From Principles into Practice - A MUST READ!

A comprehensive guide to the programme, published by the International Baccalaureate Organization.

Click below to view this very important document:

MYP: FROM PRICIPLES INTO PRACTICE

LE PROGRAMME DE PREMIER CYCLE SECONDAIRE:
DES PRINCIPLES À LA PRATIQUE

What is the International Baccalaureate?

The International Baccalaureate Organization's Mission Statement, as taken from their official website (www.ibo.org) is as follows:

"The International Baccalaureate 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 IB 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."

Why choose Howard S Billings' IB Programme?

The IB programme is not just about enriched curriculum. It offers a host of advantages, as outlined on www.ibo.org :

  • IB programmes are recognized around the world and ensure an increased adaptability and mobility for IB students.
     
  • The curriculum and pedagogy of IB programmes focus on international perspectives of learning and teaching, while insisting that students fully explore their home culture and language.
     
  • IB World Schools must undergo an exhaustive authorization process in order to offer one or more of the programmes, which includes a study of the school’s resources and commitment to the IB mission and philosophy.
     
  • IB teachers participate in a wide variety of professional development opportunities to constantly update their knowledge and share their expertise with colleagues around the world.
     
  • The core components of IB programmes encourage students to participate in creative and service-oriented activities, while at the same time emphasizing the importance of reflection on a personal and academic level.
     
  • The IB produces publications for schools to inform and support them as they offer IB courses. It is now beginning to produce material for use directly with students and to work closely with selected publishers and providers to offer material for students. These materials only will carry an IB logo.
     

The Curriculum

The fundamental concepts of the Middle Years Programme emphasize holistic learning, intercultural awareness and communication.

The Curriculum of IB can be illustrated with the following octagon (www.ibo.org):

At the core of IB is the IB learner. The learner profile indicates that IB learners have the following characteristics and these characteristics are continuously developed over the five years:

  • Inquirers
  • Knowledgeable
  • Thinkers
  • Communicators
  • Principled
  • Open-minded
  • Caring
  • Risk-Takers
  • Balanced
  • Reflective

As we move out of the center, we encounter five Areas of Interaction. These are the lenses through which lessons are focused. Although students in the IB programme will encounter the same content as outlined by the Ministère de l'Education, Loisir et Sports (MELS), the perspective of these lessons will always focus on one of the areas of interaction, which are:

  • Approaches to learning (How do I learn best? How do I know? How do I communicate my understanding?)
  • Community and service (How do we live in relation to each other? How do I contribute to the community? How can I help others?)
  • Human ingenuity (Why and how do we create? What are the consequences?)
  • Environments (Where do we live? What resources do we have or need? What are my responsibilities?)
  • Health and social education (How do I think and act? How am I changing? How can I look after myself and others?)

These lenses lead the way to learning the content of the courses, which include English Language Arts, Français Langue Seconde, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Studies, Arts, Spanish, Physical Education.

 

Community and Service

There is also an emphasis on being an active member of the community, which means that students are required to volunteer their time in the community as well.

 

IB Grading System

A student's final grade for all IB courses are on a 1-7 scale. They are broad statements about the skills and knowledge that a student has mastered. The levels with their descriptors are as follows:

Grade Descriptors
1 Minimal achievement in terms of the objectives.
2 Very limited achievement against all the objectives. The student has difficulty in understanding the required knowledge and skills, and is unable to apply them fully in normal situations, even with support.
3 Limited achievement against most of the objectives, or clear difficulties in someareas. The student demonstrates a limited understanding of the required knowledge and skills and is only able to apply them fully in normal situations
with support.
4 A good general understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them effectively in normal situations. There is occasional evidence of the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
5 A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them in a variety of situations. The student generally shows evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation where appropriate and occasionally demonstrates originality and insight.
6 A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them in a wide variety of situations. There is consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation where appropriate. The student generally demonstrates originality and insight.
7 A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them almost faultlessly in a wide variety of situations. There is consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation where appropriate. The student consistently demonstrates originality and insight and always produces work of high quality.

General Regulations for Students and Guardians

The International Baccalaureate Organization publishes a document containing the general regulations for IB students and their legal guardians. Click below to view this document in either English or French:

General regulations: Middle Years Programme for students and their legal guardians

Règlement général du Programme de premier cycle secondaire Destiné aux élèves et à leurs représentants légaux