What is the International Baccalaureate Program?

What is the International Baccalaureate Program?
A two-year international curriculum taken during Grade 11 and Grade 12
Class of 2010 IB Diploma Ceremony.
• Highly regarded by national and international universities
• Assessed by examiners world-wide using internationally recognized
standards developed by the International Baccalaureate Organization
in Geneva, Switzerland
• Results in an additional internationally recognized high school
diploma (if all aspects are successfully completed)
• Develops higher order cognitive skills with focus on the student’s
ability to think analytically and critically, to integrate and apply their
learning, to work collaboratively and to communicate what they have
learned in writing and orally
• Requires study in six subjects (students have various options in the
sciences/ arts/languages – see hexagon, at right)
• Develops skills appropriate to each subject area through varied
assessments – labs, research papers, presentations
• May result in college and university credit and/or access to Honors
programs
What are the common aims of Sacred Heart and IB educators?
Success in the 21st century requires intercultural understanding
and respect. Global citizens must be able to think critically and
value multiple-perspectives. At its heart, the IBO like Sacred
Heart education, is motivated by a desire to create a better world
through education. Both Sacred Heart education and the IB
Organization encourage students to become active, compassionate
and life-long learners. Sacred Heart articulates these aims through
its Goals and Criteria and the IBO articulates these aims through
the IB Mission & Learner Profile (for complete document visit
www.carrollton.org). Simply put, both strive to educate global
citizens who are inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and
reflective.
Above, IB
Biology student
creates DNA model.
“IB is well known to us as excellent preparation. Success in an IB
program correlates well with success at Harvard. We are pleased
to see the credential of the IB Diploma Program on the transcripts.”
– Marlyn McGrath Lewis,
Assissant Dean of Admissions, Harvard University
Why do universities value IB students?
• IB students are more likely than others to enroll in and graduate from selective higher education institutions.*
• Based on their experiences, IB students possess a broader range
of skills that enhance their ability to adapt and contribute to
university life.
• IB students demonstrate a level of emotional and intellectual
maturity for managing the demands of challenging coursework
and make meaningful contributions.
• They have extensive experience engaging in independent research and presenting what they have learned through presentations, papers and other projects.
• They think critically and draw on diverse perspectives that
reflect an international outlook.
• Participation in the IB Diploma Program shows that students
have excelled in multiple and diverse academic challenges and
is a strong predictor for success in university.*
*IB Analysis of data obtained from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC)
for students taking examinations in May 2000 and May 2001 and Integrated
Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) of National Center for Education Statistics.
What are the requirements for an IB Diploma?
Students apply to the IB Diploma Program in the Grade 10 year
and pursue IB studies during Grade 11 and Grade 12. Students
are required to take IB classes across the curriculum as indicated
by the IB Hexagon, right. In addition to the rigorous course of
studies, students are required to complete the Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) and an
Extended Essay (4,000 words).
Above, IB Art
students work on
an environmental
mural.
Broad Spectrum of Subjects
IB Diploma Program students choose to study six subjects – one
from each of the subject areas highlighted in the IB Hexagon,
right.
The IB Diploma Program is about more than the six subjects
students study. At its heart are three core requirements that are
integral to the curriculum and they make the IB Diploma Program unique.
The IB curriculum lends itself to focused, discipline-specific investigations. Faculty supplement
class discussions with guest lectures. Above is the IB 20th Century History class with author
Huber Matos.
• Theory of Knowledge (TOK) – an internally and externally
assessed interdisciplinary component that explores the different
concepts of knowledge found in the subject areas. Because IB
Diploma Program students study six subjects simultaneously,
TOK teachers can, for example, ask their students to compare a
historian’s approach to problem solving with that of a scientist or
an artist.
• Extended essay – an externally assessed independent research
assignment of 4,000 words in one of the six subject areas. This
is one of the ways in which IB Diploma Program students can
specialize in a
certain subject
area and prepare
for university
studies.
• Creativity, action,
service (CAS)
– requires that
students actively
learn from the
experience of
doing real tasks
beyond the
classroom. Students can combine all three components or do
activities related to each one of them separately.
Internationally Recognized Standards
The IB Diploma Program is widely recognized for its high academic standards. Assessment is varied and takes place over two
years, with final examinations in each subject. Student work is
assessed by an international board of examiners, who are themselves rigorously trained and monitored by International Baccalaureate Organization (IB).
Subjects are scored on a 1-7 scale with additional three points
available for theory of knowledge and the extended essay. Students who display proficient levels of performance across all six
subjects and achieve a minimum of 24 points (out of a possible
45) are awarded the diploma. All others receive a certificate for
each of the subjects completed.
Carrollton and the IB:
An Excellent Educational Experience
Now in its eighth year at Carrollton, the IB Program continues to grow and yield excellent academic results. Last year, 62% of the
senior class participated and 100% of the IB seniors earned their diploma; an excellent result when compared to the international
average of 78-80%. Currently, 82% of the Class of 2014 and 92% of the Class of 2015 are enrolled the full IB Diploma
Program. For the first time, 100% of the Class of 2015 is particpating in IB coursework.
Subject Scores
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Carrollton Average
World Wide Average
Carrollton Alumnae Speak…
I earned 33 college credits … even for something as simple as college housing or parking, it’s by credit, so having sophomore standing
gave me an edge. And as for building relationships with professors, I got to skip some of those introductory classes and have smaller
classes, which is a luxury here at such a large school. IB credits allowed me to explore other opportunities. In my first semester at UF, I
was chosen to travel abroad to Brussels, Belgium. I took a course with two seniors and a master’s student on Turkey and the European
Union. I also met a few members of the European Union’s Parliament, French diplomats, Turkish Students in Belgium, and a president
of an NGO European Union of Turkish Democrats. But the best part of this program was that I established a personal relationship
with the professor Dr. Sinan Ciddi who also writes for The Economist.
-Chloe Burke ’10, student at the University of Florida
I think that the papers and projects that we had for the IB such as group 4 (science lab), the history and English internal assessments
and the extended essay were the things that prepared me most for college. Having to pick a topic that I am interested in or want to
defend was something that was always very hard for me but the practice of choosing my own subject and arguing it effectively was
something I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to do without IB.
-Dorothy-Anne Hector ’08, student at Georgetown University
I recommend the IB program without reservation. The workload prepares you for the demands of college and its emphasis on timemanagement and organizational skills are invaluable. Its integrated approach is essential to success at university. There is a great deal of
science in design. From market research on behavioral consumption to understanding the proportions of the human torso for clothing, I am always drawing from the skills I honed in IB visual arts and IB Biology as well as all IB subjects.
– Carolina Valdes-Lora ’09, student at Parsons and part-time employee of Ralph Lauren,
Global Creative Services Department, Visual Team for Rugby
International Baccalaureate
Diploma Program