IB programs in county

[Anonymous]

Can someone please compare/comment? What's the difference between RM, BCC, and Seneca Valley? I know that RM requires admission but o/w what are the differences?

[Anonymous]

It doesn't appear to be much curriculum-wise. So I think the differences boil down to the mix of teachers and staff who teach and lead their respective IB programs.

[Anonymous]

Peer group and teacher quality.

[Anonymous]

RM has the IB Diploma Programme, which is available for students zoned for RM, as well as other students who attend RM through a MCPS test-in IB magnet program. (The same is true for Kennedy, Springbrook, and Watkins Mill.)

B-CC has the IB Diploma Programme, which is available for students zoned for B-CC. (The same is true for Rockville.)

Seneca Valley has the IB Diploma Programme and the IB Career-Related Programme, which are available for students zoned for SVHS, as well as other students who attend SVHS through a MCPS regional college and career program.

Einstein has the IB Diploma Programme, which is available for students zoned for Einstein or at Einstein through the D-CC.

[Anonymous]

*DCC

[Anonymous]

So which IB programme has the best teachers?

[Anonymous]

So complex

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So complex

Not really, an IB diploma has specific requirements which can be met at any of these schools. My advice pick the one that's most convenient and don't sweat it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So which IB programme has the best teachers?

Whichever one has the principal who's best at keeping and retaining competent teachers (and other staff), and is located for convenient commuting from teachers' homes.

That's aside from the issue that the best teacher for Individual Student A is not necessarily the best teacher for Individual Student B.

[Anonymous]

One of the frustrating elements here is that MCPS has rolled back the ability of the non-magnet IB schools to offer "pre-IB" classes.

It's part of this incredibly upsetting push-and-pull on the part of the Central Office. They want more families to choose B-CC or Einstein and claim to be expanding opportunities to these programs, but at the same time they are gatekeeping course offerings to the point that a teen who is looking for a like-minded peer group and pre-IB classes must wait until 11th grade to access those things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the frustrating elements here is that MCPS has rolled back the ability of the non-magnet IB schools to offer "pre-IB" classes.

It's part of this incredibly upsetting push-and-pull on the part of the Central Office. They want more families to choose B-CC or Einstein and claim to be expanding opportunities to these programs, but at the same time they are gatekeeping course offerings to the point that a teen who is looking for a like-minded peer group and pre-IB classes must wait until 11th grade to access those things.

RMIB has "pre-IB" classes for 9th and 10th graders. At least, for now.

Example: RMS English 9 is only available to IB magnet students. I don't know if that will change any time soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the frustrating elements here is that MCPS has rolled back the ability of the non-magnet IB schools to offer "pre-IB" classes.

It's part of this incredibly upsetting push-and-pull on the part of the Central Office. They want more families to choose B-CC or Einstein and claim to be expanding opportunities to these programs, but at the same time they are gatekeeping course offerings to the point that a teen who is looking for a like-minded peer group and pre-IB classes must wait until 11th grade to access those things.

There is no such thing as "pre-IB" classes in that sense. IB starts in 11th grade. Before that, there's the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). I think that all of the MCPS high schools that offer a IB diploma programme are wall-to-wall MYP schools, but I'm not totally certain about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of the frustrating elements here is that MCPS has rolled back the ability of the non-magnet IB schools to offer "pre-IB" classes.

It's part of this incredibly upsetting push-and-pull on the part of the Central Office. They want more families to choose B-CC or Einstein and claim to be expanding opportunities to these programs, but at the same time they are gatekeeping course offerings to the point that a teen who is looking for a like-minded peer group and pre-IB classes must wait until 11th grade to access those things.

RMIB has "pre-IB" classes for 9th and 10th graders. At least, for now.

Example: RMS English 9 is only available to IB magnet students. I don't know if that will change any time soon.

Right, but MCPS Central Office has been trying to strong-arm B-CC and Einstein away from offering those cohorted classes. They were opt-in, and open to any kid, but "equity concerns" has led the county to try to kill the ability of schools to offer them. This is a problem because it puts even more pressure on the magnet programs and raises the stakes for those kids if they'd like to experience any sort of academic challenge with like-minded peers before their junior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of the frustrating elements here is that MCPS has rolled back the ability of the non-magnet IB schools to offer "pre-IB" classes.

It's part of this incredibly upsetting push-and-pull on the part of the Central Office. They want more families to choose B-CC or Einstein and claim to be expanding opportunities to these programs, but at the same time they are gatekeeping course offerings to the point that a teen who is looking for a like-minded peer group and pre-IB classes must wait until 11th grade to access those things.

RMIB has "pre-IB" classes for 9th and 10th graders. At least, for now.

Example: RMS English 9 is only available to IB magnet students. I don't know if that will change any time soon.

Right, but MCPS Central Office has been trying to strong-arm B-CC and Einstein away from offering those cohorted classes. They were opt-in, and open to any kid, but "equity concerns" has led the county to try to kill the ability of schools to offer them. This is a problem because it puts even more pressure on the magnet programs and raises the stakes for those kids if they'd like to experience any sort of academic challenge with like-minded peers before their junior year.

Freshmen and sophomores can, and do, take AP classes.

[Anonymous]

So does a BCC-zoned student have no hope of getting into the RM IB program?