A guide to support our students throughout the next two years. IB Diploma Program, ACS Athens November 5, 2013
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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 Must Complete 6 courses from at least five subject areas:
(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.
Teachers explain‌..
The IB program is easy!!! I studied for the test but why did I get a C and not a B+ or an A in the first test?
Understanding the assessment criteria for IB courses is one of the first quarter challenges.
Quarter 2: Realities Students say‌..
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.
Quarter 3: Feeling Stronger! Strengths‌ weaknesses Reflecting‌ acting January exams are over
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
Quarter 3: New challenges 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.
Time and organize tasks
Anxiety
Share concerns and anxiety with counselors, parents and friends. Confront challenges early on. Not the day before. Assistance to relieve stress.!
Students are monitored with respect to The IB office communicates any completing tasks according to problems to parents in writing. deadlines.
Quarter 4. More Challenges.. Challenged to excel‌
Our support‌
I worked so hard to rewrite my Need encouragement to essay and my teacher says that it continue the hard work. Need to is still mediocre!! 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.
June Mock Exams results on Skyward! The mock exam grade is recorded on Skyward a) 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. Example: Q3
SIB
Q4
Exam S2
Final
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.
Year 2: A hard beginning I must, I must, I must……… 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, is it that teachers are so strict and do not give students the benefit of the doubt with the IB Predictions?
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? Spend the break listening to concerns, reading your child’s essay, checking with what must be completed for the Internal Assessment. 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. The rest of the IA work must be completed before the end of March. Do not leave things for the last minute.
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 Academic Honesty Guide TOK 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.