"IB Diploma: a New Challenge for Parents", November 2013

A guide to support our students throughout the next two years.

IB Diploma Program, ACS Athens November 5, 2013

Our ACS Athens menu of Academic Choices  American High School Diploma  American High School Diploma +IB Diploma  American High School Diploma + IB Diploma Courses  American High School Diploma + AP Certificates  American High School Diploma + AP Certificates + IB Diploma Courses  American High School Diploma + The ACS Scholars Diploma  American High School Diploma +IB Diploma + Greek Isotimia

The ACS Athens and IB Student Profile Achieved with Ethos through our Holistic Meaningful Harmonious Education Model : Morfosis

We all work together..

Administrators Faculty Parents To support our students throughout the two years of the IB program.

Our common objective:

Achieve the highest performance in a holistic way, in all aspects of student life and learning.

What do new IB parents need to know about the program?

•The IB Diploma Requirements •The Assessment for IB Diploma Courses: Internal and External •The Format of the examinations •The Conduct of the Examinations • Minimum Score requirement for the IB Diploma to be awarded •The timeline of completion for the course requirements •The distribution of work/deadlines over the two years.

•The in-school processes and policies regarding the IB courses.

IB DIPLOMA requirements (HL)  Minimum 2-Standard level courses (SL)  Minimum 3- High Level courses

 An Extended Essay or EE (4,000 words)  A Theory of Knowledge Essay (1,500 words)

TOK Essay

 CAS – 150 hrs of Creativity, Action and Service

ASSESSMENT COMPONENTS INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

(IA)

 LANGUAGES: ORAL  SOCIAL STUDIES: WRITTEN COMMENTARIES OR PAPERS  EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCES: LAB REPORTS  MATH: PROJECTS  ARTS: PROJECTS

Prepared in the course of the two years, Assessed by ACS Athens faculty, Moderated by IBO moderator.

Final grade decision is made by IB moderator.

Final Score weight: 20% for HL and 25% for SL

EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT  WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS  WRITTEN TASKS  EE  TOK  ART PROJECTS  MAY EXAMINATIONS

Final Grade weight between 75-80%

FORMAT OF EXAMS  Students write 3 exams (papers) for each HL course.  Students write 2 exams (papers) for each SL course.  PAPER 1  PAPER 2  PAPER 3 All IB courses are assessed on 1-7 scale.

TOK Essay and Extended Essay on F-A scale and both receive a total of 3 points

IB second year May exams  Exams are scheduled by IBO  Exams are delivered by IBO  RULES AND REGULATIONS FROM IBO

ACS Athens Mock Examinations   

Exams are prepared by ACS Athens faculty Exams are scheduled by ACS Athens administration Rules and Regulations of IBO are applied for both

MOCK EXAM IN JUNE OF YEAR 1 MOCK EXAM IN JANUARY YEAR 2

Diploma is awarded when..

Diploma with a score of 24-27 points TOK

Pass

EE

Pass

CAS

Pass

Diploma with a score of 28 points

There is no grade 1 in any subject.

3 HL courses

12 points

no grade 2

11 points

no more than one grade 2

3 SL courses

9 points

no more than 8 points one grade 2

no more than two grade 2

Overall, there are no more than three grades 3 or below.

Quarter 1: Perceptions & Realities Students say‌.

Ms. Gournaris

The IB program is easy!!!

Mr. Kakaris + Mr. Tsitsilonis

I studied for the test but why did I get a C and not a B+ or an A in the first test?

Teachers explain‌..

Understanding the assessment criteria for IB courses is one of the first quarter challenges.

Hristakos Pittas Pisanias

Quarter 2: Realities Students say‌..

Mr. Tsitsilonis

Mr. Kakaris

Teachers explain‌

Why do homework assignments seem so much harder now?

Demands for deeper understanding of course content is now apparent to students.

WHY due dates for homework assignments or tests fall during the same day or week?

Proper Planning and organizing tasks is one of the challenges.

Need to ask for help.

Hristakos

Miniotis

Quarter 3: Feeling Stronger!

Strengths‌ weaknesses Reflecting‌ acting

Confidence raised

Evaluate performance/ Administrative intervention may be required. Are there any program changes required for the student to be more successful?

Build on strengths

Identify weaknesses

Seek improvement

January exams are over

Quarter 3: New challenges Ms. Gournaris

Mr. Tsitsilonis

Mr. Kakaris

New Challenges‌

Supporting processes

Internal Assessment

Teachers can help!!

Extended Essay More and more homework and not enough time to go out for a coffee with friends‌.

Anxiety

Students are monitored with respect to completing tasks according to deadlines.

Hristakos Miniotis

Time and organize tasks Pittas

Share concerns and anxiety with counselors, parents and friends. Confront challenges early on. Not the day before.

Assistance to relieve stress.!

The IB office communicates any problems to parents in writing.

Stelios Anna

Quarter 4. More Challenges..

Challenged to excel‌

Mr. Tsitsilonis Mr. Kakaris

Ms. Gournaris

Our support‌

I worked so hard to rewrite Need encouragement to my essay and my teacher says continue the hard work. Need that it is still mediocre!! to understand that revising, editing and rewriting is required in order to achieve the best performance.

Encourage them to use class time effectively.

How will I be ready for the Mock Exams. If I fail, I will lose my status as an IB Diploma student. I will not be able to enter the HL classes for the courses I need for my college applications.!!!

Use time effectively, organize work, use Spring break to get ahead and prepare for the mock exams.

Share concerns/anxieties with parents, teachers, counselors.

They can help.

Pittas Pisanias

Anna

Stelios

June Mock Exams results on Skyward!  The mock exam grade is recorded on Skyward out of 100 and recorded as a letter grade on the Semester 2 exam column. b) out of 7 on the IB scale in the quarter 4 comments. a)

Notice on Skyward the SIB= Score on the IB scale Measures course performance according to the IB requirements i.e. Internal Assessment, written tasks, written assignments and the Mock exam using the IB score weights.

THUS, SIB ＝, or

≠

ACS Athens course grade

After the Mocks- Holidays!??

Dealing with the results, rethinking of options for applications. Identify opportunities and challenges.

Need help to reflect and evaluate Mock Exam results focusing on academic plans.

Do academic plans fit student profile and personality?

Summer Homework!!!!  A pile of unfinished work.

 Need to work on the options for sciences, finish the first draft of the Extended

Essay,…...  What about my CAS project?  Help students plan their work in parts. Efficient organization will give them more time for holidays.

Pisanias, Pittas, Anna, Hristakos

Year 2: A hard beginning I must, I must, I must………

Stelios  Must submit all summer work.  Must write mock exams in class before the end of the first quarter.  Must complete my College Applications.

But why, A parent: Mr. Tsitsilonis….. is it that teachers are so strict and do not give students the benefit of the doubt with the IB Predictions?

Answer: Tokatlidou

Year 2- Now I need support!!

Reality



Stress, even panic is observed amongst the IB Diploma seniors. Some experience the consequences of not doing the summer homework.!!

Support mechanisms  Counselors work in the Senior Advisory class to motivate students and help them keep focused on task.  Parental support is very important at this point. Parents can

help students maintain a long run perspective.

My last Christmas as a high-school student! Let me enjoy it please.!!  WORK, work, work….Can I please have the

Christmas day to enjoy the season? PARENT  Spend the break listening to concerns, reading your child’s essay, checking with what must be completed for the Internal Assessment. STELIOS  Students need to work around the clock. EE, TOK essay and English written tasks and written assignments must be completed before the end of February. This is an External Deadline. PITTAS PISANIAS  The rest of the IA work must be completed before the end of March. Do not leave things for the last minute. HRISTAKOS

The last quarter….  All IB requirements, except the exam, are complete.

Bravo! Now, focus on the exam.  Develop an effective strategy to prepare for the exams. Need help? Ask teachers, counselors, parents.  All will be happy to help…..

Soon you will be an IB Diploma Graduate

Useful documents  General Guidelines to the IB diploma  Extended Essay Guide  CAS guide

Please visit our school’s website or www.ibo.org for more information on the requirements and regulations of the IB diploma program

HMH education at all levels Reflecting on our practices…..  Does the variety of supporting programs and

procedures satisfy HMH?

 This is our Goal and this is our Reflection. Please give

us your input any time.