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

284IB Americas

1051

IB Africa, Europe, Middle East669

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 EssayTheory Of Knowledge

Creativity, ActionService

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 SLA1 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 HLB, SL or HLAb Initio SLClassical languages

The Curriculum

Group 3: individuals and societies (all at SL or HL)

HistoryGeography PsychologySocial and cultural anthropologyPhilosophyBusiness and ManagementEconomicsInformation Technology for a Global Society

Group 4: experimental sciences (all at SL or HL)

PhysicsChemistryBiologyDesign Technology

The Curriculum

Group 5: Mathematics and computer science

Mathematical studiesMath SL or HLFurther math SLComputer science SL or HL

Group 6: The arts (all at SL or HL)

Visual ArtMusicFilmMusic

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 6th 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

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

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The Learner Profile

• Thinker

• Knowledgeable

• Risk-taker

• Open minded

• Communicator

• Principled

• Reflective

• Inquirer

• Balanced

• Caring