BRYAN, Texas — Today is the first of four information nights this month that Bryan ISD will be hosting. These sessions are for Bryan ISD parents and students to learn about the programs and application process.
Applications are now open for all Bryan ISD's highly regarded advanced academic programs, including the AP Capstone program, which allows students to take college-level courses.
AP Capstone teacher Scott Skrla says they are looking for students that want to challenge themselves.
"I think the capstone program is so important for student development because these classes cater more towards graduate-level college classes, instead of the traditional undergraduate class," Skrla said. "In the sense that they’re skills-based classes instead of curriculum-based classes. So, we’re not learning a specific topic, we’re focusing more on skills."
Some of those skills include critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management, and presentation skills students need for college-level work. Rudder high school is the only school in Brazos county to offer this prestigious program, and one of only 5% of high schools in the United States.
"My wife's a college professor at A&M, and so a lot of the stuff I’m teaching now, is stuff that she asks teaches her students or asks them to do and they can't do it," Skrla said.
Students typically join the two-year program in 10th grade taking AP seminars and finishing AP research by the end of 11th.
"It really doesn’t matter what their passions are, they get to pursue them in this class, and that’s not what you see in any other AP or accelerated program," AP Capstone teacher Joyce Welch said.
Rudder accepts 60-70 students into the seminar class and 40-50 into the research class.