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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]IB is a deal-breaker for me when we look for houses.  Not going to do it.  I was completely fine with it until I looked into it further.  There are a lot of kids who are full-force into IB ... and then they decide later that it's not worth it.  These are really motivated kids who for whatever reason decide not to finish it.  Yes, they can get college credits for each course, but they have to take all their exams at the end of senior year and several courses are two year courses -- who would want to commit to two years of a single course?  Even in college kids don't commit to two years.  Seems illogical that anyone would expect a 16 yr. old to commit to a course that long.

In theory, the IB program looks fantastic -- with the capstone and the community service and global thinking... but in practice, it just seems like it doesn't work for the vast majority of kids who are excellent students and very motivated when they start the program.

I also know of a family where they had to make an unexpected military move after the first year of a two year course and the kid wouldn't be going to an IB school once they moved... guess what... no credit for the class he just spent a YEAR on.

In practice, I think most teens are better suited to taking a la carte AP classes.   As a parent, I like what IB promises... but seems like it doesn't deliver (or the kids can't/don't deliver the final IB degree very often).

There are a number of homes I would like in several IB school zones... but it's not gonna happen b/c of the IB program.[/quote]

You must have young kids. Your post is pretty much based on hearsay and is way off. [/quote]

Not the PP, but he/she makes several valid points.

* Many kids who think they want IB don't end up pursuing the full IB diploma.

* Many IB courses are two-year courses, with exams after senior year.     
[b]
* If you transfer out of an IB school in FCPS, you end up having to make up courses that kids at non-IB schools take earlier (you'll have sophomores taking standard freshmen classes, juniors taking classes typically taken by sophomores, etc.)[/b]

* Some kids consider the IB writing requirements excessive and/or find the diploma program too much of a pressure-cooker.  [/quote]

The IB program doesn't start until junior year. [/quote]

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