Dozens of students have signed up at Natomas High School for a nationally renowned diploma program the campus will offer next year, AP Capstone, which is a prime example of how NUSD continues to push for steady improvement nearly 25 years after the District’s creation.
The launch of AP Capstone at Natomas High will give both comprehensive high schools a rigorous diploma program featuring some of the most challenging coursework offered at the high school level, emphasizing critical-thinking skills vital for college and 21st century jobs. Inderkum offers the International Bacccalaureate (IB) program.
“There is a lot of interest in getting that Capstone diploma,” said Sherri Sandoval, an NHS counselor who is a helping to start the Capstone program. “The kids really seem excited about it.”
Forty-three NHS students are lined up to take AP Seminar, one of two linchpin classes required to receive an AP Capstone diploma. After passing that, students typically take the second essential course, AP Research. The diploma program also requires that graduates pass four other AP courses of their choosing during their high school years.
The goal is to get teens engaged in real-world issues and problem-solving. “We recognize that when students are passionate about something, there’s no limit to what they can accomplish,” Assistant Principal Jill Thom said.
Natomas High will launch the Capstone program next fall with AP Seminar, then expand to offer AP Research the following year. The school currently offers a strong lineup of other AP classes: Chemistry, Calculus, Physics, English, Statistics, U.S. History, World History, U.S. Government, Human Geography, Studio Arts, Spanish and French.
Natomas High has offered AP courses for years, but Capstone packages them into a comprehensive diploma program recognized by top colleges and universities nationwide.
Here’s how rigorous the AP Seminar and AP Research programs will be:
1). AP Seminar, typically taken in 10th or 11th grades, will engage teens in a cross-curricular exploration of academic and real-world topics. Students will investigate topics from multiple perspectives; gather and analyze information from various sources; develop evidence-based arguments; collaborate in teams; and communicate using appropriate media. The course will involve both a team project and individual research.
2). AP Research will require students to complete a 4,000 to 5,000-word academic paper and present an oral defense on a research question of their choosing. Students will learn to synthesize information; explain their research method; analyze and interpret evidence; develop a cogent argument using evidence-based reasoning; reflect on the implications and limitations of their research; document their inquiry process; and acknowledge and site sources.
The AP Capstone Diploma Program is an ideal fit for Natomas Unified, which has been recognized as an AP Honor Roll District by the College Board. The honor goes to a limited number of school districts nationwide that simultaneously increase access to AP courses while improving the passage rate on AP exams.
