REDWOOD HIGH SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM

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REDWOOD HIGH SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
PROGRAM

• INFORMATIONAL SESSION -- JANUARY 14, 2009
• Pending Authorization from the IBO

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HISTORY OF THE IB

• Founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1968
• Designed to facilitate the international mobility
  of students
• Provided schools with a curriculum and diploma
  recognized by universities around the world
• There are more than 678,000 IB students at 2,496
  schools in 132 countries.

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THE IB MISSION STATEMENT

• The International Baccalaureate Organization aims
  to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring
  young people who help to create a better and more
  peaceful world through intercultural
  understanding and respect.
• The programme encourages students across the
  world to become active, compassionate, and
  lifelong learners who understand that other
  people, with their differences, can also be
  right.

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THE TAM DISTRICT MISSION STATEMENT

• The mission of the Tamalpais Union High School
  District is to challenge students to broaden and
  deepen their learning experiences, to aspire to
  the passionate pursuit of excellence, and to
  develop as thinking and caring individuals who
  will leave our schools with the skills to be life
  long learners and to succeed in their personal,
  academic and professional lives.

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The IB Learner Profile

• IB Students are
• Inquirers
• Knowledgeable
• Thinkers
• Communicators
• Principled
• Open-minded
• Caring

• Risk-takers
• Balanced
• Reflective

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The IB Curriculum--The Diploma

• Six Academic Subject Areas
• Three studied at Standard Level (SL)
• Three studied at Higher Level (HL)
• Three Core Requirements
• Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
• Extended Essay (EE)
• Creativity, Action, Service (CAS)

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The Six Academic Subject Areas

• Group 1Language A1
• Group 2Second Language
• Group 3Individuals and Societies
• Group 4Experimental Sciences
• Group 5Mathematics and Computer Science
• Group 6The Arts

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Redwood High School IB Course Offerings

• Group 1, Language A1 (diploma students must take
  this two-year course)
• HL English Literature (2 years in length)
• Group 2, Second Language (diploma students must
  choose one)
• SL Spanish (1 year in length) Prereq Spanish
  5-6
• HL Spanish (2 years in length) Prereq Spanish
  5-6
• SL French (coming fall of 2010-2011, 1 year in
  length) Prereq French 5-6

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Redwood High School IB Course Offerings
(continued)

• Group 3, Individuals and Societies (all diploma
  students must take this two-year course)
• HL History of the Americas (2 years in length
  History of Americas/20th Century Topics in Global
  Studies)
• Group 4, Experimental Sciences (students must
  choose one)
• SL Biology (1 year in length) Prereq Completion
  of Integrated Sciences 1-4 and Chemistry (either
  as a sophomore or concurrently as a junior)
• HL Biology (2 years in length) Prereq
  Completion of Integrated Sciences 1-4 and
  Chemistry (either as a sophomore or concurrently
  as a junior)
• SL Chemistry (coming fall of 10-11, 1 year in
  length) Prereq Completion of Integrated Sciences
  1-4

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Redwood High School IB Course Offerings
(continued)

• Group 5, Mathematics and Computer Science
  (students must choose one)
• SL Math Studies (2 years in length)
• SL Math (2 years in length) -- Redwood will have
  two levels of SL Math
• HL Mathematics (2 years in length)
• Math Prerequisites There are multiple pathways
  to each Math IB course.

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Redwood High School IB Course Offerings
(continued)

• Group 6, The Arts (students must choose one or
  substitute an elective from another group)
• SL Visual Arts (2 years in length) Prereq Art
  Ex, Photo I or Ceramics I or D/P I
• HL Visual Arts (2 years in length) Prereq Art
  Ex, Photo I or Ceramics I or D/P I, Photo II, or
  Ceramics II or D/P II, Photo III, or Ceramics
  III, or D/P III
• SL Theater Arts (2 years in length) Prereq
  minimum of Drama 1-2 Recommended Drama 3-4
• HL Theater Arts (2 years in length) Prereq
  minimum of Drama 1-2 Recommended Drama 3-4

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Sample Student Schedule

• Junior Year
• HL English
• HL History of the Americas
• HL Visual Arts
• SL Math
• SL Biology
• Free Choice
• Econ/TOK

• Senior Year
• HL English
• HL Global Studies
• HL Visual Arts
• SL Math
• Free Choice
• SL Spanish
• TOK/Govt

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Sample Student Schedule 2

• Junior Year
• HL English
• HL History of the Americas
• HL Biology
• HL Math
• SL Spanish
• SL Theater
• Econ/TOK

• Senior Year
• HL English
• HL Global Studies
• HL Biology
• HL Math
• Free Choice
• SL Theater
• TOK/Govt.

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Sample Student Schedule 3

• Junior Year
• HL English
• HL History of the Americas
• RHS Chem
• HL Math
• SL Spanish
• SL Theater
• Free Choice
• TOK Night Spring

• Senior Year
• HL English
• HL Global Studies
• SL Biology
• HL Math
• Econ/Govt
• SL Theater
• Free Choice
• TOK Night Fall

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Three Core Requirements

• Theory of Knowledge
• This is a course designed to encourage students
  to reflect on the nature of knowledge by
  critically examining different ways of knowing
  and different kinds of knowledge. All Diploma
  Candidates must take the Theory of Knowledge
  class (TOK). TOK is a yearlong course that will
  span spring semester of junior year and fall
  semester of senior year.
• Extended Essay
• Students engage in independent research through
  an in-depth study of a question relating to one
  of the subjects they are studying. The extended
  essay is roughly 4,000 words. Students will work
  with an advisor who is familiar with the field of
  study.
• Creativity, Action, Service (50 hours each)
• Students learn by doing real tasks beyond the
  classroom

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Creativity Examples

• Teaching there are several opportunities to
  volunteer teaching students of underserved areas
  domestically and internationally.
• Arts/Crafts - community mural crafts donated to
  a charity to be sold at auction.
• Music / Theater / Dance- engaging in the
  improvement of skills or learning of a particular
  piece. Can be associated to performing for the
  benefit of a group such as the elderly, the sick,
  destitute, refugees, etc.

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Action Examples

• Sports Teams - engaging in the improvement of
  skills through after school sports.
• Martial Arts (Karate, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Kendo,
  Aikido, Fencing, etc.) engaging in learning new
  art or improving skills on a currently practiced
  art.
• Racing or Walking for a cause (e.g. cancer
  research, etc.)

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Service

• Disaster relief - there are several opportunities
  to volunteer in disaster relief domestically and
  internationally. Examples
• American Red Cross
• VolunteerMatch.org
• Community nutrition needs through programs for
  people living with HIV/AIDS, the
  homebound/critically ill, and seniors.
• Project Open hand (San Francisco, CA)
• Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (San
  Francisco, CA)
• Human Rights activism at Amnesty International
  USA (New York)
• Guide Dogs for the Blind (San Rafael, CA)

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What is NOT CAS

• Any class, activity or project which is already
  part of the students Diploma Programme.
• An activity for which a student is personally
  rewarded either financially or with some other
  benefit (unless this benefit is passed on in full
  to a worthy cause).
• Doing simple, tedious and repetitive work, like
  returning school library books to the shelves.

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What is NOT CAS (cont.)

• A passive pursuit, such as a visit to a museum,
  the theatre, art exhibition, concert or sports
  event, unless it clearly inspires work in a
  related activity in which a student is already
  engaged.
• All forms of duty within the family.
• Work experience which only benefits the student.
• An activity where there is no leader or
  responsible adult on site to evaluate and confirm
  student performance.
• Activities which cause division amongst different
  groups in the community.

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AssessmentsIB Class Grades

• All of the assignments administered by the
  teacher (quizzes, essays, discussions, projects,
  tests, response groups, etc.)
• These grades make up the students Redwood High
  School class grade.
• The Redwood High School class grades in IB
  classes contribute to the students GPA and
  Redwood High School diploma.

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AssessmentsIB Organization Grades

• Internally moderated assessments for each class.
  They are scored by the IB teacher in accordance
  with IB standards.
• Externally moderated assessments for each class.
  These are administered by the IB teacher but sent
  out for external evaluation by members of the IB
  community.
• End of the year standardized examinations.
• These assessments contribute to the students IB
  diploma.
• Some IBO grades may be used as RHS grades.

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IB Organization Assessments Continued

• Students earn a score from 1-7 in each class
  based on the internal and external assessments.
  (6 x 7 42)
• There are two additional points available for the
  EE and TOK work. (42 2 44 total)
• Students who earn a 24 or higher earn the IB
  Diploma.
• Students who dont pass can retake.

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Whats the Payoff?

• Students receive an outstanding
  interdisciplinary, cross-curricular education
  that focuses more on depth of study than breadth
  of study
• The IB program prepares students for success at
  the university level

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Other Payoffs

• Some universities grant sophomore status to
  students who earn the IB Diploma.
• Some universities guarantee admission for
  students who earn the IB Diploma.
• All 9 UC campuses now award 30 hours of credit to
  any IB student who earns an IB diploma with a
  score of 30 or higher.

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College Acceptance Rates2002 IBNA survey of 5000
diploma students

• Average Rates
• University of MD 44
• University of VA 38
• Johns Hopkins 35
• Carlton College 34
• Cornell University 29

• IB Rates
• University of MD 89
• University of VA 70
• Johns Hopkins 69
• Carlton College 89
• Cornell University 51

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Anticipated Questions

• Is there access to IB if I dont want to go for
  the whole diploma?
• Will RHS still offer AP classes?
• How do colleges compare AP and IB?
• Can I drop out of the program if I dont like it?
• Do certificate students still need to complete
  CAS, Extended Essay, and TOK?
• Can my student take TOK if she isnt enrolled in
  the diploma programme?
• Will there be weighted grades?
• Can you describe the rigor any better?

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Next Steps

• Talk to your son or daughter about his or her
  interest in the program.
• Have your son or daughter talk to his or her
  counselor.
• Have your son or daughter talk to me in room 156.

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FOR MORE INFORMATIONVISITWWW.IBO.ORG

• PLEASE EMAIL RHS SPECIFIC IBO QUESTIONS TO
• shettleman_at_redwood.org

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Summary of IB Benefits

• A cross-curricular, interdisciplinary program
• Focus on depth rather than breadth
• Assessment that provides a better picture of the
  students skills
• Focus on international mindedness
• Focus on developing the student outside of the
  classroom
• Focus on independent, self-directed, in-depth
  research
• A program that is accessible to a broad range of
  students
• Widely respected and accepted by universities
  world wide

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Summary of IB Drawbacks

• Focus on depth over breadth means fewer topics
  covered in some areas
• 6 subject areas and TOK less flexibility in
  scheduling, fewer electives
• Rigor of program requires good time management
  and stress management