Queensbury Union Free School District International Baccalaureate Programme

Douglas W. Huntley, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Background and characteristics of IB:

     Founded in 1968 as a non-profit educational foundation Strong pre-university curriculum Common internal and external assessments International Mindedness Strong Rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum

Learner Profile: Inquirers Knowledgeable Thinkers Communicators Principled Open-Minded Caring Risk-Takers Balanced Reflective

Students must:  Have strong work ethic  Embrace learning

Teachers must be:  Passionate about self-improvement  For students  For their discipline & an interdisciplinary approach  To teach at highest levels

Parents must be:  Encouraging  Supportive  Partners

IB provides opportunities to students in two ways.

 Students may take individual IB courses and earn certificates, similar to AP courses.

 Students may choose to earn the IB Diploma in addition their high school diploma.

Advantage of the full IB diploma:

     Recognized by colleges around the world Students improve upon strengths, confront challenges Learn time management Research and writing in all curricular areas Center of the hexagon

The Curriculum To earn the diploma:  3 HL courses (2 years)  3 SL courses (1 year; some are more than 1 year)  Complete center of hexagon

Creativity Action and Service (CAS)  CAS takes seriously the importance of life outside the world of scholarship, providing a refreshing counterbalance to academic studies  150 hours over two years of planning, implementation, reflection

Some CAS examples:

       Designing and implementing service projects Individual and team sports Expeditions Local and international projects Helping people with special needs Visiting hospitals Working with homeless

Extended Essay:  4000 word or fewer, original research essay  Represents research and writing skills expected by universities    Researched and written during junior and senior year Opportunity to work with a teacher/mentor Opportunity to investigate a topic of special interest to the student

Theory of Knowledge: Areas of Knowledge Natural Sciences Ways of Knowing Reason Emotion Language Perception The Arts