Bring the IB to South Orange - Maplewood Schools!

The IB Addresses the Achievement Gap

Though the International Baccalaureate Program began as a program for overseas families in private schools, that is no longer so. 90% of IB programs in North America are in public schools, many of them servicing diverse socio-economic populations.

For instance, North Miami Senior High School, in North Miami, FL, 97% of students minority with a 93% minority participation rate in the Diploma Program are minority. Rufus King High School in Milwaukee, WI, which is 70% minority, has a 47% minority participation rate. David Starr Jordan High School, in Long Beach, CA, is 96% minority, where many of the students are first-generation high school students, has a 100% participation rate of minority students in the Diploma Program.

5 of the NASSP Breakthrough High Schools are IB schools. (Breakthrough High Schools are high poverty, high minority schools that demonstrate successful strategies for improving student achievement, raising graduation and college acceptance rates.)

IB has been shown to be an effective way to prepare and bring more minority students into challenging coursework. This is because:

IB offers curriculum, standards, and professional development opportunities for teachers:

  • Professional development for teachers
  • Social network for support of students in challenging courses
  • Creating opportunities and high expectations for minority participation in advanced courses
  • Strong curriculum

Research has shown that schools that succeed in narrowing the achievement gap share certain qualities:

A strong curriculum beginning in early grades and aligned with what students need to know for advanced coursework in high school will prepare more students for higher achievement.  However, curriculum, standards and teacher training alone will not narrow the achievement gap in SOMA schools.

Issues to consider in recruiting and retaining more students in advanced programs:

  • Variety of courses and subjects taught
  • Tutoring
  • Summer Institutes
  • Mentoring
  • Guidance counseling
  • Culture of high expectations
  • Participation in a network of schools, such as the Minority Student Achievement Network