The International Baccalaureate Organization is dedicated to providing students with an internationally-minded, holistic, and rigorous academic program. MacDowell’s Diploma Program marks the conclusion of our K3-12 Program. The International Baccalaureate program is a perfect fit to support the development of the adolescent.
IB Mission Statement
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.
To this end, the organization works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
Why IB?
The International Baccalaureate Program is a holistic model of education that includes a rigorous curriculum, a commitment to the process of learning, and a recognition of the importance of community. In other words, it’s a great fit for Montessori adolescent programs, which is why we have ALL of our 11th and 12th graders take IB classes. They have been shown to have a positive impact on students. Students from IB schools are more motivated and engaged. They are also more likely to enroll and graduate from college. IB programs also prepare students to excel in future careers through an emphasis on “21st Century Skills” and competencies.
For more information please visit www.ibo.org
Learner Profile
The IB Learner Profile lays out the skills and competencies it seeks to instill in our students. The learner profile helps to guide teachers in the development of their courses and prompts our students to think more broadly about themselves instead of just about pure coursework. The Learner Profile helps to reinforce the Montessori ideals of Community and Grace and Courtesy and shows that we can meet the intellectual, social, and emotional needs of adolescents.
As IB learners, we strive to be: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-Minded, Caring, Risk-Takers, Balanced, and Reflective. Click HERE to learn about each of these a little more in depth!
Global Context
Students in the IB programme learn best when their learning experiences have context and are connected to their lives and to the world that they have experienced. When learning becomes meaningful and relevant, students are more likely to be engaged. Teachers can impact on student learning by providing engaging and inspiring global contexts that contribute towards development of the attributes of the IB learner profile. Learning in global contexts enables learners to directly link concepts with their own lives and put knowledge into action(Westera 2009). This contextual learning helps teachers and students answer the important questions “Why are we learning this?”
Identities and relationships: Who we are: an inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.
Orientation in space and time: Where we are in place and time: an inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between, and the interconnectedness of, individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.
Personal and cultural expression: How we express ourselves: an inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
Scientific and technical innovation: How the world works: an inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.
Globalization and sustainability: How we organize ourselves: an inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.
Fairness and development: Sharing the planet: an inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
What IB Programmes are offered at MacDowell?
MacDowell is authorized in the Diploma Years Programme (DP). MacDowell Montessori Grades 7-10 have applied for and been granted Candidacy from the IB. MacDowell staff have been working in partnership towards the authorization of our Middle Years Programme. We are in the final stages of the candidate phase; in fall of 2022, we finished our consultation process, which included a three day visit with a representative from the IB Organization. MacDowell Montessori School’s Middle Years Programme will apply for authorization in Spring of 2023, and we look forward to final authorization as a MIddle Years Programme school by the end of the 22-23 school year.
IB Diploma Programme
The IB Diploma Programme is a comprehensive two-year international college-preparatory curriculum. Students have the option of being Full Diploma candidates, or they may take selected IB courses as Certificate candidates. Successful completion of an IB course may lead to college credit and/or advanced placement.
MacDowell’s Diploma Program marks the conclusion of our K3-12 Program. The International Baccalaureate program is a perfect fit to support the development of the adolescent.
IB Middle Years Programme
MacDowell is an MYP Candidate School. The MYP is a challenging framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world. The Middle Years Programme (MYP) is a curriculum framework designed for learners aged 11–16 by the International Baccalaureate (IB). The MYP is a five-year programme, which can be implemented in a partnership between schools or in abbreviated two-, three- or four-year formats.