by Mike Knaak
Sartell High School adds a series of classes to its AP offerings starting Jan. 24 that will better prepare students for college success.
Sartell is one of only seven traditional public high schools in Minnesota to offer the Advanced Placement Capstone Diploma program. There are two Capstone Diploma classes – Seminar and Research. The first Seminar class begins with 21 students and will be taught by Roy Snyder, a social studies teacher.
“The diploma program brings together AP options that kids already have and extends that to teaching academic research, writing and presentation skills that kids don’t pick up in other classes that are content focused,” Snyder said. “(The students) take whatever interest they have related to an AP class or interests on their own, do research and present on college level. We hear that a lot of kids don’t write in an academic way and don’t know how to research.”
The Seminar class will begin with a discussion of topics that interest the students. In preparing the first group of students, Snyder said students proposed a wide variety of topics including gender stereotypes, genocide in world history, colonization of Mars and the impact of a cult mentality.
The second course in the series – Research – will be taught by Emily Schmit, a language arts teacher.
The district has worked for about four years to apply and receive approval from the College Board. After approval, Schmit and Snyder attended a week of training and they have to provide reports on course content.
The College Board’s description of the AP Diploma says it helps students demonstrate critical thinking and helps them approach college interviews with confidence and passion about their unique projects.
“AP Capstone is nationally recognized for its prestige and celebrated by colleges and universities as one of the most important and effective preparation programs for university-level academic work. It is innovative, cross-curricular and skill-based,” Snyder said. “It really gives them a leg up in terms of getting ready for college. We are lucky to have the students who are interested and capable. and staff and administration supportive of it.”
Sartell High School offers 14 AP courses involving 350-375 students each year.
