Three Tips for Successful Capstone Programs

1. A Collaborative Instructional Team

The teaching and learning in a capstone course is rigorous, and having a well-coordinated instructional team of teachers and library staff makes all the difference when supporting students through the challenges they will face during the year. Students will benefit from having adults beyond just their classroom teacher who know and understand the work they’re doing. Teachers will rely on moral and logistical support from their fellow instructional team members. And finally, the instructional team together will have more community connections for students than one Capstone teacher trying to single-handedly “be everything to everyone” in the class. 

The breadth and intensity of the curriculum necessary to teach a Capstone course requires careful planning, organization, pacing, instruction, and feedback. For this reason, the instructional team members need dedicated PLC time to provide each other support and encouragement. 

2. A Strategy for Recommendations and Recruiting 

As much as we’d love to have an entirely highly motivated student body, that’s not the reality in most schools. For this reason, it is crucial to plan out clear messaging for students and their families to showcase the benefits of taking Capstone English. School counselors need to understand the course rigor and its adaptability to students’ interests. Recommending teachers should understand how Capstone English compares to other course offerings and be well-versed in the foundational skills students need upon entering the course. Then, capitalizing on the strong influence of students’ voices, Capstone students can be part of recruiting underclassmen by inviting them to round table discussions and seminar presentations as a sneak peek into the vibrant, welcoming Capstone classroom community.

3. A Well-informed School Community 

By providing basic information about the scope and potential of a rich Capstone  

program to your school community, you are priming them for participation in an

exciting transformation, one in line with Gandhi's vision to “be the change you 

want to see in the world.” Members of the school community might mentor 

students, be interviewed or shadowed or could attend presentations. Few 

opportunities are as inspiring as helping to enrich student learning and strengthening bonds between people who might not otherwise meet.