Official IB Brochure (Updated 2010)

8/12/2019 Official IB Brochure (Updated 2010)

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EDUCATIONFOR A BETTER WO


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The International Baccalaureate is


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1 mission 3 challenging programmes

2,000 IB World Schools in 124 countries 50,000 teachers

500,000 students aged 3 to 19 years


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The International Baccalaureate aims to developinquiring, knowledgeable and caring youngpeople who help to create a better andmore peaceful world through interculturalunderstanding and respect.

To this end, the organization works with schools,governments and international organizations todevelop challenging programmes of internationaleducation and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students acrossthe world to become active, compassionate andlifelong learners who understand that otherpeople, with their differences, can also be right.

ONE MISSION

The International Baccalaureate

High quality international education for a better world The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers three highquality and challenging educational programmes fora worldwide community of schools, aiming to createa better, more peaceful world.

IB students are forever curious, fully engagedcitizens, who both embrace their own culture andare open and responsive to other cultures and views.

At the heart of the IB is the learner pro le, a long-term, holistic vision of education that underpinsall three programmes and puts the student at thecentre of everything we do. The learner pro le isthe IB mission statement translated into a set oflearning outcomes for the 21st century. The tenaspirational qualities of the learner pro le inspireand motivate the work of teachers, students andschools, providing a statement of the aims andvalues of the IB and a de nition of what we meanby international-mindedness.

The learner pro le unites us all with a commonfocus: on the whole person, as a lifelong learner.It applies to us allstudent, teacher, parent oradministratorfor we are all continually learning.


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Inquirers: They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conductinquiry and research and show independencein learning. They actively enjoy learning and thislove of learning will be sustained throughouttheir lives.

Knowledgeable: They explore concepts, ideasand issues that have local and global signi cance.In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledgeand develop understanding across a broad andbalanced range of disciplines.

Thinkers: They exercise initiative in applyingthinking skills critically and creatively torecognize and approach complex problems, andmake reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators: They understand and expressideas and information con dently and creativelyin more than one language and in a variety ofmodes of communication. They work effectivelyand willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled: They act with integrity and honesty,with a strong sense of fairness, justice andrespect for the dignity of the individual, groupsand communities. They take responsibility fortheir own actions and the consequences thataccompany them.

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IB learners strive to be: Open-minded: They understand and appreciate

their own cultures and personal histories, and areopen to the perspectives, values and traditionsof other individuals and communities. They areaccustomed to seeking and evaluating a rangeof points of view, and are willing to grow fromthe experience.

Caring: They show empathy, compassion andrespect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service,and act to make a positive difference to the livesof others and to the environment.

Risk-takers: They approach unfamiliar situationsand uncertainty with courage and forethought,and have the independence of spirit to explorenew roles, ideas and strategies. They are braveand articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced: They understand the importance ofintellectual, physical and emotional balance toachieve personal well-being for themselves and

others. Re ective: They give thoughtful consideration to

their own learning and experience. They are ableto assess and understand their strengths andlimitations in order to support their learning andpersonal development.

The IB Learner Pro le

The most powerful learning is that which meets current needs. The strength ofthe learner pro le as the backbone of an IB continuum may lie in the fact that weall see it a little differently. Julian Edwards, assistant elementary principal at Western Academy of Beijing, China


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For students, there is a real sense that learning is an adventure and that doorsare being opened, both intellectually and in terms of their personal development. Julie Roseblade, deputy head of St Helens School, Middlesex, UK


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The IB Diploma Programme was introduced in

1968. Its original purpose was to facilitate theinternational mobility of students, by providingschools with a curriculum and quali cationrecognized by universities around the world.

Today, we make an IB education available tostudents aged 3 to 19, spanning the years fromkindergarten to pre-university. It is taught in stateand private, national and international schools. The three IB programmes can be offeredindividually, but a growing number of schools offerthem as a continuum.

The IB Primary Years Programme, for studentsaged 3 to 12, focuses on the development of thewhole child as an inquirer, both in the classroomand in the world outside.

The IB Middle Years Programme, for studentsaged 11 to 16, provides a framework of academicchallenge that encourages students to embraceand understand the connections betweentraditional subjects and the real world, and becomecritical and re ective thinkers.

The IB Diploma Programme, for students aged 16to19, is an academically challenging and balancedprogramme of education with nal examinationsthat prepares students for success at university andin life beyond.

THREE CHALLENGINGPROGRAMMES


All three programmes:

have a strong international dimension

draw on content from educational cultures aroundthe world

require study across a broad range of subjects

include both individual subjects andtransdisciplinary areas

give special emphasis to learning languages

focus on developing the skills of learning

provide opportunities for individual andcollaborative planning and research

encourage students to become responsiblemembers of their community.

IB programmes include:

a written curriculum or curriculum framework

student assessment appropriate to the age range

professional development and networkingopportunities for teachers

support, authorization and programme evaluationfor the school.


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International Our commitment to international educationstarts with a belief that the only way to appreciatesomeone elses culture is rst to be con dent inyour own. The international-mindedness thatpermeates our programmes is about more thanlearning a second language. For example, inbiology, students might learn about the typhoidbacteria but also its impact on life expectancy ina developing country. Students learning aboutthe history of their town or region might look at

the broader context, of history and the effects ofcertain global events, and how these apply to theirlocal environment.

Independent The IB and its programmes are unique in manyways. We are a not-for-pro t organization, whichmeans that there are no shareholders and anysurplus income is reinvested back into our work.We are independent of political and commercialinterests. We operate in 124 countries, frequentlyworking alongside national educational systems.Most schools, for instance, offer the DiplomaProgramme alongside other courses whereasthe Primary Years Programme and Middle YearsProgramme are exible enough to incorporatenational curriculum requirements.

Research-basedLike the world it seeks to improve througheducation, the IB never stands still. Our

programmes are continually reviewed andenriched, and our vision constantly sharpened asa result of research, both our own and that of otherrespected academic bodies. Innovative and creativeteachers of IB programmes from many differentcultures play a critical role in the development ofeach programme. The programmes represent goodpractice from around the world, and the curriculumreview process involves practising teachers,examiners and education experts.

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We are exible enough to be able to respondto new research and pedagogy studies andengage with expert analysis where appropriate.For instance, the Middle Years Programme teamhas had the opportunity to collaborate with theHarvard Graduate School of Educations ProjectZero on interdisciplinary learning. Project Zerosmission is to understand and enhance learning,thinking, and creativity in the arts, as well ashumanistic and scienti c disciplines, at the

individual and institutional levels.(Project Zero web site, http://www.pz.harvard.edu/)

Widely recognizedOur programmes are challenging. Universitiesrecognize the depth and breadth of the rigorouswork undertaken by students of the DiplomaProgramme, which requires them to study sixcourses, selected from six subject groups. As aresult there are many literate scientists, numerateartists, and sociologists able to communicate inmore than one language among IB graduates.In spite of this breadth, the depth of subjectstudy is not sacri ced. Universities also welcomethe creativity, action, service (CAS) requirementalongside the 4,000 word extended essaycomponent, the latter demanding research,analysis and in-depth study to prepare students forwork at university level.

Research by and with universities in Australia,Canada, the United Kingdom and the UnitedStates has demonstrated that IB students are wellprepared for university. Over 1,500 of the bestuniversities around the world list their IB admissionpolicies on our web site at http:// www.ibo.org.

Of course results are important, and we are proudof our programmes and of our students, but the IBexperience is much more than that: its not just away to learn, its a way of life.


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The IB does not own or manage any schools.Instead, the community is made up of like-mindedstate and private schoolscalled IB World Schools.You will nd IB World Schools everywhere fromAustralia to Zambiaand in 122 other countriesin between. Over half of these schools are statefunded.

These schools:

share the mission and commitment of the IB toquality international education

have been authorized to offer one or more of ourprogrammes

play an active and supporting role in theworldwide community of IB schools

share their knowledge and experience in thedevelopment of IB programmes

are committed to the professional developmentof teachers.

There is no such thing as a typical IB WorldSchool. In the United States, six out of the top tenschools in Newsweek magazines The 100 Best High

2,000 IB WORLD SCHO Schools in America 2006 are IB World Schools,and they also account for 39 of the top 100 state-funded high schools. But IB World Schools may notnecessarily appear in the top ranks.

Some IB World Schools use IB programmes as partof a school reform process that opens doors for

their students to a world of opportunities thatotherwise would not be possible.

It takes a great deal of commitment andprofessionalism to become an IB World School,authorized to deliver an IB programme. It takescommitment to, and an understanding of, IBvalues, the IB mission statement and the long-termimplications of belonging to an IB communitythat actively involves schools in the developmentof IB programmes. It also takes timefor trainingteachers in the fundamentals of the programme

and pedagogical approaches, assessing the schoolspreparedness prior to authorization, and thereafterconducting continuous professional development.We also support the schools progress through acontinuous improvement model involving periodicprogramme evaluations.

The introduction of the IB Diploma Programme in our school is far and away the single mostimportant thing weve ever done to raise the quality of instruction and learning. While it wasunderstandably a gradual phenomenon, we began to challenge ourselves in 1981 to deliver themost rigorous curriculum available and to hold ourselves accountable for it in a very public way.Robert Snee, head of school, George Mason High School, USA


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12/16The International Baccalaureate

IB students are internationally aware citizens, withopen minds and open hearts. All IB students learn asecond language, together with the skills to live andwork with others both locally and internationally.But this international perspective is not gainedat the expense of their own language or culture.Indeed, we believe that the only way to appreciateanother language or culture is to be con dent rst

with your own.Our programmes are not exam driven: resultsare important of course, but the best results areattained by allowing students to develop theirlearning and to engage in the curriculum.IB students are at the centre of our programmes.

500,000 STUDENTSStudents are taught to think for themselves andto drive the learning process. Teachers like that;students thrive on it.

Most of all, we see education as a way of life andliving. The IB is about creating a community oflearners and improving professionalism withinthat community. We want the IB culture tospread throughout the school, encouraging the

caring, nurturing, altruistic qualities found in ourlearner pro le.

Energized students and parents are eagerambassadors too, with many endorsing the IB inthe most telling way possible by ensuring that theirown children become IB students.

IB students are terri c learners. Theyre inquisitive and dont justquestion what theyre learning, but why

Martha Piper, former president of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada


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A LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMU IB students take an active part in, and contribute to,their school, their local community and their globalcommunity. Think global, act local is a way of lifefor IB World Schools.

Many IB World Schools offer their students theopportunity to participate in exchange programmesso that they can learn from their experiences.Japanese students from Osaka International School,for instance, visited Sekolah Menengah KejuruanPayangan, a rural vocational high school in Bali,Indonesia, and shared skills and lessons. Now the

students from Osaka are raising funds for their newfriends school.

IB students from Li Po Chun United World Collegeof Hong Kong organized a project to rebuild aschool for tsunami-affected children in Sri Lanka,one of many schools taking part in the IB schools-to-schools project to link schools in the developingand developed worlds.

We practise what we teach too. We are committedto making good education accessible to everybody.Geography, nance and resources can make this

diffi cult but, ever since the IB was founded, we havestriven to transcend frontiers and barriers in orderto create a better world through education.


That is why, today, more than half of IB WorldSchools are state funded and why the organizationhas a bursary fund to promote access.

One example is the recent decisions by thegovernments of Australia, Ecuador, Nova Scotia(Canada), the United Kingdom and the United Statesto support the Diploma Programme in many morestate schools. It is as an important part of governmentpolicy to raise educational standards and the IB isdelighted to participate in any way it can.

In addition, the IB is seeking partners and fundingto develop an online version of the DiplomaProgramme, which will allow IB World Schools toprovide subjects for which they may nd it diffi cultto recruit teachers; to provide access for studentswho normally would not be able to attend IBclasses; and to create a more international andintercultural classroom.

We are always looking for ways to throw open theeducational portals. President of the IB Council ofFoundation, Monique Seefried, explains: The IB isan organization whose message encompasses such

richness that it would be a tragedy to reserve thissense of international-mindedness and those sharedvalues for the few. The world needs people educatedwith the values of our learner pro le.

Our students are inquirers, citizens, planners, people with different backgroundsand skills; their reality is the environment in which they will act: a farm, an offi ce, avillage, a factory, and the school is their laboratory for life, where making a mistakeis part of the learning process.

Williams Roger Amaya Pelez, Diploma Programme coordinator, Davy College, Cajamarca, Peru


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21st century education

The IB experience is not just a way to learn, its a wayof life, and the way to a better world.


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International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

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Support our mission and join theIB community athttp://www.ibo.orgor contact your IB regional offi ce:

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Official IB Brochure (Updated 2010)

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