International Baccalaureate

International Baccalaureate Coordinator

Wanda Alvarado
[email protected]
(407) 482-8703

Vision Statement
To be the top producer of successful students in the nation and empower them to lead with integrity, to open minds, and to transform the world.

Mission Statement
To lead our students to success and to develop international-minded lifelong learners who are collaborative, communicative, and respectful by fostering a safe environment that promotes inquiry through holistic learning.

IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Program at University High School includes the 9th and 10th grade Pre-IB Program and the 11th and 12th grade IB Diploma Program.

The Pre-IB Program at UHS began in the 1999-2000 school year with its first freshman class. The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) authorized affiliation in July 2000 and the first group of IB students graduated in 2003.

The IB offers a variety of liberal arts courses that appeal to both the humanities and science-oriented students. While the strong academic program prepares IB students for challenging college classes, students may also earn college credits in advance, depending on the scores they receive on their IB assessments.

Benefits
Beyond academic rigor, the IB Programme...

1. Can positively impact university admission.
2. Develops leadership and time management skills
3. Instills critical thinking and research skills
4. Produces strong communicators
5. Is a family of successful students.

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE

The theory of knowledge (TOK) course plays a special role in the DP by providing an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature, scope and limitations of knowledge and the process of knowing. In this way, the main focus of TOK is not on students acquiring new knowledge but on helping students to reflect on, and put into perspective, what they already know. TOK underpins and helps to unite the subjects that students encounter in the rest of their DP studies. It engages students in explicit reflection on how knowledge is arrived at in different disciplines and areas of knowledge, on what these areas have in common and the differences between them.

The aims of the TOK course are:
• to encourage students to reflect on the central question, “How do we know that?”, and to
recognize the value of asking that question
• to expose students to ambiguity, uncertainty and questions with multiple plausible answers
• to equip students to effectively navigate and make sense of the world, and help prepare them
to encounter novel and complex situations
• to encourage students to be more aware of their own perspectives and to reflect critically on
their own beliefs and assumptions
• to engage students with multiple perspectives, foster open-mindedness and develop intercultural understanding
• to encourage students to make connections between academic disciplines by exploring
underlying concepts and by identifying similarities and differences in the methods of inquiry
used in different areas of knowledge
• to prompt students to consider the importance of values, responsibilities and ethical concerns
relating to the production, acquisition, application and communication of knowledge.

Assessment

The assessment of ToK comprises of two components:

Part 1 - External Assessment (40 points)

An essay is to be completed on a prescribed title provided by the IBO for each examination session. The essay should be 1200-1600 words in length.

Part 2 - Internal Assessment (20 points)

A presentation is to be conducted to the class. In addition, a written presentation planning document and presentation marking form provided by the ToK teacher will also be completed. Each presentation should be approximately 10 minutes per student.

Theory of Knowledge Presentation

The following documents will

guide IB students in preparing for

the Theory of Knowledge

presentation:

Academic Honesty

TOK Guide 2020

TOK Presentation Structure

TOK Presentation Structure Blank

CREATIVITY ACTION SERVICE (CAS)

Creativity, activity, service (CAS) emphasizes helping students to develop their own identities in accordance with the ethical principles embodied in the IB mission statement and the IB learner profile. CAS complements a challenging academic programme in a holistic way, providing opportunities for self-determination, collaboration, accomplishment, and enjoyment. It involves students in a range of activities alongside their academic studies throughout the DP. The three strands of CAS are creativity (exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance), activity (physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle), and service (collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need).

Links

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Subject Brief Creativity, activity, service

IB CAS

CAS Quick Start Guide

CAS Examples

Pre-IB CAS Reflection Form

EXTENDED ESSAY

The extended essay (EE) requires students to engage in independent research through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the DP subjects they are studying. The world studies EE option allows students to focus on a topic of global significance, which they examine through the lens of at least two DP subjects.

Students are guided through the process of research and writing by an assigned supervisor (a teacher in the school). All students undertake three mandatory reflection sessions with their supervisor, including a short interview, or viva voce, following the completion of the extended essay.
Extended essay topics may be chosen from a list of approved DP subjects— normally one of the student’s six chosen subjects for the IB diploma or the world studies option. World studies provide students with the opportunity to carry out an in-depth interdisciplinary study of an issue of contemporary global significance, using two IB disciplines.
The aims of the extended essay are to provide students with the opportunity to: • engage in independent research with intellectual initiative and rigor • develop research, thinking, self-management and communication skills • reflect on what has been learned throughout the research and writing process.

Extended Essay Process

The research process
1. Choose the approved DP subject.
2. Choose a topic.
3. Undertake some preparatory reading.
4. Formulate a well-focused research question.
5. Plan the research and writing process.
6. Plan a structure (outline headings) for the essay. This may change
as the research develops.
7. Carry out the research.