IB Coordinator: Joan Friedrich
CAS Coordinator: Teresa Sparks
IB World School ~ At Fort Myers High School
IB Mission Statement
Admissions Criteria
General Description
Availability and Submission of Applications
History and Development
Sample Curriculum
University Recognition
IB Diploma Program at Fort Myers High
Florida Bright Future Scholarships
IB Glossary
IB Curriculum and Examination
Comparison of the AP and IB Program
IB Mission Statement---Education for Life TOP
Through comprehensive and balanced curricula coupled with challenging assessments, the International Baccalaureate Organization aims to assist schools in their endeavors to develop the individual talents of young people and teach them to relate the experience of the classroom to the realities of the world outside. Beyond intellectual rigor and high academic standards, strong emphasis is placed on the ideals of international understanding and responsible citizenship, to the end that IB students may become critical and compassionate thinkers, lifelong learners, and informed participants in local and world affairs, conscious of the shared humanity that binds all people together while respecting the variety of cultures and attitudes that makes for the richness of life.
Admission Criteria TOP
Criteria for admission into the IB Diploma Program include an unweighted middle school grade point average of at least a 3.0 AND test stanines of 7 or above in both math and reading on a nationally normed test. For students currently in the Lee County system, their previous FCAT scores will be used. For students new to Lee County or from a private school, copies of end of the year report cards for their 6th and 7th grades and the first semester of their 8th grade must be submitted with the application. Additionally, a copy of the scores from a nationally normed test given previously at their school must be submitted. If any of these documents cannot be provided, parents must contact the Director of Student Assignment at the Parent Information Center to get further directions. Students meeting these criteria automatically qualify for admission if the completed application is submitted with the zone application to FMHS by the School Choice deadline for the first enrollment period.
General Description TOP
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is designed to meet the highest standards required of any high school student in the world. Successful completion of the Diploma Program earns the student a diploma recognized for university admission throughout the world and for course credit and academic placement at 1000 leading colleges and universities in the United States.
The IB Diploma Program is a system of syllabuses and examinations based on the idea that general education at the upper secondary level should encompass the development of all the main powers of the mind through which the student interprets, modifies, and enjoys his/her environment.
Embracing the last two years of secondary education, the curricula of the Diploma Program incorporates standards that assume a high level of achievement during the prior years. The subjects are outlined according to six areas:
Language A (English)
Language B (Foreign Language)
Individuals and Societies (Social Studies)
Experimental Sciences
Mathematics
Arts and Humanities
In addition to the above courses, the IB Diploma Candidate must also take a unique course called Theory of Knowledge, participate in an intensive community service project, and write an extended essay. At FMHS and many other accredited schools, a Pre-IB curriculum for the ninth and tenth grades has been developed to prepare students for the full IB diploma that they can earn in the eleventh and twelfth grades.
Availability and Submission of Applications TOP
Applications for the IB program can be obtained at FMHS, the Parent Information Center (PIC), and at each of the Lee County public middle schools. All completed applications must be submitted in person at Parent Information Center where a receipt will be issued.
Students must also complete a School Choice application at the same time. Once notified of acceptance into the IB Program, students are given a limited time to choose between their School Choice Assignment or the IB Program.
History and Development TOP
The idea of an International Baccalaureate---that is of an international university entrance examination that could be taken and recognized in any country---was first conceived by a group of educators in the International School of Geneva in conjunction with other international schools in Wales, New York, Teheran, Copenhagen, Paris, Frankfort, and Montevideo. Among the concerns of the founders was the ever increasing emphasis on education as the mere delivery of information, the related fragmentation of knowledge, and the crowding out of aesthetic and creative experience.
In 1963, a grant from the Twentieth Century Fund made it possible for the International Schools Association to set up a group of educators to continue planning for the International Baccalaureate. Their studies and discussions and the programs that resulted also received substantial support from the Ford Foundations. The International Baccalaureate Program was formally initiated in Geneva in 1965.
By 1980, twenty national governments were providing financial support, and International Baccalaureate Programs were operating on five continents and in thirty-six countries. Today, there are more than 1000 member schools in over 100 countries around the world. Students have been admitted to more than 2500 universities, colleges, or other institutes of higher education, in many different countries.
The International Baccalaureate Office in Geneva is represented in Canada and the United States by the International Baccalaureate North America, Inc.(IBNA), a tax exempt, publicly supported corporation charted in New York. Almost seventy-five percent of the IBNA’s incomes is derived from foundation grants including The College Board, Exxon Education Foundation, Armand Hammer Foundation, IBM World Trade, The New York Times, Western Electric Fund, et .al.
Sample Curriculum at FMHS TOP
9th Grade
English I
Foreign Language (French or Spanish)
Algebra II (or other math based on coursework)
Biology
American Government / Economics
Two electives
10th Grade
English II
Foreign Language II
Geometry/Trigonometry
Chemistry I
World History or AP European History
Two electives
11th Grade
English III
Foreign Language III
Math Analysis
Biology or Environmental Systems
American History
Sixth Subject (a second language, a second science, Art History, Economics, ITGS, Psychology, Art & Design, Theater)
One elective
12th Grade
English IV
Foreign Language IV
Math Methods (0r other math)
Biology, Environmental Systems
History of Americas
Sixth Subject (same choices as 11th grade year)
Theory of Knowledge
University Recognition TOP
Many colleges and universities recognize the rigor and demands of the IB Diploma Program. At some universities (including the Florida University System), up to one year’s credit is given for the successful completion of the IB Program. IBO has posted this information on the world wide web. Access it by pointing your browser to http://www.ibo.org. Click on Diploma Programme. Choose University Details.
Elizabeth G. Vermey, the Director of Admissions at Bryn Mawr College has this to say about the International Baccalaureate:
We have been admitting students with the IB Diploma since 1975 and have found them to be superbly prepared for Bryn Mawr. . .
Because the IB jibes so well with our faculty’s idea of a liberal-arts curriculum, we decided to offer a full year’s credit to any student who came to us with a score of 30 or above on the full Diploma. We had already been giving college credit for high grades on individual Higher Level exams (following our policy of giving course credit on the Advanced Placement examinations of the College Board). But it soon became clear to us that the full IB was something more than the sum of the parts in a way that three or four AP’s were not, or not so necessarily, in that it insured all the elements of breadth, coherence, basic writing, research and analytical skills, as well as, in most cases, some practical and community experience.
Clifford Sjogren, formerly of the University of Michigan and the University of Southern California, has written:
The best predictor of academic success is precious academic performance. Students who elect and satisfy the standards of a rigorous and demanding program in high school are the ones best suited to benefit from the intellectual environment at university. A transcript reveals a student’s enrollment in IB courses and serves notice to the admissions officer that the applicant is someone who accepts rather than avoids educational challenges. Further, a successful IB student will enroll with some advantages over students who have taken less intensive programs. The educational sophistication that students develop through an experience in an IB program will serve them well at institutions that attract serious students. Other advantages include increased self-confidence that comes from classroom experience with college-level academic material, a sharing of intellectual activities with the best students of the school, better time management, more experience with study...
The IB Diploma Program at Fort Myers High TOP
Fort Myers High School is one of 40 IB schools in Florida, and one of over 1300 in the world. IB is a two year pre-university course of study designed to fulfill the higher academic standards of a mobile society and to foster global tolerance. Lee County, like many other school districts, offers two years of additional study as preparation for the IB. Students enroll in Pre-IB in grades nine and ten and then advance to IB in grades eleven and twelve.
The effectiveness of the IB Diploma Program is due not only to the depth of the individual courses, but also to the comprehensive nature of the entire program. Students must take courses in six academic areas. Diploma candidates also participate in community service and a unique course called Theory of Knowledge. Students who earn the IB diploma can be awarded advance standing at universities throughout the world.
The ideal IB student combines intellectual potential with motivation and a love of learning. As students progress through four years of the Program, they will demonstrate superior performance in higher level thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation; acquire breadth and depth of knowledge in literature, science, and other areas; develop the ability to communicate in writing with a high degree of competence; become proficient in research and independent studies; and be leaders in service to others.
At this time, there are 800 students in the Pre-IB and IB Diploma Program at FMHS. Many of the Pre-IB and IB students are involved in band, orchestra, drama, student government, and sports. One of the benefits of the IB program is that students learn how to manage their time and learn the importance of self discipline. Those learned behaviors are valuable for young adults as they go on to further education and careers.
The IB program is for students who strive to do their best. To date and collectively, FMHS IB students have earned over $25 million in scholarships, and they have been accepted to prestigious schools nationally and internationally.
Florida Bright Future Scholarships TOP
Florida Academic Scholars Award
Students who earn the Florida Academic Scholars Award receive full tuition and fees to a public university in the state of Florida plus $600 or will receive the average of the ten public universities tuition plus $600 toward fees at private schools in Florida. To earn this award, a student must:
Receive the International Baccalaureate Diploma
OR
Complete an IB curriculum and score at least 1270 on the SAT I or 28 on ACT
OR
Achieve an unweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher in the 15 credits identified by the Florida Board of Regent as college preparatory courses and score 1270 on the SAT 1 or 28 on the ACT.
Achieve an award as scholar of finalist in either the National Merit Scholarship Program or the National Achievement Scholarship for Outstanding Negro Students Program
Florida Merit Scholars Award
Students may receive 75% tuition and fees at a public university in Florida or 75% of the average of the ten Florida public universities to go toward tuition and fees at a private school in Florida.
Students must earn an unweighted 3.0 GPA of a 4.0 scale or equivalent, in the 15 credits identified by the Florida Board of Regents as college preparatory courses and score minimum of 970 on SAT I or a minimum score of 20 on ACT.
IB Glossary TOP
Full Diploma ~ the successful completion of six examinations in six areas, taken in a two-year cycle in the eleventh and twelfth grade years. An extended essay (EE), Theory of Knowledge (ToK), and a CAS activity are required.
Higher Level ~ an IB course that is completed in two years. These Higher Levels can be used for certificates leading to advanced placement and credit at many American and Canadian colleges and universities.
Standard Level ~ an IB course that is completed in one or two years. University and advanced placement is not always given for such a course.
Language A ~ one's first language. For most students it is English.
Language B ~ a learned language. FMHS offers Spanish and French.
Oral Examinations ~ the IB is unique in that it tests both oral and written fluency in languages A and B.
Theory of Knowledge ~ is a course taken by all IB students during their senior year. The teacher attempts to interweave the IB subject areas so that all commonalities and differences in the various fields of human knowledge are understood.
CAS Activities ~ this acronym stands for Creativity, Action, Service, and refers to the 175 community service requirement for IB diploma candidates.
IB Curriculum and Examination TOP
A. The general scheme for the 6 subjects is as follows:
1. Language A (English) including the study of world literature
2. Language B (Second Language)
French
Spanish
3. Individuals and Societies (One of the following options)
a. Psychology
b. Economics
c. History of the Americas
d. ITGS (Informational Technology for a Global Society)
4. Experimental Sciences(One of the following options)
Biology
Environmental Studies (SL only)
5. Mathematics(HL and SL)
6. One of the following options for the Sixth Subject
a. Second Language B
b. Another science
c. Another subject from Individuals and Societies
d. Theater Arts
e. Art and Design
f. Art History
B. In addition to the six subjects, each diploma candidate must:
1. Complete a substantial piece of independent research and must submit an extended essay of approximately 4000 words.
2. Follow a common course in Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
3. Engage in some form of community service activity, creative endeavors, and action activities- 175 hours (CAS)
* HL higher level requires 2 years of study
* SL standard level requires 1 year of study
* 3 HL required
* 3 SL required
A Comparison of the AP and IB Program TOP
Advanced Placement |
International Baccalaureate |
National standard of excellence
College level courses
Encourages academically talented students |
International standard of excellence
Comprehensive curriculum of college level work
Encourages academically talented and highly motivated students |
Courses and Exams |
Students generally take AP exams only in areas of personal strength.
Students do not have to be enrolled in an authorized school.
Exams are graded externally through a testing service in the US. |
Six exams in six areas are required for the IB diploma.
Students must be enrolled in an authorized school.
Scores include teacher assessment as well as external assessments constructed and graded by educators throughout the world. |
Scope |
| Exams based on specific course content.
Emphasis on multiple choice.
Oral exams in foreign languages.
Policies are determined by national educators. |
Exams based on broad general understanding of concepts and fundamental themes.
Exam questions emphasize essay writing
Oral assessments in language A and B. Portfolios are assessed in many areas.
Policies are determined by international educators |
IF YOU...
•are excited about learning
•want a challenging and broad academic program
•want a high school that will prepare you for the finest universities in the world
•want outstanding teachers who care about your aspirations
•have a desire to push your limits
•want to make a difference in the world
...THEN FMHS IB is the Place For You!
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