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In February 2003, the International Baccalaureate
Organization (IBO) authorized Oscar F. Smith High School to teach the grade
11-12 Diploma Program beginning in September 2004.
Interested eighth graders from across Chesapeake
apply for the program by applying for the grade 9-10 Pre-IB Academy at Oscar
Smith High School. Students
accepted for the IB Program who reside outside the Oscar Smith school zone are
bused to the school for all instruction in Grades 9-12 and participate in all
extra-curricular activities at Oscar Smith, including all Virginia High School
League sanctioned activities and sports.
What
Is IB?
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is a demanding, two-year
program of curriculum and service that meets the needs of highly motivated
secondary students. The Diploma Program offers a comprehensive and integrated
approach to learning that prepares students for rigorous assessments in six
subject areas during grades 11 and 12. Students must also complete a minimum
of 150 hours in Creativity, Action, and Service activities, a 4,000-word essay
of original research, and a Theory of Knowledge course. The International
Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) awards its diploma to students who perform
successfully on the six external examinations and fulfill all other
requirements of the program at an authorized IB world school. It is recognized
as the highest diploma currently offered by any high school in the world.
International Baccalaureate allows its graduates to fulfill requirements of
various national systems of education and is based on the pattern of no single
country. The primary objective of an IB program is to provide a world-class
education that prepares students of different linguistic, cultural, and
educational backgrounds with the intellectual, social, and critical
perspectives necessary for college and the rest of their lives. The rigorous
curriculum, the requirement of the extended essay, the Theory of Knowledge
course, and the Creativity, Action, and Service component are designed to
produce well-rounded and well-educated citizens who can think critically,
write well, speak articulately, and manage extremely demanding schedules. For
three decades thousands of young adults from all continents have earned the IB
diploma and have gained admission to leading institutions of higher education.
Information on these pages is adapted from materials provided by the
International Baccalaureate Organization.
For Further Information, please contact the International Baccalaureate
Coordinator at 548-3286.
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