Pinning Ceremony for the International Baccalaureate Program at Jones High School

Zion Harris, Mr. IB, Class of 2023

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR PROGRAM IN 2-3 SENTENCES. 

The IB Programme is very student-based, interactive, and research-driven, with a strong curriculum. The rigorous coursework and activities was extremely challenging. We push through it to seek greatness. It is enriching to complete assignments and research concepts that interest me.

WHY IS THIS PROGRAM IMPORTANT?

The IB Programme at Jones is important to allow students a focused learning environment and a personalized relationship with the instructors. This helps the learning to be efficient and connected. The students are given direct interaction with their teachers which allows them to better understand the material and its real-world uses.

WHAT GAP WOULD EXIST WITHOUT YOUR PROGRAM?

The intense writing sessions are the main thing that I would be unprepared for without IB. We are tested with our ability to write over and over again and it is one of the main focuses of the IB Programme. I’m confident that the rigor of the IB program has prepared me for a better collegiate experience. With these new writing skills, I'm confident that I will be able to write focused research papers and initiatives.

Nicole Blackmon, IB Coordinator

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR PROGRAM IN 2-3 SENTENCES. 

Jones High School is an authorized world school offering the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme to all students in grades 9 and 10 and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme to students in grades 11 and 12. The IB Programme provides an academically rigorous curriculum that teachers 21st century skills to prepare students for success in college and careers. IB students learn to balance their studies, extra-curricular activities, work and family while maintaining high educational goals.

WHY IS THIS PROGRAM IMPORTANT?

The IB Diploma Programme allows students to take college level courses in high school. These courses teach students the skills necessary to approach in depth content and to undertake collegiate level research in a supportive high school learning environment taught by IB certified high school teachers. Jones students that complete the Diploma Programme are accepted into top universities across the country, receive college credit for passing IB Diploma courses, and students that earn the diploma earn Bright Futures.

WHAT GAP WOULD EXIST WITHOUT YOUR PROGRAM?

The IB Programme at Jones High School provides an internationally recognized education to students in their local high school. The IB Programme is an important educational opportunity at Jones High School which is a Title 1 School where the majority of students come from low-income families. Additionally, many Jones students are first generation college students.

According to a 2013 study conducted by the IB, 82% of low-income diploma candidates enrolled in a two-year or four-year college immediately after finishing high school. In comparison, 46% of low-income students nationally enrolled immediately in a two- or four-year postsecondary institution (NCES, 2014) .

The IB Programme opens doors to college and universities for Jones students and their families, allowing students to successfully transition from high school to post-secondary education.

How does your program/initiative support college and career readiness?

All students at Jones have access to IB and its rigorous coursework whether or not they choose to complete the entire IB Diploma Programme. All students may test in courses, where appropriate, to obtain college credit.

Credit is awarded based on an IB grade awarded from a combination of three to four examinations and performance assessments in each course. All students learn skills to be college and career ready; learning how to be knowledgeable, communicators, thinkers, inquirers, risk-takers, reflective, principled, open-minded, balanced and caring.

WORK CITED

Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. 2014. Digest of Education Statistics Table 302.30. Percentage of recent high school completers enrolled in 2-year and 4-year colleges, by income level: 1975 through 2013. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education website: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d14/tables/dt14_302.30.asp

*https://ibo.org/globalassets/new-structure/research/pdfs/sri-research-brief-en.pdf