Anonymous
07/22/2017 10:39
Subject: What's good about IB programs?
Thank you 06:57 and 5:28. Even with kids in IB - program that has many merits- there's more to understand. Both of these posts are consistent with what I've seen.
Anonymous
07/22/2017 10:18
Subject: Re:What's good about IB programs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:11:50. This is very informative. The math class seems especially problematic. IB has been around for awhile. Is there no other work around? A lot of kids are fast tracked in math.
How fast does your kid need to go? IB students can take calculus in 11th grade.
My IB kid took AP Calc BC in 11th grade followed by HL IB Math in 12th grade.
+1
There are many options with the math sequencing.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/graduation-requirements-and-course-planning/high-school-course-sequencing/mathematics
Anonymous
07/22/2017 09:40
Subject: Re:What's good about IB programs?
Anonymous wrote:Top schools in FCPS are TJ, Langley, McLean, Madison, Woodson, and Oakton. None is IB.
No one can point to a single high school in FCPS over the past decade that has asked for IB to replace AP.
These facts tell you all you need to know.
Can you please go away. The whole point of this thread is to talk about ib programs positive traits. Start your own thread.
Anonymous
07/22/2017 09:38
Subject: Re:What's good about IB programs?
Top schools in FCPS are TJ, Langley, McLean, Madison, Woodson, and Oakton. None is IB.
No one can point to a single high school in FCPS over the past decade that has asked for IB to replace AP.
These facts tell you all you need to know.
No one can point to a single high school in FCPS over the past decade that has asked for IB to replace AP.
These facts tell you all you need to know.
Anonymous
07/22/2017 06:57
Subject: Re:What's good about IB programs?
AP and IB languages also differ, at least at the Higher Level. HL IB language exams are a good deal tougher than AP, one or two years past AP study.
If your kid hasn't done immersion studies in the language abroad (preferably for an entire school year), grown up bilingual, or attended ES and MS language immersion programs which parents supplemented with au pairs, tutors or whatever, your kid can score a 5 on an AP language exam but not 6s or 7s (on a 1-7 scale) on IB HL. The emphasis on IB HL is on speaking and understanding, far beyond the proficiency level expected at AP.
If your kid hasn't done immersion studies in the language abroad (preferably for an entire school year), grown up bilingual, or attended ES and MS language immersion programs which parents supplemented with au pairs, tutors or whatever, your kid can score a 5 on an AP language exam but not 6s or 7s (on a 1-7 scale) on IB HL. The emphasis on IB HL is on speaking and understanding, far beyond the proficiency level expected at AP.
Anonymous
07/21/2017 20:58
Subject: Re:What's good about IB programs?
wrt 11:50
there were 2 juniors taking IB Math HL last year at Marshall and 2 the year before that. It is a challenging course. I like the comment from the math teacher about being well grounded in the fundamentals to proceed to college level math studies. Our graduate completed IB Math HL2 and tested at level 7 but was also required to complete placement tests (proctored - 3 hrs!) for assessing her placement in math at college (a HPYS). There is clearly a concern with ensuring that fundamentals are mastered before proceeding on with math studies.
Math is the one discipline where AP and IB differ most substantially. If advanced Math is a real focus then this should be investigated carefully and TJ should be included in that assessment. But in my experience this is a concern for only the top 0.1% of students.
there were 2 juniors taking IB Math HL last year at Marshall and 2 the year before that. It is a challenging course. I like the comment from the math teacher about being well grounded in the fundamentals to proceed to college level math studies. Our graduate completed IB Math HL2 and tested at level 7 but was also required to complete placement tests (proctored - 3 hrs!) for assessing her placement in math at college (a HPYS). There is clearly a concern with ensuring that fundamentals are mastered before proceeding on with math studies.
Math is the one discipline where AP and IB differ most substantially. If advanced Math is a real focus then this should be investigated carefully and TJ should be included in that assessment. But in my experience this is a concern for only the top 0.1% of students.
Anonymous
07/21/2017 18:56
Subject: Re:What's good about IB programs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:11:50. This is very informative. The math class seems especially problematic. IB has been around for awhile. Is there no other work around? A lot of kids are fast tracked in math.
How fast does your kid need to go? IB students can take calculus in 11th grade.
My IB kid took AP Calc BC in 11th grade followed by HL IB Math in 12th grade.
Anonymous
07/21/2017 18:51
Subject: Re:What's good about IB programs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:11:50. This is very informative. The math class seems especially problematic. IB has been around for awhile. Is there no other work around? A lot of kids are fast tracked in math.
How fast does your kid need to go? IB students can take calculus in 11th grade.
Parent here who teaches college in a STEM field. I actually think the acceleration of math is problematic. Very, very few students are truly gifted enough in math to grasp higher level calculus in high school.
At my school, many students who went through post-calculus coursework in high school didn't have the fundamentals of calculus down even though they could have proceeded to higher level math. The same thing goes for science fields. It's actually something bandied about in academia.
I actually am fine with a student either finishing calculus or IB math HL in high school if they have a solid foundation. It's much better than racking up credits and then floundering in higher level classes.
Thank you for a voice of reason wrt too much fast tracking in math. Even standard level IB math has some calculus in 11th grade. Math Studies does not. As designed, the physics and math are interrelated. One of my kids enjoyed spotting this connection and relating the math to the physics. That aside, I think the math teaching was not a strength ( note I mean teacher, not IB curriculum) and many of the kids did not do well. We told our kid from the start expect to retake calculus in college. There's no way they will leave HS with a strong enough foundation.
Anonymous
07/21/2017 17:59
Subject: Re:What's good about IB programs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Did the posters read the OP's question. She didn't ask what's wrong with IB programs.
I actually am following this thread because we are trying to decide whether staying in an IB school makes sense based on our kids strengths.
It sounds like the students write a lot. How is this accomplished? Because in my experience writing is very grading intensive.
Is the theory of knowledge course an actual after school class? or is it a class students take during the day.
Could someone share what a typical course path would look like for an IB kid?
I have a junior at an IB HS. He will be taking TOK during the school day. It is scheduled to be during spring of junior year and fall of senior year, so they end up with a free period/study hall during fall semester of junior year and spring of senior year.
I'm happy to share his path to the IB diploma. His schedule is as follows:
9th
English 9 honors
World History honors
Spanish 2
Algebra 2/trig honors
Bio honors
Photography 1
PE
10th
English 10 honors
Government honors
Spanish 3
IB math SL 1
IB Chem 1
Sports medicine
PE
11th
IB Language and Literature SL 1
IB History of the Americas HL
IB Spanish SL 1
IB math SL 2
IB Bio HL 1
IB Physics SL
IB Theory of Knowledge
12th
IB Language and Literature SL 2
IB Topics in History HL
IB Spanish SL 2
IB Bio HL 2
IB Chem HL 2
IB Theory of Knowledge
AP Statistics (online)
Anatomy and Physiology
Pp here. I should specify he just informed me he is taking TOK after school for fall of senior year because he wants to fit in anatomy and physiology. I was wondering how he had 8 courses
Anonymous
07/21/2017 17:56
Subject: Re:What's good about IB programs?
Anonymous wrote:Did the posters read the OP's question. She didn't ask what's wrong with IB programs.
I actually am following this thread because we are trying to decide whether staying in an IB school makes sense based on our kids strengths.
It sounds like the students write a lot. How is this accomplished? Because in my experience writing is very grading intensive.
Is the theory of knowledge course an actual after school class? or is it a class students take during the day.
Could someone share what a typical course path would look like for an IB kid?
I have a junior at an IB HS. He will be taking TOK during the school day. It is scheduled to be during spring of junior year and fall of senior year, so they end up with a free period/study hall during fall semester of junior year and spring of senior year.
I'm happy to share his path to the IB diploma. His schedule is as follows:
9th
English 9 honors
World History honors
Spanish 2
Algebra 2/trig honors
Bio honors
Photography 1
PE
10th
English 10 honors
Government honors
Spanish 3
IB math SL 1
IB Chem 1
Sports medicine
PE
11th
IB Language and Literature SL 1
IB History of the Americas HL
IB Spanish SL 1
IB math SL 2
IB Bio HL 1
IB Physics SL
IB Theory of Knowledge
12th
IB Language and Literature SL 2
IB Topics in History HL
IB Spanish SL 2
IB Bio HL 2
IB Chem HL 2
IB Theory of Knowledge
AP Statistics (online)
Anatomy and Physiology
Anonymous
07/21/2017 14:01
Subject: Re:What's good about IB programs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:11:50. This is very informative. The math class seems especially problematic. IB has been around for awhile. Is there no other work around? A lot of kids are fast tracked in math.
How fast does your kid need to go? IB students can take calculus in 11th grade.
Parent here who teaches college in a STEM field. I actually think the acceleration of math is problematic. Very, very few students are truly gifted enough in math to grasp higher level calculus in high school.
At my school, many students who went through post-calculus coursework in high school didn't have the fundamentals of calculus down even though they could have proceeded to higher level math. The same thing goes for science fields. It's actually something bandied about in academia.
I actually am fine with a student either finishing calculus or IB math HL in high school if they have a solid foundation. It's much better than racking up credits and then floundering in higher level classes.