Leon High AP Capstone teachers, students propose districtwide research symposium

At the May 13 Leon County School Board meeting, Leon High School AP Capstone teacher Sarah Marquez and junior researcher Zoe Shoplock described the AP Capstone Program and urged the district to consider establishing an interdisciplinary research symposium for capstone students across the district.

Marquez explained that AP Capstone requires two core courses—AP Seminar and AP Research—plus passing exams in four other AP classes chosen by the student. She said AP Research requires students to design projects, obtain ethical approval from an institutional review board, collect and analyze data, write a roughly 4,000-word paper and defend the work orally. Zoe Shoplock described contributing more than 300 hours to a laboratory at Florida State University and said she expects to have work published in an international journal this summer.

Marquez and Zoe asked the district to create a symposium modeled on university research symposia and to involve local universities as partners and judges. Board members and staff responded positively: one board member asked to be included and the superintendent directed staff member Mr. Cypher to follow up with the presenters about organizing the event.

During the remarks, a board member expressed concern that the state legislature was considering cuts to AP and IB funding—an assertion made on the dais. Board members asked staff to consider next steps and to include interested trustees in planning.