IB Program Info for Soph (OLD)
Coordinator's Message
Sophomores will be signing up for their junior year courses soon! The purpose of this newsletter is to give you some information about the IB Program and hopefully answer some frequently asked questions. IB courses are an option for students in their junior and senior years. These courses are rigorous, collegiate-level courses that are designed to prepare students for success in a global world.
We have two options for students: the full diploma pathway or individual course pathway. Below, you will find resources you can explore as you decide which path or courses you'd like to take next year. Guidance counselors will be going into English classes in late February/early March to have students select their courses for next year. Students will be given a course selection sheet where they choose their courses for next year.
I can be available for meetings (in-person or virtual), or email me with questions at jnormile@mcs.k12.ny.us.
Warmest regards,
Mrs. Jan Normile
IB Program Coordinator
Two Pathways for Students
IB COURSE OFFERINGS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the requirements of an IB course?
Certain courses are to be completed in one year, while others are to be completed in two years. At the end of each course, students will be required to take the IB examination. The examinations occur over a three week period in May. In addition to exams, there are also mandatory internal assessments (IAs) that occur throughout the year.
Please note two important practices we have instituted to ensure that students maintain the high level of effort needed to be successful:
Students must complete all requirements of the first year of study in order to move on to the second year of study. This includes IAs, final exams, projects and any other assessment given by the first year teacher.
At the end of the first 5 weeks of course, a student’s progress will be evaluated. If insufficient effort or achievement is evident, a conference will be scheduled and the student will be placed on probation for 5 weeks. If improvement is not seen at the end of this probationary period, the student may be removed from the course.
What are the core elements of the full diploma?
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) - this course (taken both junior and senior years) encourages students to think about the nature of knowledge, to reflect on the process of learning in all the subjects they study as part of the Diploma Program and to make connections across them.
Extended Essay (EE) - The extended essay, a substantial piece of writing up to 4,000 word, enables students to investigate a topic of special interest that they have chosen themselves. It also encourages them to develop the skills of independent research that will be expected at university.
Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) - Full diploma students must engage in experiences outside of the program that allow them to be creative, active and responsive to authentic community needs.
What are the benefits of the full IB Diploma track versus taking individual courses?
Does a Full Diploma student have time to be active in extra-curriculars?
How much flexibility is in a full diploma student's schedule?
A full diploma student typically takes 3 Standard Level (SL) courses and 3 Higher Level (HL) courses. Click the button below to view some examples of combinations the student could choose. These are just a few of many possibilities.
Can a student receive college credit for an IB course?
Each college has its own policies when it comes to granting college credit. Therefore, I always suggest that a student contact the admissions department of the college to get specific answers. The IB has worked diligently to gather information on many universities, so you can also go to this website: http://www.ibo.org/recognition/university/index.cfm and search for the particular college you are interested in.
What does "dual-credit" mean?
This is something we offer to students as a way to get the college credit because it does not depend on the student's IB score on exams. It depends solely on their average in the course.
The college-credit fees are in addition to the IB exam fees, but are considerably less than the cost would be as a full-time student.
Here are the courses that are currently offered for dual-credit:
- Spanish SL I (SUNY Potsdam)
- Spanish SL II (SUNY Potsdam)
- French SL I (SUNY Potsdam)
- French SL II (SUNY Potsdam)
- Psychology SL (SUNY Potsdam)
- Biology HL I (Paul Smith's College)
- Biology HL II (Paul Smith's College)
- Math Analysis SL I / Pre-Calculus (Paul Smith's College)
- Math Analysis SL II / Calculus (Paul Smith's College)
- Math Applications SL (Paul Smith's College)
How much are the IB Exam Fees?
There is a sliding scale for fees. Refer to the image to the right.
The school district pays the remaining portion of the exam fee. If a student qualifies for free/reduced lunches, the school district will pay the entire exam fee as long as all the paperwork is filed with Food Services.