Education and the International Baccalaureate® (IB)

International Baccalaureate® (IB)

Founded in 1968, the International Baccalaureate® (IB) is a non-profit educational foundation offering four highly respected programs of international education that develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills needed to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world. Schools must be authorized, by the IB organization, to offer any of the program. The IB has a hard-earned reputation for high standards of teaching, pedagogical leadership and student achievement.

Primary Years Program
The PYP prepares students to become active, caring, lifelong learners who demonstrate respect for themselves and others and have the capacity to participate in the world around them. It focuses on the development of the whole child. Age range: 3-12

Middle Years Program
A challenging framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world, the MYP is inclusive by design; students of all interests and academic abilities can benefit from their participation. Age range: 11-16

Details of the Program

The International Baccalaureate® (IB) Middle Years Program (MYP) comprises eight subject groups: Language acquisition. Language and literature. Individuals and societies. Sciences. Mathematics. Arts. Physical and health education. Design. The MYP requires at least 50 hours of teaching time for each subject group in each year of the program. In years 4 and 5, students have the option to take courses from six of the eight subject groups within certain limits, to provide greater flexibility in meeting local requirements and individual student learning needs. Each year, students in the MYP also engage in at least one collaboratively planned interdisciplinary unit that involves at least two subject groups. MYP students also complete a long-term project, where they decide what they want to learn about, identify what they already know, discovering what they will need to know to complete the project, and create a proposal or criteria for completing it Teaching and learning in context Students learn best when their learning experiences have context and are connected to their lives and their experience of the world that they have experienced. Using global contexts, MYP students develop an understanding of their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet through developmentally appropriate explorations of: identities and relationships personal and cultural identity orientations in space and time scientific and technical innovation fairness and development globalization and sustainability. Conceptual understanding Concepts are big ideas that have relevance within specific disciplines and across subject areas. MYP students use concepts as a vehicle to inquire into issues and ideas of personal, local and global significance and examine knowledge holistically. Approaches to learning A unifying thread throughout all MYP subject groups, approaches to learning (ATL) provide the foundation for independent learning and encourage the application of their knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Developing and applying these social, thinking, research, communication and self management skills helps students learn how to learn. Service as action, through community service Assessment: Individuals and Societies Assessment for individuals and societies courses in all years of the program is criterion-related, based on four equally weighted assessment criteria: Criterion A Knowing and understanding Maximum 8 Criterion B Investigating Maximum 8 Criterion C Communicating Maximum 8 Criterion D Thinking critically Maximum 8 Subject groups must address all strands of all four assessment criteria at least twice in each year of the MYP. In the MYP, subject group objectives correspond to assessment criteria. Each criterion has nine possible levels of achievement (0–8), divided into four bands that generally represent; limited (1–2); adequate (3–4); substantial (5–6); and excellent (7–8) performance. Each band has its own unique descriptor, which teachers use to make “best-fit” judgments about students’ progress and achievement. In response to national or local requirements, schools may add criteria and use additional models of assessment. Schools must use the appropriate assessment criteria as published in this guide to report students’ final achievement in the program. Teachers clarify the expectations for each summative assessment task with direct reference to these assessment criteria. Task-specific clarifications should clearly explain what students are expected to know and do. They might be in the form of: • a task-specific version of the required assessment criteria • a face-to-face or virtual classroom discussion • a detailed task sheet or assignment sheet.

Diploma Program
Research suggests many benefits to choosing the DP. The program aims to develop students who have excellent breadth and depth of knowledge – students who flourish physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically. Age range: 16-19

Career-related Programme
The CP is a framework of international education addressing the needs of students engaged in career-related education. It leads to further/higher education apprenticeships or employment. Age range: 16-19