What is the IB Diploma Programme?

 

  • It is an excellent 2 year pre-university course for students usually completing their 12th and 13th year of education. (Students aged between 16 and 19). The Diploma certifies that the student has completed secondary (high) school and it also qualifies the student for application to university.
  • The Diploma Programme began in 1968 and is now offered by 2,178 IB World Schools.
  • The original purpose of the DP was to allow students to move between countries, by providing schools with a curriculum and qualification recognized by universities around the world. 
  • Today, it is taught in state and private, national and international schools and is known as the “gold standard” of international education.

 

 

What are the benefits of the IB Diploma Programme?

  • The Diploma is well recognized and highly respected by leading universities around the world.
  • The DP has demanding, world-class academic standards.
  • It is also academically broad and balanced. The student must study a range of subjects including his/her mother tongue (and culture), a second language, mathematics, science and humanities. Overall, the DP is an excellent balance of breadth of knowledge and depth of knowledge.
  • The DP focuses teaching the student the skills of independent learning.
  • DP students become responsible members of their community & global citizens
  • The DP uses unbiased assessment procedures. The final external examinations are reliable and valid.
  • The Programme emphasizes research skills.
  • It also emphasizes critical thinking and reflective skills.
  • Students are assessed according to set standards, not in rank order.


The IB Diploma Programme Curriculum: IB Diploma Programme students study six courses; three at higher level and three at standard level. Students must choose one subject from each of groups 1 to 6, thus ensuring breadth of education in languages, social studies, the experimental sciences and mathematics. (In some IB World Schools, Group 6 may be the Arts).


At least three and not more than four subjects are taken at higher level (recommended 240 teaching hours), the others at standard level (150 teaching hours).


Below is the 1st International School of Ostrava’s curriculum model showing the subjects currently planned to be offered to our first group of IB DP Grade 12 students in 2011-2012.

 

 

In addition to the six subjects, the Diploma Programme has three core requirements that are included to broaden the educational experience and to challenge the students to apply their knowledge and understanding.

 

The extended essay is a required component for DP students. The 4,000 word essay offers students the opportunity to investigate, in-depth, a question of individual interest relating to one of the six subjects they are studying. The essay process will also develop in the students the independent research and writing skills expected at university. Emphasis is placed on the research process:

  • formulating an appropriate research question
  • engaging in a personal exploration of the topic
  • communicating ideas
  • developing an argument

 

Students will also develop their capacity to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate knowledge.

 

Students are supported throughout the process with advice and guidance from a supervisor (usually his or her subject teacher at the school).

 

Theory of knowledge (TOK) is an interdisciplinary course central to the educational philosophy of the Diploma Programme. It is designed to encourage each student to reflect critically on the nature of knowledge across all subjects by investigating different ways of knowing (perception, emotion, language and reason) and different kinds of knowledge (scientific, artistic, mathematical and historical).

 

It encourages students to consider the role and nature of knowledge in their own culture, in the cultures of others and in the wider world. Thus, students will develop an appreciation of other cultural perspectives.

 

In TOK, the students become aware of themselves as thinkers as they learn to understand the complexity of knowledge.

 

TOK provides coherence for the student as it transcends and links academic subject areas, thus demonstrating the ways in which they can apply their knowledge with greater awareness and credibility. Students will recognize the need to act responsibly in an increasingly interconnected but uncertain world.

 

TOK is taught by the Head of Humanities, Ms. Táňa Micková.

 

Creativity, action, service (CAS)
This requirement is also a fundamental part of the Diploma Programme. The aim is that students actively learn from the experience of doing real tasks beyond the classroom. Through CAS, the student’s awareness and appreciation of life outside of school is encouraged. It provides a refreshing counterbalance to academic studies.

 

Creativity includes a broad range of arts activities as well as the creativity students demonstrate in designing and implementing service projects.

 

Action can include not only participation in individual and team sports but also taking part in expeditions and in local or international projects.

 

Service encompasses a wide range of community and social service activities. Some examples include helping children with special needs, visiting hospitals and working with refugees, disadvantaged or disabled people.

 

Students are expected to be involved in CAS activities for the equivalent of at least three hours each week during the two years of the programme. Students can combine all three components or do activities related to each one of them separately.

 

A system of self-evaluation encourages students to reflect on the benefits of CAS participation to themselves and to others, and to evaluate the understanding and insights they gained.

 

The CAS supervisor at the 1st International School of Ostrava is Mr. Ivo Helebrant. Our CAS programmes are monitored by the IB regional offices.

 

 

Assessment in the Diploma Programme

 

Students take written examinations at the end of the programme, which are marked by external IB examiners. Students also complete assessment tasks in the school, which are either initially marked by teachers and then moderated by external moderators or sent directly to external examiners. Regarding examinations for Language A (mother-tongue), the IB has examiners for 40 languages, including Czech.

 

The IB Diploma is awarded to students who gain at least 24 points, subject to certain minimum levels of performance across the whole programme and to satisfactory participation in the creativity, action, service requirement. The student receives a final grade from 1 to 7 in each of the subjects he or she has studied, the highest grade being 7. The student also receives a maximum of 3 points for TOK and the Extended Essay. The highest total that a Diploma Programme student can be awarded is 45 points.

 

The International Baccalaureate® (IB) assesses student work as direct evidence of achievement against the stated goals of the Diploma Programme courses.

 

Diploma Programme assessment procedures measure the extent to which students have mastered advanced academic skills, for example:

  • analysing and presenting information
  • evaluating and constructing arguments
  • solving problems creatively

 

Basic skills are also assessed, including:

  • retaining knowledge
  • understanding key concepts
  • applying standard methods

 

In addition to academic skills, Diploma Programme assessment encourages an international outlook and intercultural skills where appropriate.

 

The IB Diploma is recognized by the Czech Ministry of Education as equivalent to the Czech Maturita. (Some Czech students who complete the IB Diploma may be required to take a supplementary Maturita examination in Czech Language and Literature). If preferred, a student may still choose to take the full Czech Maturita examinations in addition to the IB Diploma. The IB Diploma is recognized by leading Czech universities such as Charles University of Prague, University of Economics (VŠE), the University of South Bohemia and University of Ostrava. For more information about the recognition of the IB Diploma in the Czech Republic and admission to Czech universities, please go to - http://www.ibo.org/country/CZ/