School Offers International Baccalaureate Study
Published Apr 16, 2004
Mount Pleasant High School’s curriculum has an international slant.
Mount Pleasant High School students will be poised to become citizens of the world as graduates of Delaware’s first International Baccalaureate-designated high school.
At Mount Pleasant, 25 students in the class of 2006 are enrolled in the IB program, along with 44 in the class of 2007 and 59 in the class of 2008. More applications are being processed, says Lynn Wright, IB coordinator for the Brandywine School District.
“It’s the most challenging academic liberal-arts curriculum available to high school students today,” Wright says of the Geneva, Switzerland-based International Baccalaureate Programme.
“It strives to develop critical, compassionate citizens and lifelong learners.”
IB diplomas are recognized around the world. To receive the IB, students must complete academic course work in six areas, write a 4,000-word essay, master a Theory of Knowledge course, and complete 150 hours of volunteer work.
By spring 2004, there were 1,616 official IB schools in 117 countries.
“Coupled with academic rigor, emphasis is placed on the ideals of international understanding so that students may learn to recognize the commonality of all peoples of the world while respecting the cultural uniqueness of individuals,” Wright says.
The Brandywine School District got involved with IB at the urging of Superintendent Bruce Harter, who recommended it as part of the district’s strategic plan for serving high-achieving students.
“He recognized the benefits to the total school,” Wright explains.
Gregg Robinson, named principal at Mount Pleasant in 2003, previously implemented an IB diploma program while serving as principal of a Florida school.
Two other schools in the Brandywine district are lining up to join Mount Pleasant as IB-designated campuses. They are Talley Middle School, which is applying to become a Middle Years Programme school, and Harlan Elementary, which has received board approval to apply for the Primary Years Programme.
Teachers at IB schools must attend training conducted by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Twenty-three Mount Pleasant teachers have attended 37 IB workshops so far.
Enrollment is competitive. Applicants should have standardized test scores at the 80th percentile or higher as well as A or B grades in honors courses, recommendations from teachers, extracurricular activities and a writing assessment. They also are interviewed by the IB coordinator before being accepted.
Eventually, it is expected that 400 of Mount Pleasant’s 1,000 students will participate in the program at any one time, Wright says.
Brandywine public schools serve about 10,600 students across 18 campuses in Wilmington, North Wilmington and Claymont. Facilities include an early education center, eight elementary schools serving grades K-3, three intermediate schools for grades 4-6, three middle schools for grades 7 and 8, and three high schools.
Brandywine students benefit from several special academic programs, including the IB Programme, an academically gifted program, advanced placement classes, a foreign exchange program and Fast Math, which offers accelerated learning for students in seventh grade and higher.
Story by Glenn Himebaugh
Photo by Antony Boshier
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