(Newswire.net — December 8, 2014) Singapore, Singapore — As a leader in the world of education, Singapore American School (SAS) was selected to host the College Board’s AP (Advanced Placement) Seminar and Job-a-like event earlier this month. The two-day seminar, held on October 31 and November 1, 2014 invited all teachers from participating AP Capstone schools outside of the US and Canada to come together and share their resources, experiences, and key learnings from the first few months of the AP Seminar in order to further develop their programs and provide constructive feedback to College Board to identify areas for improvement. SAS was one of only twelve schools invited to participate.
AP Capstone™ is an innovative program from the College Board that equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills that are increasingly valued by colleges. AP Capstone is built on the foundation of a new, two-course high school sequence—AP® Seminar and AP Research—and is designed to complement and enhance the in-depth discipline-specific study provided through AP courses. It cultivates curious, independent, and collaborative scholars and prepares them to make logical and evidence based decisions.
When selecting a theme for their project, students are encouraged to make choices based on their interests, local and/ or global issues and topics, and concepts derived from other AP courses. In addition to their independent work (culminated in a paper and presentation), students must also complete a team project and presentation, and a written final exam; all three components are evaluated to form the student’s AP Seminar Exam score.
In addition to the high standards expected of the students participating in the program, the instructors are also expected to complete professional development and additional training to ensure they are equipped to effectively educate and evaluate the students enrolled in the Capstone program. Instructors participate in a five-day face-to-face training program prior to the first year of teaching the course and complete an evaluation of training within their first year of instruction in the program. Additional training is completed as recommended by the College Board to ensure the continued quality of the program.
As the largest AP Program outside of the US, Singapore American School has an outstanding record of student performance. Singapore American School has an AP Coordinator onsite who facilitates development of the SAS AP program, and the school is recognized for setting up a model AP Capstone Development Project and has been identified as a potential pilot school for further innovations. The school also serves as the HUB of the Teacher Network, with a teacher from the school being given the position to train others for the AP Capstone Program.
Footnote:
Founded in 1900, the College Board is a not- for- profit organization that seeks to connect students to “college success and opportunity” by expanding access to higher education. It is dedicated to “promoting excellence and equity in education” by helping more than 7 million students annually prepare for college. It also focuses on serving the education community through “research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators, and schools.” Comprised of the world’s leading education institutions, the College Board helps set the standard for quality education the world over.
About Singapore American School
Established in 1956, the school primarily serves the American and international expatriate communities of Singapore. SAS is registered with the Singapore Council for Private Education, affiliated with the Office of Overseas Schools through the U.S. Department of State, and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). For more information about Singapore American School visit www.sas.edu.sg.