Stepinac to Join Select Group of High Schools in College Board's AP Capstone Diploma Program

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Feb. 6, 2018 - PRLog -- :Next fall, Stepinac High School will begin a new chapter as a leader in curriculum innovation as one of a select group of high schools worldwide that will implement the College Board's AP Capstone™ Diploma program.

According to the College Board's website, no other private high school in Westchester or the Bronx is currently participating in the innovative program that allows students to develop skills that matter most for college success such as research, collaboration, communication and writing.  Approximately 1,500 high schools participate.

The program consists of two courses taken in sequence: AP Seminar and AP Research. Developed in direct response to feedback from higher education faculty and college admission officers, AP Capstone™ complements the in-depth, subject-specific study of other Advanced Placement® courses and exams.

Students who earn scores of 3 or higher on AP Seminar and AP Research assessments and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing will earn the AP Capstone™ Diploma signifying their outstanding academic achievement and attainment of college-level academic and research skills.

Students who earn scores of 3 or higher on both AP Seminar and AP Research assessments only (but not on four additional AP Exams) will earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™.

Paul Carty, Stepinac Principal, said: "The AP Capstone™ program furthers our school's mission to make our students globally competitive and prepared for college and beyond.   It follows on the heels of our Honors Academy, the unique-in-the-region, three-year personalized learning program that provides our top students with opportunities to pursue advanced studies in disciplines leading to potential careers in engineering, financial services, law and health sciences."

Frank Portanova (Class of '93), Vice Principal for Academics and Curriculum, added: "As we continuously seek opportunities to prepare our students for the rigors of university academia and the challenges of a global marketplace, Stepinac is excited to offer a program that will allow our students to further sharpen their critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. "

Trevor Packer, senior vice president for AP and Instruction at the College Board, noted: "We're proud to offer AP Capstone™, which enables students and teachers to focus on topics of their choice in great depth. This provides terrific opportunities for students to develop the ability to write and present their work effectively, individually, and in groups—the very skills college professors want their students to possess."

About Archbishop Stepinac High School

The mission of Archbishop Stepinac High School is to offer young men of the Archdiocese of New York a highly competitive academic and extracurricular program that will prepare them for college and leadership roles. The faculty and staff accomplish these objectives by pursuing excellence and creating a supportive, disciplined atmosphere with a strong sense of camaraderie and Christian values that is unique to the Stepinac experience.