What's good about IB programs?

[Anonymous]

We are considering a school that is an IB school in FCPS (Robinson). We are trying to decide whether to go to the IB school or pupil place and my searches really haven't given me much to understand why IB is good for some kids and what its strengths are as a program. Appreciate any feedback.

[Anonymous]

IB teaches the student analytical and critical thinking skills - the same skills you must employ to determine what IB is and whether it is appropriate for your student. I suggest you search this forum for the many in depth discussions that have taken place over several years on IB. You could also google "IB at FCPS" and review the material there. You could also google "IB" and read the information from the IB.org website. You could also call Robinson and as for an appointment with one of the IB coordinators who administer the program.

[Anonymous]

Do you expect your children to attend college outside the United States? If not, you might prefer other high schools in FCPS with full AP programs, such as Lake Braddock and West Springfield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IB teaches the student analytical and critical thinking skills - the same skills you must employ to determine what IB is and whether it is appropriate for your student. I suggest you search this forum for the many in depth discussions that have taken place over several years on IB. You could also google "IB at FCPS" and review the material there. You could also google "IB" and read the information from the IB.org website. You could also call Robinson and as for an appointment with one of the IB coordinators who administer the program.

Remember, all of those sources (school, FCPS, etc) are dedicated to preserving the status quo. FCPS developed the IB program to fight White Flight. It only exacerbated it. Strong correlation IB status and SAT scores in the County. You are usually better of at an AP school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you expect your children to attend college outside the United States? If not, you might prefer other high schools in FCPS with full AP programs, such as Lake Braddock and West Springfield.

Truer words have never been spoken....

[Anonymous]

You aren't going to get a fair answer on this board, as there are several very bitter posters who are frustrated with how much FCPS spends on the program. I suggest you research the program outside of this board, talk to the school, and draw your own conclusions. It is a great program, and very similar to AP in rigor and college preparedness.

[Anonymous]

Interesting article:
http://blog.cambridgecoaching.com/choosing-between-ap-and-ib-an-in-depth-guide

[Anonymous]

If you want your child to be a liberal arts major, go IB. If you want your child to major in something practical, go AP.

[Anonymous]

I graduated from one of the first public IB programs in the country in the mid 80s, in a fading New England mill town of all places. I went on to an Ivy, an MA in international relations at another Ivy, and a PhD in international relations at Johns Hopkins.

My favorite part about IB Diploma studies as a young person was the school-within-a-school set up. I had a bunch of nerdy friends in most of my classes for several years running. We were tight-knit study buddies who put nose the grindstone together junior and senior year before going on to elite colleges (although most graduates of our HS didn't move on to four-year programs). Our IBD advisor, and Theory of Knowledge class teacher, wrote us terrific, detailed college application recommendations - she'd taught us all several times by the time we applied to colleges.

It wasn't until I was two or three years into my college experience that I came to appreciate how well the interdisciplinary nature of IB studies, and the rounding out of the experience with the CAS (community service) work and Extended Essay (HS dissertation) work had prepared me for undergraduate work, particularly the academic research I did senior year to graduate with honors. I had to use Chicago Manuel of Style citation formats to complete my EE, a discipline which has stood me in good stead ever since. My AP examinations weren't as difficult as my IB Higher Level tests, particularly for my foreign language. There was real rigor in IBD HL humanities work.

In short, many good things about IB programs done well for your globally-minded student, at least one with a humanities focus.

[Anonymous]

How old is your kid and how do they feel about school? My DS was in the immersion program, and does want to go to school overseas, so it is the perfect match for him. However, he really likes the program and how the classes are longer. He was a dorky freshmen already in Algebra II/Trig and WL III.

The one item that I feel they mis-lead me on was the stress. I'm not a fan of 10 & 11th graders taking lots of AP classes, I was told that the IB kids can't take too many advance classes. Well, my DS had 3 IB classes as a sophomore, and will be "retaking" upper level math and language classes as a senior (not really, but sorta).

My other kid has already told me he doesn't want to do IB, and I'm fine with that.

Honestly, call Robinson the staff is great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You aren't going to get a fair answer on this board, as there are several very bitter posters who are frustrated with how much FCPS spends on the program. I suggest you research the program outside of this board, talk to the school, and draw your own conclusions. It is a great program, and very similar to AP in rigor and college preparedness.

This. You read this board, and you think it must be a program with no upside. Not the case. I researched AP vs IB extensively, and had one kid I though it would be great for (all around very smart, very strong writer, really needed the outside/extra challenges of the service, action, creativity components, extended essay etc., was not challenged in AAP Center MS). Kid ended up at TJ, so we'all never know if it would have been a good call. Kid 2 will go to the base school which is strong is AP, if she does not go to TJ. She is all STEM all the time. Hates English class with a passion.

In a nutshell, IB is a lot more writing, and a lot more interdisciplinary. Look at the diploma requirements. IB is best for a kid who can probably manage to fulfill them. If your kid hates foreign language, for example, and wants to drop it ASAP, IB is probably a bad call. Also, I would only pupil place for IB to SLHS, Robinson or Marshall. PPs are right that the Eastern county programs have problems.

But research on your own. Both programs exist in most school districts because the suit different kids. All around strong liberal arts type learner vs wants to specialize in a specific discipline, or is very strong or very weak in an area. It's not a question of which one is better. It's a question of which one is better for your kid.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the prior 3 posters.

Call Robinson and ask if there is someone available to talk with you about the IB program there. The great thing about Robinson is the option to take both IB and AP classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want your child to be a liberal arts major, go IB. If you want your child to major in something practical, go AP.

This is so not true... At least not our experience. DC 1 is getting his PhD from MIT in engineering, DC2 is a chem/bio major going to MD/PhD program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you expect your children to attend college outside the United States? If not, you might prefer other high schools in FCPS with full AP programs, such as Lake Braddock and West Springfield.

Truer words have never been spoken....

Again, this is so not true either. That plays no role... Full of misinformation here.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you all for the information. I researched IB on the board and didn't really get much more than it's expensive, used to prop up weaker schools, and AP was better.

I really, really wanted to understand why IB is great for some kids, what the experience is like to work on the community project and what the extended essay is like. I also wanted to talk to people whose children did the theory of knowledge seminar and get a feel for the actual experience of people whose children went through the program.

The feedback has been fantastic. I will reach out to Robinson, but I thought since it's summer break and there coordinators are off until August, I'd start poking around here for information.