The Newsweek High School Rankings Boycott

IB is a scam

Maybe this is because IB itself is flawed and unproven? Fuzzy academics and UN agendas of world government are the only purposes of IB. It is otherwise not a good program and parents should reject it.

Bob Morse responds: USNEWS does not agree that IB is unproven. In addition, many U.S. colleges accept IB courses taken in High School as being equal to a college course and give the students college level credit for them.

PEER ASSESSMENT U.S. NEWS COLLEGE RANKING

I hope you can do something major this year to improve your "peer assessment" which is close to 25% of each schools ranking. Most of us feel that each admissions director knows nothing of other schools and ranks his/her school the same every year to keep their ranking high. Peer assessments such as 3.6 for Tufts are not realistic! Find a new approch! Thanks for your consideration.

Bob Morse responds: U.S. News thinks that admission directors, college presidents and top academic deans have considerable knowledge about the schools they compete with as well as a broader set of schools which they have obtained by rising throught the academic rankings to become leaders at their school. We don't count the rating of those that rate their own school very high.

IB/UN/UNESCO - still a scam

"Bob Morse" may not agree but IB is a government boondoggle -- oh wait I forgot, the UN is not a government!

But it wants to be badly and the only way it can do it is to promote itself in the IB classes.

Parents are being scammed by this into thinking their kids won't get into college iwth some IB courses. This is simply not true.

Besides the UN has NO RIGHT to be controlling our curriculum in AMERICAN schools as it has been since 1980.

As a teacher it is like working in a gulag in a communist country. There is no room for dissent.

Bob Morse responds: You have a right to your opinion, but it's factually wrong. Some U.S. public schools have viewed the adoption of IB (http://www.ibo.org/) as a way of improving quality. It's a 100% INCORRECT implication that IB is controlled or sponsored by the UN and or UNESCO.

yes, IB is a scam

But U.S. News does agree that it was "unable" to gather IB data as readily as AP data, and therefore did not include IB in its own report. AP courses are considered "college-level", IB courses are considered "college preparatory". Furthermore SL IB courses are almost never recognized by universities for college credit. Our most brilliant student last year was accepted to Duke, where he received not one, zippo, nada, any credit for his IB exams, as Duke requires IB 7's but will accept AP 4's and 5's.

Bob Morse responds: U.S. News is working, as we speak, with IB to get the IB test data from the central IB organization. Our goal is to incorpoarte that data into our next rankings.

UNESCO denial, almost as bad as alcoholism

http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/Report/IBO.pdf

http://www.ibo.org/media/documents/annual_review04.pdf

(see funders)

Mr Morse, are you a serious reporter? You should really do a little research before posting such wantonly ignorant statements .

Bob Morse responds: According to IB's website-They no longer receive funding from UNESCO (http://www.ibo.org/history/funding/ ).

" Funding

The IB was funded by Unesco, the 20th Century Fund, and the Ford Foundation until 1976. From 1977 the Heads Standing Conference (HSC) of Diploma Programme (DP) schools was formed and they began to pay the IB an annual registration fee. In countries where state schools offered the DP, the governments made financial contributions, and some continue to do so on a reduced basis. In return for these fees, the IB helped schools implement the DP, offered training workshops and teaching materials to IB teachers, and managed a system of external examinations for IB diploma candidates."

Before I respond any more on IB, I will check with my sources at IB and if I am incorrect or what I have said needs more detailI I will post a correction. Sorry, but I will not be able to respond or post new blog items until 4/21/08.

Random thoughts

Bob,

First, you should be aware that there are a group of rabid IB haters out there. They spend their days chasing down IB stories and are not the least bit interested in dialogue but merely in repeating their refrains. For an example, look at some of the over 3,000 comments in the AP/IB thread on Jay Mathews link in the Washington Post. The comments you have gotten above are typical.

Second, although you justify the use of peer ratings (and have for many years in your college survey) you provide no evidence that any peer school has any type of inside information about another school different than anything anyone else would have. Schools know who their competition is. They can access schools' test scores. But ultimately, using peer ratings is nothing more than ranking by innuendo. Peer ratings are the weakest and most objectionable part of your "best" lists.

ongoing UN funding

UN Global Teaching and Learning Project - 2006

While I realize this is ONLY $100,000, it still constitutes funding and direction by the UN.

pg. 27

http://www.ibo.org/facts/annualreview/2006/

Please note that this is IBO's own document and the 2007 annual report has not yet been released online.

helping you out, Mr. Morse

http://www.ibo.org/partnerships/governments/

Inter-governmental organizations and IB partnerships

United Nations, New York

The Global Teaching and Learning Project division of the UN in New York accepted an IB tender to produce two teaching booklets about UN global issues: one each for primary and secondary years. This project has been undertaken by the International Baccalaureate Curriculum and Assessment Centre in Cardiff using experienced curriculum writers from around the world, principally in IB World Schools, and having UN input and approval as each of the 20 units is completed. The booklets are expected to be published in English in 2008 and will eventually be available in all six UN languages. They will be copyrighted by the UN, with acknowledgement to the IB for its work, and disseminated to the governments of all member states for use in schools. The content of the booklets reflects the structure and philosophy of the IB programmes and includes the following sample units:

A safe place (refugees)

For all the world's children (children's rights)

The busy marketplace (global trade)

Water for life (sustainable development)

Indigenous people

Stereotypes and discrimination.

UNESCO

The IB has been recognized as a NGO of UNESCO since 1970 and currently has the status of “formal consultative relations as a network” with UNESCO. IB representatives participate regularly in UNESCO meetings and comment on UNESCO proposals in education. Some projects have received UNESCO funding—see Cambodia and Nigeria in the list of partnerships [PDF] and exchanges with governments and inter-governmental organizations (IGOs).

IB NOT a scam.

Many of the more respected schools are beginning to accept lower scores on the higher level exams. There's still a lot of bias in this country towards AP over IB because AP is American (and of course everything home bread is automatically better right?) Several schools like Penn now offer IB credit with scores of 5+ on higher level examinations. IB is most definitely NOT college prep. I had more work in my IB courses than when I went to college.

In IB's defense

To say the IB is a "scam organization" or driven by world politics is ridiculous. I am not going to pretend to know about the backgrounds of the people who have made comments against the prestige of an IB diploma, but as a student of an all-IB course school I feel that I should say something in the program's defense. I will not claim to know very much about the alternative AP program, but I do know that the IB program has more components to it that make it more difficult for any student to successfully complete the DP. My friends who take AP courses never have to give up their weekend partying to do Internal Assessments in each of their AP classes, complete an Extended Essay over their junior year summer that discussed a topic at college level proficiency, take a language course for 4 years with intent of fluency, or do 150 hours of community service to receive their diploma. I'm not saying that AP students don't have to study for their classes, I'm sure they do, but they definitely have fewer requirements.

"Fuzzy academics", which I'm assuming is a reference to the international grading of a student's work, is also an unfair statement. The IB system is about making sure everyone gets a FAIR grade on their work - this is done by having your teacher assess your work, then sending it off to an unbiased teacher in a random country that also grades your work based on the IB criteria. I believe this is done to eliminate any preferential treatment your personal teacher could have, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and if the grade really is under dispute, then the student's work is sent to a group of people to be assessed for the third time, and this grade will be the deciding factor. Sure, this process may have flaws, but they're always working towards improvement. It's not like grading is a precise science anyways. Grades are largely based on opinion, and I like having more than one opinion on my work.

I'll admit, the fact that most universities only take higher level courses is pretty annoying. But how is that a flaw in the IB program? Just like the AP, it varies between schools how much credit you can receive. If I were looking to blame anyone, I would blame the university for not accepting IB credit. Also, I am distinctly aware that Duke allows its students to attempt to test out of classes that they feel would be redundant, so if the student doesn't test out, they probably don't have all the information they need to continue.

I think everyone just generally needs to chill out on this AP vs. IB subject. Okay, IB isn't solely an AMERICAN thing, but doesn't that make it kind of cool? With all these advances in communication and the world becoming more and more interdependent, I am happy to be an American taking part in an international school. I've had a good (though stressful) experience with the IB, and I'm genuinely sorry that some of you feel it is not worth recognition.

type of school makes a difference

"I've had a good (though stressful) experience with the IB, and I'm genuinely sorry that some of you feel it is not worth recognition." - MI Student

I don't think anyone here said it is not worthy of recognition, and I am glad you have had what you consider a "rewarding" experience with IB. I, for one, believe the IB program belongs in magnet, charter or private schools, not in general public high schools. Did you attend a magnet program?

Patrick Mattimore

As someone allegedly concerned with education, it might behoove you to try and understand why there are people who have very legitimate and passionate objections to the IB program, instead of attempting to characterize those of the anti_IB persuasion as "rabid IB haters". I've had my rabies shots, thank you.

Heads Standing Conference

Above, you report that:

From 1977 the Heads Standing Conference (HSC) of Diploma Programme (DP) schools was formed and they began to pay the IB an annual registration fee.

I am curious to know the main sources of funding obtained by the HSC. Do they indicate their sources? If so, who gives, and how much?

Thank you.

To Observer of NY

Yep, I attend International Academy, which pulls its students from many districts in Oakland County who come from many, many backgrounds. I agree that the IB program is not for everyone, but I think it deserves some room in a public high school setting. Some people who wanted to attend my high school couldn't because of sheer luck (though the school is public, there are a limited number of seats per district, so you only get the chance to attend if your name is drawn from your district's lottery). I think they should offer IB courses as an option/alternative to AP.

I'm just wondering, why are you so upset about UNESCO's involvement? What has the IB done to upset you?

To Mr. Morse

Thank you for obtaining a "policy" statement from IBNA. There are a couple of points I would like to make in response to it.

First off, please note that the IB representative neither confirms nor denies the extent of invovlvement the UN/UNESCO has in its programs. I am not alone in my concerns about the reach of the UN's arm into our public schools and Paul Campbell has been quoted as saying that IBO has "nothing to do with UNESCO". Some people may love the involvement, some may not, but in terms of honest disclosure, it is as though the representative you spoke with is afraid to state it as so.

>>"the IB has received much support from governments and policymakers, including the US Department of Education and local school districts, to increase student achievement and to turnaround low performing schools. ">>

Now there's another interesting phrase; "to turn around low performing schools". My neighbor just yesterday asked me, "Well, does such and such prep school have IB? Does so and so prep use the IB curriculum?" No, and no, I had to reply. "Well if it is so wonderful, wouldn't those top private schools being using it?" Well, neighbor, one would think so after IB being around for 40 years. But then again, those are not "low performing schools".

>>"The core of our curriculum provides students with critical thinking skills, second language skills and an understanding of other cultures in order to prepare them for success in a global economy.">>

Of course, your IB representative doesn't mentiion that IB hasn't set any standards to speak of to deliver the "core curriculum" which you have to purchase in advance to even look and see what it consists of. This sentence is just a lot of flapping of gums in educationese and lacks substance of content. Then we are supposed to go visit our "local IB school". That's just great. A district should spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year based on the opinion of a small committee that observes a very staged presentation of an IB classroom in another school which is most likely demographically very different from the "investigating" school. IBO recommends this sort of field trip because it cannot provide substantive cumulative data for positive results of its programs over the years. Many schools have dropped it, many others fail to update their IB data and IB doesn't "report" in the same manner as The College Board. Furthermore, IBO does not believe in full financial disclosure like U.S. non-profits and refuses to reveal the salary of its Director General, Jeffrey Beard.

To Student of the IB

My public school district has one high school with approximately 650 students, grades 9-12. When the district first started discussing IB, the general impression amongst parents was that it would be "a nice little extra program", somewhat akin to our science research program. Then when it was implemented, the district eliminated Honors and Advanced Placement courses in grades 11 & 12. The only choice became IB or Regents, the most basic level. Since that time, there has been a complete clamp down on public information and the district has become hostile to any parents who dare to question the precious IB. IB dusrupted scheduling, as all other classes had to be scheduled around the Diploma students. Last year, only 14 out of 165 students got the IB diploma. Pre-IB, we used to have an average of 36 AP scholars every year. Imho, IB has destroyed the structure of our public high school. They even created a separate IB teacher's lounge to add to the elitist appeal!

But, as I said, I have no problem with running IB in a magnet program where students apply to be admitted.