International Baccalaureate

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This article refers to the organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. For information about the French baccalauréat programme or the "option internationale du baccalauréat" (a.k.a French international baccalaureat) examination, see this article.
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The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is an international educational foundation founded in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland.[1] The organization's name and logo were changed in 2007 to reflect a new image and for legal reorganization. Consequently, "IB" can refer to either the organization itself, any of the three programmes or else to the diploma or certificates awarded at the end of the diploma programme. [2]



This article is part of the
International Baccalaureate
series.

Contents

[edit] IB Mission Statement

"The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right."[3]

[edit] IB Programmes

IB offers educational programmes for children ages 3-19, IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the IB Diploma Programme (DP).[4]

[edit] IB Diploma Programme

The International Baccalaureate is primarily known for the IB Diploma Programme, an offering of internationally standardized courses and assessment regime for students aged 16–19 that ultimately leads up to a battery of exams.[5]

[edit] IB Middle Years Programme

The IB also offers the IB Middle Years Programme, for students ages 11 to 16. The programme is composed of eight subject areas and five areas of interaction. The students are evaluated continuously using various methods of qualitative, quantitative and criterion-referenced assessments. The school can also request that final grades be validated by IB. There is also a final assessment known as a personal project.[6]

[edit] IB Primary Years Programme

The IB also offers programmes for younger students: the IB Primary Years Programme, ranging from age 3 to 12. [7]

[edit] IB Offices

The IB Headquarters is situated in Geneva, Switzerland. The Curriculum and Assessment Centre is located in Cardiff, Wales.[8] IB has announced that it will be eliminating 300 jobs at the Cardiff office as it establishes three global centers in Amsterdam, Washington DC and Singapore which the IB wants to be fully operational by 2020.[9]

[edit] IB Regional Offices

There are three IB Regional Offices:

IB Africa, Europe and Middle East (IBAEM) in Geneva, Switzerland.
IB Americas (IBA) in New York, United States and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The United States has the largest number of IB programmes (1,029 out of 2,704) offered in both private and public schools.[10]
IB Asia-Pacific (IBAP) in Singapore, Republic of Singapore.[11]

[edit] IB Sub-Regional Associations

The sub-regional associations "are groups formed by and for IB school practitioners to assist IB schools, teachers and students in their communities—from implementing IB programmes to providing a forum for dialogue."[12]

There are two in the IB Africa, Europe and Middle East region.[13]
There are thirty sub-regional associations in the IB Americas region.[14]
There are five in the Asia Pacific region.[15]

[edit] Fund Raising

In 2003, the IB established the IB Fund which was incorporated in the United States for the purpose of enhancing fundraising and keeping funds raised separate from operational funds.[16] In 2004, the IB approved a strategic plan to "ensure that programmes and services are of the highest quality" and "to provide access to people who are socio-economically disadvantaged."[17]

[edit] Community Theme

The IB Community Theme is Sharing Our Humanity, based on Jean-François Rischard's book High Noon.[18] The theme was developed in 2006 and is in effect for the years 2007-2010.

  • Global poverty
  • Peace and conflict
  • Education for all
  • Global infectious diseases
  • Digital divide - uneven access to information and communication technologies
  • Disasters and emergencies

The IB Community Theme gives IB World Schools the opportunity to involve non-IB students in the school in an IB-related activity.[18]

[edit] Partnerships

The IB is a non-governmental organization (NGO) of UNESCO and has collaborative relationships with the Council of Europe and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) [19] IB's alliance with UNESCO encourages the integration of UNESCO educational goals into the IB curriculum.[20][21]

[edit] Praise

The IB was described as “a rigorous, off-the-shelf curriculum recognized by universities around the world” when it was featured in the December 10, 2006 edition of Time magazine titled How to bring our schools out of the 20th Century. [22] IB was also featured in the summer 2002 edition of American Educator, where Robert Rothman describes IB as "a good example of an effective, instructionally sound, exam-based system.”[23]

[edit] Criticism

Political objections to the IB programme in the United States have resulted in attempts to eliminate it from public schools.[24][25] Some schools have eliminated the programme for budgetary reasons or lack of student interest.[26]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Overview of the International Baccalaureate Organization". http://www.ibo.org/who/. Retrieved on 2006-12-07. 
  2. ^ "IB Identity Announcement". http://www.ibo.org/announcements/identitylaunch.cfm. Retrieved on July 14, 2009. 
  3. ^ http://www.ibo.org/mission/index.cfm
  4. ^ "Three Programmes at a Glance". http://www.ibo.org/programmes/. Retrieved on July 15, 2009. 
  5. ^ "International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme". http://www.ibo.org/diploma/. Retrieved on 2007-05-08. 
  6. ^ "International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme". http://www.ibo.org/myp/. Retrieved on 2007-05-08. 
  7. ^ "International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme". http://www.ibo.org/pyp/. Retrieved on 2007-05-08. 
  8. ^ "IB worldwide offices". Ibo.org. http://ibo.org/offices/index.cfm. Retrieved on 2009-07-15. 
  9. ^ "300 Jobs to be Axed at International Baccalaureate". walesonline.co.uk. 2009-02-09. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/02/09/300-jobs-to-be-axed-at-international-baccalaureate-91466-22887941/. Retrieved on July 17, 2009. 
  10. ^ "Find an IB World School". http://www.ibo.org/school/search/index.cfm?programmes=&country=US&region=&find_schools=Find. Retrieved on July 15, 2009. 
  11. ^ "IB regional offices". Ibo.org. http://www.ibo.org/offices/regions/. Retrieved on 2009-07-15. 
  12. ^ "Associations of IB Schools". http://www.ibo.org/iba/associations/index.cfm. Retrieved on July 13, 2009. 
  13. ^ "world school associations". Ibo.org. http://www.ibo.org/ibaem/worldschoolassociations.cfm. Retrieved on 2009-07-15. 
  14. ^ "Associations". Ibo.org. http://www.ibo.org/iba/associations/. Retrieved on 2009-07-15. 
  15. ^ "IB Asia Pacific region". Ibo.org. http://www.ibo.org/offices/regions/ibap/index.cfm. Retrieved on 2009-07-15. 
  16. ^ "The president’s view on Fundraising and the strategic plan". IB World (International Baccalaureate Organization) 40: 8. August 2004. http://www.ibo.org/ibworld/documents/aug04.pdf. Retrieved on 2009-07-13. 
  17. ^ "IBO strategic plan approved". IB World (International Baccalaureate Organization) 40: 2. August 2004. http://www.ibo.org/ibworld/documents/aug04.pdf. Retrieved on 2009-07-13. 
  18. ^ a b "IB Community Theme". http://communitytheme.ibo.org/eng/about-ib-community-theme. Retrieved on July 14, 2009. 
  19. ^ "Governments". http://www.ibo.org/partnerships/governments/. Retrieved on July 14, 2009. 
  20. ^ http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/Report/IBO.pdf
  21. ^ "Literacy and Development: How can international education support UNESCO and other bodies in increasing literacy in the developing world?, pg. 5". http://www.ibo.org/programmes/research/publications/documents/notesjanuary03.pdf. Retrieved on July 14, 2009. 
  22. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1568480-3,00.html
  23. ^ http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/summer2002/testworthteaching.html
  24. ^ Ward, Paula Reed (2006-02-16). "Cutting international program embroils Upper St. Clair board in controversy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06047/656217.stm. Retrieved on 2009-06-06. 
  25. ^ Walters, Joanna (2006-03-14). "All American Trouble". Guardian.uk.co. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2006/mar/14/schools.schoolsworldwide. Retrieved on July 15, 2009. 
  26. ^ Kranhert III, John (2009-03-21). "Pinecrest Drops IB Program". The Pilot. http://www.thepilot.com/stories/20090322/news/local/20090322IB.html#c5t_form. Retrieved on July 15,2009. 

[edit] External links

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