The Diploma Programme is a premier, balanced and holistic programme of education for high school juniors and seniors. Students experience curriculum designed to develop academic skills in preparation for university study, professional practice, and a lifetime of learning.
The Diploma Programme is shaped and formed by a desire to provide motivated students an education that is:
Pragmatic: a nationally and internationally recognized course of study that provides academic, professional and personal development of the highest caliber.
Idealistic: founded upon the goal of creating a better and more peaceful world through understanding and respect.
Pedagogical: broad-based and developmental, promoting skills of critical and creative thinking while instilling the value of life-long learning.
These goals inform every aspect of the Diploma Programme, creating a cohesive and unified approach to college-preparatory education.
IB Fast Facts
· As of 22 May 2015, there are 2,795 schools offering the DP, in 143 different countries worldwide
· There are 1677 World Schools in the United States. 868 of these schools offer the Diploma Programme.
· 92% of Diploma Programme schools in the United States are public.
· Between December 2009 and December 2014, the number of IB programme offered worldwide grew by 46.35%.
Winter Park's International Baccalaureate Programme was started in 1985 and is one of the first diploma programmes in Florida
Worldwide, approximately 80% of the candidates attempting to earn the IB diploma are successful. At Winter Park the IB Diploma Pass Rate is consistently 92% or higher.
The Programme Core
Theory of Knowledge
The theory of knowledge (TOK) requirement offers students and teachers the opportunity to reflect critically on different ways of knowing and areas of knowledge, and to consider the role and nature of knowledge in their own culture, in the cultures of others and in the wider world. As a reflective inquiry into different ways of knowing, and into different kinds of knowledge, TOK provides coherence for each student's Diploma Programme. Exploration of the nature of knowledge in TOK transcends and links academic subject areas, demonstrating for students the ways in which they can apply their own knowledge with greater awareness and credibility.
The Extended Essay
This core requirement provides an opportunity for students to engage in an in-depth study of a question of interest within a chosen subject. The extended essay is an independent, self-directed piece of research, culminating in a 4,000- word paper. It provides practical preparation for the kinds of research required at the college-level. Emphasis is placed on the research process, on the appropriate formulation of a research question, on selection and development of an appropriate methodology, on personal engagement in the exploration of the topic, and on communication of ideas and development of argument. It develops the capacity to analyze, synthesize and evaluate knowledge. Students are supported and encouraged throughout the research and writing with advice and guidance from a supervisor.
Creativity, Action, Service
Education does not begin or end in the classroom. Creativity, action, service (CAS) provides a framework for experiential learning and reflection about that learning. This process of application and reflection provides an opportunity to extend what is learned in the classroom and, in turn, for the CAS experience to have an impact on classroom learning. All CAS activities are intended to develop self-confidence, commitment, determination, and to broaden horizons and enrich experience. The service component is particularly important as it is hoped that experiential learning through service will develop lifelong compassion and a willingness to help others. Educating the whole person also includes exposure to artistic, recreational and sporting activities and the enjoyment of purposeful leisure.
Examinations and Assessments
A wide variety of approaches to assessment are used to provide students with suitable contexts in which to demonstrate their capabilities. Internal assessments-language exercises, portfolios, presentations, laboratory work, performances- aim to evaluate student achievement against objectives that do not lend themselves to external written examinations or tests. These are administered and graded by the classroom teacher. Standardized examinations, taken at the end of the course of study, are externally graded. Objective tests comprising a set of multiple-choice questions (similar to Advanced Placement Exams) are occasionally used as well as short-answer questions, structured questions, extended- response questions, essay questions, data-analysis questions, text-analysis questions, and case-study questions.
Each subject is graded on a scale from one point (lowest) to seven points (highest), with three possible points for performance in TOK and the extended essay. Therefore, forty-five points are possible. The minimum score needed to gain the Diploma is twenty-four points, provided that certain conditions are met.
The Diploma Programme Curriculum
A distinguishing characteristic of Winter Park High School, shared by the International Baccalaureate, is a concern for the whole educational experience of each student. The Diploma Program framework and its supporting structures and principles are designed to ensure that each student is exposed to a broad and balanced curriculum.
Six Areas of Study
Students must study six courses. These include two language courses (groups 1 and 2), one course from individuals and societies (group 3), one experimental science (group 4), one mathematics course (group 5) , and one course in the arts.(group 6). Students may elect to take an additional course in either group 3 or 4 in lieu of a group 6 course. What does this look at Winter Park?
Preparation for college
The Diploma Programme allows each student to specialize in subject areas that appeal to them, or anticipated areas of study at college. Specialization is encouraged by expecting students to study three subjects at a higher level (HL) and the rest of the six courses at the standard level (SL). HL courses are taken over two academic years (250 hours of class time) and SL courses are taken over one academic year (150 hours of class time).
A Unified Learning Experience
The Diploma Programme is a discipline-based course of study. Each academic discipline provides its own methodological framework that students understand and use. This understanding is essential in order to provide a deep appreciation of the nature of an academic discipline as well as a solid foundation for future university-level work. However, students are also expected to make connections between different academic disciplines. They do not learn, and should not learn, subjects in isolation. For this reason, at the heart of the Diploma Programme is the Learner Profile, surrounded by the programme core requirements, visually representing the approach of an IB education-unified learning experiences. Teachers and schools help students make meaningful connections between different disciplines by providing learning environments that support this process. Concurrency of learning in the Diploma Programme is expected as it provides one important mechanism to support interdisciplinary learning.
Typical Freshman Year Schedule
Class 01: Pre-IB English I
Class 02: AP Human Geography
Class 03: Mathematics:
Student must complete math through Geometry by the end of Freshman Year.
Class 04: Science: Pre IB Biology
Class 05: World Language: Spanish or French
Class 06: Elective:
Class 07: Elective:
Typical Sophomore Year Schedule
Class 01: Pre-IB English II
Class 02: AP European History
Class 03: Mathematics: Algebra 2 or Higher
Class 04: Science:
Class 05: Language B:
Class 06: Elective:
Class 07: Elective:
Typical Junior Year Schedule
Class 01: Year 1 of HL Course: IB English III / AP English Literature
Class 02: Year 1 of HL Course: IB History of the Americas
Class 03: Year 1 of HL Course:
Class 04: SL:
Class 05: SL or SL Prerequisite:
Class 06: SL or SL Prerequisite:
Class 07: Elective:
Typical Senior Year Schedule
Class 01: HL: IB English IV
Class 02: HL: IB Contemporary History II
Class 03: HL: This is determined from Junior Year course selections
Class 04: IB Theory of Knowledge
Class 05: Additional IB SL Course:
Class 06: Additional IB SL Course or Non-IB Elective:
Class 07: Elective:
University Recognition
The Diploma Programme has become a leading, internationally recognized pre-university qualification. A student who satisfies the requirements for the Diploma has demonstrated independent study skills, developed a broad range of academic skills, studied at least three disciplines in depth, engaged with interdisciplinary ideas, reflected on the nature of human knowledge in an international context and taken part in social, physical, and creative pursuits beyond the classroom. The concept of educating the whole person distinguishes the Diploma Programme from many other upper secondary programmes and provides an excellent preparation for university study.
Rick Shaw, Admissions Officer, Stanford University;
"Project based learning, encouraging students to pursue double emphasis, promoting integrated learning in the liberal arts, Way of Thinking/Ways of Doing class; there are a lot of cross disciplinary teaching, they have done a lot of studies on the outcome of IB and have found that they are advanced learners, they believe being full diploma prepares students the very best for work at Stanford."
How to Achieve the IB Diploma
Effective: May 2015
All assessment components for each of the six subjects and the additional Diploma requirement must be completed in order to qualify for the award of the IB diploma.
The IB Diploma will be awarded to a candidate provided ALL of the following requirements have been met.
1. CAS requirements have been met.
2. The candidate has earned at least 24 points.
3. There are no “N” grades for Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay or for a contributing subject.
4. There are no “E” grades for Theory of Knowledge and/or the Extended Essay.
5. There are no “1” grades for any subject/level.
6. There are at most two “2” grades earned (HL or SL).
7. There are at most three “3” or lower grades earned (HL or SL).
8. The candidate earns at least 12 points on HL subjects (or the highest three HL grades for those who have 4 HL courses).
9. The candidate earns at least 9 points on SL subjects (candidates who register for two SL subjects must earn at least 5 points).