INCLUDES Curriculum framework Instructional section Assessment overview Student handouts AP Research ® COURSE AND EXAM DESCRIPTION Effective Fall 2020 IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT AP RESEARCH: In order to offer AP Research, schools must be authorized by the AP Program as a participating AP Capstone school and teachers must attend required summer professional development. AP Research may only be offered as the second course in the AP Capstone sequence, following AP Seminar.org/apcapstone for details. Effective Fall 2020 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. AP Research ® COURSE AND EXAM DESCRIPTION Part of the AP Capstone™ Program Revised Edition Effective Fall 2020 AP COURSE AND EXAM DESCRIPTIONS ARE UPDATED PERIODICALLY Please visit AP Central (apcentral.org) to determine whether a more recent course and exam description is available.
AP Capstone Program About College Board College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, 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, 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 collegeboard. AP Equity and Access Policy College Board strongly encourages educators to make equitable access a guiding principle for their AP® programs by giving all willing and academically prepared students the opportunity to participate in AP. We encourage the elimination of barriers that restrict access to AP for students from ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups that have been traditionally underrepresented.
Schools should make every effort to ensure their AP classes reflect the diversity of their student population. College Board also believes that all students should have access to academically challenging coursework before they enroll in AP classes, which can prepare them for AP success. It is only through a commitment to equitable preparation and access that true equity and excellence can be achieved. Fourth Edition © 2020 College Board.
College Board, Advanced Placement, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of College Board. All other products and services may be trademarks of their respective owners. Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard. AP Capstone Program Contents v Preface vi Acknowledgments 1 About AP 1 AP Course Development 1 Enrolling Students: Equity and Access 1 Offering AP Courses: The AP Course Audit 2 How the AP Program Is Developed 2 How AP Exams Are Scored 2 Using and Interpreting AP Scores 4 AP Classroom, Digital Activation, and AP Digital Portfolio 4 AP Classroom 4 Digital Activation 5 AP Digital Portfolio 5 Digital Submission for AP Capstone 6 About the AP Capstone™ Program 6 Research Base 7 The AP Capstone Diploma™ and AP Seminar and Research Certificate™ 8 AP Capstone Pedagogical Framework 8 Overview of the Pedagogical Framework 9 AP Capstone Reasoning Processes 9 AP Research Course Transferable Skills and Proficiencies 10 AP Research Course Description 11 AP Research Curricular Requirements 12 AP Research Curriculum Framework 12 Overview of the Curriculum Framework 13 Big Idea 1: Question and Explore 19 Big Idea 2: Understand and Analyze 22 Big Idea 3: Evaluate Multiple Perspectives 23 Big Idea 4: Synthesize Ideas 27 Big Idea 5: Team, Transform, and Transmit 33 AP Research Instructional Approaches 33 Organizing the Course 37 Teaching the Skills 41 Formative Assessments 43 Selecting and Accessing Resources 43 AP Capstone™ Policy on Plagiarism and Falsification or Fabrication of Information 43 Engaging Community Members 44 Reviewing Student Research Proposals for Ethical Considerations 44 Participating in External Research Presentations and Competition Platforms AP Research Course and Exam Description iii AP Capstone Program 45 Preparing the Process and Reflection Portfolio (PREP) 47 AP Research Assessment Overview 47 AP Research Through-Course Performance Task 51 Role of the Teacher in Performance Tasks 52 Role of Expert Advisers in the Academic Paper 53 Reproducibles for Students 54 Inquiry Proposal Form 56 AP Research Performance Task: Academic Paper and Presentation and Oral Defense 56 Task Overview 56 Task Directions (Proposal Process, Academic Paper, Presentation and Oral Defense) 59 Oral Defense Questions 60 Role of the Teacher in Performance Tasks 61 Role of Expert Advisers in the Academic Paper 62 AP Capstone™ Policy on Plagiarism and Falsification or Fabrication of Information 63 AP Capstone Tips for Students 64 AP Research Glossary 66 About the Appendixes 67 Appendix A: AP Research: QUEST Framework Essential Questions 68 Appendix B: AP Research Timeline 69 Contact Us AP Research Course and Exam Description iv AP Capstone Program Preface This version of the AP Research Course and Exam Description is effective beginning in fall 2020.
AP Research Course and Exam Description v Return to Table of Contents © 2020 College Board AP Capstone Program Acknowledgments College Board would like to acknowledge the following committee members and reviewers for their assistance with and commitment to the development of this curriculum and assessment. All individuals and their affiliations listed were current as of 2014. Members of the AP Research Curriculum and Assessment Development Committee Michael Dorff, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT Liz Dawes Duraisingh, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA Greg Henkelman, Strathcona High School, Edmonton, CN Ivonne Chand O’Neal, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC Lynnette Overby, University of Delaware, Newark, DE Kenneth Sacks, Brown University, Providence, RI Jenny Olin Shanahan, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA Kelly Stromberg, North Central High School, Spokane, WA Gregory Taylor, Purchase College, SUNY, Purchase, NY Matthew Krain, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH Members of the AP Research Curriculum Review Committee Whitney Arnold, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA Michael Dorff, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT Liz Dawes Duraisingh, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA Greg Henkelman, Strathcona High School, Edmonton, CN Dave Hodul, Bishop O’Dowd High School, Oakland, CA Carmen Martinet, Barbara Goleman Senior High School, Miami Lakes, FL Ivonne Chand O’Neal, The John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC Brian O’Neal, Montgomery College, Rockville, MD Sara Orel, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO Lynnette Overby, University of Delaware, Newark, DE Kenneth Sacks, Brown University, Providence, RI Jenny Olin Shanahan, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA Kelly Stromberg, North Central High School, Spokane, WA Gregory Taylor, Purchase College, SUNY, Purchase, NY Nicole Wallack, Columbia University, New York, NY Gregory Young, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT AP Capstone Curriculum and Assessment Development Team Rachel Bettley, Senior Director, AP Capstone Curriculum Development Serena Magrogan, Senior Director, AP Science Curriculum and Content Development Bianca Peart, Director, AP Capstone Program Rushi Sheth, Executive Director, AP Capstone Program SPECIAL THANKS Jill Kushner, Thomas Matts, Kristina Scholz, and John R. Williamson AP Research Course and Exam Description vi Return to Table of Contents © 2020 College Board AP Capstone Program About AP College Board’s Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) in AP. We encourage the elimination of barriers enables willing and academically prepared students to that restrict access to AP for students from ethnic, pursue college-level studies—with the opportunity to racial, and socioeconomic groups that have been earn college credit, advanced placement, or both—while traditionally underserved. College Board also believes still in high school.
Through AP courses in 38 subjects, that all students should have access to academically each culminating in a challenging exam, students learn challenging coursework before they enroll in AP classes, to think critically, construct solid arguments, and see which can prepare them for AP success. It is only many sides of an issue—skills that prepare them for through a commitment to equitable preparation and college and beyond. Taking AP courses demonstrates access that true equity and excellence can be achieved. to college admission officers that students have sought the most challenging curriculum available to them, and research indicates that students who score a 3 or higher Offering AP Courses: The AP on an AP Exam typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college Course Audit degree than non-AP students.
Each AP teacher’s The AP Program unequivocally supports the principle syllabus is evaluated and approved by faculty from some that each school implements its own curriculum that of the nation’s leading colleges and universities, and AP will enable students to develop the understandings and Exams are developed and scored by college faculty and skills described in the course framework. experienced AP teachers. Most four-year colleges and The AP Program has a short list of curricular and universities in the United States grant credit, advanced resource requirements that must be fulfilled before a placement, or both on the basis of successful AP Exam school can label a course “Advanced Placement” or “AP.” scores; more than 3,300 institutions worldwide annually Schools wishing to offer AP courses must participate receive AP scores. in the AP Course Audit, a process through which AP teachers’ course materials are reviewed by college AP Course Development faculty.
The AP Course Audit was created to provide In an ongoing effort to maintain alignment with best teachers and administrators with clear guidelines on practices in college-level learning, AP courses and curricular and resource requirements for AP courses exams emphasize challenging, research-based curricula and to help colleges and universities validate courses aligned with higher education expectations. marked “AP” on students’ transcripts. This process ensures that AP teachers’ courses meet or exceed the Individual teachers are responsible for designing their curricular and resource expectations that college and own curriculum for AP courses, selecting appropriate secondary school faculty have established for college- college-level readings, assignments, and resources. This level courses.
course and exam description presents the content and skills that are assessed in the AP Research course. The AP Course Audit form is submitted by the AP teacher and the school principal (or designated administrator) to confirm awareness and understanding of the curricular Enrolling Students: Equity and resource requirements. A syllabus or course outline, and Access detailing how course requirements are met, is submitted by the AP teacher for review by college faculty. College Board strongly encourages educators to make equitable access a guiding principle for their Please visit collegeboard.org/apcourseaudit for more AP programs by giving all willing and academically information to support the preparation and submission prepared students the opportunity to participate of materials for the AP Course Audit.
AP Research Course and Exam Description 1 Return to Table of Contents © 2020 College Board AP Capstone Program How the AP Program portion is scored online. All AP Readers are thoroughly trained, and their work is monitored throughout the Is Developed Reading for fairness and consistency. In each subject, The scope of content for an AP course and exam is a highly respected college faculty member serves derived from an analysis of hundreds of syllabi and as Chief Faculty Consultant and, with the help of AP course offerings of colleges and universities. Using Readers in leadership positions, maintains the accuracy this research and data, a committee of college faculty of the scoring standards.
Scores on the free-response and expert AP teachers work within the scope of questions and performance assessments are weighted the corresponding college course to articulate what and combined with the results of the computer-scored students should know and be able to do upon the multiple-choice questions, and this raw score is completion of the AP course. The resulting course converted into a composite AP score on a 1–5 scale. framework is the heart of this course and exam AP Exams are not norm-referenced or graded on a description and serves as a blueprint of the content and curve. Instead, they are criterion-referenced, which skills that can appear on an AP Exam.