The School District of Osceola County announced this week that Osceola High School will become one of 2,000 schools worldwide to implement the AP Capstone Diploma™ program―an innovative program that encourages students to develop skills for college and career success, including critical thinking, research, collaboration, and communication.
The program consists of two yearlong courses taken in sequence: AP® Seminar and AP Research. The pathway to the Capstone program at Osceola High is called Kowboy Advanced Placement Scholars (KAPS).
The new diploma program focuses on college-level research, collaboration, and presentation skills crucial for college and career success, the District noted.
Students who score a 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research, and on 4 additional AP Exams of their choosing earn the AP Capstone Diploma, signifying outstanding academic achievement and attainment of college-level academic and research skills. Students who score a 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™.
Osceola High will start offering AP Seminar in the fall 2022. In AP Seminar, typically taken in 10th or 11th grade, students choose real-world topics and evaluate them from multiple perspectives. Students identify credibility and bias in sources and develop arguments in support of a recommendation.
“The AP Capstone program will prepare our diverse student population to become skilled collaborators, critical thinkers, and consumers of information,: said Osceola School District Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace. "The Capstone courses will give students flexibility to explore the complex topics affecting their lives, and we are excited to see their research.”
