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International Baccalaureate

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This article is about the organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. For the French baccalauréat programme or the "option internationale du baccalauréat" (a.k.a. French international baccalaureat) examination, see baccalauréat.

The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO), is an international educational foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.[1] Founded in 1968 in Geneva,[2] IB offers three educational programmes for children ages 3–19.[3] The organization's name and logo were changed in 2007 to reflect a new image and for legal reorganization. Consequently, "IB" can refer to the organization itself, any of the three programmes or the diploma or certificates awarded at the end of the diploma programme.[4]

History

Marie-Thérèse Maurette created the framework for what would eventually become the IB Diploma Programme in 1948 when she wrote Is There a Way of Teaching for Peace?, a handbook for UNESCO.[5] In the mid-1960s, a group of teachers from the International School of Geneva (Ecolint) created the International Schools Examinations Syndicate (ISES), which would later become the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).[6] The IB headquarters were officially established in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1968 for the development and maintenance of the Diploma Programme which would "provide an internationally acceptable university admissions qualification suitable for the growing mobile population of young people whose parents were part of the world of diplomacy, international and multi-national organizations", and offer internationally standardized courses and assessments for students ages 16 to 19.[7][8] International Baccalaureate North America (IBNA) was established in 1975,[9] International Baccalaureate Africa, Europe and Middle-East (IBAEM) was established in 1986,[10] and International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific (IBAP) established during the same period.[11]

The Middle Years Programme (MYP)—which adheres to the study of eight subject areas—was developed and piloted in the mid-1990s, and within five years 51 countries had MYP schools.[12] The Primary Years Programme (PYP) was piloted in 1996 in thirty primary schools on different continents, and the first PYP school was authorised in 1997, with as many as 87 authorised schools in 43 countries within five years.[13]

Alec Peterson was appointed as the IB's first director general (1968–1977). Peterson was followed by Gérard Renaud (1977–83); Roger Peel (1983–98); Derek Blackman (1998–99); and George Walker (1999–2005). Jeffrey Beard is currently director general of the IB.[14]

Organization

The International Baccalaureate 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 organization 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.—International Baccalaureate Mission Statement [15]

The IB is a non-governmental organization (NGO) of UNESCO and has collaborative relationships with the Council of Europe and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).[16] The IB's alliance with UNESCO encourages the integration of its educational goals into the IB curriculum.[17]

The IB maintains headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and currently the Curriculum and Assessment Centre is located in Cardiff, Wales. The IB recently announced relocation of the curriculum centre in Cardiff to Amsterdam, the opening of the IB Americas Global Centre in Maryland, United States and a new centre to be opened in Singapore by 2020.[18][19][20]

The organization is divided into three regional centres: IB Africa, Europe and Middle East (IBAEM), administered from Geneva; IB Americas (IBA), administered from New York and Buenos Aires, Argentina; and IB Asia-Pacific (IBAP), administered from Singapore.[21]

Sub-regional associations "are groups formed by and for IB school practitioners to assist IB schools, teachers and students in their communities—from implementing IB programmes to providing a forum for dialogue."[22]

  • There are two in the IB Africa, Europe and Middle East region.[23]
  • There are thirty sub-regional associations in the IB Americas region.[24]
  • There are five in the Asia Pacific region.[25]

In 2003, the IB established the IB Fund, incorporated in the United States, for the purpose of enhancing fundraising and keeping funds raised separate from operational funds.[26] In 2004, the IB approved a strategic plan to "ensure that programmes and services are of the highest quality" and "to provide access to people who are socio-economically disadvantaged."[27] The United States has the largest number of IB programmes (1,029 out of 2,704) offered in both private and public schools.[28]

Governance

The IB governance is composed of an IB Board of Governors. The Board appoints the Director General, sets the strategic direction of the organization, adopts a mission statement, makes policy, oversees the IB’s financial management, and ensures autonomy and integrity of the IB Diploma Programme examinations and other student assessment.[29]

Reception

The IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) was described as "a rigorous, off-the-shelf curriculum recognized by universities around the world” when it was featured in the December 18, 2006, edition of Time titled "How to bring our schools out of the 20th Century".[30] The IBDP was also featured in the summer 2002 edition of American Educator, where Robert Rothman described it as "a good example of an effective, instructionally sound, exam-based system."[31] In 2006, as part of the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI),[32] President George W. Bush and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings presented a plan for the expansion of Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate mathematics and science courses, with the goal of increasing the number of AP and IB teachers and the number of students taking AP and IB exams, as well as tripling the number of students passing those exams.[32] Howard Gardner, a professor of educational psychology at Harvard University, said that the IBDP curriculum is "less parochial than most American efforts" and helps students "think critically, synthesize knowledge, reflect on their own thought processes and get their feet wet in interdisciplinary thinking."[33]

In the United Kingdom, the IB Diploma is "regarded as more academically challenging and broader than three or four A-levels." In 2006, government ministers provided funding so that "every local authority in England could have at least one centre offering sixth-formers the chance to do the IB."[19] In 2008, due to the devaluing of the A-Levels and an increase in the number of students taking the IB exams, Children's Secretary Ed Balls abandoned a "flagship Tony Blair pledge to allow children in all areas to study IB." Fears of a "two-tier" education system further dividing education between the rich and the poor emerged as the growth in IB is driven by private schools and sixth-form colleges.[34]

Political objections to the IBDP in the United States have resulted in an attempt to eliminate it from a public school in Pittsburgh.[35][36] Some schools in the United States have eliminated the IBDP due to budgetary reasons and low student participation.[37][38] In Utah, funding for the IBDP was reduced from $300,000 to $100,000 after Senator Margaret Dayton objected to the program, stating, "I don't want to create 'world citizens' nearly as much as I want to help cultivate American citizens who function well in the world."[39][40]

See also

References

  1. ^ "IB headquarters." International Baccalaureate. Retrieved on 25 September 2009.
  2. ^ "Overview of the International Baccalaureate Organization". Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  3. ^ "Three Programmes at a Glance". Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  4. ^ "IB Identity Announcement". Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  5. ^ "Biennial Conference of IB Nordic Schools" (PDF). ibo.org. p. pg.7. Retrieved 6 July 2009. {{cite web}}: |page= has extra text (help)
  6. ^ Elisabeth Fox (2001). "The Emergence of the International Baccalaureate as an Impetus to Curriculum Reform". International Education: Principles and Practice (2nd ed.). Routledge. p. 65. ISBN 0749436166. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |editors= ignored (|editor= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |isnb13= ignored (help)
  7. ^ "International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme". Retrieved 2007-05-08.
  8. ^ Mary Hayden (2001). "Global Issues: A Necessary Component of a Balanced Curriculum for the Twenty-First Century". International Education: Principles and Practice (2nd ed.). Routledge. p. 94. ISBN 0749436166. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |editors= ignored (|editor= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |isnb13= ignored (help)
  9. ^ Peterson, p. 141
  10. ^ Peterson, p. 267
  11. ^ Peterson, p. 265
  12. ^ Peterson, p. 243
  13. ^ Peterson, p. 246
  14. ^ "IBO History". ibo.org. Retrieved 06-July-2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  15. ^ "IB Learner Profile" (PDF). IB Learner Profile Booklet. ibo.org. November2008. Retrieved 22-July-2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Governments". Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  17. ^ "Literacy and Development: How can international education support UNESCO and other bodies in increasing literacy in the developing world?, pg. 5" (PDF). Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  18. ^ de Vise and Marimow (2009-02-24). "Curriculum Program Moving to Md". Washington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  19. ^ a b Shepard, Jessica (2009-02-10). "Leap from Cardiff to Amsterdam for Baccalaureate". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
  20. ^ >"The IB Americas Global Centre Opens". Ibo.org. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  21. ^ "IB regional offices". Ibo.org. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
  22. ^ "Associations of IB Schools". Retrieved July 13, 2009.
  23. ^ "world school associations". Ibo.org. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
  24. ^ "Associations". Ibo.org. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
  25. ^ "IB Asia Pacific region". Ibo.org. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
  26. ^ "The president's view on Fundraising and the strategic plan" (PDF). IB World. 40. International Baccalaureate Organization: 8. 2004. Retrieved 2009-07-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |trans_title= and |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  27. ^ "IBO strategic plan approved" (PDF). IB World. 40. International Baccalaureate Organization: 2. 2004. Retrieved 2009-07-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |trans_title= and |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  28. ^ "Find an IB World School". Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  29. ^ "Governance Structure". Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  30. ^ Wallis, Claudia (2006-12-10). "How to bring our schools out of the 20th Century". Time. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  31. ^ Rothman, Robert (Summer 2002). "A test worth teaching to". American Educator. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
  32. ^ a b "Expanding the Advanced Placement Initiative Program" (PDF). US Department of Education. February 2006. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  33. ^ Gross, Jane (2003-06-21). "Diploma for the 'Top of the Top'; International Baccalaureate Gains Favor in Region". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  34. ^ Clark, Laura (2009-05-19). "Fears of 'two-tier' education system as pupils taking rival exam to A-levels rise by 40%". Daily MailOnline. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  35. ^ Ward, Paula Reed (2006-02-16). "Cutting international program embroils Upper St. Clair board in controversy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
  36. ^ Walters, Joanna (2006-03-14). "All American Trouble". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
  37. ^ Kranhert III, John (2009-03-21). "Pinecrest Drops IB Program". The Pilot. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
  38. ^ Martindale, Scott (2008-03-12). "175 Saddleback Valley Unified teachers face layoffs". OCRegister. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  39. ^ Dayton, Margaret (2008-05-21). "The Senate Site". Retrieved July 28, 2009.
  40. ^ "League of Women Voters of Utah". 2008-02-28. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
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