Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Experiences with the IB Diploma Program?

Our district tries very hard to channel all gifted kids into IB. None of mine have been the least bit interested (two went to other magnets, and numbers three and four are at the local high school because there's more scope for creating our own "program" to meet their very individual needs). That having been said, all four have friends who've either graduated from IB or are currently enrolled.

A couple of observations, with the caveat that it's possible this is specific to our area: IB grads tend to go to the same colleges with the same amount of scholarship money as equally capable kids from other schools: the two state universities get most of them, a few outliers end up at Ivies or Southern Ivies, and a bunch more go to the junior college for two years to save money. Meantime, they've spent a lot of time on homework and projects that are, if you're of the "hard work is its own reward" mindset, useful, but in a practical sense, just get in the way of doing non-school-related things.
Oddly, my kids are in the position now where they've had a disproportionate number of teachers who are IB grads. They're okay teachers, but generally indistinguishable from the non-IB grads of the same vintage. So I'm not quite sure what to make of that.
The advantage I see, I guess, is that most of the kids who were all in the gifted middle school program all tend to migrate to the same high school, so socially there's some benefit (assuming your child liked his middle school peers).
Overall, I guess my opinion is "if Johnny wants to be there, that's great, but I think the advantages of it are overstated."

I know I'm a bit late into this thread, but, from an IB teacher's perspective, here are the traits I think make a really successful diploma kid:
1) the ability the make connections between concepts, within and between courses (for example seeing the connection between the math they are learning in math class and the science they are learning down the hall, or the novel they just read in english).
2) time management - yes, there is a lot of work, BUT it is manageable if the student does work everyday for every class - note, I am not saying that they have to do hours of work for every class everyday.
3) interest in a variety of topics/courses - some of my worst IB students were ones who had already made up their mind that everything that was not specifically within their interest zone was useless and they fought having to learn it the entire way
4) having the ability to accept that the grades they get may not be as high as they have always gotten
5) those with supportive parents who help them with time management and stress management
6) Most important of all: those that are most successful want to be in the program because they like the ideals of the program, not that they necessarily like all of the work, but that they appreciate what the over arching ideals of being a global citizen are all about.

I have taught IB for 11 years, and am an examiner for them, so I have a pretty good insight to who walks away with a diploma and college credit and who doesn't. Not only that, the research is there to show that IB students, whether they get the whole diploma or go for certificates, do better in college and are better students for their experience.

Which brings me to another point - does your school allow students to go for certificates rather than the diploma? If so, then I would say have him start out as a diploma candidate, see how he does for the first year of the program and then if things get too bad, see if he can switch to certificates in just the courses he is being successful in. (Yes, I would give it the entire first year. I know it is a long time, but the difference in kids from when they walk in the door as scared/eager year 1 students to when they leave at the end of the year is amazing, and most of them have figured the system out by then as well as whether or not it is the program for them.)

I hope this information helps.