The International Baccalaureate Organization was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1968 as a non-profit educational foundation. Its original purpose was to facilitate the international mobility of students preparing for university by providing schools with a curriculum and diploma recognized by universities around the world. Since then its mission has expanded, and it now seeks to make an IB education available to students of all ages. In the thirty years since its founding, the IB diploma has become a symbol of academic integrity and intellectual promise, and is considered the “Cadillac” of education. IB students demonstrate a strong commitment to learning, both in terms of the mastery of subject content and in the development of the skills and discipline necessary for success in a competitive world. Only schools authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, may offer the Diploma Programme which now includes over 200,000 students encompassing 1,462 schools in 117 countries.

What type of student succeeds in the IB Programme? 
The International Baccalaureate Organization states emphatically that the IB Diploma Programme is not necessarily for the most able students, but for the most motivated students. Characteristics that many IB students share are motivation, commitment, and self-discipline. Students who possess a broad interest in all countries, cultures, and customs as well as a wide range of interests outside the classroom will most likely be successful IB candidates.

IB and Universities

Significant numbers of IB students have gained admission to Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Yale, Brown, Stanford, Virginia, Emory, and US military academies. IB students find they are well prepared for university work and are often accorded advanced standing and college credit based on their IB course work.

College credit awarded to IB graduates varies at many post-secondary institutions. The extent of college credit awarded is dependent upon the policy of the college and the individual IB student’s record. Recognition policies of over 800 U.S. colleges and international universities are found on the IBO website: www.ibo.org.

IB and Baldwin County

Daphne High School and Fairhope High School are now fully authorized IB World Schools. Each school completed applications for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, went through site visits, and had teachers trained in each of the six fields of the curriculum. Now each school is accepting applications from rising 9th and 10th-grade students from throughout the county to attend school at Fairhope or Daphne High School and participate in the program. 

Plan of study: 

9^th Grade Year

• Advanced English 9
 
• Advanced Biology
 
• Geometry with Data Analysis
 
• Advanced World History
 
• Leadership
 
• Spanish 1
 
• PE/Band/ROTC/Athletics
 
• Elective/Algebra I, if middle school accelerated math courses were not taken

10^th Grade Year

• Advanced English 10
 
• Chemistry
 
• Algebra II with Statistics
 
• Spanish II
 
• AP European History
 
• Health/Driver's Education
 
• Elective/Fine Art
 
• Elective

Requirements for Admission: 
Students wishing to gain entrance to the preparatory 9th-grade program must meet the following requirements:
1) Unweighted 3.0 (B) average in Math, English, Science, and Social Studies classes in the eighth grade.

2) Completed application.

3) Standardized test scores.

4) A writing sample.

5) An interview.

6) Teacher Recommendations from three core subject teachers.

Benefits of enrolling in the programme: 

• Students share classroom experiences with other self-motivated students

• Challenging and exciting classes that focus on writing, thinking, communicating, and experimenting

• Development of time management and writing skills

• Instruction from teachers who have been IB trained and will instruct them in the IB classes in the 11th and 12th grades

Links for additional information: 

• Daphne High School IB
• Fairhope High School IB
• IB Web Site