IB Diploma Pathways

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IB Diploma Pathways

• How to plan your junior and senior years in Mira
  Lomas IB Program, 2008

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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.

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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.

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Mira Lomas 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.

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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.

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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.

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Mira Lomas IB Pathways
IB Certificate Program Mira Loma Associate IB Program IB Diploma Program
Students taking between one and three IB courses are considered IB certificate students. MLA students take four exams, do 100 hours of CAS and take IB Theory of Knowledge. Diploma students take 6 exams, do 150 hours of CAS, take TOK and write an Extended Essay.
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Three Different IB Students
IB Certificate Program Students Mira Loma Associate Program students IB Diploma Students
Most often these are students with one or two areas of academic passion. MLA students generally love school but have sports or music or something else they love just as much. Diploma students are dedicated and highly organized young people whose primary focus in life is academics.
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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.

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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 Lomas 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.

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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.

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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.

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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
  youll 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.

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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

Studies Methods Higher Level
Pre-calculus class for students who are not focused on math Class includes calculus statistics For strong math students Applica-tions of calculus, higher math for excep-tional math students
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Standard Higher Level

• 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.

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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.

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Sample Diploma Schedule A Two Tests in Junior
Year
Junior Fall Junior Spring Senior Fall Senior Spring
English HL English HL English HL English HL - Test
Lang B SL Lang B SL - Test IB TOK IB TOK
History HL History HL History HL History HL - Test
Math SL Math SL - Test Dist Requirement or Open period Dist Requirement or Open period
BIO HL BIO HL BIO HL BIO HL - Test
Dist Requirement or Elective Dist Requirement or Elective Art SL Art SL - Test
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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.

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Sample Diploma Schedule BOne Test in Junior Year
Junior Fall Junior Spring Senior Fall Senior Spring
English HL English HL English HL English HL - Test
Lang B SL Lang B SL Lang B SL Lang B SL - Test
History HL History HL History HL History HL - Test
Math SL Math SL - Test TOK TOK
Env Systems SL Env Systems SL Env Systems SL Env Systems SL - Test
Theater Arts HL Theater Arts HL Theater Arts HL Theater Arts HL - Test
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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.

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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.

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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_at_sanjuan.edu) or
  discuss your options with Mrs. Adams if you have
  questions.