Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And you would know this how? From your work as an admissions director at which college?

Know this from experience with college friends of my children. Most colleges give less credit for IB --check it out. IB classes are frequently two years.

I don't know if that is still true today--it very well could be. But that is why parents fought plans to implement IB at two local schools, WT Woodson and W-L (Arlington), in the 90s. Woodson briefly became an IB-only school before going back to an AP-only curriculum. For W-L the school board compromised, agreeing to keep and grow the existing AP program in addition to a creating a new admissions based IB diploma program.

Many colleges these days do not award credit for either AP or IB, but instead they allow those courses to serve as prerequisites allowing the student to place into a higher course.
However, for many specialized programs, such as pre med or engineering programs, the required courses must be taken at the college, completely negating the AP or IB courses previously taken in HS.

Anonymous wrote:

And you would know this how? From your work as an admissions director at which college?

Know this from experience with college friends of my children. Most colleges give less credit for IB --check it out. IB classes are frequently two years.

I don't know if that is still true today--it very well could be. But that is why parents fought plans to implement IB at two local schools, WT Woodson and W-L (Arlington), in the 90s. Woodson briefly became an IB-only school before going back to an AP-only curriculum. For W-L the school board compromised, agreeing to keep and grow the existing AP program in addition to a creating a new admissions based IB diploma program.

And you would know this how? From your work as an admissions director at which college?

No need to be so snarky. It is a fact. Just ask the college students who have been through the IB program.

And you would know this how? From your work as an admissions director at which college?

Know this from experience with college friends of my children. Most colleges give less credit for IB --check it out. IB classes are frequently two years.

Anonymous wrote:

Given how few students at local IB schools get IB diplomas, you should be more amazed at why parents at those schools don't see the value. The AP kids do just fine. One of the benefits of living in a free society is that we get to express our views on how our tax dollars are spent. Many around here think money is being wasted on IB programs that could be spent for other, more deserving purposes, such as hiring more teachers.
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AP program is far more flexible and kids get credit for taking even one AP class. The IB program really only benefits those who get the diploma.

And you would know this how? From your work as an admissions director at which college?

Anonymous wrote:My children go to a small private IB school. The opinion piece only focuses narrowly on what an IB program does. I find the children at our school more level headed and confident than most. I know a 12 yr old in his own small jazz band that performs publically. I could have never done that! Children organizing on their own - not mom & dad prompting them. What I see most vie in is critical thinking - not memorization.
As far as studies, yes, it's worth the money .
http://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2013/11/20/ib-diploma-programme-research-shows-extended-essay-improves-student-approach-to-learning-in-higher-education/

What school is it?

Anonymous wrote:My children go to a small private IB school. The opinion piece only focuses narrowly on what an IB program does. I find the children at our school more level headed and confident than most. I know a 12 yr old in his own small jazz band that performs publically. I could have never done that! Children organizing on their own - not mom & dad prompting them. What I see most vie in is critical thinking - not memorization.
As far as studies, yes, it's worth the money .
http://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2013/11/20/ib-diploma-programme-research-shows-extended-essay-improves-student-approach-to-learning-in-higher-education/

How are you measuring "level-headedness" and "confidence" in your sample and who are the "most" you are comparing to? A 12-yr-old in a band that performs publicly does not strike me as unusual, particularly in a higher SES environment.

And the research report quoted in an IB blog and "prepared for the IB" frankly do not seem objective.

I can't speak to the merits of IB, but your arguments are not convincing. It sounds like you are just drinking the Kool-Aid.

Anonymous wrote:My children go to a small private IB school. The opinion piece only focuses narrowly on what an IB program does. I find the children at our school more level headed and confident than most. I know a 12 yr old in his own small jazz band that performs publically. I could have never done that! Children organizing on their own - not mom & dad prompting them. What I see most vie in is critical thinking - not memorization.
As far as studies, yes, it's worth the money .
http://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2013/11/20/ib-diploma-programme-research-shows-extended-essay-improves-student-approach-to-learning-in-higher-education/

Not very persuasive. Students can gain writing experience similar to an extended essay without an IB program, and relatively few students at local IB schools do it in any event. Yet we end up paying for the full-fledged and under-utilized IB infrastructure.

The way you've backed your opinions up with so much fact makes what you think truly compelling.

Do you not realize that there are more than two people on this thread? Why do you think I made other statements with which you disagree?

My children go to a small private IB school. The opinion piece only focuses narrowly on what an IB program does. I find the children at our school more level headed and confident than most. I know a 12 yr old in his own small jazz band that performs publically. I could have never done that! Children organizing on their own - not mom & dad prompting them. What I see most vie in is critical thinking - not memorization.
As far as studies, yes, it's worth the money .
http://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2013/11/20/ib-diploma-programme-research-shows-extended-essay-improves-student-approach-to-learning-in-higher-education/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any data on the additional fees for the IB program over the AP program?

Costs of IB are detailed here in Question #15:

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/985KUZ538A27/$file/FY2014Responses%20for%20Posting05-28-13.pdf


Not sure what the costs are for AP, though.

AP costs are also in the budget book -- pp. 52-53.

http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/documents/approved/FY13/FY2013ProgramBudget.pdf

Anonymous wrote:Is there any data on the additional fees for the IB program over the AP program?

Costs of IB are detailed here in Question #15:

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/985KUZ538A27/$file/FY2014Responses%20for%20Posting05-28-13.pdf


Not sure what the costs are for AP, though.

Is there any data on the additional fees for the IB program over the AP program?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the kids transferring into IB schools generally do it only if the IB school has a higher socioeconomic level than their home school.

Complete B.S.

Agree. Marshall gets some kids for IB from Langley, McLean and Madison - all higher SES. South Lakes gets kids from Oakton - also higher SES. On the other hand, the ability to pupil place also allows kids at IB schools to transfer to higher SES AP schools.

So you can argue it's worth paying more for IB if it expands school choice, but that still doesn't mean there need to be eight IB high schools in the county. We end up paying for separate IB coordinators at every MS and HS with an IB program, which adds up.

Anonymous wrote:Where is the common sense in this school system? Is the IB really value for dollars spent? I don't think so.

The way you've backed your opinions up with so much fact makes what you think truly compelling.