IB Diploma Programme

IB Diploma Programme

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)



IB Mission Statement

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

IB DIPLOMA PROGRAM (DP)

 

What is the IB Diploma Programme?

The IB Diploma Programme is an academically challenging and balanced programme of education, with final examinations, that prepares students aged 16 to 19 for success at university and in life beyond. It has been designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students. The programme has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities.

The curriculum

 DP students must choose one course from each of five subject groups delivering a breadth of knowledge and understanding in:

1.  Language and Literature (HL):  English Courses

2.  Language and Acquisition (World Language) (SL): Spanish and French

3. Individuals and Societies (HL): Contemporary History (C.H.) and History of the Americas (HOA)

4.  Sciences: Biology (HL & SL), Chemistry (HL & SL), Physics (SL)

5.  Mathematics: Analysis and Interpretations (SL)

6.  Arts (HL & SL): Visual Art, Music (Chorus/Band), Theatre, Film Studies, Psychology, Sports Exercise

  

The Diploma Programme core

  • Extended Essay (EE)- Requires students to engage approximately 40 hours of independent study.  This is a 4000-word research paper that all Diploma Candidates write on a specific topic of their choosing. Work begins in the junior year and is completed senior year.
  • Theory of knowledge (TOK)- Develops a coherent approach to learning that unifies the academic disciplines. In this course on critical thinking, students inquire into the nature of knowing and deepen their understanding of knowledge as a human construction.
  • Creativity, activity, service (CAS)- emphasizes helping students to develop their own identities in accordance with the ethical principles embodied in the IB mission statement and the IB learner profile.  

Assessments

  1.  Students take written examinations at the end of the programme, which are marked by external IB examiners.
  2. Students also complete assessment tasks in the school, which are either initially marked by teachers and then moderated by external moderators or sent directly to external examiners.
  3. The grades awarded for each course range from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest).
  4. Students can also be awarded up to three additional points for their combined results on TOK and the EE.
  5.  The diploma is awarded to students who gain at least 24 points, subject to certain minimum levels of performance across the whole programme and to satisfactory participation in the CAS requirement.
  6. The highest total that a DP student can be awarded is 45 points. Assessment is criterion-related, which means student performance is measured against specified assessment criteria based on the aims and objectives of each subject’s curriculum, rather than the performance of other students taking the same examinations.

 

How do you earn an IB  Diploma?

All assessment components for each of the six subjects and the additional Diploma components must be completed in order to qualify for the award of the IB Diploma. The IB Diploma will be awarded to a candidate provided ALL of the following requirements have been met:

1. CAS requirements met.

2. The candidate has earned at least 24 points out of the total possible 45 points..

3. There are no “N” grades or “E” grades for TOK, EE or for a contributing subject.

4. There are no “1” grades for any subject/level.

5. There are at most two “2” grades earned (HL or SL)

6. There are at most three “3” or lower grades earned (HL or SL).

7. The candidate earns at least 12 points on HL subjects (or the highest three HL grades for those who have 4 HL courses).

8. The candidate earns at least 9 points on SL subjects (candidates who register for two SL subjects must earn at least 5 points).

 

Benefits of IB Programmes

  1. Students experience college-level classes with support appropriate for high school students.
  2. Studies reveal that participation in advanced classes, including IB courses, improves ACT/SAT scores and achievement in college.
  3. Students who participate in IB have a higher rate of admission to elite universities and graduate in 4 years at higher rates from college institutions.
  4. Students earn college credit for each course passed and automatically earn Bright Futures when earning their IB Diploma. 
  5. IB courses use multiple assessments to measure student mastery (internal assessments and multiple examinations).
  6. IB courses promote critical thinking, inquiry, and communication skills, global awareness, and teamwork—all key components for success in college and in a competitive job market.
  7. IB teaches students to balance their coursework, participation in extracurricular activities, and performing service in their community.