The International Baccalaureate (IB) program is a two-year educational system aimed at sophomores and juniors that focuses more on learning objectives. The IB program separates itself from programs like Advanced Placement (AP) by advocating for more long term work over a two year course load in comparison to AP classes at North.
Bill Heinmiller, curriculum coordinator of the IB program, describes the IB program as a rewarding “two-year academic program which prepares students for university while helping them develop creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills that will help them excel in their studies and their lives beyond the classroom,” Heinmiller said. The IB program is known for its rigor, similar to AP courses, but requires more hands-on experience to complete, including essays and other projects.
The IB website describes its curriculum and diploma program as made up of six subject groups and courses, comprising theory of knowledge (TOK), creativity, activity, service (CAS) and an extended 4,000-word essay on a topic of their choosing.
At North, counselors and colleges have offered classes like Advanced Placement, College Credit Plus, and Honors across all three schools. However, both Central and North Westerville schools lack the IB program, which is offered at South.
The program also requires significant effort from teachers, who must undergo extra training to teach these courses.
Matthew Wolfe, South’s theatre IB teacher, says most “teachers have to take specific training, and all of that is district paid for, for the most part.” Teachers must attend workshops for IB for the specific course they will be teaching depending on their skill level. Each course has a detailed curriculum to follow, similar to AP, but requires additional training for instructors.
These workshops could include the Primary Years Program (PYP), Middle Years Program (MYP), or the Diploma Program (DP). The Diploma Program is the main program offered at high schools like Westerville South.
IB workshops are offered worldwide, with major hubs in Florida, California and abroad, providing teachers with the most accessibility. Teachers must have been teaching for a minimum of two to three years and must possess a strong knowledge of their course material through a degree or its equivalent.
Heinmiller explains that the program was established at Westerville South because of a “grassroots effort of educators from our school who researched and applied to be accredited as an IB World School over 20 years ago. The idea has always been to make the IB program available to all Westerville students who are interested,” Heinmiller said.
In addition to the history established at Westerville South, cost is a significant factor in maintaining and training teachers for the IB program. Wolfe said, “There are outside district fees associated with it, which is [probably] why most districts name one school as the IB school.” The average cost of the workshops is around $2,300, and schools are charged accordingly based on the program they are teaching.
Similar to the training for teachers, schools teaching and managing IB must pay an annual fee. According to the IB website, schools are charged around $12,660 annually for the Diploma Program.
“Well over 80% of our IB Diploma candidates successfully earn the diploma, and 75% of our course candidates earn a four or higher on the course assessments (on a seven-point scale),” Heinmiller said.
Like AP, IB uses a larger scale for college credit. AP scores range from one to five, with five being the highest and three the minimum passing score. IB scores range from one to seven, with a score of four being the minimum required for college credit.
There are no current plans to bring IB to North or Central, but that doesn’t mean North or Central students can’t participate in IB classes. Students often travel between schools in the Westerville area to take classes like AP Calculus 2 at Central or AP Computer Science A at South.
For other Westerville students, open enrollment at South for the IB program is still frequently utilized. “Each year, IB students from North and Central make up approximately 15-20% of our IB candidates,” Heinmiller said.