The IB Program

Brooklyn Friends School proudly offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme for grades 11 and 12. The IB Program is an academically rigorous and globally recognized curriculum that encourages students to become lifelong learners and engaged global citizens. The IB Programme seeks to  “to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.” Through the IB Diploma Programme, students at BFS are empowered to:

• think critically and solve complex problems
• drive their own learning
• be more culturally aware through the development of a second language 
• be able to engage with people in an increasingly globalized, rapidly changing world.

The IB Diploma Programme is “committed to the development of students according to the IB learner profile. The programme aims to develop learners who are:

• Inquirers
• Knowledgeable
• Thinkers
• Communicators
• Principled
• Open-minded
• Caring
• Risk-takers
• Balanced
• Reflective.”

The focus on critical thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration is a major distinction versus other advanced academic programs. Because IB prioritizes learning to think rather than memorization of content, students are expected to develop as inquirers, thinkers, communicators, and risk-takers. Through IB study, students become knowledgeable, principled, open-minded, caring, balanced, and reflective.

The IB’s goal to help students “develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world” aligns perfectly with our own school mission statement. Designed for the final two years of high school, the Diploma Programme is held in high regard by colleges and universities. IB course credit is accepted by over 300 U.S. universities and colleges, and there are 11 states where all public universities award credit for IB courses. Colleges worldwide recognize the rigor of the IB program, as they seek students who challenge themselves academically and engage purposefully with their communities.

All BFS students take IB courses, either for individual course credit, or to earn the full IB Diploma. Students can opt to follow the “Course” pathway, and take a combination of IB and BFS classes. Students on that pathway receive a BFS diploma and IB Course Certificates for any IB courses they successfully complete as part of their total course load. Many students also choose the “Baccalaureate” pathway, through which they pursue the full IB Diploma, in addition to their BFS diploma. These students take IB courses in each of the six subject areas, as well as other core IB requirements, described below.

Generally, IB courses are two years in length, running for both junior and senior years. In each course, students take multiple, creative IB assessments and receive a score from IB (on a scale of 1-7) in addition to their regular school grades. Our IB courses, arranged in six categories, are:

• English:  English Literature
• Language:  French, Spanish
• History:  20th Century World History, History of Africa, History of the Americas, Economics
• Sciences:  Biology, Environmental Systems & Societies, Physics
• Mathematics:  Mathematics Applications and Interpretations
• Arts:  Visual Arts, Theatre, Dance, Music

Diploma students must also meet additional “Core” requirements:

• They are also expected to complete the Extended Essay, a 4000-word high-school level dissertation that responds to a research question of their own design
• They regularly engage in the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) program and complete a month-long CAS project
• Diploma students also take three semesters of Theory of Knowledge, which requires them to consider the ways in which knowledge is constructed across disciplines.

The IB issues a 1-7 grade for each course, based on assessments that mix exams and creative projects, including:

• Internal Assessments (IAs): Graded by BFS Teachers
• External Assessments: Graded by outside IB Examiners

Course grades are added together to determine a final IB point total. Students who earn a total of “24” points will earn their IB Diploma. This must include:

• At least 12 points from HL (Higher Level) subjects
• At least 9 from SL (Standard Level) subjects
• A passing grade in Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and Creativity, Activity, & Service

For more detailed information about our IB Diploma Program, please contact Brian Sullivan, the Assistant Head of Upper School for Academics & IBDP Coordinator.