EDUCATION FOR A BETTER WORLD

The International Baccalaureate is

 1 mission 3 challenging programmes 2,000 IB World Schools in 124 countries 50,000 teachers 500,000 students aged 3 to 19 years

The International Baccalaureate

ONE MISSION
High quality international education for a better world
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end, the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers three high quality and challenging educational programmes for a worldwide community of schools, aiming to create a better, more peaceful world. IB students are forever curious, fully engaged citizens, who both embrace their own culture and are open and responsive to other cultures and views. At the heart of the IB is the learner profile, a longterm, holistic vision of education that underpins all three programmes and puts the student at the centre of everything we do. The learner profile is the IB mission statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century. The ten aspirational qualities of the learner profile inspire and motivate the work of teachers, students and schools, providing a statement of the aims and values of the IB and a definition of what we mean by international-mindedness. The learner profile unites us all with a common focus: on the whole person, as a lifelong learner. It applies to us allstudent, teacher, parent or administratorfor we are all continually learning.

The International Baccalaureate

The most powerful learning is that which meets current needs. The strength of the learner profile as the backbone of an IB continuum may lie in the fact that we all see it a little differently.
Julian Edwards, assistant elementary principal at Western Academy of Beijing, China

IB learners strive to be:

Inquirers: They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives. Knowledgeable: They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. Thinkers: They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions. Communicators: They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others. Principled: They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them. Open-minded: They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience. Caring: They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. Risk-takers: They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs. Balanced: They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others. Reflective: They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development. The IB Learner Profile

The International Baccalaureate

For students, there is a real sense that learning is an adventure and that doors are being opened, both intellectually and in terms of their personal development.
Julie Roseblade, deputy head of St Helens School, Middlesex, UK

THREE CHALLENGING PROGRAMMES

The IB Diploma Programme was introduced in 1968. Its original purpose was to facilitate the international mobility of students, by providing schools with a curriculum and qualification recognized by universities around the world. Today, we make an IB education available to students aged 3 to 19, spanning the years from kindergarten to pre-university. It is taught in state and private, national and international schools. The three IB programmes can be offered individually, but a growing number of schools offer them as a continuum. The IB Primary Years Programme, for students aged 3 to 12, focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. The IB Middle Years Programme, for students aged 11 to 16, provides a framework of academic challenge that encourages students to embrace and understand the connections between traditional subjects and the real world, and become critical and reflective thinkers. The IB Diploma Programme, for students aged 16 to19, is an academically challenging and balanced programme of education with final examinations that prepares students for success at university and in life beyond. All three programmes: have a strong international dimension draw on content from educational cultures around the world require study across a broad range of subjects include both individual subjects and transdisciplinary areas give special emphasis to learning languages focus on developing the skills of learning provide opportunities for individual and collaborative planning and research encourage students to become responsible members of their community. IB programmes include: a written curriculum or curriculum framework student assessment appropriate to the age range professional development and networking opportunities for teachers support, authorization and programme evaluation for the school.

The International Baccalaureate

International
Our commitment to international education starts with a belief that the only way to appreciate someone elses culture is first to be confident in your own. The international-mindedness that permeates our programmes is about more than learning a second language. For example, in biology, students might learn about the typhoid bacteria but also its impact on life expectancy in a developing country. Students learning about the history of their town or region might look at the broader context, of history and the effects of certain global events, and how these apply to their local environment. We are flexible enough to be able to respond to new research and pedagogy studies and engage with expert analysis where appropriate. For instance, the Middle Years Programme team has had the opportunity to collaborate with the Harvard Graduate School of Educations Project Zero on interdisciplinary learning. Project Zeros mission is to understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, as well as humanistic and scientific disciplines, at the individual and institutional levels. (Project Zero web site, http://www.pz.harvard.edu/)

Independent
The IB and its programmes are unique in many ways. We are a not-for-profit organization, which means that there are no shareholders and any surplus income is reinvested back into our work. We are independent of political and commercial interests. We operate in 124 countries, frequently working alongside national educational systems. Most schools, for instance, offer the Diploma Programme alongside other courses whereas the Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme are flexible enough to incorporate national curriculum requirements.

Widely recognized
Our programmes are challenging. Universities recognize the depth and breadth of the rigorous work undertaken by students of the Diploma Programme, which requires them to study six courses, selected from six subject groups. As a result there are many literate scientists, numerate artists, and sociologists able to communicate in more than one language among IB graduates. In spite of this breadth, the depth of subject study is not sacrificed. Universities also welcome the creativity, action, service (CAS) requirement alongside the 4,000 word extended essay component, the latter demanding research, analysis and in-depth study to prepare students for work at university level. Research by and with universities in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States has demonstrated that IB students are well prepared for university. Over 1,500 of the best universities around the world list their IB admission policies on our web site at http:// www.ibo.org. Of course results are important, and we are proud of our programmes and of our students, but the IB experience is much more than that: its not just a way to learn, its a way of life.

Research-based
Like the world it seeks to improve through education, the IB never stands still. Our programmes are continually reviewed and enriched, and our vision constantly sharpened as a result of research, both our own and that of other respected academic bodies. Innovative and creative teachers of IB programmes from many different cultures play a critical role in the development of each programme. The programmes represent good practice from around the world, and the curriculum review process involves practising teachers, examiners and education experts.

The International Baccalaureate

2,000 IB WORLD SCHOOLS

The IB does not own or manage any schools. Instead, the community is made up of like-minded state and private schoolscalled IB World Schools. You will find IB World Schools everywhere from Australia to Zambiaand in 122 other countries in between. Over half of these schools are state funded. These schools: share the mission and commitment of the IB to quality international education have been authorized to offer one or more of our programmes play an active and supporting role in the worldwide community of IB schools share their knowledge and experience in the development of IB programmes are committed to the professional development of teachers. There is no such thing as a typical IB World School. In the United States, six out of the top ten schools in Newsweek magazines The 100 Best High Schools in America 2006 are IB World Schools, and they also account for 39 of the top 100 statefunded high schools. But IB World Schools may not necessarily appear in the top ranks. Some IB World Schools use IB programmes as part of a school reform process that opens doors for their students to a world of opportunities that otherwise would not be possible. It takes a great deal of commitment and professionalism to become an IB World School, authorized to deliver an IB programme. It takes commitment to, and an understanding of, IB values, the IB mission statement and the long-term implications of belonging to an IB community that actively involves schools in the development of IB programmes. It also takes timefor training teachers in the fundamentals of the programme and pedagogical approaches, assessing the schools preparedness prior to authorization, and thereafter conducting continuous professional development. We also support the schools progress through a continuous improvement model involving periodic programme evaluations.

The introduction of the IB Diploma Programme in our school is far and away the single most important thing weve ever done to raise the quality of instruction and learning. While it was understandably a gradual phenomenon, we began to challenge ourselves in 1981 to deliver the most rigorous curriculum available and to hold ourselves accountable for it in a very public way.
Robert Snee, head of school, George Mason High School, USA

The International Baccalaureate

50,000 TEACHERS
Teachers respond enthusiastically to our high standards. They often offer their time to share their expertise in workshops, to attend conferences and to participate in online discussions. Teachers participate in IB curriculum reviews, join the teams authorizing schools and become IB trainers or examiners. The IB brings out the highest professional standards in teachers, providing an ethos and approach that both involves and motivates the best in teaching. Why? Because many teachers share our mission to provide an international education through programmes that have been developed using bestpractice teaching and educational experiences from across the world. Teacher contribution has always been central to our development and we value our teachers input highly. Teachers also appreciate the emphasis we put on continued professional development, which means that they too, alongside their students, are continually challenged. The IB runs workshops around the world, bringing teachers together to learn and share their experience, training around 30,000 teachers a year. We are also harnessing the global village power of the Internet to provide online teacher conferences, networking and teacher training. Teachers respond eagerly to the fact that all three programmes involve a high element of teacher trust, rather than using the more formulaic teaching materials that they may have been used to. We want IB teachers to be innovative and creative. No wonder IB teachers are so enthused. Teachers say... The IB program has revitalized me as an educator and Ive also seen it revitalize others. The IB is like nothing else. I remember someone saying, theres best practice everywhere; what this does is create best practice in a whole school. If you dont get on the train, you really feel left out. Once you start seeing the impact on kids and how it really does make a difference, its amazing. What IB gave me was the metal frame on the umbrella to hold up and then put the material on the frame. You feel there is someone out there upholding standards to meet. It is a structure that requires excellence. The support of the IB staff and volunteers makes all the difference. Jean Ramseyer, PYP coordinator and MYP coordinator, Lone Pine Elementary and West Hills Middle Schools, Bloomfield, Michigan, USA (candidate schools)

As a teacher, the appeal of the IB lies in its philosophy, its belief that we must educate the whole person. A number of universities have told us that they value the extended essay, not just as a way of demonstrating written skills, but also as evidence of self-reliance and self-discipline. Hasto Pidesko, Diploma Programme coordinator, Sekolah Ciputra, Surabaya, Indonesia

The International Baccalaureate

500,000 STUDENTS
IB students are internationally aware citizens, with open minds and open hearts. All IB students learn a second language, together with the skills to live and work with others both locally and internationally. But this international perspective is not gained at the expense of their own language or culture. Indeed, we believe that the only way to appreciate another language or culture is to be confident first with your own. Our programmes are not exam driven: results are important of course, but the best results are attained by allowing students to develop their learning and to engage in the curriculum. IB students are at the centre of our programmes. Students are taught to think for themselves and to drive the learning process. Teachers like that; students thrive on it. Most of all, we see education as a way of life and living. The IB is about creating a community of learners and improving professionalism within that community. We want the IB culture to spread throughout the school, encouraging the caring, nurturing, altruistic qualities found in our learner profile. Energized students and parents are eager ambassadors too, with many endorsing the IB in the most telling way possible by ensuring that their own children become IB students.

IB students are terrific learners. Theyre inquisitive and dont just question what theyre learning, but why
Martha Piper, former president of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada

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The International Baccalaureate

A LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITY

IB students take an active part in, and contribute to, their school, their local community and their global community. Think global, act local is a way of life for IB World Schools. Many IB World Schools offer their students the opportunity to participate in exchange programmes so that they can learn from their experiences. Japanese students from Osaka International School, for instance, visited Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan Payangan, a rural vocational high school in Bali, Indonesia, and shared skills and lessons. Now the students from Osaka are raising funds for their new friends school. IB students from Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong organized a project to rebuild a school for tsunami-affected children in Sri Lanka, one of many schools taking part in the IB schoolsto-schools project to link schools in the developing and developed worlds. We practise what we teach too. We are committed to making good education accessible to everybody. Geography, finance and resources can make this difficult but, ever since the IB was founded, we have striven to transcend frontiers and barriers in order to create a better world through education. That is why, today, more than half of IB World Schools are state funded and why the organization has a bursary fund to promote access. One example is the recent decisions by the governments of Australia, Ecuador, Nova Scotia (Canada), the United Kingdom and the United States to support the Diploma Programme in many more state schools. It is as an important part of government policy to raise educational standards and the IB is delighted to participate in any way it can. In addition, the IB is seeking partners and funding to develop an online version of the Diploma Programme, which will allow IB World Schools to provide subjects for which they may find it difficult to recruit teachers; to provide access for students who normally would not be able to attend IB classes; and to create a more international and intercultural classroom. We are always looking for ways to throw open the educational portals. President of the IB Council of Foundation, Monique Seefried, explains: The IB is an organization whose message encompasses such richness that it would be a tragedy to reserve this sense of international-mindedness and those shared values for the few. The world needs people educated with the values of our learner profile.

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Our students are inquirers, citizens, planners, people with different backgrounds and skills; their reality is the environment in which they will act: a farm, an office, a village, a factory, and the school is their laboratory for life, where making a mistake is part of the learning process.
Williams Roger Amaya Pelez, Diploma Programme coordinator, Davy College, Cajamarca, Peru

The International Baccalaureate

The IB experience is not just a way to learn, its a way of life, and the way to a better world.

21st century education

Become an IB student Teach at an IB World School Become an IB World School Volunteer or work for the IB

Support our mission and join the IB community at http://www.ibo.org or contact your IB regional office:

IB Africa, Europe and Middle East IB Asia-Pacific IB Latin America IB North America and the Caribbean

ibaem@ibo.org ibap@ibo.org ibla@ibo.org ibna@ibo.org

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007 This document has been produced on ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) pulp sourced from certified and managed forest plantations. It is totally recyclable, biodegradable and acid-free.