International Baccalaureate

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The International Baccalaureate (IB) and Capital High School

 

Slide Presentation With Information About All Things IB

 

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program is a rigorous, college preparatory option intended to enhance the international perspective of students as well as to get them ready for college. Established in 1967, the IB now has more than 4500 schools in 75 countries, including 60 schools in the Pacific Northwest region.

The IB program at Capital High School begins officially in the 11th grade and students can participate in the program at a number of different levels. The first option is simply to take IB classes without officially registering with IB. A second option is to be a COURSE CANDIDATE, officially registering with the IB to take the culminating exams in the subjects the student chooses. The third and most distinguished option is to register with the IB as a DIPLOMA CANDIDATE. To achieve the goal of an IB diploma, a student will need to test in at least 3 higher level (2 years of study) subjects. At CHS all IB subjects except Math Studies and Psychology may be taken at the HL level. Finally, the diploma candidate will also complete an extended essay, CAS (creativity, action, service) hours, and take a class in the Theory of Knowledge. The awarding of an IB diploma is then determined by the number of points the student has achieved in completing all of these requirements.

Note: 
IB diploma candidates may be allowed to waive certain state requirements, e.g., Occ Ed or 2nd year of PE, if - and only if - they complete and pass all required IB assessments and courses, successfully complete the CHS High School and Beyond Plan, earn all credits required by the Olympia School District, meet CAA/CIA requirements established by Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, meet standards on the required assessments as established by OSPI and have a full schedule every year at CHS which precludes them from taking their OCC ED and 2nd year of PE during the regular school day. However, students are encouraged to fulfill their Occ Ed requirement via the Biology CTE course offered at CHS, and to meet the 2nd year PE requirement via participation in a sport at CHS. Students who fail to meet these specified requirements or leave the program prior to completion will be required to fulfill state minimum requirements before being allowed to graduate.

 

Why should college bound students enroll in the IB program?

  1. You will be prepared for college: The IB approaches to learning and teaching methodology prepare the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in higher education as evidenced by the fact that a University of CA system wide study found that college freshmen with an IB background performed better than their peers.
  2. You will have a better chance of getting into the college of your choice: Acceptance rates at competitive colleges for students with an IB diploma or simply select IB courses are higher than those of their peers who don't have this preparation.
  3. You have the possibility of receiving university credit or advanced placement in university courses. Though only PLU, UW-Seattle, WSU and Seattle U honor the IB diploma with additional credit, all public and private universities in WA award university credit for Higher Level IB classes with an appropriate score (usually a 4 or 5). In general, this is true of universities across the United States as well; however, one should always check on each individual university's policy concerning credit for IB

Is IB for you? Who Should Choose the IB Program?

Here are three additional reasons for considering the IB Program:

  1. It presents participating students with a challenging, stimulating and motivating program.
  2. It emphasizes the philosophy of learning skills in addition to the acquisition of knowledge.
  3. Participating students are in essence in a "global" school as they share a common curricula and common external exams, establishing common standards for students worldwide.

For Additional Information:

Amelia Young, IB Coordinator 
(360) 596-8233
[email protected]