Washington-Liberty IB Program

[Anonymous]

If your kid has a chance in hell of finishing the IB program, they will absolutely meet the low eligibility requirements. The IB program is hardly exclusive—not like HB which is pure lottery.

[Anonymous]

Why is such unfairness allowed in Arlington?

[Anonymous]

Because the School Board is beholden to a few loud parents whose kids won the lottery.

I still think kids are better off in IB though, if they can handle the work. It is as close to a silver bullet as you can get for college admissions from a public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a chance in hell of finishing the IB program, they will absolutely meet the low eligibility requirements. The IB program is hardly exclusive—not like HB which is pure lottery.

Kids who don't take algebra in middle school are ineligible for IB and for AT. So, no, not everyone absolutely meets the "low eligibility requirements."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a chance in hell of finishing the IB program, they will absolutely meet the low eligibility requirements. The IB program is hardly exclusive—not like HB which is pure lottery.

Kids who don't take algebra in middle school are ineligible for IB and for AT. So, no, not everyone absolutely meets the "low eligibility requirements."

AT actually offers a combined Algebra / Geometry class for 9th graders who did not take Algebra in middle school. It may be new for 2022. My 8th-grader is not taking Algebra; I didn't push for him to take it because he basically lost a year of math due to APS's mishandling of the pandemic and I thought he could use the time. So now he can't apply to IB. Wish I could redo that decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a chance in hell of finishing the IB program, they will absolutely meet the low eligibility requirements. The IB program is hardly exclusive—not like HB which is pure lottery.

Kids who don't take algebra in middle school are ineligible for IB and for AT. So, no, not everyone absolutely meets the "low eligibility requirements."

AT actually offers a combined Algebra / Geometry class for 9th graders who did not take Algebra in middle school. It may be new for 2022. My 8th-grader is not taking Algebra; I didn't push for him to take it because he basically lost a year of math due to APS's mishandling of the pandemic and I thought he could use the time. So now he can't apply to IB. Wish I could redo that decision.

That is awful. I wish APS would offer a class to step these kids up. But to the prior poster: if your kid did not take Alg in MS, then they won’t be able to handle the math required for the IB diploma. That’s not APS’s fault— They don’t set the IB courseload. Your kid is absolutely eligible for IB if they can handle the courseload.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a chance in hell of finishing the IB program, they will absolutely meet the low eligibility requirements. The IB program is hardly exclusive—not like HB which is pure lottery.

Kids who don't take algebra in middle school are ineligible for IB and for AT. So, no, not everyone absolutely meets the "low eligibility requirements."

Summer school. If your kid really wants IB, maybe APS would allow them to take algebra in the summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a chance in hell of finishing the IB program, they will absolutely meet the low eligibility requirements. The IB program is hardly exclusive—not like HB which is pure lottery.

Kids who don't take algebra in middle school are ineligible for IB and for AT. So, no, not everyone absolutely meets the "low eligibility requirements."

Also, what I think “low eligibility requirements” means is that the requirements aren’t exclusive or lottery. If your kid does the work, your kid gets the IB program. It’s hard, but not exclusive or limited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a chance in hell of finishing the IB program, they will absolutely meet the low eligibility requirements. The IB program is hardly exclusive—not like HB which is pure lottery.

Kids who don't take algebra in middle school are ineligible for IB and for AT. So, no, not everyone absolutely meets the "low eligibility requirements."

AT actually offers a combined Algebra / Geometry class for 9th graders who did not take Algebra in middle school. It may be new for 2022. My 8th-grader is not taking Algebra; I didn't push for him to take it because he basically lost a year of math due to APS's mishandling of the pandemic and I thought he could use the time. So now he can't apply to IB. Wish I could redo that decision.

That is awful. I wish APS would offer a class to step these kids up. But to the prior poster: if your kid did not take Alg in MS, then they won’t be able to handle the math required for the IB diploma. That’s not APS’s fault— They don’t set the IB courseload. Your kid is absolutely eligible for IB if they can handle the courseload.

That's not necessarily true. There are students who COULD have taken Algebra successfully in MS but who chose not to. And before you accuse those students of not being hardworking or motivated enough, taking algebra in MS isn't necessary in the long run for doing well (without tremendous struggle and/or tutoring) in advanced math in high school. In fact, it's likely they will do better in those classes having taken their time and developed a stronger mastery/understanding of the progressive concepts along the way.

Also, as previous posters suggested, there could be an option for summer school or another class. Since WL students are not required to have taken algebra in MS, it's not a matter academic preparation or being able to manage the IB courseload. It's just a way to limit the # of students transferring in. Regardless, the criteria should be the same for every student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has a chance in hell of finishing the IB program, they will absolutely meet the low eligibility requirements. The IB program is hardly exclusive—not like HB which is pure lottery.

Kids who don't take algebra in middle school are ineligible for IB and for AT. So, no, not everyone absolutely meets the "low eligibility requirements."

AT actually offers a combined Algebra / Geometry class for 9th graders who did not take Algebra in middle school. It may be new for 2022. My 8th-grader is not taking Algebra; I didn't push for him to take it because he basically lost a year of math due to APS's mishandling of the pandemic and I thought he could use the time. So now he can't apply to IB. Wish I could redo that decision.

That is awful. I wish APS would offer a class to step these kids up. But to the prior poster: if your kid did not take Alg in MS, then they won’t be able to handle the math required for the IB diploma. That’s not APS’s fault— They don’t set the IB courseload. Your kid is absolutely eligible for IB if they can handle the courseload.

That's not necessarily true. There are students who COULD have taken Algebra successfully in MS but who chose not to. And before you accuse those students of not being hardworking or motivated enough, taking algebra in MS isn't necessary in the long run for doing well (without tremendous struggle and/or tutoring) in advanced math in high school. In fact, it's likely they will do better in those classes having taken their time and developed a stronger mastery/understanding of the progressive concepts along the way.

Also, as previous posters suggested, there could be an option for summer school or another class. Since WL students are not required to have taken algebra in MS, it's not a matter academic preparation or being able to manage the IB courseload. It's just a way to limit the # of students transferring in. Regardless, the criteria should be the same for every student.

Agree that the should treat all students the same. Disagree that it matters in practice. If a WL student takes Alg 1 in 9th and then Geometry in 10th, that student is not going to succeed in IB Math, even the SL track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Agree that the should treat all students the same. Disagree that it matters in practice. If a WL student takes Alg 1 in 9th and then Geometry in 10th, that student is not going to succeed in IB Math, even the SL track.

This. And the expectation of Alg 1 in 8th grade also applies to students who are zoned to W-L. To participate in the IB Diploma Program they want you to have finished Alg 2 in 10th grade because they math pathways don't otherwise work. To get there you need Alg 1 in 8tg.

The other thing that can be limiting if you don't plan ahead is that you need to do level 2 of a world language in 8th grade because you have to be at level 4 in 10th grade. I don't know that all the middle schools require a language in 7th-8th? But, again that requirement is the same for transfers and zoned students who want to do the diploma. It's not like transfers are held to a higher standard than zoned students.

However, zoned students do have the option to take a few IB classes, either instead of an AP or in some cases W-L only offers a class as IB that the other schools offer as AP (e.g. Economics). They used to keep transfers drop off the diploma track and still stay at W-L but got stricter about that as space at the school got limited.

[Anonymous]

You don’t need to have finished two years of a foreign language after 8th grade to get an IB diploma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don’t need to have finished two years of a foreign language after 8th grade to get an IB diploma.

https://wl.apsva.us/international-baccalaureate-program/application-information/

Unless they've changed the rules, it clearly says you need level 2 of a language in 8th to apply as a transfer pre-IB student and need to be in level 4 in 10th to be in the diploma program in 11-12th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

IB doesn't start until 11th grade. Jefferson's program is not really IB; it's just a framework for connecting dots. One DC graduated full IB from W-L and another is at Yorktown. From experience, I can unequivocally say that W-L is far superior to YHS.

Jefferson's program is the IB "Middle Years Programme" which is different from the HS IB. When my kids went there a few years ago some of the aspects they made it unique vs other MSs was the world language required all three years, community service requirement, design-tech elective, 8th grade service project. And they had to do a lot of "reflections", short writing assignments after completion of a unit or project or performance to reflect on how you did and how to improve. My kids really hated they aspect of it. It does sound like a useful exercise but maybe don't too frequently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gee, I guess Yorktown and Wakefield students are just totally screwed since they don’t take life-changing IB courses like the amazing kids at W-L. I hope they can write a sentence by the time they graduate…lol.

Enroll your kids in the Russian School of Math. Much more effective than any IB or AP class