Dear Editor:
Two years ago, the Burnaby school board came up with an ambitious proposal to try and encourage students to excel in their academic studies. The Advanced Placement Capstone was a pilot project done in conjunction with the U.S. College Board, and
Burnaby was one of the only districts in all of Canada to offer this prestigious Capstone as a graduation option for students within the district.
In the two years that the Capstone has been offered in Burnaby, the program has been a wild success, with student interest in the program exceeding current space for students in the two pilot program locations at Burnaby North and Burnaby South Secondary schools. The AP Capstone has two major components; the seminar and research course, as well as required completion and success in Advanced Placement courses offered within the district. The two-year program starts with the AP Seminar course, which details basic research skills and prepares students for their AP courses that they take in grades 11 and 12. The AP Research course is done in the student’s graduating year, and allows the student to create and undertake a guided research project. Excelling in these two courses allows students to obtain the AP Seminar and Research Certificate along with their Dogwood graduation diploma. In order to obtain the full AP Capstone diploma, four additional Advanced Placement courses must be completed.
Advanced Placement courses are considered to be of the same quality and learning outcomes as first-year university courses, and successful completion of the AP exams in May often provides standing granted at most major universities. In order to successfully obtain an AP Capstone diploma, top marks must be achieved in at least four different AP courses.
It’s a very exciting time to be a student and an educator in Burnaby, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the district evolves to meet the increasing interest in this innovative program.
Trevor Ritchie, Burnaby
