Northside College Preparatory High School 5501 N. Kedzie Avenue. Chicago, Illinois Telephone (773) Fax (773)

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1 Northside College Preparatory High School 5501 N. Kedzie Avenue. Chicago, Illinois Telephone (773) Fax (773) For Immediate Release: February 23, 2015 Northside College Preparatory High School to Participate in the College Board s AP Capstone Program New Program Will Focus on Inquiry, Research, and Writing Skills Crucial for College and Career Success Chicago, IL Northside College Preparatory High School is one of more than 300 schools worldwide to implement AP Capstone an innovative diploma program that allows students to develop the skills that matter most for their future college success: research, collaboration, and communication. The program includes a two-course 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 rigor of Advanced Placement courses and exams. "[Through this program] you get students turned on to higher education in a way they are not currently and they enter university with a different kind of attitude." Susan Roth, Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies, Duke University Students who complete AP Seminar and AP Research with scores of 3 or higher, and receive scores of 3 or higher on four AP Exams in subjects of their choosing, will receive the AP Capstone Diploma. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher on the two AP Capstone exams but do not take or earn qualifying scores on four additional AP Exams will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

2 2015. Northside College Preparatory High School will start AP Seminar in the fall The AP Seminar course, taken in the 11th grade, will equip students with the power to explore academic and real-world issues from multiple perspectives. Through a variety of materials from articles and research studies to foundational and philosophical texts students will be challenged to explore complex questions; understand and evaluate opposing viewpoints; interpret and synthesize information; and develop, communicate, and defend evidence-based arguments. Teachers have the flexibility of choosing themes based on student interests, whether they are local, regional, national, or global in nature. Samples of themes that can be covered in the AP Seminar course include education, innovation, sustainability, and technology. By tapping into students personal interests, AP Capstone gives a broader array of students an entry point into challenging course work. Students are assessed through both an individual project and a team project completed during the year and a year-end written exam. The subsequent AP Research course will allow students to design, plan, and conduct a yearlong investigation on a topic of their choosing with support from experts at the university level or in the community. Students will build on the skills learned in the AP Seminar course by using research methodology; employing ethical research practices; and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information to present an argument. At the end of the course students have the confidence to present and orally defend their own scholarly academic research. Said Trevor Packer, senior vice president for AP and Instruction at the College Board: We are 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.

3 By responding to and partnering with the higher education community, the College Board developed AP Capstone to allow students to practice the important skills that colleges want. The program will prepare more students for the rigors of college and for success in future careers. AP Capstone is a unique program that teaches skills we think are very valuable not only for college but life, said John Barnhill, assistant vice president for enrollment management, Florida State University. The ability to analyze, to critically think, to present information is really wonderful, and I think both courses do a great job of preparing the student for the rest of their lives. Colleges and universities that have conveyed support for AP Capstone include: Amherst College Arcadia University Auburn University Brown University Boston College Boston University Bucknell University Bryn Mawr College California Institute of Technology Carnegie Mellon University Clemson University College of Charleston College of William and Mary Colorado State University Columbia University Flagler College Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University Florida Atlantic University Florida Gulf Coast University Florida International University Florida Polytechnic University Florida State University Fordham University Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology Harvard College Illinois State University Johns Hopkins University Kennesaw State University Lynn University Marymount University Massachusetts Institute of Technology North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Northeastern University Pitzer College Purdue University Rollins College St. Edward's University Stephen F. Austin State University Stetson University Tennessee Technological University Texas A&M University Texas State University San Marcos Texas Wesleyan University University of Arkansas University of California at Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles University of Central Florida University of Chicago University of Florida University of Georgia University of Houston University of Kansas University of Mary Washington University of Memphis University of Miami University of Minnesota Twin Cities University of North Carolina Asheville University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina Charlotte University of North Carolina Wilmington University of North Florida University of Rochester University of South Carolina University of South Florida University of Vermont University of Washington University of Wisconsin-Madison Vanderbilt University Yale University

4 ## About Northside College Preparatory High School Northside Prep is a unique learning community that values and demonstrates respect for the individual and the educational experience at every level. Gifted and dedicated students, a progressive and expert faculty, caring and supportive parents, supportive benefactors, and community partners work together to create a place that continually exemplifies what is possible in public education. Our standardized test scores have established Northside as a premier school on local, state and national levels. A more profound measure of our success is evident when we reflect upon the intellectual, social and emotional development that cannot be captured on standardized tests. We are nurturing extremely capable, creative, and ethical leaders who are positively changing the world. For further information, visit About the Advanced Placement Program The College Board s Advanced Placement Program (AP ) enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both - while still in high school. Through AP courses in 34 subjects, each culminating in a rigorous exam, students learn to think critically, construct solid arguments, and see many sides of an issue skills that prepare them for college and beyond. Taking AP courses demonstrates to college admission officers that students have sought the most rigorous curriculum available to them, and research indicates that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college degree than non-ap students. Each AP teacher s syllabus is evaluated and approved by faculty from some of the nation s leading colleges and universities, and AP Exams are developed and scored by college faculty and experienced AP teachers. Most four-year colleges and universities in the United States grant credit, advanced placement, or both on the basis of successful AP Exam scores more than 3,800 institutions worldwide annually receive AP scores. In the last decade AP participation and performance rates have nearly doubled. In May 2014, 2.3 million students representing more than 19,000 schools around the world, both public and nonpublic, took over 4 million AP Exams.

5 About the College Board The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success including the SAT and the Advanced Placement Program. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators, and schools. For further information, visit Contact: Assistant Principal, Ms. Debra Fenwick dlfenwick@cps.edu AP Capstone Teacher Coordinator, Mr. Randy Snow rsnow@cps.edu The College Board communications@collegeboard.org