Cardinal Mooney now offering AP Capstone Diploma

Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota is now offering the prestigious Advanced Placement® (AP®) Capstone Diploma for the 2019-2020 school year.

AP Capstone™ is a diploma program from the College Board based on two yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. Both courses prepare students for college and career success through the development of critical thinking, academic research, collaboration, presentation, and time management skills.

“We are excited to launch this new program and proud to recognize the nine students who have chosen to participate in the inaugural offering of the AP Capstone Diploma program,” said Ben Hopper, principal of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School. “We look forward to providing them with opportunities to explore their passions while building their research and collaboration skill needed for college and beyond.”

The AP Capstone program provides student-centered learning while incorporating performance-based assessments. Throughout the program, AP Seminar and AP Research students study a variety of topics across multiple disciplines and have the flexibility to choose topics of personal interest to show mastery of critical thinking, research, and presentation skills. Official AP Seminar and AP Research assessments also go beyond a single AP Exam to include academic papers, multimedia presentations, and defense of findings.

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.

Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School currently offers 16 different Advanced Placement classes, which provide 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.