Reply to If AP is more popular/better/more flexible, why does FCPS put IB in all the lower-ranked schools?

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Reply to "If AP is more popular/better/more flexible, why does FCPS put IB in all the lower-ranked schools?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
There are kids that take the IB classes that don't go for the full diploma and do take the exam which aren't in any of the statistics.  Just focusing on the links to the tables provided consider this:

Lake Braddock and Robinson are similar size and population (in fact they are 10 minutes from each other tops).

Lake Braddock had 161 AP Scholars (3 or higher on 3 exams), 102 (5 exams).  On the other hand, Robinson had 110 kids who [b]earned an IB Diploma that had to do the service, do the extended essays AND pass 6 exams[/b].  This does not include the number who took IB courses that did not do the diploma.

[/quote]

Lake Braddock also had 78 AP Scholars with Honor, and the total population of AP-recognized students at Lake Braddock in 2013 was 360, compared with 110 IB Diploma recipients acknowledged by FCPS in 2013.   So Lake Braddock ended up with a significantly larger population of students receiving recognition by FCPS than Robinson.

The Robinson students receiving IB diplomas deserve congratulation, but it's only 16.5% of the seniors, which means that the vast majority of the Robinson seniors weren't recognized by FCPS as distinguished AP or IB students. [/quote]

But part of the point of the PP is the IB Diploma requires more work to achieve. It's not just exams and test scores as with the AP Scholar designation.[/quote]

That may be your point, or the PP's, but [b]others were pointing out that relatively few students receive IB diplomas at any of the IB high schools in FCPS, and that fewer students receive some type of recognition by FCPS for IB participation than is the case with AP students.[/b]

You can argue that an IB diploma is a very nice credential, but that comes right back to the original question:  should we be paying extra for IB when not very many students get IB diplomas and they don't even find out whether they are receiving them until after they've graduated from high school?

And, of course, AP students can engage in community service activities, and writing (and other) projects.  It's simply not currently under the AP umbrella in the way that the IBO wants everything under the IB Diploma umbrella.   Many of us find that far more appealing.  [/quote]

I agree with your summary.  I guess what I am saying is that the comparison is apples and oranges.  AP is akin to painting the house before you move in, and the IB Diploma is custom carpentry work plus refinishing the floors and painting the house.[/quote]

If that's your analogy, you should say AP is akin to painting the house while you're still living in it, whereas an IB Diploma includes some custom finishes added after you've already moved out, because you don't even find out if you're actually getting a diploma until after you've graduated from HS and likely decided which school to attend.   [/quote]

As is the case with the AP Scholar designation.[/quote]

No.  You can already be designated as an AP Scholar or more before you graduate. [/quote]

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