The I.B. Diploma Program Curriculum at St. Dominic Academy
I.B. students study six major subjects: language, literature, history, science, math and the arts. In addition to the six major subjects, I.B. students must complete three core requirements, including the Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and the Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) requirement.
Major subject areas (SDA courses are italicized)
I.B. Diploma Program students study six subject areas:
Group 1 is Primary Language: Literature (HL)
Group 2 is Secondary Language: French, Spanish and Classical Latin (SL)
Group 3 addresses individuals and Social Sciences: History of the Americas (HL), Psychology (HL)
Group 4 is Experimental Sciences: Biology (SL), Chemistry (SL) and Physics (SL)
Group 5 is Mathematics and Computer Science: Math Studies (SL), Mathematics (SL)
Group 6 is the Arts, including Visual Arts and Music: Visual Arts (HL)
At least three and not more than four of these six subjects are taken at higher level (HL), and the others at standard level (SL). HL courses represent 240 teaching hours, and require a greater depth of study across a broader range of content in the subject. SL courses require 150 hours and provide breadth of study across the whole Diploma Program.
Core Requirements
The heart of the I.B. Diploma Program is three core requirements:
• Theory of Knowledge – This interdisciplinary course brings all other I.B. courses together and challenges students to engage in a higher level of discourse. It explores the nature of knowledge across all disciplines and encourages appreciation of cultural perspectives.
• Extended Essay – The extended essay is an independent research assignment of 4,000 words in one of the six subject areas listed above. I.B. students are encouraged to specialize in a certain subject area and prepare for university studies.
• Creativity, action, service (CAS) – I.B. students are required to perform a minimum of 150 hours of creative, physical and service activities in their local community. The purpose of the CAS requirement is to allow students to experience ‘real life’ beyond the classroom.
I.B. Grading and Credit
Students’ work is assessed over the two-year program period. There are Final Examinations in each subject area, the first of which will be given in May 2009. Students’ work will be assessed by members of an international board of examiners, who have been rigorously trained and monitored by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Throughout the program, students are also assessed internally. For example, students will engage in oral language assessments and will develop art portfolios.
Each subject is scored on a 1-7 scale. The Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay would provide up to three additional points altogether. Students who perform well
across all six subject areas and achieve a minimum of 24 points out of 45 are awarded the diploma
Who teaches I.B. courses?
Fifteen SDA faculty members have attended I.B. conferences all over the United States, including California, Ohio, Texas, Georgia, Flordia, Maryland and Colorado. SDA faculty members also visited I.B. faculty members at Newark Academy, another I.B. school in Livingston, N.J., in an information exchange session last year. I.B. teachers must participate in professional development opportunities to update their knowledge and share their expertise. The I.B. revises its curriculum every five years, and teachers who have been certified as I.B. instructors must be retrained. I.B. faculty members are as committed and enthusiastic about the program as SDA’s I.B. students. “I have never been as excited about teaching something as I am about this,” said SDA Science Department Chairwoman Sue Lingat.
How did SDA become accredited as an I.B. World School?
Preparation to become an I.B. school began three years ago, under then-Principal Sr. Vivien Jennings, OP, Ph.D., who, prior to coming to SDA, served as President of Caldwell College. SDA underwent an exhaustive authorization process for I.B. In 2005, administrators met with parents of then-freshmen to introduce them to the I.B. program that would be available to their daughters in their junior year. Principal Egan said that parents thanked SDA’s I.B. coordinators for providing this opportunity to their daughters at that early meeting.
For more information about the I.B. and SDA
For more information about the I.B. program at St. Dominic Academy, contact I.B. Coordinator Cathy Jo Lombardi at (201) 434-5938, ext. 31. Press inquiries should be made to SDA Director of Public Relations and Admissions Carolyn Smith at (201) 434-5938, ext. 35. For information about the I.B. program in general, including two additional I.B. programs available to younger students, visit the I.B. website at www.ibo.org. Be sure to visit the I.B. page on the SDA website www.stdominicacad.com for the latest updates on the I.B. program at SDA. There you will also find answers to frequently asked questions.
For more information about SDA, contact Director of Public Relations and Admissions Carolyn Smith at (201) 434-5938, ext. 35.
St. Dominic Academy
International
Baccalaureate Program
St. Dominic Academy is pleased to announce that it has been accredited as an International Baccalaureate World School.
What is the I.B. Program?
“International Baccalaureate” is the name of a rigorous program of study that is used by I.B. schools throughout the world. I.B. schools follow strict academic guidelines. The I.B. program is widely recognized by colleges and universities around the world. The International Baccalaureate Organization, which administers the program, is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
There are currently 2,122 I.B. schools in 125 countries that offer programs to 566,000 students. These include the Diploma program which began in 1968 and is now offered by 1,596 I.B. World Schools. St. Dominic Academy is the first Catholic High School in New Jersey to be accredited as an I.B. World School.
The program’s mission statement reads “The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect…These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.”
The I.B. was originally designed in Europe as an ‘education passport’ for students whose families moved internationally to have a seamless academic transition. This included children of diplomats, international businesspeople, and the military. International educators also hoped that the I.B. would foster intercultural understanding. The ultimate mission of the I.B. program is to create a better world through education.
The I.B. promotes intercultural understanding and respect, not as an alternative to a sense of culture and national identity, but as an essential part of life in the 21st Century. In promoting international-mindedness, the I.B. believes that students must first develop an understanding of their own cultural and national identity.
The benefits of the I.B. Diploma Program at SDA
St. Dominic Academy began offering its first classes in the I.B. Diploma Program in September 2007. This program is a two-year course of study for select juniors and seniors. Students who complete the program will be awarded a second diploma, in addition to their St. Dominic Academy diploma. Universities recognize the outstanding qualities of the I.B. Diploma Program students. It is possible for students who participate in the program to receive advanced standing of up to a year of college credits.
SDA Principal Deborah A. Egan says, “I.B. was like an extension of SDA’s own mission statement,” which is “Saint Dominic Academy, a community of academic excellence, empowers women for leadership in our global society. Rooted in Christian values, the Catholic Institution embraces the diversity of its constituents, promoting unity through understanding and education.” Egan adds, “The International Baccalaureate program offers a global perspective that complements the diversity of our school community. As my immediate predecessor, Sr. Vivien Jennings, O.P., said at the beginning of our I.B. adoption process, ‘It is our next step toward excellence.’”
“The I.B. program teaches students the skills that they need to be successful, not just in college, but throughout their lives,” says St. Dominic Academy I.B. Coordinator Cathy Jo Lombardi.
The International Baccalaureate Organization uses ten words to reflect qualities that students must develop in the program. I.B. students must strive to be: inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective. “After our students complete the I.B. program, they will have become lifelong learners, as well as critical thinkers. They will come to understand that people can have differences, yet be right. They will try to make the world a better, more peaceful place by respecting and understanding different cultures and nations. I believe that the I.B. Diploma Program provides our students with a sound, holistic, rigorous college preparatory education that they will carry with them throughout their lives,” says Lombardi.
She also notes the United States is the fastest-growing adopter of the I.B. program. New Jersey state academic requirements are also met through this program.
Who can participate in the I.B. Program at SDA?
The I.B. program is designed not only for elite students, but for those who demonstrate a serious commitment to their studies. For examples, five SDA I.B. students took Physics over summer 2007 because their fall schedules were too jam-packed with I.B. and other courses.
Students must apply to be considered for the I.B. program. At SDA, the following requirements must be met for a student to be accepted into the I.B. program. Students must possess at least a 3.0 GPA and students must be willing to seriously commit time and effort to their studies. Students’ OLSAT and PSAT scores, along with their GPAs, teachers’ approval, and guidance counselors’ recommendations also weigh heavily in the I.B. application process. I.B. students must also pay I.B. tuition of $500 per year more than the standard SDA tuition to cover examination fees and mailing costs.
Forty-six juniors are currently enrolled in the I.B. program. Junior Mitali Thakore of Jersey City says, “I like that I.B. is student-driven and I enjoy the discussion; I love the Theory of Knowledge course that brings all that we are learning in different subjects together. It actually reminds me of the way that we were taught to think in Ms. Smith’s Model United Nations Club – to consider other countries’ histories and their perspectives on issues.”
Junior Megan Lee of Hoboken says, “I wanted to participate in the I.B. program because I wanted to open my mind to different ways of thinking and broader views. I wanted a world view to be able to make more informed decisions.” Lee continues, “I don’t want anyone to be scared – I.B. adds on to what you already know. You go in as an American and you stay an American, but you learn to think the way other countries think and to compromise.” Lee describes the impact of the I.B. program on her thus far in the following way, “I don’t think the way I used to. I have a broader world view. I look at things differently because I consider other countries’ views now.”