In Defense of International Baccalaureate
Reader Comments
seems good
It is 3/5/09 and I am currently attending an IB info session in McKinney, TX. The Imagine School (a charter school) is scheduled to open Fall 2010. The school will be a fully IB curicculum school grades 1 - 8.
The IB sounds very interesting. I am the product of the Texas public schools. And although it was a fine education, I don't think it would have prepared me for the world as it is today.
Pride in America does not mean that the emphasis on international mindedness is a bad thing. Also it seems to emphasize the learning process that will well carry a kid thru college and on into life.
We are seriously considering enrolling our kids after they finish 5th grade at Concordia Christian Academy (a private Luthern school in McKinney).
IB vs AP
Our school district added the IB program about 4 years ago. I currently have a student enrolled in the IB prgram, and I am very seriously considering taking him out of it. We are seeing the majority of the IB students, (Prior A+ students in AP and Pre-AP), barely passing the IB program. Many cases they are failing. In a class of over 100 IB students, 5 diplomas were given out last year. When I research specific graded instances where my student had problems, I see in other blogs that there is different ways to run the program. In our school, students do not get to review old assignments or tests that they did poorly on, because that would give the opportunity to the next years class to prepare. In many of the classes you cannot get tutoring before or after school to work an issue, and the teaching staff throws out the canned phase "we are teaching to the IB curriculum which is very strict".
What this is doing in our school is lowering the GPA and class rating of some of our best students for a goal, (diploma), that only 5% will gain anyway.
I found out that our school district like many others, is under budget constraints. So they cannot send as many people to training as they would like.
When I contacted the National office to verify the credentials of our teaching staff, they told me that schools are reviewed on a 5 year basis, and they really had very little authority over schools even if they found them not to be in compliance.
I think the IB program can be a good program. I don't think that the strategy that the National office employs to rollout a program at a school district is comprehensive enough or makes sure the schools are in compliance.
From our experience, I will be dropping my student from the IB program and back into the AP program. My other 3 Pre-AP students will stay the AP track and not bother risking scholorships or the ability to get into good schools based upon GPA, SAT and class rank.
IB
IB may kick out bad schools, but isn't that a lot like what private schools do, kick out the "bad students" so the good students can learn? I think IB is the greatest thing that has ever happened. I'm a senior in IB, taking 4 HL's, 1 Sl, Theory of Knowledge and AP Statistics. I've worked harder than I think I ever have, but to me it is worth it. And we do need to become global citezens, because we live in a global society. Everyone lives on the same Earth and we all need to realize that and understand each other. I like IB because it's not about becoming really good in something you are already really good at, which seems to be what AP encourages. IB is about becoming a good well rounded student. I'm not saying IB can fix all the problems in education, because I certainly realize it can't, but I know that my educational experience has been greatly enhanced because I was able to be a part of the IB program.
IB still a trojan horse
Not only is IB a trojan horse, but so is the rest of education since Goals 2000.
Sugar coat? How about globalistic bias?
Parents are sick of this nonsense and want real skills taught not social issues indoctrinated.
TOK is horrible.
How could anyone pay the worst group in the world, the UN, to bring this into your schools?
Do you realize what education is being used for? To destroy our government.
Enough already
Disclosure first: I'm a university educator whose child has expressed interest in both AP and IB programs. I stumbled upon this thread while trying to gather information regarding the IB program, because I'm already familiar with the AP side of things.
After plodding through these exchanges, I felt I should add my two cents' worth because my perspective appears to be different from those who have posted so far. AP and IB graduates populate my classrooms regularly -- I don't spot all of them, of course, but when a first-year student enrolls in an advanced course I typically ask whether she or he has come through one of the two programs. More often than not, the student has done so.
That said, AP and IB products alike do well in my courses. (Another disclosure: I'm in the arts and sciences area, so I can't speak to the whole engineering brouhaha that has periodically dominated this discussion.) These students are all motivated, well-organized, and a bit driven -- I usually cannot distinguish the AP students from the IB students, but they both tend to distinguish themselves from the general student body.
These students display a lot of diversity within their respective populations, from ethnicity to political background to extracurricular activities. One thing none of them demonstrates, however, is any urge to trash-talk the program in which they did not participate. All of them appear happy to have studied as they did in high school, and those to whom I've spoken directly about AP or IB issues insist that they owe much of their college success to their particular program of choice.
So why is this discussion full of -- as my students would put it -- haters? ObserverNY has thrashed about on these pages since last May and has also launched a website dedicate solely to the proposition that IB programs be pushed out of public schools. Yes, I've visited the website several times, because that seemed only fair -- but if anything posted there or here was going to change anybody's mind, we would have seen evidence of it sometime over the past nine months, right? Face it, Observer: your behavior is more than slightly obsessive.
To sum up: I certainly understand that folks sometimes don't like to support public programs with which they don't agree...but where does that attitude end? Should public schools stop installing or maintaining elevators because most students don't need wheelchairs? The proof of both the AP and IB puddings is that they produce good students and good citizens, two items of which our nation can never have enough. If we really must rant and rail at one another, let's please relocate to websites dedicated to the situation in Gaza or the newest economic stimulus package. In the meantime, I've said what I need to say and don't feel the need to post here again...and I'll be delighted when our child enrolls in either the AP or the IB program.
IB is un American?
I'm probably as conservative as it gets when it comes to politics, and probably one of the most patriotic people out there, but I had to laugh out loud when I saw the "IB is UNAMERICAN" comment.
I will not even begin to speak about how ignorant that comment is, because yes, we are American citizens, but seeing as how America is involved in the world's affairs, it would be in the best interest of America if her students were globally aware.
I was a student in the IB program in a school that was consistently receiving poor grades from the state. The only reason the school itself did not completely turn into one of the worst schools in the area was because of the IB program. One cannot POSSIBLY begin to argue against the IB program until they have been involved and have seen the results of the curriculum. I do not know anyone who works as hard as an IB student, or anyone who deserves more coming out of high school. I may be biased, but it is NOT about Image, it IS about substance. The material we used was the same material being used at top universities in the WORLD, not just the nation.
I don't know anything about school boards or reporting, but I do know that just because there is an issue with one school inflating numbers, it does not mean that there is an issue with the entire program at large. There is nothing wrong with challenging students to learn more, to try harder, to think outside of the box.
As for the comment about AP credits at Cornell...AP may get more college credits NOW, but does AP have service committments? Does AP encourage students to join clubs and hold leadership positions in their communities? AP doesn't have CAS, or ToK, or an EE, or unbiased grading. AP is a glorified honors course that is taught straight from the book. AP doesn't engage students in the real world. In the real world, colleges look at more than just grades.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't understand why everyone is up in arms about the IB program. If tax dollars don't pay for it, if it encourages high school students to grow and learn and want to be GLOBAL citizens, and if it boosts school scores (as it did in my school), THEN IT IS WORTH HAVING.
The Truth about IB
For information on the IB programme not available on the official web sites go to: www.truthaboutib.com
AP vs IB
Given you had a choice as a parent between encouraging your child to spend time on AP exams or the IB program, which would you suggest as a more efficient way to apply to US colleges? Generally, what are the relative advantages and disadvantages of AP vs IB?
Answers needed OH
All of your observations are astute and accurate. Whenever IB infiltrates a district, there is a general exodus of teachers and administrative turnover. As far as students with special needs, IBO only grants time and a half vs. double-time granted by The College Board on exams. Basically, IB is a huge scam. I've noticed a number of hits from Ohio on our website, so hopefully you are checking out the information we have available, everything you'll never hear from IBO. However, our new President-elect is a huge supporter of IB so expect expansion rather than extinction of the IB programme in this country.
www.truthaboutib.com
IB Confused
It appears students praising IB are high achievers on their own merit and would be successful regardless of IB. It should raise concern, however, that none of these IB graduates seem to express a favorable view of America in any context. Is there a civics class within IB? I need IB statistics for troubled students. It is discouraging to find very little research on any level that is not tied to IBO in some way. As a parent,I need a less biased source,something beyond those trying to sell for profit. IBO offers the blanket statement "IB is for everyone". What does that mean? I notice most districts offering IB do so as choice. Students are chosen for their ability and desire to achieve, so of course success rates would be high. That being said, how does IB pertain to non-AP students. I live in a small liberal college town where the public school is horrible despite having the highest school tax in our state, a tax raised to a high level for IB.(try defeating a school tax in a town where college students vote on local issues) Our district has roughly 1000 students including pre-school. Our state academic ranking is the lowest for our county and one of the lowest for the state, less than 60% are proficient in most areas. Behaviors are out of control, everything from threats to kill all, extreme bullying and physical attacks on teachers. Discipline exists only on paper. Most of our high achievers attend schools outside the district or are home-schooled. Only 6 students took AP classes. Understandably,taxpayers are upset. We have a new superintendent who is implementing whole school IB whether we want it or not. He claims it will turn this school around reciting words like global citizen and critical thinker. He also claims individual laptops are a must for IB to succeed. True? I'm not sure IB can deliver promises made, like improved behavior and incentive to actually come to school. So far in order to meet IB criteria, the school has adopted a don't tell cover-up policy. IBO must not review these schools closely.I understand the appeal of IB in a liberal college town, but my concern is whether this is best to help students less academically inclined of which we have many. Does IB improve school performance across the board? We are not offering a choice except for 11-12 grade. I should tell you a good number of teachers sent for IB training last year have resigned. The few remianing who dared speak against doing this program whole school, are to be replaced. Any thoughts?
