DHS First IB Diploma Results Exceed National Average

From a Dexter Community Schools Press Release (September 12, 2014):

The Dexter Community Schools district is excited to announce the receipt of the first IB Diploma Assessments. Eleven out of fourteen, or 79% of candidates, earned the Diploma. This exceeds the United States historical average and meets the worldwide historical average. This achievement is particularly impressive for a first year program and is unmatched by comprehensive high schools belonging to International Baccalaureate Coordinators of Michigan.

The International Baccalaureate® (IB) is an international, non-profit educational foundation founded in 1968. There are currently 834 schools in the United States with IB diploma programs (only 30 in Michigan), and the credential is recognized in 75 countries at more than 2000 universities and colleges. The IB Diploma Programme is an academically rigorous two-year course for students ages 16-19 years. The key curricular components are six extremely rigorous two-year courses, a 4,000 word Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge course, and the CAS project: Creativity, Action, and Service, which gives students hands-on experience planning and executing service programs that integrate what they’ve learned in their IB studies. Student projects, essays, and exams are graded by external IB evaluators.

According to outgoing Dexter High School IB Diploma Coordinator Kim Lund, “I could not be prouder of these students and their accomplishments. They took a huge risk entering this unknown program as our first DHS cohort and persevered for two years through the ups and downs as we blazed this IB trail together. Now, as they head off to university, many with incredible scholarships, advance standing, and course credits, they will fully realize the benefits of their hard work.”

Superintendent Chris Timmis adds: “Our students continue to demonstrate they are amongst the strongest in the US and in the world . . . we are proud of our students and their achievements . . . we are also thankful to everyone who helped prepare our students to achieve their goals . . . the results for our first cohort are impressive and are one more indicator of the quality education available at Dexter High School.”

In September 2014, Debora Marsh became the IB Programme Coordinator. Deb has been a teacher for more than thirty years and has been with Dexter since 1994. Deb is the Dexter High School English Department Chair, the Director of Debate and Forensics, and has been the IB Programme CAS Coordinator for the past several years.

The latest edition of the DHS IB Programme newsletter can be read online here.

Any families interested in enrolling a child in the Dexter IB Programme can find more information here or may contact Deborah Marsh directly at marshd@dexterschools.org or (734) 424-4100 ext. 7113.