Contrast and critical thinking in and
IB logo credit: IBO World School programme logos AP logo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Exploring the differences between Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate high school programs BY ALLISON WANG Staff Reporter International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) classes are both touted as college-level preparation for high school students. In Sequoia Union High School District, Sequoia is the only school offering IB. Locally, there are only six IB schools. The AP program is run by the United States based organization, the College Board. Their courses are the most widely honored classes at four-year universities in the United States. “Students wanted to do more advanced work in high school…it’s now not only something that can give you college credit and college placement, but it’s also something that makes your high school transcript look like you took the highest possible classes,” said Woodside AP coordinator Stephanie Finader. “Students that take AP tests actually do better in college, even if they do poorly on the AP tests.” AP curriculums push students to learn at The many types of AP test preparation books available for students. Photo by Allison Wang a deeper level than traditional honors classes. “In AP, students have to develop their own things from multiple perspectives. minded people who, recognizing their personal understanding of the subject matter, Understanding that other people can be right. common humanity and shared guardianship rather than just parroting back what the The curriculum is not just through an American of the planet, help to create a better and more teacher said. And that’s very much this college lens or a Eurocentric peaceful world.” style of learning lens,” Sequoia IB The program was adopted in 2002 to help that you have to coordinator Lisa Sequoia gain more students. really internalize McCahon said. “Through the late 90s, Sequoia had AP the subject matter… Contrary to AP classes and it was pretty good but they were In AP you have classes that are only studying students, [and] Sequoia’s reputations to connect what offered in the United was faltering...The district decided to adopt In AP, you have to connect you’re learning to States, IB classes [IB] in 2002 and since then, Sequoia’s everything else that what you’re learning to are administered reputation has improved and now people from you know and make everything else that you know globally. More other high schools [are] trying to get into it part of the way you and make it part of the way colleges and Sequoia for that. So it helped turn around and think,” Finader said. universities abroad revitalize Sequoia,” said IB graduate Andrew The IB program you think. recognize IB and is run by the reward credit. I n t e r n a t i o n a l Stephanie Finader, Woodside AP “In general, if Baccalaureate Coordinator you’re applying as Organization, a full IB Diploma located in Geneva, student [to colleges Switzerland. It was abroad] you’re more of Sequoia seniors pursued founded because of a lack of standardized competitive,” McCahon said. the IB Diploma in 2021 curriculum across the world. From the IB Learner Profile, “The aim of all “There’s a focus on international IB programmes is to develop internationally mindedness. There’s a focus on understanding
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