Minnetonka High School

Minnetonka High School

The Mission of the International Baccalaureate Organization

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.

The IB Learner ProfileThe aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.

IB learners strive to be• Inquirers They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire

the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

• Knowledgeable They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

• Thinkers They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

• Communicators They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

• Principled They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

IB learners strive to be• Open-minded They understand and appreciate their own

cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

• Caring They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

• Risk-takers They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

• Balanced They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

• Reflective They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

Are students able to take just one or a few IB classes without taking the

full program?

Absolutely!

IB is a full program, and is its most powerful taken as a program, but you can choose

even just one course. Of our IB students, 84% take just one or

more IB classes.

What does it mean to be an International Baccalaureate

courses student?

You are a curious, motivated student who has chosen to take one or more classes

from a rigorous program of study recognized around the world as evidence

of the depth of your skills and your readiness for college

What does it mean to be an International Baccalaureate

diploma student?You are a curious, motivated student who has chosen a rigorous program of study

where you will earn your regular MHS high school diploma and seek a second, the

International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, that is recognized around the world as evidence of the depth of your skills and

your readiness for college

The Diploma Programme Curriculum Model


LiteratureLanguage & LiteratureLiterature & Performance

History of Europe & the Modern Middle EastBusiness & ManagementEconomicsPsychology

Math StudiesMathematicsFurther Mathematics

Music Visual Arts

BiologyPhysicsSports, Exercise, & Heath Science

Chinese-MandarinFrenchGermanSpanish


Literature HLLanguage & Literature SLLiterature & Performance SL

History of Europe & the Modern Middle East HLBusiness & Management SLEconomics SLPsychology SL

Math Studies SLMathematics SLMathematics HLFurther Mathematics HL

Music SL Visual Arts SL & HL

Biology SL & HLPhysics SLSports, Exercise, & Heath Science SL

Chinese-Mandarin SL & HLFrench SL & HLGerman SL & HLSpanish SL & HL

Two levels of IB courses—standard level (SL), one-year courses, and higher level (HL), two-year courses








Two levels of IB courses—standard level (SL), one-year courses, and higher level (HL), two-year courses

Students can freely chooseIB courses as long as they have completed the proper prerequisites








A student interested in the full diploma programme takes one course from each area of the circle, choosing three or four HL courses and two or three SL courses

All Central Elements are required for the full IB diploma programme

The Central Elements of the Diploma Programme


Theory of Knowledge:

•TOK stimulates critical reflection on knowledge and experience•Students attempt to answer the question “What do I know, and how do I know that I know it?”•The course is placed in the junior year for full diploma candidates with extensions into senior year English and history courses and nurtures the student through the transition into the IB program


The Extended Essay:(up to 4,000 words)

•Written in an IB subject under study junior year on a topic developed with a faculty advisor, this essay acquaints diploma candidates with the kind of independent research and writing skills expected by universities.•The project begins in the spring of junior year in TOK class, and students often complete a rough draft by the start of summer vacation.


Creativity, Action, and Service: (CAS)

•Creativity: The artisanal, literary, musical, visual, and performing arts and crafts•Action: Physical activity •Service: Community service

• Increase awareness of personal strengths and

areas for growth• Undertake new challenges• Plan and initiate activities• Work collaboratively with others• Show perseverance and commitment in activities• Engage with issues of global importance• Consider the ethical implications of one’s

actions• Develop new skills

CAS Learner Outcomes

• Students work on each outcome through one or

more CAS activities over the two years of the program

• Students choose one or more activities each year in each of the three areas—creativity, action, and service

• Students verify their CAS work through reflections, interviews, and other evidence— such as pictures, programs, and staff verification—appropriate to each student’s activities

CAS Learner Outcomes

What sets IB courses apart?IB courses often connect together with respect to curriculum topics.IB courses are noted for their writing across the curriculum as well as class presentations.IB students must develop their own ideas in their writing and presentations as well as through class discussion.IB science students develop and conduct their own laboratory experiments.IB math students write math papers.All IB courses possess an international education component. IB students and teachers keep the IB learner profile in mind as they work together toward their shared goals.

International Baccalaureate

What sets IB schools apart?There are currently 3,503 IB schools located in 144 countries.There are currently 2,375 Diploma Programmes offered world-wide in 143 countries.Minnetonka High School is among the 1,233 Diploma Programmes offered in the Americas region. By the year 2020, there will be more than 12,000 schools offering IB Programmes, and there will be 250,000 IB students in the Diploma program taking 1 million exams each year. IB students are motivated, engaged learners who earn college degrees at rates and with GPAs exceeding their counterparts who were not fortunate enough to have been part of the IB.


What sets IB programs apart?Students must complete “internal assessments” in each IB class, the scores of which combine with the IB exams to give the student an IB grade of 1 through 7.Students earn the IB diploma with a score of at least 24 points.IB assessments are “moderated” by IB examiners, where a sample of each internal assessment and IB exam is re-graded by senior IB examiners. Student scores can thereby be raised or lowered based on that re-grading.Students are examined in a variety of ways which include oral presentations and interviews, lab work, artistic performance, papers that are written and revised, objective exams in science only, and writing under timed conditions.


How are IB and AP Similar?The potential for college credit is high. Just like Advanced Placement, though, that credit is determined by the institution you attend and is based on the exams that you take and the scores you earn. Check college credit policies by searching your favorite university’s website and entering IB credit policy and AP credit policy in the search bar.Blocks of credit usually equivalent to about one year of college credit are often available to students who earn the IB diploma.IB-specific scholarships are available at many institutions.Both IB and AP courses qualify for weighted grades. We pre-weight those grades and assume that you will earn the required 3 on the IB and AP exams that match your courses.Both IB and AP are well known by colleges as excellent preparation for university work.


What the IB Program Does Well

• develops key skills and content knowledge systematically over multiple years

• results in key skills being developed progressively from year to year in order to foster intellectual maturity particularly during the senior year, through semi-independent projects and papers as well as the extended essay

• promotes intellectual coherence by helping students better understand the nature of disciplinary knowledge and thinking in the context of complex, important problems and tasks

• helps students make connections among disciplines through classes such as Theory of Knowledge

Main Finding in EPIC’s Standards for College Readiness Study*

“What is perhaps most notable about our findings is the degree to which IB standards were found to be related to the kinds of key cognitive strategies that our previous research points to as being so important for success in colleges and universities. We have learned that it’s not enough for students to study content in isolation; they must use their content knowledge to solve problems, make conjectures and inferences, and think deeply about the big questions of the disciplines. The IB standards seem to be particularly well suited to achieving these aims.”

–David Conley, Educational Policy Improvement Center at the University of Oregon

*For more complete information, see http://www.ibo.org/ announcements/succeedincollege.cfm and http://epiconline.org/

MHS IB Student Statistics• World-wide, between 78 and 80% of students

who attempt the diploma each year earn it• At MHS, 91% of our diploma students have

attained the IB diploma • This year, we have 30 seniors going for the

full diploma and 56 juniors going for the full diploma

• 441 additional students are taking one or more IB courses this year here at MHS

• 329 juniors and seniors are taking at least one IB course and at least one AP course this year

Source: IB Students Destinations Survey, 2011. Find the survey’s full results at http://www.ibo.org/recognition/resourcesanddocumentlibrary/moreresources/index.cfm

IB AND COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

What’s Next?

Students choose IB courses or the full IB diploma program before registration ends on February 22. This allows

students the greatest flexibility and choice.

Before you choose, though, . . .

What’s Next?Some Suggestions

1. Talk with family and friends 2. Think about yourself as a learner and your goals

regarding your high school education3. Talk with your guidance counselor. Like all IB

teachers, all MHS counselors have been IB-trained4. If you’re thinking about the full diploma program,

visit Dr. Swanson in the Guidance Office to investigate and ask questions

5. Check out our IB website at minnetonka.k12.mn.us/academics/ib and the IBO website at www.ibo.org.

What’s Next After That ?

If you’d like to sign up for individual IB courses, consult your family, read the Skipper Log, ask your current teachers, talk with

friends, consult your Guidance Counselor, and/or talk with Dr. Swanson about possible choices. We’re all here to help.

If you’d like to sign up for the full IB Diploma Programme, contact

Ann Swanson AP, High Potential, & IB Coordinator

[email protected]

To make an appointment, call 952-401-5811 or swing by the Guidance Office

The World is Yours!

Documents

Minnetonka High School