Any dc high schools with IB programs and should i care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PP - kids who are strong in math/science do better with AP than IB. You can always mix and match so you take some IB and some AP, but I would not encourage a kid who was strong in math/science to get the IB diploma. AP science classes tend to go into more depth in particular than IB science classes. However, for a kid who is into the humanities and loves writing, IB is great.

I’m actually shocked at the level of bad information here.

Feel free not to listen to me but do your own research. Love a loud mouth know-nothing mansplaining about things they don’t understand.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:IB is on par with AP for college admissions. IB isn’t a good match for students who accelerate math though.

why is it not a good fit for students who accelerate in math? I would think the 2 different tracks with standard and higher levels for both would give a wide variety of options for different math skill and interest levels.

Because IB programs have their own math programs, so if you have a kid who accelerated math IB math could be a step back.

Not necessarily. Advanced IB math students are encouraged to do independent advanced math research for their IB EE (Extended Essay, thesis). They can also intern in a math setting to meet their CAS (Community, Action Service requirement). I have a nephew who volunteered at the National Academy of Sciences on a math-oriented astronomy project to meet his CAS requirement from Marshall HS in Fairfax (most Marshall students take at least some IB classes). It's far from easy to score a 6 or 7 on IB HL math. My nephew reports that some IB students who double up on a few AP exams score 5s on BC calc fail yet fail to score high on IB HL Math.

Kids with a 5 in Calc BC who attend American colleges have no reason to care about their IB math score. Calc BC is equivalent to Calc 2, and most universities don’t give more than Calc 1 credit for IB HL math. Basically your nephew’s friends have figured out that IB math is useless for American math students and are rationally choosing to neglect the more arcane portions of the IB curriculum to self-study for the much more useful AP exam.

Again, more people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

What makes you an expert? You're an admissions consultant? You earned an IB Diploma? You're an IB Coordinator at a public high school? You work for the College Board on AP policy? What?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB is on par with AP for college admissions. IB isn’t a good match for students who accelerate math though.

why is it not a good fit for students who accelerate in math? I would think the 2 different tracks with standard and higher levels for both would give a wide variety of options for different math skill and interest levels.

Because IB programs have their own math programs, so if you have a kid who accelerated math IB math could be a step back.

Not necessarily. Advanced IB math students are encouraged to do independent advanced math research for their IB EE (Extended Essay, thesis). They can also intern in a math setting to meet their CAS (Community, Action Service requirement). I have a nephew who volunteered at the National Academy of Sciences on a math-oriented astronomy project to meet his CAS requirement from Marshall HS in Fairfax (most Marshall students take at least some IB classes). It's far from easy to score a 6 or 7 on IB HL math. My nephew reports that some IB students who double up on a few AP exams score 5s on BC calc fail yet fail to score high on IB HL Math.

Kids with a 5 in Calc BC who attend American colleges have no reason to care about their IB math score. Calc BC is equivalent to Calc 2, and most universities don’t give more than Calc 1 credit for IB HL math. Basically your nephew’s friends have figured out that IB math is useless for American math students and are rationally choosing to neglect the more arcane portions of the IB curriculum to self-study for the much more useful AP exam.

Again, more people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

What makes you an expert? You're an admissions consultant? You earned an IB Diploma? You're an IB Coordinator at a public high school? You work for the College Board on AP policy? What?

Yes, admissions consultant and yes, educational policy expert, and yes worked in college admissions in a high school (years ago). And I was a graduate of an IB school.

And you? What makes you an expert?

Btw note I didn’t opine on any of the IB schools here because I am a newbie and would like to learn more about DC IB schools. I don’t care to hear absurd statements about IB v AP.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:DCI is all-IB I believe?

Technically Eastern has one but I don't actually believe it and wouldn't send my kid there anyway.

We are actually very interested in an IB program and considering moving out of DC to get one. Not for college admissions but because I like the approach and I think it teaches kids to write well and also how to think academically in a way that is more similar to college (and thus might ease the transition to college, wherever they go). I look at a lot of high school curriculums and it's just so disjoined and about ticking off boxes in different subjects. IB sounds more cohesive and allows kids to study more deeply into areas of interest, and also to learn to write well on those areas of interest.

I don't think IB is the only way to get this, but given some of the pitiful HS offerings in this area, I like that it is a cohesive approach to secondary education.

Wow, quite the opinionated answer to a question that can be answered factually.

Yes, Eastern and Banneker for DCPS - https://dcps.dc.gov/ib

And DCI for charter - https://dcinternationalschool.org/academic-program/international-baccalaureate/

But are kids at Eastern actually earning the IB diploma or just participating in the program but not performing well enough for the IB diploma? I assume they just get the DCPS diploma

Yes, Eastern students earn the Diploma, at least a dozen annually. But these kids score in the mid to high 20s on a 24-45 IB points pass scale. There are several suburban IB programs in this Metro area where average points totals are in the high 30s.

Is this really true? Last I heard it wasn't close to a dozen. I'm not sure how they can claim to have an IB program without a larger cohort of students in the program. How do they justify having IB classes or do they not have dedicated classes just for OB students.

[Anonymous]

PP- feel free to do your own independent research, please!

And it is true that not all IB schools are created equally. But the curriculum is very strong, especially in STEM (depending on class offerings)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PP - kids who are strong in math/science do better with AP than IB. You can always mix and match so you take some IB and some AP, but I would not encourage a kid who was strong in math/science to get the IB diploma. AP science classes tend to go into more depth in particular than IB science classes. However, for a kid who is into the humanities and loves writing, IB is great.

I’m actually shocked at the level of bad information here.

Feel free not to listen to me but do your own research. Love a loud mouth know-nothing mansplaining about things they don’t understand.

Gosh, I wonder why people feel like not listening to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI is all-IB I believe?

Technically Eastern has one but I don't actually believe it and wouldn't send my kid there anyway.

We are actually very interested in an IB program and considering moving out of DC to get one. Not for college admissions but because I like the approach and I think it teaches kids to write well and also how to think academically in a way that is more similar to college (and thus might ease the transition to college, wherever they go). I look at a lot of high school curriculums and it's just so disjoined and about ticking off boxes in different subjects. IB sounds more cohesive and allows kids to study more deeply into areas of interest, and also to learn to write well on those areas of interest.

I don't think IB is the only way to get this, but given some of the pitiful HS offerings in this area, I like that it is a cohesive approach to secondary education.

Wow, quite the opinionated answer to a question that can be answered factually.

Yes, Eastern and Banneker for DCPS - https://dcps.dc.gov/ib

And DCI for charter - https://dcinternationalschool.org/academic-program/international-baccalaureate/

But are kids at Eastern actually earning the IB diploma or just participating in the program but not performing well enough for the IB diploma? I assume they just get the DCPS diploma

Yes, Eastern students earn the Diploma, at least a dozen annually. But these kids score in the mid to high 20s on a 24-45 IB points pass scale. There are several suburban IB programs in this Metro area where average points totals are in the high 30s.

Is this really true? Last I heard it wasn't close to a dozen. I'm not sure how they can claim to have an IB program without a larger cohort of students in the program. How do they justify having IB classes or do they not have dedicated classes just for OB students.

They do not have dedicated classes for IB. Sometimes the IB students will essentially do "independent study". It is absolutely a problem. They do dote on the kids doing IB and those kids really want to do well and care about school. But I think the kids really don't realize what kind of support they'd be getting in a real IB program.

Someone upthread said they are starting an application 9-11 IB program? If true, I could see this being a huge step. There are more parents choosing the Hill middle schools for their kids instead of moving or going private, if there were an application program at Eastern for IB, it could be a draw. They do need to do something because as is, there is just no buy in from IB students and families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB is on par with AP for college admissions. IB isn’t a good match for students who accelerate math though.

why is it not a good fit for students who accelerate in math? I would think the 2 different tracks with standard and higher levels for both would give a wide variety of options for different math skill and interest levels.

Because IB programs have their own math programs, so if you have a kid who accelerated math IB math could be a step back.

Oh you are referring to someone who enters an IB program from another model? Not someone who started at say DCI in MS and is continuing their math program through graduation. My DD is in DCI and will be taking the HL theoretical (I don't know the real name) course when she is a junior.