CHELMSFORD — Seventeen Chelmsford High School Class of 2024 graduates have been recognized for either completing the Advanced Placement AP Capstone Certificate program or earning their AP Capstone Diploma during the 2023-24 academic year.
Students who earned the AP Capstone Diploma are: Gemma Bardouleau, Nolan Busalacchi, Maria Kesablyan, Isabel Lopez, Varnika Mandava, Abhishek Nair, Amelia Normington, Garret Russell, Keya Upadhyay.
Students earning the AP Seminar and Research Certificate are: Sahithi Chaturvedula, Alyssa Donley, Aurora Ferreira, Vaishnavi Gupta, Rachel Moore, Peter Sabbouh, Emelia Sosnowski, Ayushi Tripathi.
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 of their choice. To receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research.
Stephanie Quinn, K-12 social sciences department coordinator for Chelmsford Public Schools, said these are remarkable achievements for the recent graduates.
AP Research allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of individual interest. Through this exploration, students design, plan and conduct a yearlong research-based investigation to address a research question.
“AP Research is all independent, unique research,” Quinn said. “They’re doing high-level, honors thesis type work. It is so impressive what these kids come up with and what they’re able to do.”
Quinn said the topics for AP Research are selected by the students, with most opting for something in the arts or STEM realm.
“The idea is that these students have the option to choose, but they’re learning about the research process,” she said. “They are encouraged to get an expert, so last year, one of our students was working with one of the professors at UMass-Lowell.”
The course culminates in an academic paper of 4,000-5,000 words, as well as a presentation with an oral defense.
“We do a lot where the students actually start pitching their ideas,” Quinn said. “A lot of administrators will go in and offer feedback on their ideas. Then we do a mock internal review board panel.”
Students are assessed on the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management and presentation skills needed to complete their projects.
“The most valuable thing I think the kids take away from this is just learning the research process,” Quinn said. “A lot of them are going to go off to school and they’re going to struggle with the research and writing process because they want to do things quickly. And these courses teach you how valuable it is to revise and refine their work, as well as to be patient with it.”
Of the over 100,000 students in over 2,500 schools worldwide taking part in the program during the 2023-24 academic year, approximately 21,000 students earned the AP Capstone Diploma, and 11,100 students earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.
“We have been witnessing students’ renewed passion for learning through the AP Capstone program,” said Bianca Peart, global lead of the AP Capstone Diploma program. “Together with the guidance of talented educators, students are building essential college and career readiness skills while exploring subjects that are meaningful to them.”