliver oral visual presentations individually as a team.