RPHS's IB Newsletter
Bringing IB to Ray-Pec
What is International Baccalaureate?
RPHS is currently a candidate school and is going through the application process for the IB program. We plan to begin offering IB classes to the graduating class of 2017 when they are juniors (2015-16 school year--NEXT YEAR!!!).
Students will need to take specific classes during their 7th-10th grade years to help prepare them for high academic expectations in IB courses. A detailed explanation of prerequisite classes can be found below.
IB Certificates vs. Full Diploma Program
Full Diploma Program: To earn the IB Diploma, students will have to
- Take six IB courses during their junior and senior years
- Take IB's Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course during second semester junior year and first semester senior year
- Successfully complete the Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) program. Students will have to participate in community service, physical activities, and creative projects.
- Write an Extended Essay (4,000 words) based on independent study that connects to work done in one of the six IB classes taken
IB Certificates:
- Students who do not want to do the full Diploma Program can still take IB classes for certificates. This means they can pick and choose the IB classes they want and sit for the IB examinations with the hope of scoring high enough to earn college credit (similar to they way our AP classes work). Students and parents should understand that score requirements sometimes differ between colleges and that some colleges do not yet offer credit for IB coursework.
- Students who just do certificates do not have to take part in Theory of Knowledge, CAS, or write the Extended Essay.
What IB Classes Will Be Offered?
- IB English I (HL)
- IB Spanish I (SL)
- IB History I (HL)
- IB Chemistry I (SL) or IB Biology I (HL)--Students can choose between the two
- IB Math Studies (SL) or IB Math I (SL)--Students can choose between the two
- IB Psychology (SL) or IB Visual Ats (SL and HL) or IB Theater (SL). Students who are doing certificates can take any of these classes. Diploma candidates will have to choose one.
HL=Higher Level. These classes must be covered in two years. More topics will be covered in the subject area as compared to a standard level class.
SL=Standard Level. These classes can be covered in one year, but schools have the option to cover them in two years because of the amount of material that must be covered. (IB Psychology is currently the only class that RPHS plans to offer in just one year.) These courses still maintain the same high academic expectations but do not cover as many topics.
Diploma candidates must take 3 HL classes and 3 SL classes.
Raymore-Peculiar High School is a candidate school* for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy—a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education—that we believe is important for our students.
* Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its three academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP) or the Diploma Programme (and in addition the IB Career-related Certificate). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.
For further information about the IB and its programmes visit http://www.ibo.org.