International Baccalaureate Program
 

Has anyone participated in this? Anyone familiar with it?

Two of the high schools in my county are offering this and a third will be on board next year, and I was interested in hearing from someone not associated with the county schools what the fuss is all about.

One of my friends (and a former collegue of mine) was very involved as a teacher. Personally, I had never heard of it, but her knowledge, judgment, expertise, etc. is exceptional. She sold me on the program. The kids she worked with went on to competitive colleges & did very well.

If your child can take AP classes instead you should opt for that.

-Rudey

My high school had this program. The kids who were in it were dorks, and got made fun of.

Don't let your kids get made fun of. Let them be cool and smoke weed


or work at hooters or something

KR, there is a MAJOR argument going on about IB at Upper St. Clair HS, a little is here. The program itself is at http://www.ibo.org/. From their site:

"IB programs help North American schools to:
-add international perspectives to their academic offerings
-measure teaching and learning against an international standard
-satisfy the educational needs of culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse student populations
-build students’ confidence in their learning abilities
-develop students’ capacity to think critically and act compassionately in a complex, ever-shrinking world
-connect their teachers to a world-wide community of teachers working on best educational practices
-implement the most effective classroom practices from around the world
-provide their teaching faculty with the opportunity to develop and expand their professional skills in the areas of school leadership, examining, curriculum writing, program evaluating, school mentoring and leading workshops."

From what I understand (I only know one person who's been through it), it's akin to a K-12 Advanced Placement program with an international emphasis.

Iheard from somewhere that the IB was superior to AP

It is, kind of. However, most schools allow you to pick and choose your AP courses, while the IB program is more structured. It is more "superior" to the AP program in the sense that it is more international and "well-rounded"

KR here's a thread where some people talk about the program.

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ureate+Program

I knew one person that was in an IB program. She gave me the worst head of my life.

-Rudey
--The girls with AP classes went to good schools and blew like pros.

Broheimus,

you let a girl from an IB program give you head?


In the words of Summer from THE OC. "ummm EW!"

I think the closest thing she had ever done to this was eat corn on the cob, because that's what it felt like she was doing.

-Rudey
--I'm thinking of putting her face on my board bro...you think I'll be the coolest guy in the water?

She must of had braces. Atleast the AP girls get invisilign

You've just convinced KR to send her girls to IB.

Wrigley, your PM box is full!

Were you in the IB program honey?

-Rudey

A local high school counselor made a good point. She said that she'd had her own kids do AP instad of IB because she'd seen so many kids here knock themselves out in the IB program and then attend some nearby community college or very unselective college.

No, I was in Advanced Placement. I graduated from high school when I was 16.

KR, since I think you live in Anne Arundel, see if you can get the Washington Post articles, read them and then disregard everything. Jay Matthews is the education specialist for the Post and is gung-ho IB. He is also an advocate of anyone taking APs or IBs whether or not they really belong in the class, therefore a big fan of the Newsweek Challenge Index.

In Fairfax County (the 12th largest school system in the country so there are a lot of high schools), the IB curriculum was put at poorly performing schools with high ESOLs and F/R Lunch statistics. This was done as an effort to draw more motivated students from an AP hs with relatively high socieconomic indicators as compared to these schools, somewhat akin to magnet schools.

Unfortunately what has happened is that parents are regarding the IB as a lesser program because it was placed in the schools near the bottom of the FFX rankings. People are trying to pupil-place their kids OUT of an IB school into an AP school at a much higher rate than vice versa.

I also disagree with letting anyone take an AP class just based on their/their parents' desire. The classes cannot move at the necessary rapid pace of a college-equivalent course, because the teachers have to spend too much time reviewing. Many teachers are strongly opposed to this trend.

It was that way at my school, too. To take AP English, for example, you had to have taken Honors English I, II, and III or I suppose you could've gotten in if you had been in college-prep English but your counselor approved it but I never saw anyone do that.

One of the primary reasons I don't like the AP program is this--these classes can sometimes end up making intelligent students feel dumb because they don't get A's...even if they deserve them. It all depends on who the teacher is. There was a guest professor who came to work with one of my graduate classes last semester, and she basically said the same thing. AP classes should be challenging, but not impossible...unfortunately, sometimes they are.

I don't know anything about the IB program, so I can't comment on that.

my understanding is that it is the final test, from the ap headquarters, that is the bane of both the teachers and the students. many seem to think that it is designed to trip people up.

many of the most selective colleges do not give college credit for ap test scores lower than 5.

Commentary on letting anyone take the class. Things have changed significantly in the last 5 years regarding who is eligible to take the AP/IB. Kids are encouraged to start taking APs in sophomore year of high school and to take as many as possible.

The link below is a debate on both sides of letting anyone in.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2005Apr9.html

Thanks for the info - I'd never even heard of IB classes until this year, but I'm a big fan of the AP curriculum. I went through it my last two years of high school, and it was very good in getting ready for college.

I didn't realize that people were just put into the program in some places; for my school, you had to be recommended by your teacher from the previous year in the same subject (i.e., your sophomore history teacher had to recommend you for AP history).

My AZD little sister did some IB classes in high school, but not a full IB diploma. She is one of the smartest people I know, and did VERY well in college. As a soon-to-be teacher, I feel like the IB program puts more emphasis on critical thinking and focuses less on teaching to the test (which is something AP is notorious for doing).

AP classes are the way to go, if you have the option, for many of the reasons noted here.

Also, the ability to select your own curriculum allows you flexibility in college - I had all of my prereqs done before I entered BU, and could have graduated in 2 years if I were a massive tool who didn't want to enjoy life (also changing my major would have been impossible).

The 'tiers' of AP recognition (I was a National Scholar) also look great on entrance resumes, even if you don't take a 'full load' every year. Additionally, it's not overly intense as a program, although individual classes are rigorous - there is little attrition from people taking one or two classes. The difficulty comes from the subject, not the course load.

ETA: "Teaching to the test" is an absolute joke - AP tests are comprehensive over a subject. To say that someone is 'teaching to the test' over critical thinking in a class like, say, European History is laughable at best. Now, practicing the AP's style (for instance, DBQs) could be considered "teaching to the test", but not in opposition to critical thinking (definite False Dilemma). Additionally, recent research has shown that practice tests reinforce understanding and retention far more than by rote studying . . . so yeah, bottom line, the "teaching to the test" argument is fallacious.

The best reason for AP: getting intro level college courses out of the way AND getting college credit that you don't have to pay $100s of dollars for.

I think there's another good reason for taking AP courses: boredom. Some of the smartest students who take an easy course will get so bored that they never learn the material and end up losing out completely. There was an absolutely brilliant girl in my school who didn't want to take AP or college prep - and dropped out halfway through our junior year. And no, she wasn't pregnant - too many people saw her asking if they wanted fries with that!

So there are 'tricks' you can use to increase your score on the Lit/Lang tests . . . let's just think about this. If these 'tricks' become prevalent, wouldn't they cease to increase score? Remember there is no absolute scale . . .

Plus, that's two tests out of a few dozen? I just don't think you can defend the 'teaching to the test' concept here . . . it's clever jargon, and it sounds pretty, but it's an empty, utterly meaningless phrase.

If I remember correctly, teaching to the AP test would have to cover every area of the subject, as the tests didn't center on any one topic or section. If you're covering every area, are you really short-changing the students?

I also don't think anyone on here is saying that AP classes/scores are the be-all, end-all. They do help out, though, when you get to school.

I have to concur with Rob and adpiucf on their points. The AP program can give you a real leg up going forward. It allowed me to add a major and a bunch of other classes, while still being done with requirements and the such in under 4 years. Even if your school won't accept the credits, that base knowledge will help out. Plus, if you do well enough, getting an award from the AP Scholar program looks great on a transcript.

My hs sr is taking 6 APs this year in addition to one elective. The majority of her friends are also taking 5-6 this year, whatever it takes to get a college to admit you....

I took maybe three AP classes in all of high school.....and was ahead in hours my senior year to the point that I only had to take two classes. I got into every school I applied to...Texas, UGA, Vanderbilt, SMU...among others. Whoever told you that you have to overload your kid with AP classes to get into an acceptable college in an idiot.

Sorry, I have No Idea what they are talking about, Do You?

Oh, maybe being a HSer You will!

Other Stuff is Inane.:rolleyes:

My HS is one in the County that offers it KR - I can find out info tomorrow if you'd like? What other schools are going to offer it?

Ann Marie

In this area of the country, 5-6 APs for senior year is not considered an overload. Basically you need to take the 4 major subjects in the AP level plus your AP foreign language and then perhaps a bonus AP.

Why? That just sounds horrible

Why would you think that I was in high school. Chill out old man.

I'll be honest - I took the AP classes because I had skated through all my classes, and had no idea of proper study habits. I needed the challenge that AP offered. All the scholarships didn't hurt, either! :D

Yawwwn.

I did the century club at the age of 17

Is the Governor nuts???? So nice that he's trying to throw state funds at those poor, little disadvantaged Upper St. Clair kids :rolleyes:



Hi Ann Marie,
Thanks; I'd appreciate that! Which of the two high schools do you teach at (PM if you prefer)?
They're apparently planning to offer the IB at Meade HS this fall. Ugh! I'd have to buy body armor for my kids, and I don't mean the athletic wear kind! :)

It's what the Ivies and other Tier Ones want to see on the applications, that an applicant can successfully master college courses while being a triple sport 4 year varsity athlete, earner of the Eagle Scout/Gold Award, club president and holder of 2400s on the SATs. I'm being facetious but I conduct prospective student interviews for my alma mater and the resumes these stellar students have are truly amazing.

I did Power Hour when I was in 3rd grade beeyotch.

-Rudey
--Beat that