What Is The International Baccalaureate?
The International Baccalaureate (IB) was founded in 1968 by teachers at the International School of Geneva with the goal of providing students a balanced education that can facilitate geographic and cultural mobility, as well as promote international understanding. The IB offers four educational programs for students from age 3 to 19. IB programs are in almost 5,000 schools in over 150 countries around the world. (www.ibo.org)
The 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.”
– www.ibo.org
The IB Program at CCHS
The IB program at CCHS is divided into FL Pre-IB Diploma Program (Pre-IB) and Diploma Program (DP). Students are in FL Pre-IB in 9th and 10th grade and in DP in 11th and 12th grade. The FL Pre-IB courses are designed to prepare students for the rigor and types of assessments in the DP. In the DP students are required to take 2-year courses in 6 subject areas, take the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course, complete an extended essay (research paper) of 3,000 to 4,000 words, and complete experiential learning through Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS). In their courses students will participate and be graded in internal and external IB assessments. These assessments are factored in to final subject area scores which determine if they earn their IB diploma.
