As of last year, the Osceola County School for the Arts allowed juniors to take the AP Capstone Seminar course, and now the school has implemented AP Capstone Research on the senior course list.

The AP Capstone Seminar and Research courses enable students to improve their skills for research, collaboration, writing, and presentation so they are better prepared for college-level work. The courses lack subject matter focus, instead of being guided along by the students’ individual interests. Each course takes two semesters to complete, resulting in a two-year process.

AP Seminar is referred to by both students and staff as a guided form of research. The course has students work in groups and utilize information gained via outside sources to give a thorough presentation on the topic in question. AP Research follows the same format as AP Seminar; however, the course is individual-based and allows students to gain real-world information on the topic they choose.

Students agree that AP Capstone courses assist with the usage and further development of skills that will benefit them in the future. According to students in the AP Capstone Research class, as taught by Mrs. Swann, Capstone is both influential and positively impacts a student’s future. Senior Visual Art Major Imani Fraser stated: “It’ll allow me to use my skills that I’ve learned so far not only in the classes I take in the future when I’m in college but also in my lifetime.” Senior Tech Major Melina Samnag added on to the idea, stating “If you procrastinate you’ll struggle, but you can catch up and the Capstone diploma looks good on resumes.”

The Capstone diploma is awarded to those who have not only completed four AP courses, including AP Capstone Seminar and Research but received a 3 or higher on the subsequent exams. Those who complete AP Capstone classes and pass the AP Seminar exam without completing the other requirements receive the Capstone Certificate.

The inclusion of the academically-focused courses at the school, as stated by Mrs. Swann, “Prepares students for the college experience.” Ms. Swann gave a later statement, regarding how students taking multiple AP exams are not rewarded for the completion of the courses, which changes with the Capstone program. “The courses are available to all, though I recommend taking at least one AP course before enrolling in Capstone.”