I’m sure you all have heard of the new International Baccalaureate(IB) program that will begin being implemented next year. The IB program is a magnet program being used to spread the diversity amongst our schools. The superintendents of the 7 Northwest Suburban school districts have introduced various magnet schools to increase diversity and Park Center was chosen to be an IB school. What this means is that Park Center will have two new programs, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the well-known Diploma Programme (DP).

“The MYP is a method of teaching a set of standards meant to serve the needs of every student.” The incoming sophomores need not fear, for the MYP isn’t harder, scarier, and it will not restrict them of the same opportunities that other PC graduates have had. For that matter, High Performance classes, ELL, ALP, Special Education, and other existing programs will be continued. MYP is just a different method of teaching that will help students become better learners. While Park Center will have almost every sophomore in our school on the MYP, the DP is a voluntary action. “The DP is very rigorous and intended only for the most motivated top 30-40% of the juniors and seniors.” With this said, completing the Diploma Program also makes getting into your preferred college all the more likely.

The IB program, a non-profit organization that has been in existence since 1968, has been chosen because of the level of success it has brought to other schools worldwide. The studies in our area showed that the diversity would equal out if Park Center became an IB school. In case you are wondering what a magnet school is, it is when something is placed inside a school that will bring in more people. The purpose of our magnet, and all magnets in the Northwest Suburb, is to equal out diversity by offering choice.

What this will mean for our students is, the new juniors and seniors of the 2006-2007 school year will see little or no change whatsoever, except for the fact that their teachers will now be trained in the methods of IB. But the sophomores will notice the most change, since they will be in the MYP. The MYP requires that all sophomores be taking a second language, yet most students make this choice already. Sophomores will complete their year in the MYP and then will receive the option to enter the DP in their junior and senior year. As stated earlier the DP is a very vigorous and demanding program. If students find themselves struggling with it at any time, they may drop out of the program.

With all this said, there are still some factors that need to be determined. The schedule is one of the key pieces that are still in the process of being selected. After the schedule is chosen, more will become known. If you have any questions about Park Center's IB program contact IB Coordinator Jon Peterson. For more information on International Baccalaureate in general, visit their site by Clicking Here.

-Alex Scharber