Students choose international form of learning at Palmer High

In the Matanuska Susitna Valley there is an extensive amount of choices for high school education: Middle College, Career Tech, the comprehensive high schools, and homeschooling within Mat Su Central School. However, Palmer High School students can choose a rigorous form of learning in the International Baccalaureate program (IB).The IB program is a challenging college preparatory form of learning that creates lifelong thinkers.

At Palmer High, ten students are scheduled to graduate with the IB diploma in May. The qualifications for an IB diploma are strict and require diligent students. These students must take IB English, IB math, IB foreign language, an IB science, a social science and Theory of Knowledge. In addition, the students must take IB exams and write an extended essay on a research project of their choice. Despite these tough qualifications the diploma still draws students.

IB senior Julia Scully said, “IB has pushed me not only academically, but also as a person.”

The IB program rigorous curriculum pushes students to learn, to prioritize, and to find their passions.

Senior at Palmer High School, Steven Duncan, explained how he could’ve chosen any other school in the Valley but chose Palmer High’s IB program. “With IB, it’s a smaller class focus with an emphasis on interpreting things for critical thinking, the way you want to go about it. A lot of it is about what you want to do.”

The IB program started in 1968 in Switzerland with a group of teachers at the International School of Geneva. Since then, it has spread worldwide and has 6,395 different programs in America. IB came to Palmer High in 2000 as a choice to give the ambitious student a different learning option.

IB classes at Palmer High are selective classes with a motive of creating lifelong learners. Three levels of the program are available to students to participate in the IB program. The lowest level of IB is enrolling in IB classes based on student interests and opt out of taking formal IB exams in the spring. Or, students can take IB classes and register to take the IB formal exams in the spring, Finally, students can participate in the full IB diploma program.

When asked why she chose the IB diploma, senior Julia Scully said, “For me IB was an obvious choice because, I was already in most IB classes and would only have to take one more class to get the diploma.”

The IB students at Palmer have most of their classes together since the IB schedule has to accommodate only a certain number of teachers. Some classes are really small, only 7 students in higher level IB Biology class. These classes require a lot of homework, Juniors tend to have at least three hours of homework, seniors around one to two. Students say the hardest classes are IB math, IB art and IB chemistry.

IB is described by students and staff as teaching a different way of thinking. The IB way of thinking includes students and teachers having more class discussions and community service projects rather than tests. IB instruction revolves around more question than lecture. Scott Baker, IB Literature teacher, said his IB classes “have a lot more discussion.” What this looks like in a classroom is the absence of a desk.

In Ms. Henry's IB course they have class discussions and arguments by putting desks in a circle.Each student comes prepared from reading an assigned text, such as Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. Discussing the text is their grade for the day. Each student is held accountable to participate. Everyone has to ask and answer a question. There is a piece of paper with each person’s name and lines drawn in the pattern that the discussion occurred. This shows their participation on record and keeps the discussion going.

Palmer High IB teacher Andrew Fournier said that IB classes have a higher workload than non-IB coursework, and that the questions asked in class are much more in depth. “IB gives better general knowledge, better research skills and better writing skills,” Mr. Fournier said.

The IB projects themselves are different when comparing non-IB classwork to IB classwork. For example, in IB English, juniors and seniors read Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. In the comparative non-IB English 3, juniors and seniors read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

To be an IB teacher the teacher has to complete a course from the IB program. The courses are available in various parts of the United States and with specific training for the different content areas an IB English teacher would not attend the same program as an IB math teacher. To have an IB accredited school, there is a list of required steps to take, from the number of books in the library and the IB qualification of teachers.

The teachers need to attend and complete a week long training to be IB certified. At this training, Mr. Baker said, that IB trained teachers, show the teachers how to lead the students into critical think by practicing that type of teaching in their training. By participating in the training this way, they, in a sense, become IB students themselves. IB certification advances teachers’ resume and makes them more readily accepted by international schools.

With those requirements and qualified staff, Palmer High spends $11,650 annually to keep the program. Gaining the full IB diploma costs $1,000 per student due to IB exams.

But, Palmer High believes it is worth the cost because IB creates a well-rounded individual who can have both a heavy workload and balance the rest of their life with sports, jazz band and student government. The IB diploma demands that the graduate is a community member; that is the purpose of the CAS project. CAS projects range from photo shoots to organizing community activity events.

There are many valid reasons to be an IB student, ranging from more rigorous studies to leadership and volunteer opportunities, but Julia Scully stated the most obvious reason for students when she said she is an IB student, “For the fat scholarships.”

Tabia Shepard is a freshman at Palmer High School