IB Counseling Guide/Cheat Sheet

IB Counseling Guide/Cheat Sheet Things every counselor should know about IB StudentsThere are two kinds of IB Students:

Certificate (those that take courses as stand alone credit)

Diploma Candidates (specific required coursework)

There are two levels of IB Coursework:

Higher Level = students take half the class across the junior year; the other half is finished as a senior year class

Standard Level = students take a course and exam in a single year

Diploma Candidates MUST:

[A] Take at least one course in each Group/Subject area:

Group 1: English

Group 2: Foreign Language

Group 3: History

Group 4: Sciences

Group 5: Math

Group 6: any other elective IB class of their choice

[B] Take a minimum of 3x Higher Level (two-year) courses

MUST take History HL as junior and senior classes

MUST take English HL as junior and senior classes

the other HL can be EITHER a Foreign Language HL OR Mathematics HL

[C] Take a minimum of 3x Standard Level (one-year) courses

[D] Complete the Theory of Knowledge course

[E] Complete an Extended Essay (3-4,000 word essay on topic of their choice done independently)

[F] Complete the CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) requirements

[G] Score an average of 4 out of 7 on the IB assessments in all courses or make up the difference on other tests[H] May NOT score a 1 or 2 in a Higher Level course

[I]May NOT score a 1 in a Standard Level course

[J] Score a TOTAL of 24+ points, finish a passing Extended Essay, pass the Theory of Knowledge essay, and complete their CAS requirements in order to earn the IB Diploma

Courses available to IB students as their 6th Subject Choice:

IB Visual Arts

IB Psychology

IB Music Theory

IB Physics and/or Biology

IB Economics*

IB Computer Science***IB Economics is new; it will NOT be co-taught with an AP Econ class and thus may not make

**IB Computer Science is new; it will be co-taught with AP Computer Science A, and the course number will be the same as the AP CompSci class because GaDoE does not yet have a course number for IB Comp Science

Theory of Knowledge CHANGES:

In the PAST:ToK was offered as a full year course

mostly to IB Seniors (a few juniors)

was open to general study body as an elective option)

Next Year:

Two different ToKs:

IB Seniors who have NOT taken ToK as juniors:

Will take the full year class as per in the past

Taught by Daniel Spiegel

Open to non-IB students

IB Juniors will be different: Will take Govt (or Econ?) their Fall Semester with Matthew Thompson

Will take the first half of ToK Spring Semester with M Thompson

Will take the second half of ToK in Fall of their Senior year

Will take Econ (or Govt?) in Spring of their Senior year

No other non-IB students should be enrolled in any/either of these combined classes

2010-2011 SCHOOL YEAR:

Most IB Juniors will be taking:

IB History of the Americas

IB English 11

IB Biology AND

One other IB Course requirement

Semester Gov (Fall) & Semester Theory of Knowledge (Spring)

Most IB Seniors will be taking:

IB 20th Century Topics

IB English 12

IB Math HL OR IB Foreign Language HL

Two+ other IB Course requirements

Full year Theory of Knowledge course