IB Diploma Pathways

1. IB Diploma Pathways How to plan your junior and senior years in Mira Loma’s IB Program, 2008

2. The Mission of IB • The International Baccalaureate Organization 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 IBO 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. The IB Learner Profile • Inquirers They develop their natural curiosity. • Knowledgeable They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. • Thinkers They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions. • Principled They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. • Open-minded They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. • Caring They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. • Risk-takers They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. • Balanced They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others. • Reflective They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience.

4. Mira Loma’s Objectives • We want every Mira Loma IB student to take as many IB classes and tests as are appropriate given his or her background, work ethic and talent. • We want every student to be challenged, and no student to be overwhelmed. • We want IB to work for every student who chooses to challenge him or herself with IB classes and exams. • We want every student to find the right IB pathway for him or her.

5. The Right Pathway • Provides academic challenges which are interesting and manageable. • Gives students a sense of their role in the global community. • Allows students to pursue the extra curricular interests which matter most to them. • Results in hard working, but generally happy and successful students. • Aids students in achieving other life goals.

6. The Wrong Pathway • Creates an unmanageable work load for our students. • Can create problems with SJUSD graduation requirements. • Damages grade point average. • Can create students who are discouraged and, sometimes, depressed. • Can result in failure to obtain the diploma, to graduate from high school or both.

7. Mira Loma’s IB Pathways

8. Three Different IB Students

9. IB Diploma Students • Successful IB Diploma Students choose the diploma path for themselves. They have great maturity and deep internal motivation to succeed at the highest academic level possible. • Diploma students who lack that internal motivation generally have a very difficult time in the junior and senior years. • Diploma students who lack internal motivation jeopardize their grade point average. This can have a detrimental effect on college admission.

10. IB Student Outcomes • Our IB students – IB certificate, ML Associate and Diploma – end up in the same colleges – sometimes in the same majors. • When asked about IB later in life, the great benefit our alumni cite is being well-prepared for college. • Most of Mira Loma’s IB students – roughly 60% - go on to UC campuses. San Diego, Los Angeles and Berkeley are the most popular. • 15 – 20% of our students go to private schools of all types. • The remaining students go to community college, then transfer to four year schools.

11. Advice for IB Certificate Students • Take only those classes which reflect your own passion. Test in those classes – it can do you a world of good and virtually no harm. • Consider IB classes as a way to begin your college work in your major area only – art or math or music or whatever. • Relax about your schedule; we can almost always make it work if you have only one or two IB classes.

12. Advice for Mira Loma Associate Students • Choose four areas that interest you. • Choose at least two of those as Higher Level testing (2 years of course work required). • Include mathematics. • Be aware that some of our standard level classes require two years: IB Environmental Systems and IB Language B, especially Japanese, Mandarin, and Spanish. • Be sure to check your schedule with Mrs. Adams and /or Mr. Mathews for conflicts.

13. Advice for IB Diploma Students • Choose your standard level exams first. Two in the junior year is ideal, one is workable but difficult. Zero exams in the junior year means no diploma. • Next, choose your three higher levels carefully – you’ll be committing to two years in each subject. These should be subjects you love and which come naturally to you. • Start your CAS and EE early – a good beginning is half the battle.

14. Math Sequencing • We have three testing options for Math at Mira Loma: Math Studies, Math Methods and Higher Math. • All three lead to the IB Diploma

15. Standard Level means Roughly 150 hours of classroom instruction Usually one year of course work*. Internal Assessment required. Usually two parts to exam. *except IB Environmental Systems Higher Level Means Roughly 200 hours of classroom instruction Two years of course work. Internal Assessment required. Usually three parts to exam. Standard & Higher Level

16. Filling the Slots • You have six slots to fill in each semester of your junior and senior years. (See Mr. Mathews’ form.) • As a diploma student, you also have six exams to take plus IB Theory of Knowledge in your senior year. • The easiest way to get all of this done is to think about testing in your junior year. The next slide shows what I mean. • You can take ONE 2 year SL sequence and still get the diploma. If you take TWO 2 year SL sequences you cannot complete the diploma.

17. Sample Diploma Schedule A Two Tests in Junior Year

18. Sample Diploma Schedule A • This schedule works well for students because there are two exams taken in the junior year. This frees up two slots in the junior and two slots in the senior year. • What this means is that this student – or any student who takes two exams in the junior year – has options to finish district requirements, take an elective or have an open period. • This schedule is possible with different classes – so long as you take two one year SL courses.

19. Sample Diploma Schedule BOne Test in Junior Year

20. Sample Diploma Schedule B • Do you see how going to one test in the junior year changes things? This student – or any student who takes only one exam in the junior year – runs the risk of having no open slots for district requirements or electives in the senior year. • Students who take only one exam in the junior year often have trouble with district requirements for graduation. • Another factor which pushes five exams into the senior year is Language B. Students who have completed the requisite hours in a single level Language B class are entitled to test at the appropriate level.

21. One Year vs Two Year SLs • One year SL Classes include the following: • Economics, Math Studies, Math SL, Physics SL, Chemistry SL • Classes which may be two-year SLs • Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, Theater Arts, Music, Art • Two year SL classes • Environmental Systems • If you are a diploma candidate you must choose your SL classes carefully. Two 2 year SLs means you cannot complete the IB Diploma at Mira Loma.

22. Next Steps • 1. Choose your pathway: Partial, ML Associate or Diploma. • 2. Once you know your pathway, plan your SL exams. Diploma students must take at least one SL in the junior year. • 3. Plan your HL exams – these are all 2 year courses of study. • 4. Fill out Mr. Mathews’ Diploma Program Form, be sure to have your parents sign it. • 5. Bring the form to Mr. Mathews’ office in M2. • 6. Sign up for your classes. You can always email Mr. Mathews (dmathews@sanjuan.edu) or discuss your options with Mrs. Adams if you have questions.