THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE :A PROGRAM FOR GIFTED SECONDARY STUDENTS
This article suggests the International
Baccalaureate Program (lB) as an alternative
secondary program for gifted youth. After tracing the history of
the lB Program from its inception in Europe in the early fifties
to its establishment in North America, comparing the lB program
to other programs such as the Advanced Placement program,
and outlining the lB curriculum and requirements, the article shows how the lB Program
appropriately meets the needs of academically gifted secondary students.
In a society where one
expects to change careers several times within one's lifetime and concomitant
family moves across and between nations makes continuity of schooling a
priority, an educational program that is recognized
internationally becomes attractive. The International
Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) program meets not only the need for
schooling continuity but also the needs of academically gifted secondary youth.
To achieve a better understanding of the lB program as an
alternative for academically gifted secondary students, the authors trace it's
development, compare it with other programs, and show how the IB
curriculum adheres to the principles of a differentiated curriculum.
The initiators of the International
Baccalaureate Diploma program (IB), a secondary program
developed to meet the educational needs of a highly mobile society of
multi-nationals throughout Europe, had three types of students in mind: the
student living abroad, the native student returning from abroad, and the native
student likely to go abroad (Renaud 1974). Until the time of inauguration of the
IB program there had been no single curriculum acceptable to all
European nations, and the problems associated with schools running several
curricula simultaneously (e.g., national schools with international
sections, schools with parallel national sections) made this type of school
operation unacceptable.
In the early fifties, the
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization founded the International
Schools' Association (ISA) and gave it several contracts "to study
practical ways of harmonizing curricula and methods for the development of international
understanding" (Renaud, 1974, p. 4). In 1963, ISA received a grant from the
Twentieth Century Fund to develop a common curriculum and examination program
that would meet the admission requirements of any university that a student
should choose to attend. In 1965, the International Schools'
Examination Syndicate was established; it later became the International
Baccalaureate Office with headquarters in Geneva. An international
board of examiners was formed with the collaboration of inspectors of education,
university professors and secondary school teachers (Renaud, 1974).
From 1964 to 1969, the IB program
(in its construction phase) administered trial examinations with no official
certificate value. However, in 1970, the first examinations were held for
complete diplomas or certificates albeit the trial examinations continued. The
experimental operation period ended in 1974 (Renaud, 1974).
The IB program
grew from 20 schools in 1970 to 350 schools in 53 countries in 1987 (International
Baccalaureate North America [IBNA], 1987a). One school that
adopted the IB curriculum was the United Nations International
School (UNIS) in New York. Fox (1985) noted that the school's IB enrollment had
grown from 20 or so in 1968 to over 100 out of 140 in 1971; the director of UNIS
attributed this increase to IB's intellectual challenge and to it's methods
(e.g. the Extended Essay and the oral examinations).
The United World Colleges (UWC),
a chain of international schools, also uses the lB program.
These schools grant scholarships to gifted students selected by national
committees in countries throughout the world (Fox, 1985). The two UWC schools
located in North America are Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific in British
Columbia, Canada, and the United World College of the American West in New
Mexico, U.S.A. The United World Colleges are boarding schools located in
relatively remote areas.
Fox (1985) noted that by
1983, 32 schools in Canada and 78 schools in the United States offered the IB program;
she also noted the 20% annual growth rate in IB schools in North America at that
time.
What were some of the
determining factors in a school's decision to adopt the IB program?
Referring to a survey conducted by UNIS, Fox (1985), answered: "...
academic excellence, the challenge inherent in the syllabus, the appeal to
gifted students, the opportunity to upgrade and enrich the curriculum schoolwide,
international features, and the integrated structure of the IB program
of studies" (p. 64). Upon interviewing two IB school coordinators, Freeman
(1987), found that one school's enrollment had increased due to foreign
businessmen moving into the area in order to get an education for their children
that would be recognized in their own country. The other school's adoption of
the IB program had upgraded it to a model school status
(delegations from schools bent on upgrading their own schools had been arriving
to see the IB program first hand). The Chandler High School
report provided yet another rationale for instituting the IB program:
"it provides a set curriculum that has international
status, is high in quality, and has an externally verifiable set of standards
and evaluations" (Chandler High School, 1982, p.79).
The number of universities
throughout the world granting admission, advanced placement, or credit for the
full lB Diploma or for particular IB courses provides evidence of IB's high
educational standards. IBNA (1987b) published a pamphlet that outlined the
recognition policies of 80 North American universities. The following examples
taken from this pamphlet illustrate these recognition policies:
Harvard-Radcliffe College:
"Students at Harvard and Radcliffe are eligible for sophomore standing by
completing the full International Baccalaureate
Diploma and obtaining 6 or 7 in their three Higher level subjects" (p. 8).
Princeton University:
"Princeton recognizes the lB and uses examination results for advanced
placement purposes only. A score of 6 or 7 on the Higher level examinations
normally results in advanced placement" (p. 14).
McGill University: "The
IB Diploma is considered a credential for admission with scores of 5 or higher
in each subject. Credit may be granted for the Higher level courses only, with
up to 19 credits awarded for each subject" (p.27).
University of Alberta:
"The IB Diploma is recognized for admission, provided the Diploma courses
cover requirements of the particular program to which a student
is applying. Credit or advanced placement is given for many Higher level and
some Subsidiary level subjects" (p. 28).
When Harlan P. Hanson,
director of the Advanced Placement Program (AP) program
and a founder and member of IBNA, compared the AP (developed by the College
Entrance Examination Board) with IB with respect to rigor and acceptance of
courses by universities and colleges, he pointed out that one difference between
AP and lB is reflected in their aims: whereas AP prepares students for college
work in the United States, IB prepares students for an international
range of universities. Also, though lB is more international
than AP in its treatment of history and language, both programs
offer similar courses in math and science. Further, a difference appears in the
philosophical approaches: lB prescribes structure for all, whereas, AP believes
that the school should decide what the student ought to learn. Finally, though
least significant, IB costs considerably more than AP in terms of time and money
(Freeman 1987). In 1991 the IB program in Alberta cost the
following Canadian dollars: school affiliation fee $8400; diploma candidate fee
$160; certificate candidate fee $120; each written examination $49; oral
examination English $20; oral examination French $20; extended essay $30. On the
other hand, each AP written examination cost $60; AP did not have oral
examinations.
Despite the differences
between AP and IB, they are on the same level with respect to advanced standing
at colleges in the United States (Chandler High School, 1982).
The IB program
is more well rounded compared with special schools such as the North Carolina
School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM). Whereas the NCSSM program
emphasizes math and science, the IB program emphasizes no
particular subjects. The quality of the courses in both programs
is high; NCSSM offers courses that include AP material so that students can, if
they so desire, take the AP examinations (Ellbet & Warshaw, 1988).
The IB program
contrasts sharply with programs that emphasize acceleration such
as the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY), a program
initiated by Julian Stanley at Johns Hopkins University in the early seventies.
SMPY led to talent searches that identify able learners at the age of 12 who are
then given an accelerated program in advanced mathematics. As a
consequence, these able learners can take freshman college courses at a much
earlier age (Daniel & Cox, 1985; Stanley & Benbow, 1982). The IB
approach, on the other hand, stresses balance in education between literary and
scientific disciplines to keep all options open for as long as possible (Renaud,
1974).
Poelzer (1994) compared the
syllabi of the IB and Alberta science programs and found that
the Higher Level IB program contains relatively more content at
more abstract and complex levels than does the Subsidiary Level IB program.
The same is true of the Subsidiary Level lB program compared
with the regular Alberta program. The analysis of test items in
the respective courses corroborated this phenomenon. Further, many universities
recognize the high caliber of the Higher Level lB courses: 60 of the 65
universities in the United States that accept IB courses for either credit, or
advanced placement or both, accept only Higher Level lB courses; one university
accepts courses at the Subsidiary Level; the remaining universities negotiate on
an individual basis. A parallel situation is evident in Canada: 12 of 15
universities accept Higher Level IB courses, two universities accept Subsidiary
Level courses, and one university negotiates on an individual basis (IBNA,
1987b).
The philosophy underlying the
IB curriculum emphasizes the development of the "whole man". Renaud
(1974) quoted a 1970 brochure: "the main principles of the system can thus
be seen to be flexibility and the impossibility of early and undue
specialization, before a pupil is of an age genuinely to appreciate the
direction of his ultimate academic goal ... his education will be on the lines
of developing the 'whole man', who is so often neglected in other school
patterns of study" (p. 13). The curriculum reflects this philosophy by
offering a program that has both breadth and depth. Bruce (1987)
observed that the IB is eclectic in that it maximizes choice (American model),
offers depth at a level of university freshmen or sophomores (British model),
and includes major areas of arts, sciences, and technologies (French model). The
IB Diploma candidates choose one subject from each of the following categories:
Language A (First Language)
(includes the study of world literature.)
Language B (Second Language)
Study of Man in Society (includes History, Geography, Economics, Philosophy,
Psychology, and Social Anthropology.)
Experimental Sciences
(includes Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Physical Science, Experimental
Psychology, and Environmental Systems.)
Mathematics
(includes Higher Level with
Further Mathematics, Mathematics and Computing, and Mathematical Studies.)
Sixth Subject
(includes Art/Design, Music,
Computing Studies, Classical Languages, or a School-Based syllabus. May also
include another subject studied from groups I, 2, 3, or 4.) (IBNA, 1987a, p. 3).
The IB Diploma students take
three subjects at the Higher Level and three at the Subsidiary Level or, a
maximum of four at the Higher level and two at the Subsidiary Level. This
arrangement allows for depth in some subjects and breadth in others. Higher
Level examinations follow two years of study, whereas Subsidiary Level
examinations follow one year. (In Alberta, examinations at either level follow
two years of study.)
The IB Diploma candidates
also take a course called the Theory of Knowledge. This course focuses on
critical thinking; it examines the nature of evidence and the strength of
judgments based on this evidence in such diverse fields as mathematics,
aesthetics, morals, and so on (Peterson, 1977). Students are expected to apply
this reflective thought to areas outside the classroom.
Two further requirements
complete the IB Diploma program: the Extended Essay and the
participation in a creative, aesthetic, or social service (CASS) endeavor. The
Extended Essay requires an independent study of a topic within any subject area
that the student chooses, the length of the essay to be approximately 4000
words. The CASS activity broadens the student's learning experiences; it
requires about one-half day per week for the full school year.
IB schools must offer the
full IB Diploma; however, some students (Certificate students) may register for
and receive IB Certificates in only several courses of their choice (Freeman,
1987). Certificate students require neither the Theory of Knowledge, the
Extended Essay, nor the CASS component.
Regarding time allotment,
Peterson (1983), suggested that Higher level courses require five classes per
week over a two year period whereas Subsidiary level courses require five
classes per week over one year. (Alberta lB schools allot Higher Level and
Subsidiary Level courses equal time ranging from 125 to 150 hours of instruction
per year over a two year period.)
Each IB course, except Theory
of Knowledge and CASS, is subjected to an external examination that determines
80% of the grade; internal teacher examinations make up the remaining 20%.
Grades range from 1 (poor) to 7 (excellent). Depending on the subject, the
examinations include various combinations of oral, written, or practical work (IBNA,
1987a).
The sciences allot a
specified amount of time to laboratory work. Teachers assess the laboratory
performance of students and send samples of students' work (below average,
average, and above average) to lB examiners who monitor the standard of this
laboratory work. Every October, teachers from the United States and Canada meet
with IB examiners and experienced lB teachers to learn about course
requirements.
The world-wide spread of the
lB program is evidence of its acceptance by a mobile society
that desires continuity in education at the secondary level and a rigorous program
that permits access to universities around the globe. But the lB program
has more assets than rigor, its curriculum is flexible, and varied enough to
meet many of the needs of gifted secondary students.
Public Law 97-35 defines
gifted and talented children as "children who give evidence of high
performance capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic,
leadership capacity or specific academic fields and who require services or
activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop such
capabilities" (Sec. 582).
Through its Diploma or
Certificate programs, the lB offers intellectually able
secondary students the opportunity to pursue depth in three (or in some cases
four) Higher level subject areas and to explore breadth in three Subsidiary
level courses, and students gifted in one or two specific academic fields the
opportunity to pursue depth in those areas.
Poelzer (1994) interviewed
eleven IB science teachers regarding the learning characteristics of students in
lB. He found that albeit these teachers taught in seven different schools in two
cities in Alberta, their responses were similar: All teachers' descriptions of
the students in IB were typical of the lists of characteristics of gifted
children found in text books dealing with gifted children and included high
levels of motivation, task commitment, questing, desire to understand,
intelligence, management skills, and independence. One chemistry teacher stated
that students in IB can learn in two weeks what students in the regular
curriculum require a month to learn, and can learn same concepts at a university
level in three weeks. Students in IB take a considerable amount of
responsibility for their own learning, and assist each other through small group
and seminar activities.
Thus, the IB program
provides the opportunity for intellectually able students to interact with their
intellectual peers and to experience a relatively abstract, complex, and fast
paced curriculum.
The IB curriculum also meets
the needs of students gifted in areas other than the typical math, social
studies, language arts, and science by providing rigorous curricula in music,
computing studies, classical languages, and art. In addition, it shows
flexibility by accepting a school-based syllabus. These curricula meet needs of
students identified by Public Law 97-35 and by Gardner (1983) who proposed a
model depicting seven intelligences: Logical-Mathematical, Linguistic, Spatial,
Bodily-Kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal. Further, Feldhusen
(1992), who encourages educators to be concerned with identifying and developing
talents, provided a model for talent development in secondary schools. This
model identifies four domains: Academic-Intellectual, Vocational-Technical,
Interpersonal-Social, and Artistic; and lists several categories representative
of each domain. For example, talents to be developed within the Artistic Domain
include but are not limited to dance, music, drama, graphics, sculpture, and
photography.
Anderson's (1994) discussion
of the lB art curriculum clearly shows that this curriculum adheres to the
principles of a curriculum appropriate for the gifted and talented advanced by
the National/State Leadership Training Institute on the Gifted and Talented
(cited in Clark, 1994):
Anderson (1994), who is an IB
examiner, points out that the criteria for achievement in studio work is
weighted 65% for independent, creative, and critical thinking including student
self-evaluation ability. The remaining 35% pertains to design, technical skill,
and media use. And the criteria for achievement in research notebooks reflects
75% for independent, creative, and critical thinking, while 25% on historical,
cultural, and social contexts (which indirectly inform and direct critical
thinking). In their research work, the students in IB focus on theme-based
problems that they generate themselves. They develop and examine theme-based
problems that are significant to themselves and to the social or cultural
context. Anderson provided several examples of student research. One example
described how a student researched Pre-Columbian petroglyphs in the Rio Loa
Valley in Chile by first recording her personal experiences with the petroglyphs,
environment, and culture in that area; and then critically analyzing and
evaluating the petroglyphs using historical and anthropological references. This
procedure was followed by experimenting with spray painting hand prints in the
manner of primitive artists and inventing personal hieroglyphs and symbols. The
student later attended art shows, talked to artists whose interests were similar
to hers, and recorded pictures of their work as well as what they told her. Her
interests began to include contemporary environmental art and artists and she
examined archetypal art forms such as the spiral. She developed her own spiral
imagery, first, through emulating others' work, then, through generating her own
ideas. She continued to explore.
Another student combined
comic books, mechanical drawing, and world affairs into a new product: two comic
books. One comic book involved future political upheaval in South America and
the political reorganization of both North and South America. After researching
comic books (including those from other cultures), auto magazines, and computer
journals, the student invented his own motor vehicles and characters. He used
his friends as models. The student also incorporated computer images and
designed computer environments for his characters. He sought interaction and
discussion at trade fairs, computer stores and the like.
The final example showed how
a student explored computer graphic arts. The student traced computer graphics
back to its roots, discovered Escher, began connecting art and mathematics;
then, using Escher as a model, created computer graphics of animal subjects.
Later, he researched computer-generated art by visiting art galleries that
display this type of art and by talking to the artists. He obtained new ideas
for computer-generated art from researching computer generated imagery used, for
example, in the Indiana Jones adventures. His research regarding the use of
computer imagery with x-rays and with oil spills, led the student to further
explore computer programming and commercial designing. His goal was to become
the world's greatest computer-artist.
Although these examples deal
with the IB art curriculum, opportunities for individual enrichment are also
available in other subject areas through the Extended Essay or subject projects.
Choudhury (1994) who attended an IB school in Washington, D.C. commented on how
the Extended Essay, in which she compared three Indian authors, broadened her
knowledge of literature. In her math project, she combined math content with her
interest in psychology by conducting a study on attitudes that employed a
statistical analysis of the data.
One sees from these examples
how the IB Art curriculum engages the principles of a differentiated curriculum.
The criteria for achievement are based on independent higher level thinking
skills and self-evaluation. The research involves theme-based problems within a
social or cultural context, integration of multiple disciplines, mutually
reinforcing experiences, in-depth learning, production of "new" ideas,
and the development of self-understanding.
In conclusion, secondary
schools searching for a viable program to meet needs of gifted
and talented students might well consider the advantages of the lB Program:
The complex, abstract, and fast paced curricula; the external (world class)
examinations; the Creative, Aesthetic, or Social Services component; the Theory
of Knowledge component; the Extended Essay component; the Diploma or Certificate
options; the relative flexibility regarding selection of curricular materials;
the emphasis on international understanding and harmony; and the
meeting of the admission requirements of many universities throughout the world
makes the IB Program one worthy of consideration.
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~~~~~~~~
By G. Harold Poelzer and John
F. Feldhusen
G. Harold Poelzer is Assistant Professor, Gifted Education, Department of Educational Psychology, at The University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg. John F. Feldhusen is Distinguished Professor of Education, Director of the Purdue Gifted Education Institute, Purdue University, West Lafayette, indiana