If your child is coming in as a sophomore, I would probably recommend buying/renting in the BCC cluster. It has the best IB program after Richard Montgomery. Avoid Kennedy, as it has the lowest pass rates. If you google enough, you can find the pass rates for IB and AP exams at all MCPS schools. At Richard Montgomery, your child will be competing for grades with some of the best geniuses in the county and also competing for college admissions.

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone that answered this! It sounds like Richard Montgomery has the most comprehensive offerings. I'll call the advisor to ask questions and find out how they transition transfer students. I do understand that the magnet program is highly selective, but everyone can participate in diploma program starting junior year, correct? My child would be entering as a sophomore, so not eligible for the magnet program.

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to everyone that answered this! It sounds like Richard Montgomery has the most comprehensive offerings. I'll call the advisor to ask questions and find out how they transition transfer students. I do understand that the magnet program is highly selective, but everyone can participate in diploma program starting junior year, correct? My child would be entering as a sophomore, so not eligible for the magnet program.

Anonymous wrote:Mcps IB teacher here. To get IB at an MCPS school, the school must meet the requirements of the IBO, send teachers to training, and administer the internal and external assessments set forth. The external IB exams occur during the DP years of IB, aka the Jr and Sr years.

SL And HL designations are dropped in favor of Year 1 and Year 2 with regard to scheduling, because the true IB model has students in a core class for two years regardless of whether they sit for SL or HL. Some schools only offer the SL option, so adding SL to the name is moot for internal purposes.

The IB offerings DO differ by school and program. The diploma years program, or DP, are the courses students sit for exams. Some schools offer this a la carte to all students like AP. Some offer the less demanding IB certificate vs the full IB diploma.

Of course AP and IB overlap in core subjects. Many IB students sit for all the AP exams as well. The curricula do differ, but teachers work with students to meet needs of the one they need.

RM is different in that they offer a test in magnet track for 9th and 10th. These courses are aligned to mcps, state, national and MYP guidelines. Once in 11 the grade ALL students in the high school MAY choose to opt in to the DP program in adherence to IBO guidelines which state the curriculum should be accessible to ALL students. Since RM is a mixture of magnet and local population, any student living in the cluster can join in in the 11 the grade, with proper counseling and supports.

If an MCPS school offers IB it will be REAL and meet requirements. Course offerings DO differ and the level. Very few teach HL chem, the equivalent of double period AP chem for example. And the arts and electives differ by teachers skills at each school. Look carefully, ask questions about how many students must request a course for it to run, and what happens if not enough to run 2 sections etc.

Take health and tech online over summer to keep kids' schedules more open for IB course wants while ensuring graduation state guidelines are met.