Queensbury Union Free School District International Baccalaureate Programme Douglas W. Huntley, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools

 Founded in 1968 as a non-profit educational foundation  Strong pre-university curriculum  Common internal and external assessments  International Mindedness  Strong Rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum Background and characteristics of IB:

Learner Profile: InquirersOpen-Minded KnowledgeableCaring ThinkersRisk-Takers CommunicatorsBalanced PrincipledReflective

Students must:  Have strong work ethic  Embrace learning

Teachers must be:  Passionate about self-improvement  For students  For their discipline & an interdisciplinary approach  To teach at highest levels

Parents must be:  Encouraging  Supportive  Partners

IB provides opportunities to students in two ways.  Students may take individual IB courses and earn certificates, similar to AP courses.  Students may choose to earn the IB Diploma in addition their high school diploma.

 Recognized by colleges around the world  Students improve upon strengths, confront challenges  Learn time management  Research and writing in all curricular areas  Center of the hexagon Advantage of the full IB diploma:

The Curriculum To earn the diploma:  3 HL courses (2 years)  3 SL courses (1 year; some are more than 1 year)  Complete center of hexagon

Creativity Action and Service (CAS)  CAS takes seriously the importance of life outside the world of scholarship, providing a refreshing counterbalance to academic studies  150 hours over two years of planning, implementation, reflection

Some CAS examples:  Designing and implementing service projects  Individual and team sports  Expeditions  Local and international projects  Helping people with special needs  Visiting hospitals  Working with homeless

Extended Essay:  4000 word or fewer, original research essay  Represents research and writing skills expected by universities  Researched and written during junior and senior year  Opportunity to work with a teacher/mentor  Opportunity to investigate a topic of special interest to the student

Theory of Knowledge: Natural Sciences Human Sciences History The Arts Ethics Mathematics Reason Language Perception Emotion Ways of Knowing Areas of Knowledge