The following article was published in the November/December issue of School Leader,
a publication of the New Jersey School Boards' Association.
Digitally published, as well, at this URL:
http://www.njsba.org/school-leader/novdec08.html#international
Adding the International Baccalaureate to the Mix
Why – and how – Shore Regional joined a small group of New Jersey high schools
offering the program
By Linda Ensor
Got AP? Why not IB? The college-prep world is dominated by abbreviations: students
take the SAT or the ACT as they begin the application process. They can earn college
credit by attaining high scores on Advanced Placement (AP) exams or by passing College
Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests. Yet many have not heard of the International
Baccalaureate (IB) program, which can also enable students to earn college credit.
As parents of high school juniors and seniors know, no single program can provide all
students with the best preparation for college, or ensure that their students’ applications
will catch the attention of college admissions officers – but after evaluating the rigorous
curriculum and required activities created by the International Baccalaureate
Organization (IBO), our district came to the conclusion that the IB program comes close.
The IB program was originally developed in 1968 by a group of teachers at the
International School of Geneva, Switzerland as a program for internationally mobile
students who were university-bound. Since then it has grown. Approximately 2,900
schools worldwide use the program, including 919 in the United States.
The IB program develops the curriculum, assesses students, trains teachers, and evaluates
and authorizes schools as “IB World Schools.” While the IBO offers programs for
elementary and middle schools (the middle years program actually is designed for ages
up to 16), the high school diploma program is the most popular segment of the
curriculum. Currently, more than 600 American high schools offer it. Students can also
choose to take a few individual IB courses without pursuing the full diploma.
The diploma program is two years long; students take a series of subject classes, as well
as a Theory of Knowledge class. Students must also write a 4,000 word essay, and
participate in 150 hours of what the organization terms “Creativity, Action and Service
(CAS),” which includes sports, extracurricular activities, and community service. In their
senior year, diploma students undergo several weeks of oral and written assessments.
Those who pursue the IB diploma program are encouraged to become enthusiastic, active
learners who are tolerant of diversity. In fact, emphasis on open-mindedness and
compassion is a hallmark of the IB program and sets it apart from other academically
based curricula, such as the Advanced Placement program developed by the College
Board in the 1950’s. Internationalism is infused into all courses within the IB curriculum
(advanced language proficiency is required for the diploma), and students are taught to
consider issues from at least two different perspectives.
This broadminded attitude extends to the open admissions policies attributed to the IB
program as it is offered in many U. S. high schools, for the international organization
does not require that students “test in” to be able to pursue the IB Diploma. Highly
motivated students from essentially any academic background can enjoy at least some
success within the IB curriculum.
With all that the IB program offers students and schools, remarkably few institutions in
the northeast U.S. have applied to become IB World Schools. Even though the greatest
growth in the number of schools participating in this program has increased most
dramatically in the United States over the past decade, only ten high schools in New
Jersey currently offer the IB diploma program (seven schools offer the program at the
younger grade levels).
One school district, Cherry Hill, which began offering the IB diploma in 2000 at one of
its high schools, has recently phased it out. The district felt that, while there were many
students who took a few IB courses, only a handful opted for the full diploma program,
and that it was difficult to sustain both the school’s IB diploma program and its AP
courses. The district still maintains the IB program in four of its 12 elementary schools
and one of its three middle schools.
For the 10 high schools in New Jersey that currently offer the IB, three were approved as
IB World Schools just over a year ago, in April 2007. For one of these schools, Shore
Regional High School in West Long Branch, the impetus to apply for IB World School
status came from a parent advisory group. Concerned about the increasingly competitive
nature of college admissions, these parents sought ways in which students might
distinguish themselves in the process. After they heard reports from recent Shore
graduates about the impressive collegiate records IB diploma students were achieving
and the respect paid to them by university administrations, the advisory group
recommended that the high school offer the IB option to highly motivated students as
soon as possible. The school organized a committee to begin work on the application, and
the intensive certification process began.
Before the school could receive approval to offer the IB program, the administration had
to certify a high level of commitment to the program. The Board of Education had to
commit funds to teacher training, textbook purchases, and organizational memberships: A
dozen teachers had to attend training, at an average cost of $1,200-$1,500 per teacher, so
that they could learn the IB approach to education; new courses necessitated the
acquisition of new textbooks and materials, at a cost of approximately $3,000 per course;
and as an IB World School, the high school would be assessed an annual membership fee
of about $9,000. Despite the additional costs, the Shore Regional Board of Education
recognized the value of the IB program to its student body and actively pursued the
application process. More than a year after a parent group asked that the high school
pursue IB World School status, a 200 page application was shipped to the IB
Organization, and the school moved into a waiting pattern.
In September 2006, a site team representing the international organization visited Shore
Regional High School and interviewed members of the various populations within its
academic community. The site visit team members ultimately praised the school
community for its commitment to high academic standards and promised to recommend
the school for “IB World School” status, which was officially conferred on April 12,
2007.
The first cohort of Shore’s IB students entered the program in September 2007 and
enrolled in seven IB courses: two languages (for Shore students, English and Spanish),
natural sciences, human sciences, mathematics, art, and Theory of Knowledge (a course
in basic epistemology). In addition to composing the required 4,000-word essay, and
completing 150 hours in CAS, students write an essay on one of ten approved topics for
Theory of Knowledge, and sit for exams in each subject – graded by an international
panel – in May of their senior year.
Having exams as culminating activities within a program is not new: students enrolled in
AP classes also take standardized tests in May. Yet, the depth of the course offerings and
the traditional design of the curriculum make the IB diploma program an attractive
alternative to the Advanced Placement program at schools such as Shore Regional High
School. Students in the IB program have more time to explore and to master challenging
academic concepts, since they do not have to complete all coursework within eight
months before taking the standardized exams in early May. Instead, at a school’s choice,
IB courses can be offered over two years, allowing students to become more comfortable
with the material and to experience more opportunities to demonstrate what they have
learned through various types of assessments. For example, in the English A1 class at
Shore Regional High School, students are required to write two essays on world literature
topics and to make two oral presentations before their peers; these assignments are
mandated by the IB Organization and are in addition to the work the students must
complete for the school’s IB English teacher. Generally, the style of an IB exam is openended: the multiple-choice format of many AP tests is not typical of most IB assessments.
Many who compare the two programs concur: IB exams allow students to demonstrate
what they know, while AP tests force students to reveal what they do not know.
This more supportive approach works well with many different types of students, and for
that reason, the IB program at Shore Regional High School includes students who
probably would not have considered enrolling in AP-level classes. The IB curriculum
includes provisions for individualized accommodations, and the IB-mandated pedagogy
includes best practices from schools throughout the world. Thus, many American high
schools consider the IB program to be accessible and appropriate for students on different
academic levels; they have adopted the attitude that all students, regardless of their
academic abilities or backgrounds, can benefit from the type of instruction offered by the
IB curriculum. After even just one year, several of the students in the Shore Regional
High School IB program have proved this to be true. Among those with the weakest
academic backgrounds, the gains have been the greatest; and all have benefited from their
work with each other.
The transition from application to implementation was not completely seamless,
however. Some of the fourteen students who enrolled in Shore Regional High School’s
first IB diploma group found themselves in classes more difficult than they had ever
taken, for several of these students had not previously experienced courses taught above
the standard, non-honors level. The IB philosophy required the students enrolled in the
program to assume much more personal responsibility in the educational process.
Although the teachers provided the high levels of support required by the IB program’s
rigorous academic standards, the students often found themselves faced with major
assignments in several classes due at the same time.
Furthermore, most of the teachers assigned to teach the IB classes were also assigned to
AP classes, and as a result, these instructors faced pedagogical and philosophical
conflicts. The AP instructional approach demands rapid-fire lessons and incessant drills.
As a rule, the AP classes are filled with high-achieving students with strong academic
backgrounds, and the instructional pace can be quick. IB classes, on the other hand, can
be populated with students of mixed academic abilities and backgrounds. Unfortunately,
a few of the teachers in the Shore Regional High School IB program have perceived
some of the school’s IB students as less able, and they tended to dismiss them as
reasonable candidates for the IB diploma. Also, since the high school had scheduled the
IB courses to take two years to complete, the pace of instruction could be slower and
more deliberate, leading some of the teachers to compare the IB program to the AP
program unfavorably.
At the end of the first year, the initial group of fourteen students scaled itself down to a
group of ten. One student graduated a year early and won a scholarship to Tulane
University, due in large part to his participation in the IB program. Another decided that
she wanted to concentrate more narrowly on the natural sciences and mathematics and
not be required to take art and world language classes. The third student did not pass
enough IB classes to be eligible to remain in the program, and the fourth decided that the
work was simply too hard for her. The ten that remain in the program exemplify a strong
commitment to personal excellence, and their willingness to take academic risks should
make them strong candidates for admission into competitive colleges, as they personify
the “IB Learner Profile”: IB students strive to be inquiring, knowledgeable, thoughtful,
communicative, principled, open-minded, caring, balanced, and reflective. These
attributes translate the organization’s mission statement into important learning outcomes
for 21st century education.
As is the mission of many academic institutions, including Shore Regional High School,
the goal of the IB diploma program is to encourage and to support the education of the
whole person; the various courses emphasize intellectual, personal, emotional and social
growth through all areas of knowledge. As the parents in the advisory group intended,
these well-rounded, caring students are strong candidates for admission to most American
colleges and universities. Perhaps more importantly, Shore Regional feels that the
students who participate in this program will be better prepared after college for careers
in a global society.
What began, then, as a program to help students at Shore Regional High School get into
more competitive colleges has become an exciting new approach to education not only
for the brightest students in the school but also for those who are highly motivated or who
might not have been sufficiently challenged by the “regular” classes. The IB diploma
program has brought new perspectives on learning and a more expansive worldview to a
relatively small, fairly homogeneous high school. The fourteen students who were brave
enough to place themselves in untried courses with newly trained teachers have honed
their critical thinking skills and their abilities to respond compassionately to people in
different regions of the country and of the world. They have entered a path that leads to
global understanding and tolerance; they are already winners.
For more information on the International Baccalaureate diploma program, visit the
organization’s web site at www.ibo.org.
New Jersey High Schools Offering the International Baccalaureate Program
Bergen County Academies, Hackensack
Bernards High School, Bernardsville
Biotechnology High School, Freehold
Hoboken High School, Hoboken
Linden High School, Linden
Newark Academy, Livingston
Shore Regional High School
St. Dominic Academy, Jersey City
West Morris Central High School
West Morris Mendham High School
Linda Ensor teaches English at Shore Regional High School; she is also the coordinator
of the school’s IB program. She can be reached at lensor@shoreregional.org.