Ridgeview High School Frequently Asked Questions

The following questions and answers were developed by the International Baccalaureate Organization to provide an additional resource for parents and students to learn more about how the Diploma program has been implemented by schools in North America and the Caribbean.  For more detailed information, refer to the FAQ page at http://www.ibo.org.

How is the Diploma Program different from other pre-university academic programs?
How many schools offer IB programs?
Are IB programs only for honors or gifted students?
Can any student enroll in an IB program?
How can my child enroll in the IB program?
Can students with special needs participate in an IB program?
How does the IBO's Diploma Program compare with The College Board's Advanced Placement Program?
When do IB students begin taking IB courses?
Is a lot of extra homework involved in the Diploma Program?
The IB Diploma Program sounds like a lot of extra work.  What are the advantages of enrolling in an IB program?
How many IB exams are there, and when do students take them?
Can I take an IB exam without taking the IB course in that subject?
May I take IB examinations even if I am not attending an IB school?
Can students transfer from one Diploma Program school to another?
What do colleges and universities think about the Diploma Program?
How does taking difficult courses improve my chances for scholarships and admission to universities?
Does an IB Diploma allow students to go abroad for university?
How do I send a transcript of my IB results to a college or university?

FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS

ABOUT THE DIPLOMA PROGRAM

How is the Diploma Program different from other pre-university academic programs?
The Diploma Program is a comprehensive and balanced two-year curriculum and assessment system that requires students to study courses across all disciplines.  Within this structured framework, the Diploma Program provides a great deal of flexibility, accommodating student interest and abilities.  Through careful subject selection, students may tailor their course of studies to meet their needs.  Regardless of the subject selection, all students will explore the connections between the six major subject areas, will study each subject through an international perspective, will reflect critically on what it means to be a "knower," will pursue one subject in great detail through independent research, and will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in local and community outreach.

Assessment of student achievement happens in a variety of ways throughout the course of the two-year program.  It includes assessment of student work both by outside examiners as well as the students' own teachers.  All assessment undergoes careful review or moderation to ensure that a common, international standard is applied equally to the work of students around the world.

For these reasons, the IB Diploma is recognized by colleges and universities around the world as a university entry credential.  Among North American colleges and universities, the IB Diploma is recognized as a superior education, preparing students to succeed at post-secondary institutions.

GENERAL INFORMATION

How many schools offer IB programs?
As of May 2005, schools in 120 countries offer one or more of the academic programs of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).  Below are the numbers of authorized Diploma Program schools in the North American region:

Country	Diploma
USA:	479
Canada:	95
Caribbean & Bermuda:	7

Are IB programs only for honors or gifted students?
No.  The IBO permits IB-authorized schools to implement their programs in ways that will best meet their local needs.  This means that one will see a wide variety of student enrollment patterns in IB programs across North America.

This variety is particularly apparent in the IB Diploma Program.  Many schools see the IB Diploma as a way to address the needs of gifted and honors students; these schools tend to have selection criteria (such as grade point average, standardized test scores, teacher recommendations, essays, etc.) for admission to their IB Diploma Programs.  Other schools allow any willing student to attempt the IB Diploma Program, and often provide specific services to support these students in their efforts.

Please see the "Application Process" links on our IB Homepage for infomation on admission into Ridgeview's IB program.

Can any student enroll in an IB program?
Only students enrolled in and attending an IB-authorized school may participate in an IB program.  In addition, schools and school districts may set their own entry requirements for students. 

How can my child enroll in the IB program?
Each school establishes its own student enrollment policies.  We encourage you, therefore, to contact your school's IB Diploma Program coordinator to learn how to enroll your child.  You can find the names and addresses of authorized schools on the IBO website at www.ibo.org and clicking on "IB schools directory"

Can students with special needs participate in an IB program?
Yes.  The IBO has established, published policies for accommodating students with special needs.  This publication is available from the publications department of the IBO, on the IBO web site at www.ibo.org/ibo/index.cfm/en/ibo/services/publications.  Schools are asked to notify the IBO of participating students whom they have identified as having special needs.  This is especially important at the time student-learning plans are being developed.

How does the IBO's Diploma Program compare with The College Board's Advanced Placement Program?
Both programs provide students with rich and challenging curricula.  Both programs enjoy national and international college and university recognition.  The College Board and the IBO issued a joint publication in November 2002, "IB & AP", which compares and contrasts both programs.  A copy can be found on the IBNA regional pages of the IBO website under "Diploma Program".

To decide which program is right for them, students are encouraged to compare their own interests, abilities, and goals with the requirements of both programs, The local school's AP and IB program coordinators should be able to assist students in reaching their decision.

When do IB students begin taking IB courses?
The IB Diploma Program encompasses only the final two years of the secondary school sequence.  In North America this generally refers to grades 11 and 12.  These arc the only years in which students are permitted to take IB courses.  However, to help prepare students for the two-year IB Diploma Program, some schools may enroll students in their locally developed, "pre-IB" programs for the high school years leading up to the final two years.  Although only the last two years make up the actual IB Diploma Program, schools often refer to the entire three or four-year sequence (pre-IB plus IB years) as the "Diploma Program."

Is a lot of extra homework involved in the Diploma Program?
IB courses are typically more challenging than regular high school courses, and so students may be asked to do more homework.  The challenge, however, is not always in the amount of homework assigned; rather it is in the quality of the assignments and the extent to which students engage those assignments.  The added benefit here is that students take greater responsibility for their own learning while they learn the valuable skills of time management and organization.

Diploma students do not have to forego other important parts of high school life.  They are encouraged to remain involved in sports, student government, clubs, theater, music, community events, and other extra-curricular activities.  Such activities are incorporated into the Diploma Program through the "CAS" (Creativity, Action and Service) requirement.

The IB Diploma Program sounds like a lot of extra work.  What are the advantages of enrolling in an IB program?
Students with IB Diplomas, who now attend universities, report that their involvement with IB has given them the tools needed to succeed at university and to make the most of their post-secondary education.  In particular, students comment on their sense of preparedness, their self-confidence, their research skills, their ability to manage their time, and their willingness to be actively engaged in their own learning.  Even more importantly, they have developed a sense of the world around them, their responsibility to it, and the skills with which to embrace the complexities of life.  The IBO often employs a variety of phrases to describe these traits and abilities: "learning how to learn"; "life-long learners"; " critical and compassionate thinkers;" and "informed participants in local and world affairs."

How many IB exams are there, and when do students take them?
The IBO offers curriculum and exams in 51 different courses for schools to choose from.  Generally, students can only sit for exams in courses offered by their IB-authorized school; a typical IB Diploma Program in North America offers between 12-15 different IB courses.

A student pursuing the full IB Diploma will take six IB exams, including one literature course taught in the student's native language, one foreign language, one social science, one experimental science, one math, and one arts course.  The arts course can be replaced by a second social science, a second experimental science, or a third language.  Of the six exams, three are taken at the standard level (after a minimum of 150 teaching hours) and three are taken at the higher level (after a minimum of 240 teaching hours.)

IB students are expected to take their examinations at the conclusion of the two-year Diploma Program.  However, the IBO permits students to take one or two standard level examinations at the end of the first year of the Diploma Program.  The remaining exams are taken at the conclusion of the second year of the Diploma Program.  Higher level exams can only be taken at the end of the second year.  In many schools, all examinations are taken in the final year.

Can I take an IB exam without taking the IB course in that subject?
No.  Part of the student's final IB grade comes from work done in the classroom, so it is impossible to take an IB exam without having participated in the IB course in that subject.

May I take IB examinations even if I am not attending an IB school?
No.  The IBO permits only students enrolled in and attending IB-authorized schools to participate in an IB program and take IB examinations.

Can students transfer from one Diploma Program school to another?
Yes, but while the Diploma Program itself is the same from school to school, the subject choices available to students will vary.  Economics may be offered at one school, while another offers History of Europe; Language B German may be the only option at one school, while another may have five different Language B options - none of them German! For this reason, families are encouraged to contact the Diploma Program coordinator at the school in the area where they plan to relocate.

What do colleges and universities think about the Diploma Program?
Colleges and universities throughout North America view the IB Diploma Program as providing outstanding preparation for university work.  Additionally, many of the selective and most selective institutions have established policies that recognize the work students have done.  Some universities also offer scholarships to IB graduates.

We encourage you to visit the University and Government page of the IBO website at http://www.ibo.org/ibo/goto/universities.  There you will be able to research the IB recognition policies of post-secondary institutions throughout the world.

How does taking difficult courses improve my chances for scholarships and admission to universities?
At a time when increasing numbers of college and university applicants are all presenting equally impressive GPAs or percentages, admissions officers must look for other evidence that the student will succeed in the challenges of the new academic environment.  Admissions officers look for such factors as the quality of the courses represented on the transcript, the balance of courses across all disciplines, the record of the student's research abilities, and the details of school and community involvement - all requirements of the Diploma Program.

Research conducted at several North American universities has demonstrated that IB Diploma holders do enjoy success at their post-secondary studies, often earning higher grades than their colleagues.  Increasingly, universities are actively recruiting IB students by offering enhanced recognition or scholarships for successful IB work.

Does an IB Diploma allow students to go abroad for university?
Yes, in many cases.  One of the founding ideals of the Diploma Program was to establish an internationally recognized system of curriculum and assessment that would be accepted by universities and ministries of education around the world.  Happily, the Diploma Program is accepted by universities in 102 countries.  We encourage you to visit the University and Government page of the IBO website at http://www.ibo.org/ibo/index.cfm/en/ibo/services/universities .  There you will be able to research the IB recognition policies of post-secondary institutions throughout the world.

How do I send a transcript of my IB results to a college or university?
Students who have completed IB examinations are encouraged (and often required) to request that a special IB transcript of their results be sent to the North American college or university they plan to attend.  Their Diploma Program coordinator may file a request on their behalf while they are still high school students.  Transcripts requested by current IB students in this way are free.

After they leave the secondary school or high school, students may also write directly to the North American office of the IBO in New York and request a transcript of results.  The letter should include the student's name, IB student code number, the IB high school they attended, the year(s) in which examinations were taken, and where the transcript should be sent.  A fee is charged for transcripts requested in this way.