Transcript The Middle Years Programme - Des Moines Public Schools

The Diploma Programme
At a Glance
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
Organization: What is the IBO mission?
We are motivated by a mission to create a better world through
education.
Mission
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.
To this end, the IBO works with schools,
governments and international organizations
to develop challenging programmes of
international education and rigorous
assessment.
These programmes encourage students
across the world to become active,
compassionate and
lifelong learners who understand that other
people, with their differences, can also be
right.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
Organization: What does the IBO offer?
The IBO develops three programmes of international education for
students aged 3 to 19, working in cooperation with IB World
Schools.
Our three programmes span the years of
kindergarten to pre-university. The programmes
can be offered individually or as a continuum.
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) for pupils
aged 3 to 12.
The Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students
aged 11 to 16.
The Diploma Programme for students aged 16 to
19.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
Organization: What is the learner profile?
It’s the IBO mission statement translated into a set of learning
outcomes for the 21st century.
IB learners strive to be:
Inquirers
Knowledgeable
Thinkers
Communicators
Principled
Open-minded
Caring
Risk-takers
The attributes of the learner profile express the
values inherent to the IB continuum of
international education.
IB programmes promote the education of the
whole person, emphasizing intellectual,
personal, emotional and social growth through
all domains of knowledge.
Balanced
Reflective
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
Programmes: What makes the Diploma Programme special?
A rigorous two year pre-university course that leads to
examinations.

Designed for students aged 16 to 19

Diploma students take six subjects
plus they write a 4,000 word extended
essay, complete a course in theory of
knowledge, and complete a number of
creativity, action and service (CAS)
projects.

The diploma is well recognized by the
world’s leading universities.

Many IB schools teach the diploma
programme along side the national
curriculum.

Supported in English, French and
Spanish.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
Programmes: What makes the Diploma Programme special?
More than a collection of facts.
Students are encouraged to:
 ask challenging questions
 learn how to learn
 develop a strong sense of their own
identity and culture
 develop the ability to communicate with
and understand people from other
countries and cultures
 become independent, self-motivated
learners.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
What does the Diploma Programme curriculum contain?
The curriculum contains six subject groups together with a core
made up of three separate parts.
 Three subjects are
studied at higher level.
 Three subjects are
studied at standard level.
 All three parts of the
core—extended essay,
theory of knowledge
and creativity, action,
service—are compulsory
and are central to the
philosophy of the Diploma
Programme.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
What does the Diploma Programme curriculum contain?
The core requirements—Extended essay
The extended essay:
 has a prescribed limit of 4,000
words
 offers the opportunity to
investigate a topic of individual
interest
 familiarises students with the
independent research and writing
skills expected at university.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
What does the Diploma Programme curriculum contain?
The core requirements—Theory of knowledge (TOK)
The interdisciplinary TOK course
is designed to provide coherence
by:
 exploring the nature of
knowledge across disciplines
 encouraging an appreciation of
other cultural perspectives.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
What does the Diploma Programme curriculum contain?
The core requirements—Creativity, action, service (CAS)
Participation in the school’s CAS
programme:
 encourages students to be
involved in artistic pursuits,
sports and community service
work
 fosters students’ awareness
and appreciation of life outside
the academic arena.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
Assessment in the Diploma Programme—students
are assessed both internally and externally in ways that measure
individual performance against stated objectives for each subject.
In most subjects at least some
of the assessment is carried out
internally by teachers, who
mark individual pieces of work
produced as part of a course of
study. Examples include:
 oral exercises in language
subjects
 projects
 student portfolios
 class presentations
 practical laboratory work
 mathematical investigations
 artistic performances.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
Assessment in the Diploma Programme—External
assessment
Some assessment tasks are conducted and
overseen by teachers without the restrictions of
examination conditions, but are then marked
externally by examiners. Examples include:
 world literature assignments for language A1
 written assignments for language A2
 essays for theory of knowledge and extended
essays.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
Assessment in the Diploma Programme—External
assessment
 Because of the greater degree of
objectivity and reliability provided by the
standard examination environment,
externally marked examinations form the
greatest share of the assessment for most
subjects.
 The grading system is criterion-based
(results are determined by performance
against set standards, not by each
student’s position in the overall rank
order).
 Validity, reliability and fairness are the
watchwords of the Diploma Programme’s
assessment strategy.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
University recognition of the IB Diploma—The IB
diploma is widely recognized by the world’s leading universities.
The IBO works closely with universities in all
regions of the world to gain recognition for the
IB diploma. To aid the process the IB provides:
 direct, online access for university
admissions officers and government officials
to syllabuses and recent examination papers
 a database containing contact details of
universities around the world together with upto-date information about their requirements
for admission to assist IB diploma students in
making appropriate choices
Students applying to a particular university can
access their grades directly from the IBO’s
secure web site.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
Services: How is a school authorized? Any school
wishing to offer the Diploma programme must be authorized by the
IBO.
 Schools must go through an intensive authorization process
that lasts at least two years covering two key stages
 First key stage includes:
 feasibility study and identification of resources
 obtaining appropriate publications
 examining the programme’s philosophy and curriculum
 conduct a feasibility study on possible outcomes
 arrange for staff to undertake IBO-approved training.
 Second key stage is a visit from an IBO team to:
 consult those involved in implementation
 evaluate the school’s readiness to implement the
programme
 complete a report on the school’s commitment and ability
to deliver the programme.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
Services: How does the IBO provide professional
development for teachers?
The IBO supports teachers through both face-to-face workshops
and online.
Face-to-face
workshops
Organized by each IB
region for all
programmes and all
levels. Nearly 30,000
teachers were trained in
2005.
• Teacher support
materials
• Online courses
• Teacher
qualifications in
development.
The Online Curriculum
Centre (OCC) is an
international community of
practice for 44,465 registered
IB teachers at
http://occ.ibo.org.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006
For further information read:
 The Schools’ Guide to the Diploma Programme
 A Basis for Practice: the Diploma Programme
 A continuum of International Education
All available online at
http://www.ibo.org/dp/slideg.cfm.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2006