IB diploma programme (11th-12th)
An IB education is focused on student inquiry and teaching students to think critically and independently and to inquire with care and logic. In the rapidly changing world knowing how to learn, will define success. An IB education encourages students to understand how they learn, and how they connect and apply their learning.
West Sound Academy has offered the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme since 2010.
“There is no other curriculum anywhere that does a superior job of both educating students and inspiring a true and broad-based love of learning.”
-William Shain, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Vanderbilt University
All 11th and 12th grade students take IB courses.
Studies show that participation in IB Diploma courses is the best indicator of success in higher education.
It is the goal of West Sound Academy, through the IB diploma program, to instill in our students the knowledge that will make them better learners and better people so that we send them off into life with the skills they really need to grow and develop in a successful, happy way to reach their full potential.
WSA students experience 100% college acceptance and 90% in to their first choice school. IB Diploma Candidates are 1.5 times more likely to get accepted to their college of choice.
Participation in IB coursework gives distinct advantage to students in the college admission process. Universities around the globe recognize the rigor and value of an IB education and see the IB as the most rigorous program of study in a US high school. Many universities will also award academic credit and scholarship awards for successful examination results in specific subject areas or after completion of the full IB diploma.
The IB’s mission to “develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect” aligns with and expands the West Sound Academy mission. A West Sound Academy IB education focuses on developing the whole student: physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically. Students leave the program ready to excel in university and, more importantly, in a global society.
International Baccalaureate Diploma candidates are expected to do IB coursework in six major areas, including literature, language acquisition, social studies, the experimental sciences, mathematics and an elective of either arts or an additional course from one of the other subject areas.
Three subjects are taken at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. The Diploma Programme has three additional core requirements intended to broaden the educational experience and challenge students to apply what they learn in personally and socially meaningful ways. These requirements include a 4,000-word Extended Essay on a subject of the student's choice; a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course that examines the nature of knowledge and different ways and kinds of knowing; and a requirement called Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) which includes 150 hours of personally and socially relevant activity beyond the classroom and, in many cases, beyond the school.
IB examinations are taken at the end of the two-year program and are marked by external examiners around the world. Internal assessments are administered and marked by classroom teachers over the two years; samples of those are "moderated" by external examiners to assure consistency and quality of assessment. West Sound Academy students may choose to participate in the full IB Diploma Programme, earn certificates in individual subject areas, or focus on completion of the West Sound Academy diploma, which continues to be highly regarded by college and university admissions officers. See: IB Exam Schedule, May 2023
The IB Diploma Programme option is available to all West Sound Academy students enrolled in the 11th- and 12th-grade years.
The IB diploma and certificates are awarded to students who sit for and pass comprehensive exams in May of their senior year and complete all other requirements. IB diplomas and certificates are issued by IB and sent to the candidate and a college of the student's choice in the summer after graduation.
While there are some similarities in that they are both eligible for college credit, there are many differences between the two programs.
International
|
Advanced
|
| Emphasizes process and integration of content across subject areas | Content driven |
| Comprehensive course of study encompassing six areas: language and literature, history, language acquisition, science, math and the arts. | Students choose AP courses that fit their strengths and that are independent of one another. |
| Students also take a class called Theory of Knowledge, write a senior research project called the Extended Essay, and complete 150 CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) hours. | No additional requirements |
| Asks why more than what | Asks what more than why |
| Assessments are graded world-wide with global standards | Exams are graded in the U.S. with American standards |
| Final score (1-7) is determined by many factors, such as papers, orals, and projects, in addition to the written exams. | Final score (1-5) hinges on a single written, largely multiple choice, exam. |
| Only students at approved IB World Schools taking IB courses can register for IB exams. | Students not enrolled in AP courses can register for AP exams |
The IB Diploma Programme option is available to all West Sound Academy students enrolled in the 11th and 12th grade years.
The IB diploma and certificates are awarded to students who sit for and pass comprehensive exams in May of their senior year and complete all other requirements. IB diplomas and certificates are issued by IB and sent to the candidate and a college of the student’s choice in the summer after graduation.
For more information about IB education at West Sound Academy, contact Catherine Freeman, Associate Head of School, at cfreeman@westsoundacademy.org