IB Mission Statement High quality international education for a better world 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 programs of international education and rigorous assessment. These programs 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 authorizes schools to implement their programs when: They share the mission and commitment of IB to develop and implement challenging programs and rigorous assessment. They want to play an active and supporting role in the worldwide community of IB schools. They share their knowledge and experience in the development of the IB programs. They are committed to the professional development of teachers and administrators.

Number of Diploma Programmes: 2004 September 2009 IB Asia Pacific 284 IB Americas 1051 IB Africa, Europe, Middle East 669

Common elements of the programs All IB programs share these common elements: Promote international-mindedness Draw on content from educational cultures around the world Require study across a range of subjects Establish links among individual subjects Require the learning of a second language Focus on developing a variety of learning skills Provide opportunities for individual and collaborative planning and research Encourage students to become responsible and active members of their community

Challenging, rigorous, demanding and fun! The Diploma Programme is a two-year course of study for students aged 16 to 19. It offers a broad and balanced curriculum, which is a deliberate compromise between the early specialization preferred in some national systems and the breadth favoured in others. What is the International Baccalaureate Diploma?

Group 4: Experimental Sciences Group 1: Language A1 Group 5: Mathematics and Computer Science Group 2: Languages A2 Classical Languages Group 3: Individuals and Societies Extended Essay Theory Of Knowledge Creativity, Action Service Group 6: Arts Languages of Instruction & Assessment: English, French, Spanish

The curriculum Group 1: The mother tongue or a language with the fluency of the mother tongue – a world literature course in which all the genres are studied. A1 HL or SL A1 school supported self taught SL Group 2: A second language, spoken almost like mother tongue or recently acquired - different levels are possible A2, SL or HL B, SL or HL Ab Initio SL Classical languages

The Curriculum Group 3: individuals and societies (all at SL or HL) History Geography Psychology Social and cultural anthropology Philosophy Business and Management Economics Information Technology for a Global Society Group 4: experimental sciences (all at SL or HL) Physics Chemistry Biology Design Technology

The Curriculum Group 5: Mathematics and computer science Mathematical studies Math SL or HL Further math SL Computer science SL or HL Group 6: The arts (all at SL or HL) Visual Art Music Film Music

IB Diploma Requirements Students must take at least two and at most three higher level (HL) and at least three and at most four standard level (SL) courses – all two year courses. One course from groups 1-5, and a 6 th subject from either group 6 or any other group Higher Level 240 recommended hours Exams taken in senior year Standard Level 150 recommended hours A maximum of two subjects may be anticipated by Diploma Programme students Complete Central Elements: EE, CAS, TOK

Center of the Hexagon Extended Essay (EE) 4000 word essay, on a topic of student interest Provides excellent preparation for independent study at university level Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) A framework for experiential learning, involving students in new and active roles Develops awareness and a sense of responsibility towards the community Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Critical reflection on how we know and what we know Develops awareness of cultural perspectives and biases Allows for connections to be established between disciplines

To Earn the IB Diploma To earn the Diploma a candidate must: Successfully complete the extended essay, TOK, and CAS requirements Successfully complete the internal and external requirements of all of their courses Earn a minimum of 24 points (each subject is graded on a 1-7 scale + a maximum of 3 points for the core elements of the programme)

Assessment

Underlying philosophy: All courses finish with external assessment, which is summative and is designed to record student achievement. All courses have an internal assessment component, which can and should be used formatively. It pays appropriate attention to the high-order skills as well as the more fundamental cognitive skills.

Assessment Assessment promotes the cross-cultural dimension of the programme. The following are some examples: In the literature course (A1) students must study works originally written in a language different from the one being followed for their course. In second-language courses (language B) the language should be studied in a strong cultural and practical setting. The history course includes a compulsory section on world history In the music course, students must carry out an investigation in to the relationship between two musical genres from different cultures

Assessment Range of assessment tasks and assessment instruments: Short-response questions Extended-response questions Essays Projects Portfolios of pieces of work Reports Performances Exhibitions

The “Bottom” Line A unique international curriculum with widespread university recognition A curriculum that helps develop in students life long learning skills A programme designed to fulfill the organization’s mission statement as articulated in the Learner Profile

IB Learner Profile

Page 41 The Learner Profile Thinker Knowledgeable Risk-taker Open minded Communicator Principled Reflective Inquirer Balanced Caring