Kingsport, Tenn. – Six Dobyns-Bennett High School students have received Advanced Placement® (AP®) Capstone and International Diplomas during the 2019-20 school year, as well as a total of 174 AP Scholars named.

“We are proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of our students who participated in the AP Capstone Diploma™ program," said Dobyns-Bennett High School Principal Dr. Chris Hampton. "These graduates are the second class to receive this diploma at Dobyns-Bennett and join the ten students from the Class of 2019 to give the school a total of 13 Capstone graduates. We are excited to have a large number of students in the research pipeline and continue to look forward to providing our students with opportunities to explore their passions while building college-level academic and collaboration skills.”  

Dobyns-Bennett AP Capstone Diploma™ recipients are: 

• George Armentrout
• Karuna Nathan
• Josh Romero

"It is also a pleasure to recognize the new International Diploma™ certificates," said Hampton. "These graduates have demonstrated mastery of an AP language, which means they completed a total of no less than five language courses at Dobyns-Bennett and earned a passing score on an AP language exam. There were only nine AP International Diplomas awarded in Tennessee and three of those were Dobyns-Bennett students."

Dobyns-Bennett AP International Diploma™ recipients are: 

• Vandana Nathan
• Vikram Nathan
• Rhyley Vaughan

The AP Capstone Diploma program allows students to develop critical thinking, research, and presentation skills, both individually and as a team. Students conduct academic research on topics of personal interest in two interdisciplinary courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. The Capstone program is led by Dobyns-Bennett Chemistry and AP Research teacher, Ushma Kothari and English and AP Seminar teacher, Leigh Tuell.

To receive the AP Capstone Diploma, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on four additional AP Exams. To receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research. Over 1,500 schools participated in the AP Capstone program worldwide during the 2019-20 school year when 2,505 students earned the AP Capstone Diploma and 993 students earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate. Only 30 students in Tennessee received the Capstone Diploma and another 13 received the Certificate.

In addition, there are 174 Dobyns-Bennett AP Scholars with the average AP score of 3.9 out of 5.0. Out of the 174, a total of 51 students have been named AP Scholars (earned scores of 3 or higher on three or more exams), 38 AP Scholar with Honor students (average score of 3.265 on all exams and at least a 3 on four or more exams), 65 AP Scholar with Distinction students (average of 3.5 on all exams and at least a 3 on five or more tests), 14 National AP Scholar students (4 on all tests and at least a 4 on 5 or more exams), and 3 International AP Scholar students (score of 3 on five or more exams and one must be an English exam and one must be a World Language exam), and 3 AP Capstone Diploma students.

The College Board Advanced Placement Program gives students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school. A 3 or higher on an AP Exam has multiple benefits for students, including earning college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on AP Exams, saving them time and money. Research shows AP students are better prepared for and more likely to enroll and remain in college, do well in classes, and earn their degrees on time. Each exam is developed by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that AP Exams align with their high standards. 

Kingsport City Schools (KCS) is a public school district located in Kingsport, Tenn., serving students in Sullivan and Hawkins county. The district is comprised of 13 schools, including a Pre-K, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, a high school program of choice, and an alternative learning program; with total enrollment over 7,700 students. The vision of Kingsport City Schools is to Inspire. Cultivate. Impact.

For more information on KCS, visit www.k12k.com, listen live on WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, read our blog, We Are KCS, download our mobile app for Apple/Android devices or call (423) 378.2100. We’re social too; follow us on Facebook (Kingsport City Schools), Twitter (@KCS_District), Instagram (@kcs_district), LinkedIn (Kingsport City Schools), and check out our YouTube Channel (KPTSchools).  

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