What Makes IB Special

Cape Coral High School IB Alumni

IB World

Recognized as the leader in international education, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme cultivates the knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable students to excel in university. Through the IB Diploma Programme, students gain rigorous and balanced academic preparation, an ability to draw on knowledge and understanding of various cultures and histories, and the experience of learning how to think critically and apply what they have learned in different contexts and across disciplines.

The IB understands that success in higher education and beyond involves thinking critically and creatively. The IB Diploma Programme's challenging curriculum educates the whole student, developing the capacity for inquiry, research and problem solving as well as essential skills for communication and collaboration. Success in the 21st century requires intercultural understanding and respect. At its heart, the IB is motivated by a desire to create a better world through education, as embodied in 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."

The essentials of the IB Diploma Programme

An academically challenging and balanced two-year programme prepares students for university.

The IB Diploma Programme includes six subject areas; an extended essay of 4,000 words; experiential learning through creativity, action, service (CAS); and theory of knowledge (TOK), a course that fosters critical thinking.

Assessment in each of the six subject areas is based on student performance against set standards rather than each student's position in the overall class ranking.

External assessments include a variety of tasks that emphasize higher-order cognitive skills and may take the form of written essays and examinations. Internal assessments, marked by teachers and moderated by the IB, are factored into the students' final grades.

Ongoing and regular reviews of the curriculum ensure that the latest developments in research and theory are incorporated into what students are learning.

IB assessments are known for strong reliability and validity in scoring, resulting in consistent IB diploma pass rates for the past 40 years. Whether the school is in Alexandria, USA, or Alexandria, Egypt, the standards and assessments are uniform. Both external and internal assessments are used to evaluate students and factor into a students' final grade.

Standard level and higher level courses

Standard level courses require rigorous study leading to a breadth of knowledge; higher level courses require intensive study leading to mastery.

All students in the IB Diploma Programme take a combination of standard level (SL) and higher level (HL) courses. Standard level courses are intense, rigorous options that meet state, provincial and national requirements and include a broad curriculum with 150 teaching hours. In addition, Diploma Programme students take at least three higher level courses that allow them to explore additional topics in further depth over an extended period of 240 teaching hours.

IB Course Progression at CCHS

IB Subject Group	Grade 9	Grade 10	Grades 11 and 12: The IB Diploma Programme 2 year courses
Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature	Pre-IB English I	Pre-IB English II	IB English Literature
Group 2: Language Acquisition (Students will study one language for 4 years)	Pre-IB Spanish / French I or II	Pre-IB Spanish / French II or III	IB Spanish / French
Group 3: Inpiduals and Societies	AP Human Geography	AP World History	IB History
Group 4: Sciences	Pre-IB Biology	Pre-IB Chemistry	All students will select one of the following courses: IB Biology IB Chemistry IB Environmental
Group 5: Math	Pre-IB Geometry	Pre-IB Algebra II	All students will select one of the following courses: IB Math Studies IB Math (more advanced)
Group 6: Electives (Arts or other)	Students are encouraged to take at least one pre-IB Elective		All students will select one of the following courses: IB Business Management IB Information Tech in a Global Society IB Psychology IB Visual Arts
Core:	Pre-IB Inquiry Skills		IB Theory of Knowledge
Electives periods to pursue other interests	2	3	1

Why do universities value IB students?

B students are prepared for academic success.

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 doing independent research and presenting what they have learned through presentations, papers and other projects.

They think critically and draw on perse perspectives that reflect an international outlook.

Participation in the IB Diploma Programme shows that students have excelled in multiple and perse academic challenges and is a strong predictor for success in university.

The core components of IB programmes encourage students to participate in creative and service-oriented activities, while at the same time emphasizing the importance of reflection on a personal and academic level.

Benefits of the Diploma Programme

IB Diploma recipients are automatically awarded the maximum Bright Futures Scholarship regardless of SAT/ACT scores or GPA.

All public universities and state colleges in Florida award up to 45 hours of college credit for IB exams passed.

Universities worldwide view the IB Diploma Programme as the most rigorous curriculum offered in secondary schools and recognize diploma programme students as being the most prepared for post-secondary academic success.