FAIRHOPE, Ala.— The International Baccalaureate Program, IB, serves as a non-profit organization that offers students challenging academic courses compared to other high school courses such as regular, honors and AP. Fairhope High Schools IB program maintains high completion rates with most kids completing the program and earning their IB diploma.
“Every single student who has graduated with the IB diploma comes back after their first semester of college and tells us how incredibly easy their first semester was. This success is attributed to the preparation our IB teachers give to their students,” said Cammie Adams, IB counselor.
IB consists of four different types of programs including the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, Diploma Programme and the Career-related Programme. Fairhope High School offers the Middle Years Programme for freshman and sophomores followed by the Diploma Programme for juniors and seniors.
Daphne High School and FHS, the only two Baldwin County schools certified, offer the IB. Public grants, donations, gifts and local legislative promises fund the programs.
“The IB program has been a great way for me to learn how to balance both my class work and my life outside of school. It has also been something that challenges me everyday to think critically and go below surface level thoughts,” said Lilly Hollimon, IB senior.
Schools are only allowed to teach the IB curriculum by achieving the official IB authorization process. This authorization includes teacher training, application to be an IB world school and consistent site visits.
“This success is attributed to the preparation our IB teachers give to their students. It takes a dedicated and self-driven student to find success in the IB program,” Adams said.
The IB diploma programme is the commonly used path at FHS and consists of subject groups such as Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) and the extended essay. Students are not only required to keep up with challenging coursework but must have a minimum of 150 service hours over the two-year program.
The purpose for many students in this program is to apply and prepare for Ivy league schools or challenge themselves academically. Students spend two years completing pre-IB classes that offer a smooth and prepared transition to the IB diploma programme.
“The IB program has prepared me for college in ways such as teaching me time management skills and how to approach rigorous class work. I was inspired to join because of the open-minded and diverse environment the program immerses you in,” said Rowan Harrison, IB senior.
The final exams for this four year program consist of external and internal assessments. External assessments include written exams and extended coursework over the year; Internal assessments include in-school tasks, overall 4,000 word extended essay, TOK exhibition and a variety of oral exams.
Merit Scholarship finalists Darwin Hickey, Ethan Sugg and Austin Etheridge have been a part of IB for four years. This exemplifies the success the IB program produces through its hard coursework and college preparation.
To receive the diploma students must meet the following requirements from their final exams: A minimum of 24-45 point score, completion of core components and a scoring above a three on high level and standard level subjects. Students who do not meet these requirements do not receive the diploma yet can still receive certification for individual tasks.
The IB program serves as an academic course that strengthens one’s education and critical thinking skills. The completion of IB shows work ethic, dedication to a student’s education and stands out to universities around the world.
