Over 2,000 schools participated in the AP Capstone Diploma program, a project-based learning experience valued by colleges and universities across the U.S. and around the world.

At Brazoswood High School, four students have earned the AP Capstone Diploma. A total of five others have earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate during the 2021-22 school year. The AP Capstone Diploma program helps students develop the critical thinking, research, collaboration, and presentation skills that are critical for academic success.

Brazoswood teacher Brandyn Hargrove has enjoyed teaching the courses because she feels it helps prepare her students for the college setting. “The Capstone curriculum does an excellent job of preparing students for all post-secondary education. By the end of the two-year program, students will be able to conduct their own research, analyze the data, and defend their research just as they would in a dissertation for a master's or doctoral degree,” Hargrove says.

Brazoswood High School senior Erin Dy, who completed the second year of the program, had this to say, “The AP Capstone program has taught me important research and presentation skills that were not touched upon in a normal classroom’s curriculum. Knowing how to properly formulate a research question, write a research paper, and give a presentation will help me with my future college career and beyond.”

Of the students who participated in the AP Capstone Diploma program at Brazoswood:

• 4 were awarded the AP Capstone Diploma by earning scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on 4 additional AP Exams. They are:
  • Fiona Feng, now attending the University of Houston with plans to major in Business and Administration
  • Shawn MacGregor, now attending the University of Wisconsin with plans to major in Neurobiology & Microbiology
  • Margaret Orscheln, now attending Texas A&M University with plans to major in Engineering
  • Alisa Zamora, current Brazoswood senior
• 5 were awarded the AP Seminar and Research Certificate by earning scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research. They are:
  • Cullen Brooks, now attending Texas A&M University with plans to major in Business
  • Erin Dy, current Brazoswood senior
  • Riley Hibbard, now attending University of Houston with plans to major in Communication Sciences and Disorders
  • Sophia Nguyen, now attending the University of California - Los Angeles with plans to major in Business and Economics
  • Madison Perez, now attending Texas A&M University with plans to major in Biomedical Science

To receive the AP Capstone Diploma, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on four additional AP Exams. To receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research. Students are increasingly participating in the AP Capstone program. Over 2,200 schools participated in the AP Capstone program worldwide during the 2021-22 school year. Approximately 14,100 students earned the AP Capstone Diploma and 9,200 earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

Unlike traditional AP subject exams with a single end-of-year assessment, AP Seminar and AP Research assessments are project-based and evaluate skills mastery through group projects, presentations, and individual essays completed throughout the year. Instead of focusing on one specific academic discipline, AP Seminar and AP Research are interdisciplinary: students are empowered to create research projects based on topics of personal interest and they are assessed on their critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management, and presentation skills needed to complete their projects. Brazoswood students focused their research on a range of topics, including:

• Teaching to the Test: the Ethics, the Perspectives, and the Solutions
• Ocean Pollution: The Endangerment of the Gulf of Mexico
• Effect of Caffeine on Adolescent Performance on the Human Benchmark Tests
• Motivation or Pressure? Investigating Students and Their Extracurricular Involvement
• Social Media Causing Physical Inactivity: The Consequences of Physical Inactivity and Preventive Measures Based on Parenting Methods

“We proudly recognize the achievements of students who participated in the AP Capstone Diploma program,” said Brian Cole, Assistant Superintendent. “Our AP Capstone students and teacher showed extraordinary commitment while facing historic challenges. This is a meaningful college readiness program that will serve our students well after high school.”