IB Story

International Baccalaureate

De La Salle has become the first private school in Macomb County to IB learner profile IB learner profile IB IB learner profile learner profile IB learner profile This is part of our become an authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. The IB curriculum is another academically rigorous, high-level curriculum now available to DLS students. DLS received approval in early November, just weeks after a September 2014 site team visit. Worldwide, approximately 20 high schools each year are authorized. Statewide, there are 33 authorized IB high high schools, this is just another reason to strongly consider De La Salle. This is part of our Lasallian Mission - IB learner profile IB learner profile IB learner profile IB learner profile IB learner profile IB learner profile IB learner profile IB learner profile IB learner profile IB learner profile The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. Lasallian Mission - to be innovators in education while serving all students, and helping them develop their full potential. schools. to be innovators in education while serving all students, As IB learners we strive to be:

“This is fantastic news,” said Principal Patrick and helping them develop their full potential.” We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as Adams. “This is a testament to the hard work What is IB? research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life. well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience. of everyone in the building, particularly our IB Coordinator, Stephanie Howay, and all the teachers who have taken the IB training to teach our first cohort in the Fall of 2015. “About five or six years ago, we began reviewing The IB Program was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in the 1960s as a single, academically challenging program for internationally mobile students preparing for universities. Typically, the students were children of diplomats who changed schools frequently, or who wanted the opWe develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global signicance. We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions. We express ourselves condently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate eectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive dierence in the lives of others and in the world around us. We understand the importance of balancing dierent aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change. why some students chose NOT to attend DLS. groups. tion to attend universities in Europe and Asia. The well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live. Each year certain students who took the entrance test at DLS chose to attend a school with IB curriculum is set so schools and universities know exactly where an incoming student is at in the course of his We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences. We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development. the IB curriculum.” studies, enabling a student to transfer schools without The IB learner prole represents 10 attributes valued by IB World Schools. We believe these attributes, and others like them, can help individuals and groups become responsible members of local, national and global communities. DLS formally began exploring the possibilities of becoming an IB school three years ago. “We first performed a feasibility study to see if IB was a good fit - academically, spiritually, and financially,” said Howay. “The feasibility study was followed by our Application for Candidacy to see if DLS has the basic foundation in place to fully support the IB program. After our application was reviewed, we submitted the Application for Authorization, followed by the site visit in September by members of the International Baccalaureate Organization. We were told we might hear in February 2015. Needless to say, hearing we were authorized a month after the team visit was a welcome surprise.” Bill Burkhardt, Director of Admissions, said, “For many families making a decision about any adjustment. The IB program has gained recognition 3

and respect from the world’s leading universities. Students take the IB classes as a cohort in their junior and senior years. At the end of senior year, students take written exams and write a research-based, 4,000 word Extended Essay - both of which are evaluated by an external IB team. IB students also complete a Theory of Knowledge course that challenges each student to understand how we know what we know. “Students who earn the IB diploma set themselves apart from their peers as young people who have shown a tremendous amount of dedication, time-management skills, and intellect,” said Howay. The IB Diploma will be a separate diploma from the De La Salle diploma. In the United States, 829 high schools are IB schools, part of the 2621 high schools in 139 countries with the

World School

prestigious designation.

Advanced Placement vs IB

“I liken AP to a buffet, and IB to a five-course dinner,” Howay explained. “With AP, you can pick and choose the AP courses that you would like to take. There is no expectation to take all of the AP offerings, nor are the classes interconnected.” In IB, the courses are interdisciplinary, in six broad subject areas. “IB establishes a way for students to see the connectivity among people, and helps students become well-rounded individuals who respect all humanity,” said Adams. “The school-wide curriculum does not change. Our most motivated students have the option to pursue the IB diploma.” Currently, 12 sophomores and 28 freshmen have expressed interest in the DLS IB program.

Who Will Teach IB at DLS?

De La Salle has committed resources to the program for faculty training. Thirteen faculty members, including Adams, have already gone through the IB training, and will be involved with the program. Howay will lead this IB-certified team which includes a Counselor, Tony Albani, as well as subject-area teachers Rob Black, Patrick Cavanagh, Nicole Cuello, Brad Cusumano, Shaun Legato, AnnMarie Michol, Mike Shortt, Mike Szczegielniak, Jackie VanThomme, and Aaron Wladischkin. “Our goal is to train all of our staff - whether they are teaching an IB class or not. IB won’t change what they teach, but will change how they teach,” commented Howay. We have made the commitment to have all teachers IB certified in the next 3-5 years. The IB training is fundamentally researchbased best practices and in keeping with the work we have done concerning standards, essentials, and assessments. Also, the Diploma Programme demands that students be engaged in their own learning which, again, has been an emerging emphasis for our teachers in their classrooms. Essentially, the IB training is a consistent approach to our professional development focus,” said Adams.

A Parents Perspective

Bill Iacona, Class of 1988, whose freshman son Ben “grew up around De La Salle and has long been excited about one day becoming a Pilot, said, “As parents, we were thrilled when we learned De La Salle was planning to become an IB World School. Ben attended St. Lawrence in Utica, and we live in the Utica School District. We heard a lot about the program from friends. As parents, we were not only keen about DLS adding IB to its already excellent academic curriculum, but very excited about DLS offering the program in the context of a regular high school experience.”

Bill adds, “We are pleased and impressed with all of the De La Salle faculty that we have met who are involved with the IB program, and also impressed DLS received its IB certification so quickly. This shows that the faculty involved with this program have truly ‘rolled up their sleeves’ and embraced the challenge to deliver this program in an A-plus way.”