TulaneMama Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 specifically for the middle school years. Is it worth it? i know that MS classes can be worth HS credit but that is about it...what are the benefits and downfalls to participating in such a program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 They only do the age 16-18 portion; for earlier years they do British national exams. I like that it is: - international in outlook - rigorous in content - internationally recognised - contains compulsory exercise and social service, as well as a long piece of academic research - has compulsory foreign language, maths, science, humanities and English (which makes it broader than the UK standard, which is very specialised for that age group). Best wishes Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TulaneMama Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 keep the info coming please! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret in GA Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 They have it at our local h.s. Very few make it all the way through the program. I would find out from this school how many are enrolled and how many go all the way passing the exams, etc. They are very shady about publishing information about the IB in our county because it is a total sham and just exists as a publicity tool for our schools. Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhomemaker25 Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 was a college prep school. We had IB. I did not participate. It is a very rigorous course of study. The Junior year of HS is when most of the kids dropped it. That was the hardest year. These kids walked away from HS being almost done with college, but all they had during HS was school work. One of the big Senior quotes from IB students, was about learning to survive with no sleep and no social life. All that being said, it's a great program. The people I know who completed it had absolutly no problems in college. They'd already developed the best study skills and academic maturity that went along with college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 There are only 2 schools in my city that have the IB program. 1 is a montessori school that offers IB as their high school option. They have excellent success with their kids that graduate although the class is normally only about 10 or so kids. I don't know anything about the other school. I love the fact that the IB is internationally recognised and they use an international benchmark for marking. There is no scaling because one schools exam was harder than another's etc. It would be my first choice if i were putting my kids into a high school environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TulaneMama Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 I do like the international marking. I think that I will call the school and ask them for a bot more info about the program and how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 specifically for the middle school years. Is it worth it? i know that MS classes can be worth HS credit but that is about it...what are the benefits and downfalls to participating in such a program. My daughter is in the second year of a pre-IB program at the local high school. (IB is only two years.) If a student is not interested in doing advanced coursework in all subjects, I don't think it's worth it. The amount of homework is overwhelming. My dd is dropping back to the college prep/ AP next year, and she'll just focus on higher level math and science. She's doing 3 sports, so the homework load is too much. I do know quite a few kids who graduated with IB diplomas, and they are all doing great in college. They have great study skills, and they were ready for the workload. So it's a great program for the right kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 They have it at our local h.s. Very few make it all the way through the program. All the children (including a large cohort from overseas) stick with the IB course. Most do the full programme, but there's also the option of separate certification of individual subjects if a student can't keep up with the whole curriculum. This is provided for within the IB rules, but I don't know if all schools use the provision. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 It is a very rigorous course of study. The Junior year of HS is when most of the kids dropped it. That was the hardest year. These kids walked away from HS being almost done with college, but all they had during HS was school work. One of the big Senior quotes from IB students, was about learning to survive with no sleep and no social life. I haven't heard that the IB is much more difficult than a standard university preparation course at a British school. I remember working very hard and not having much social life, at least for the final year. But UK universities are only three years, with no general courses, so high school is a bit more specialised and high pressure anyway. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 We are the same here Laura. Final year is crucial and Uni is 3 years for 95% of courses, only medicine & dentistry are longer. I don't think the IB would be more than a full uni entry course load at a public school here, just a different approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Dd spent 2 years at an IB school - she was in the Primary Years programme. I was extremely impressed, and will do everything in my power to have dd graduate with an IB diploma. Although they take a slower start to formal academics than I like, they start building on academic skills like research and reporting / presenting very early. Even something like the "parent-teacher conference" - at dd's school the child met with parent and teacher, showed off a portfolio, and outlined their goals for the next year. That was when dd was in Grade 1. They expect children to be responsible, proactive learners. The Montessori school Amber mentions states that the IB fits very well with the Montessori approach. The international outlook and strong focus on community service are the features I like best (aside from the educational aspects). Students require at least 100 hours to graduate - might be more, it was a while ago that I looked at it, and I forget exactly. For younger students (not primary) it is 20 hours per year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Nikki - My DD had a place at THAT school but we were living 2 hours away at the time. Now we are only 1 hour away, hopefully by the time she is ready for the IB we will be around the corner, LOL. I have heard only good things about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 We're in the process of putting dd's name down, so will see what happens. There are actually 2 Montessori schools here offering IB diplomas for school-leavers, plus at least 3 others offering IB. Only one is within our travelling distance / price range / (non)religious parameters. The prices of some private schools...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Oooh, when i was last looking there were only 2. Would you mind PMing me the others maybe there is one closer. I know what you mean about price, some make it cheaper to HS even forgoing an income if i were in paid employment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne/Ankara Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Our school is an IB World school, and I am very impressed with the IB Diploma Program (this is the two-year grade 11 and 12 program). The students choose six subjects, 3 high level and 3 standard level. They must have a second language within these 6 classes, which are each two years long. The students find that the IB work is great preparation for college level study, and many of them are accepted into top universities. They do a lot of international stuff, like Model United Nations, Habitat for Humanity in a neighboring country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soph the vet Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 specifically for the middle school years. Is it worth it? i know that MS classes can be worth HS credit but that is about it...what are the benefits and downfalls to participating in such a program. We have IB in many middle and high schools here in MN. edwatch.org has quite a few interesting articles on the program if you have time to read. IMO, if you value national sovereignty it may not be the program for you. If that is not an issue for you then it is considered to be academically rigorous. I have problems with the whole Earth Charter, multiculturalism, lack of classics (too many dead white guy authors) kind of stuff attached to this program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 (edited) I have problems with the ... lack of classics (too many dead white guy authors) kind of stuff attached to this program. Our local (all IB) school does the following texts from ages 16-18 (not necessarily all of them - I'm not sure how it's structured). Almost everything I would designate a classic; most are by white men. A Hero of Our Time - M. Lermontov • Death in Venice – T. Mann • Water for Chocolate – L Esquivez • Romeo & Juliet • Selected Poems: T. Hughes and S. Heaney • Poetry of Robert Browning • Heart of Darkness – J. Conrad • A Doll’s House – H. Ibsen • Miss Julie – A. Strindberg • Medea - Euripedes • A Streetcar Named Desire – T. Williams • Poetry Through Time • Jane Eyre/Animal Farm – G. Orwell • Chekhov Short stories • Perfume/ The Bloody Chamber Laura Edited January 7, 2010 by Laura Corin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I haven't heard that the IB is much more difficult than a standard university preparation course at a British school. I remember working very hard and not having much social life, at least for the final year. This is not how most American high school students live, I don't think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 (edited) There are eight IB High Schools in Fairfax County, Va. The IB website provides names of elementary and middle schools as well. Eight Fairfax County High Schools currently offer the IB Diploma: Annandale High School Lee High School Edison High School Mount Vernon High School George C. Marshall High School Robinson Secondary School JEB Stuart High School South Lakes High School Mariann Edited January 7, 2010 by MariannNOVA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TulaneMama Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 interesting stuff ladies. i didn't realize that you could take some classes independently. Also, I think American children, in general, have lots of homework. Whether or not it is completed is another story. I am going to look into this some more. DS is a high achiever and advanced for his age and needs challenges. THis sounds like it just might be what he needs. He is currently HSed and one of our concerns with going to PS would be that he would be bored. I hope that this program is all that it is cracked up to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 (edited) This is not how most American high school students live, I don't think. 14-15 first year of GCSE course - hard but not impossible 15-16 second year of GCSE course - very hard work 16-17 first year of A level course - hard but not impossible 17-18 second year of A level course - don't expect to do much but work I was in a school production of Hamlet in my 16-17 year; had I been a year older, I would have been banned from the production, as that year is for work. Laura Edited January 7, 2010 by Laura Corin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st_claire Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I considered an IB school when I was picking my highschool (way back when lol). And I had several friends who did the program. IMO, it was not much harder than any university oriented high school program. I think a homeschooled classical education would be much supperior. Why only a second language for example, when you can do at least 1 classical and 1 modern. Why one extended essay when you can do a junior and senior research paper? Why let sciences and/or math be done at "standard" level when they can be done at advanced? etc... YMMV, but I would have much preferred to be classically homeschooled instead of either an IB school or the university oriented school I went to, or any school I have heard of for that matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 14-15 first year of GCSE course - hard but not impossible15-16 second year of GCSE course - very hard work 16-17 first year of A level course - hard but not impossible 17-18 second year of A level course - don't expect to do much but work I was in a school production of Hamlet in my 16-17 year; had I been a year older, I would have been banned from the production, as that year is for work. Having attended a school that (to my surprise/horror) I have read as one of the top of the country -- a claim I fervently hope is false -- I can assure you that I was not overwhelmed by work. I essentially ran out of classes to take in 12th grade. I feel I could have learned much more, in all subject areas. The attitude expressed by one American young lady in the program 2 Million Minutes is that Indian students spend a lot of time studying, but they're not at all well-rounded. She enjoys the time she spends socializing and so forth. I would say that the majority of Americans -- both adults and students -- tend to agree that there is something a bit weird and unhealthy about kids who spend too much time on academics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 The attitude expressed by one American young lady in the program 2 Million Minutes is that Indian students spend a lot of time studying, but they're not at all well-rounded. She enjoys the time she spends socializing and so forth. I would say that the majority of Americans -- both adults and students -- tend to agree that there is something a bit weird and unhealthy about kids who spend too much time on academics. It included compulsory social service and extra-curricular activities as part of the diploma, so it serves to introduce a little more balance. I was just laying out the UK standard for comparison. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Why only a second language for example, when you can do at least 1 classical and 1 modern. You can add a second foreign language. Why one extended essay when you can do a junior and senior research paper? That's certainly another option. Why let sciences and/or math be done at "standard" level when they can be done at advanced? I think that the advanced level is really high. The standard level exists so that, for example, a non-maths specialist can still do maths, but not at a level which will give entrance to a top-flight university maths department. Arts subjects can also be done at standard level if the student's talents lie in science/maths etc... YMMV, but I would have much preferred to be classically homeschooled instead of either an IB school or the university oriented school I went to, or any school I have heard of for that matter. It depends, of course, on the child's needs. Calvin is starting to yearn for the opportunity to bounce ideas off other children and adults. The nearest college (not a stellar institution) is 40 minutes away by car. The school will provide him with the challenge and interaction that he is needing. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TulaneMama Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 our son is in need of more than what I can offer him at the moment...we were hoping that this might be a good option for him and would be challenging - something that he must have to stay focused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 It included compulsory social service and extra-curricular activities as part of the diploma, so it serves to introduce a little more balance. I was just laying out the UK standard for comparison. I appreciate your insights into UK standards and the IB, so thank you for that. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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