Reply to IB Program- What is it? IB or AP?

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Reply to "IB Program- What is it? IB or AP?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
The schools I think you're talking about would not have higher ratings if they were AP.  Nor would this pull them out of poverty.

I would put Marshall (an IB school, horrors!) against any that you've mentioned.   You need to get out of the past and do some research.  But wait, don't.  I'd rather my kids were at an undiscovered, underrated school that is actually great, than one filled with children of people like you.

btw, few kids, if any people place for the academy.

Again, why is having a choice so offensive to you?  In the areas you're talking about most kids start driving themselves late sophomore year, so the bus argument is irrelevant.   And most people who read these boards would carry their kids to TJ on their backs if the kids could get in so the pain of having to get kids a ride or carpool, I'm not buying.
 [/quote]

IB is a negative for the lower ranked SES schools.  Few students pursue an IB diploma and students have an automatic out, assuming they can arrange for transportation, to attend a higher ranked AP school.  I don't have it available now, but I've seen historical data on the number of transfers from Lee to West Springfield, Annandale to Woodson, and Mount Vernon to West Potomac.  There were a lot of pupil placements.

IB is a plus for Marshall, because it's surrounded by AP schools.  So, even though IB is less popular than AP, one IB school surrounded by four AP schools will benefit from pupil placements.  To some extent, that's happening at South Lakes now, too.  Unfortunately, it's not the model throughout the county, so the schools that get screwed are the IB schools close to one another.  Both Mount Vernon and Stuart, IB schools, are on a watch list of schools at risk of losing state accreditation.

FCPS doesn't like to admit that it may have made a mistake, or ever take away a program that it's introduced somewhere.  If we are in cost-cutting times, however, the sensible thing for FCPS to do is look at both the higher costs associated with IB (coordinators, teacher training, IBO fees, etc.) and the IB and AP participation rates for lower SES students at different county schools.  Unless they can conclude that, somehow, the majority of the students at schools like Lee, Annandale, etc. are getting a benefit from IB, they ought to get rid of it.  AP works well elsewhere, and reintroducing AP at schools like Lee might stem the flow of out-bound pupil placements. [/quote]

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