IB Course Requirements

An open letter to the Portage School Board from Melanie Kurdys

The International Baccalaureate Program has a website with information about the program. They also have an 800 number where people can call to ask questions. Since we are talking about the use of IB as a solution to concerns about the science program, I called with these questions:

- Can sophomores take IB classes? No, this is absolutely against IB policy. The program is designed for juniors and seniors. There is another program offered for the Middle Years which is separate and discrete. Classes taken by sophomores can not be tested for IB credit.

- Can seniors take the first year of an HL science? No, this is against IB policy. The courses are designed for two-year learning. The student would be missing important learning, so IB would not recognize the credit sought for this student as having taken an advanced or honors class. If your school wants to teach one year sciences, you need to use the IB SL level courses. (This is also true for juniors who choose not to take the second year as well. They are shortchanging their education if they choose to skip the second year and should not get IB credit.)

Perhaps there are ways for us to get around IB policy, but if we think the program is a good one, why would we choose to implement it incorrectly? Aren't we misleading our parents, students and the universities we send our students to if we say we have this program but we do not adhere to it's policies and implementation guidelines?

This is not a rhetorical question. Parents share this concern and need an answer.

To comment on this comment, click here.

COMMENT: We're not afraid to admit when we're wrong, and the statement above that IB policy is absolute about sophomores not being permitted to take IB courses is in error. It has been pointed out by PPS that in fact, exceptions are occasionally possible under unique circumstances. Parents and students should be cautioned that placement of sophomores in an IB course is exceptional, and that they would not be allowed to sit for the IB examination in that course; although they would earn credit toward a PPS diploma. To see the complete statement from the PPS IB Coordinator on enrollment in IB courses, click here. If the attachment doesn't open, please email us or email either Denise Bresson or Linda Trepanier at portageps.org. We appreciate the correction.

COMMENT #2: While this correction shows that exceptions are occasionally granted, so sophomore IB is a possibility, it doesn't appear to be a viable option for more than a handful of exceptional cases. There is still a need for strong in-depth science in the sophomore year for those many students who know they will need three full-year science courses in order to meet the admissions requirements for some of the colleges they're interested in. And so they'll be prepared for college coursework.

go back to portagescience.org