Port Chester High School Approved for International Baccalaureate Diploma Program

Port Chester High School was notified today that is has been authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program.   The courses will be offered beginning in September 2013.   

128 juniors and seniors signed up to take the courses during the class selection period in early Spring, in anticipation of the authorization being received in time to incorporate the IB classes into the fall schedule. 

“This is an exciting opportunity for all Port Chester students.  IB brings true student-centered learning.  Importantly, it promotes the concise and thoughtful writing abilities and critical thinking skills needed for success in the 21st Century,” says Port Chester High School Principal Dr. Mitchell Combs. 

According to the IB website, Port Chester High School will be the fifth Westchester school to offer IB.   The others are Dobbs Ferry High School, the first in Westchester (where Dr. Combs was the first IB Coordinator); EF International Academy in Tarrytown; Harrison High School; and Yonkers Middle/High School.  The site indicates there are 51 high schools in New York State with IB Diploma Programs.    

In its most recent visit report, the IB authorization team commended PCHS for promoting an understanding of the IB Learner Profile by staff; extending IB training to all counselors so that they would be as prepared as possible to work with students, parents, teachers, and colleges; and scheduling a common planning time period next year for IB teachers for their ongoing collaborative work in implementing the program with fidelity.  

 “Certification is a long and complex process, but we believed IB would contribute greatly to our efforts to re-shape the fabric and culture of our school,” says Dr. Combs. “The IB authorization team has also made recommendations for future enhancements.  These suggestions include increasing the capability of students to perform research through the school’s library and electronic databases, expanding IB course offerings in languages and science when possible, and continuing to integrate the philosophies and aims of the IB across courses and grade levels.  We may also look at vertical articulation in order to discuss IB-related skills and expectations from K-12.” 

Throughout the two-year certification process, Port Chester High School teachers and administrators prepared for the introduction of IB to the curriculum.  

As part of that effort, the school guidance department discussed IB courses with students this past winter.  Students had access to a section on the school’s web site about IB, including an informative “on demand” video.  Information was also emailed and mailed to students’ homes. 

“Like Advanced Placement (AP) courses, IB is recognized by college admissions officers for their rigor. Many colleges grant credit to entering freshmen who have excelled in IB or AP classes,” says guidance counselor and IB Co-Coordinator Juan Sanchez.   

Students will have the option of pursuing an IB Diploma or enrolling in individual IB courses.  Students taking individual IB courses will receive certificates from the IB for their work.  Requirements for the full IB Diploma include completing IB courses in six subject areas, taking Theory of Knowledge – an interdisciplinary study of the nature of learning – fulfilling a requirement for creative-, active-, and service-oriented activities, and writing a 4000-word extended essay.  An IB Diploma is recognized as a standard of excellence worldwide.

 “More and more of our students have been challenging themselves with rigorous courses.  When you look at the percentage of graduates with AP credits, it’s obvious that our students are ready for a program like IB,” says Dr. Combs, who says that “IB will take academic performance in the school to a new and even higher level.”