The days where Advanced Placement classes were the only upper-level course offered to excelling students may be fading, as a relatively new curriculum, International Baccalaureate, is being embraced at Long Island schools.
At the start of the 2012 school year, nine Long Island school districts will offer the curriculum, including , Commack, Northport-East Northport, Bay Shore, Sag Harbor and West Islip in Suffolk County.
Hauppauge Public Schools will begin offering IB classes to high school students this fall, after a being approved as a school last winter. The inital move by the district to incorporate th.
The IB curriculum, according to a Newsday story published Monday on the topic, has so far been a hit in districts that have decided to pay the thousands in fees needed to set up the program, which puts more of an emphasis on critical thinking and writing.
Critics, on the other hand, usually blast the cost of the program or its international endorsement.
From the Newsday article:
Experts and proponents say the IB high school curriculum gives students an edge because of its global perspective and rigor. Many students strive for the coveted IB diploma, which requires completion of at least seven advanced courses in their junior and senior years, including mathematics, science, English literature and history.
The courses emphasize essays and oral presentations, and a 4,000-word paper and community service are mandated.
Click here to read the entire article (subscription required).
Hauppauge High School teachers are preparing to co-teach both IB and AP classes in the same classrooms this fall. Students will be given the option of which course of study to pursue.
We'd like to ask: As parents, how do you feel about the IB program beginning this fall? Has your opinion changed since it was first mentioned by Hauppauge officials in March 2011? Will your child be taking IB or AP classes?
Tell us your opinion in the comments below.
