Over 2,200 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.
In an announcement from the College Board, 192 Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) students from 13 schools have been named Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone Diploma recipients. Of those, 149 students earned the AP Capstone Diploma™ and 43 students earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate during the 2021-22 school year. The AP Capstone Diploma program helps students to develop critical thinking, research, collaboration, and presentation skills that are critical to academic success.
GCPS Superintendent Dr. Calvin Watts is proud of the district’s students. “Our students are working hard and smart in our classrooms, in the labs, and at home to master their curricular and school experience,” Dr. Watts shared. “It is an experience that is rich with career exploration, problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking. However, our students are much more than the exceptional assessment scores they produce, the languages they learn, the research they accomplish, and the capstone experiences they complete. Our students are whole learners well on their way to becoming strategic and productive leaders in our global economy.”
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 the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management, and presentation skills needed to complete their projects.
The Gwinnett schools where students earned these AP distinctions include:
| AP Capstone Diplomas | |
|---|---|
| School | Honorees |
| Archer HS | 18 |
| Berkmar HS | 4 |
| Brookwood HS | 22 |
| Discovery HS | 4 |
| Duluth HS | 4 |
| McClure Health Science HS | 3 |
| Meadowcreek HS | 3 |
| Mill Creek HS | 22 |
| Parkview HS | 11 |
| Paul Duke STEM HS | 27 |
| Peachtree Ridge HS | 15 |
| AP Seminar and Research Certificate | |
|---|---|
| School | Honorees |
| Archer HS | 1 |
| Berkmar HS | 3 |
| Discovery HS | 2 |
| Duluth HS | 3 |
| McClure HS | 4 |
| Meadowcreek HS | 1 |
| Mill Creek HS | 4 |
| North Gwinnett HS | 2 |
| Parkview HS | 5 |
| Paul Duke STEM HS | 17 |
| Peachtree Ridge HS | 1 |
The College Board Advanced Placement Program gives students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school. A 3 or higher on an AP Exam has multiple benefits for students, including earning college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on AP Exams, saving them time and money. Research shows AP students are better prepared for and more likely to enroll and remain in college, do well in classes, and earn their degrees on time. Each exam is developed by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that AP Exams align with their high standards.