International Baccalaureate Programme

April 20, 2011

Carson Graham Secondary, Balmoral Jr. Secondary and Capilano Elementary are all accredited IB World Schools

What is IB?
The International Baccalaureate offers three high quality educational programs for a worldwide community of schools. Over the past 40 years, the programs have established a reputation for their high academic standards, for preparing students for life in a globalized 21st century, and for helping to develop the future citizens who will create a better, more peaceful world.

The IB was founded in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland 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 common pre-university curriculum, a common set of external examinations, and a diploma recognized by universities around the world. 

The IB works with more than 3,200 schools in 140 countries. IB North America was established in 1977 and works with schools in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. The greatest concentration of IB programs is in the US, 90% of which operate in public schools.

The IB develops and offers three programs of international education spanning the years from pre-kindergarten to pre-university. The programs can be offered individually or as a continuum.
 

• The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), for students aged 3 to 12, focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside.
• The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), for students aged 11 to 16, provides a framework of academic challenge that encourages students to embrace and understand the connections between traditional subjects and the real world, and to become critical and reflective thinkers.
• The IB Diploma Programme (Diploma - DP), for students 16 to 19, is a leading, internationally recognized pre-university qualification that symbolizes academic excellence worldwide.  The student that satisfies its demands demonstrates a strong commitment to learning, both in terms of mastery of subject content and in the development of wide-ranging skills.  Diploma Programme students are also encouraged to appreciate the universal value of human diversity and its legitimate boundaries, while at the same time understanding the common humanity that we all share.

Why is the School District offering IB?
The IB does not own or manage any schools.  IB works with individual schools and school districts that share the commitment to international education.  As IB grew, North Vancouver educators were attracted to the philosophy and methods of the IB program as it reflected the best of current research and teaching practices.  In 2005, the North Vancouver Board of Education requested a study proposal from the IB study group, which was tabled in June of 2006.  The proposal called for the implementation of the IB program in a limited number of North Vancouver schools and also set out the parameters of supporting the implementation.

How is IB  implemented?
The IB is implemented over a five year period with schools being externally adjudicated at the three and five year points.  Teaching, at both the PYP and MYP levels, can begin almost immediately after the investigation phase – the first of a 3-stage application process.  At the DP level, a school must develop and establish the program's framework, train teachers, establish course outlines, and be authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) before it can begin teaching the program.

What is taught in an IB Programme?
In both the PYP and MYP, teachers integrate the BC curriculum and teach through the lens of the IB framework of inquiry with a global perspective and sense of international mindedness.  Students in the DP are challenged by incredibly rigorous, but rich, international curricula.  These enriched programs are designed to ensure students are challenged to think and question critically.  Research skills and sophistication in writing and presenting are significant outcomes of the program. The IB's goal is to deliver citizens who are well-balanced, principled inquirers with an understanding of their responsibilities to our society and a commitment to academic excellence.

What are the outcomes of IB?
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 IB works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop programs of international education. These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand and practise global citizenship.

Which schools are currently offering IB Programmes?
The implementation requirements are different at each of the three IB levels.  Once through the implementation and candidate phases, IB schools are externally accredited every five years.

Capilano Elementary, Balmoral Jr Secondary and Carson Graham Secondary are authorized IB World Schools, offering the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes respectively. 

More information is available at:

Capilano Elementary School (PYP)  Ph. #  604-903-3370

Balmoral Junior Secondary School (MYP) Ph#  604-903-3400

Carson Graham Secondary School (Diploma)   ph# 604-903-3555

International Baccalaureate Diploma Student Application Form

International Baccalaureate Organization

Registration and Transfer Requests
For students entering North Vancouver School District or transferring between schools, please complete the Registration or Transfer forms and submit to Central Registration.