International Baccalaureate Programme

**Click here for information about accessing May IB scores**

An IB School Since 1996

#1 IB School in Virginia
2014-2017 Washington Post Challenge Index

W-L IB Faculty 2023-24

WL IB Diploma Candidates by Graduation Year:

	Class of 2023
Class of 2022
Class of 2020	Class of 2019

Class of 2018

Overview

Washington-Liberty High School was first authorized to teach the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program in 1996-1997.  Since becoming an authorized IB World School, Washington-Liberty has consistently ranked in the top 100 of Americas Best High Schools according to Newsweek and the Washington Post.

The IB Diploma Programme provides a rigorous education for highly motivated Washington-Liberty students in grade 11 and 12.  It represents a deliberate compromise between the demand for specialization in the high school curriculum and the emphasis for breadth of knowledge.  The IB Diploma Programme is unique in that it provides a cohesive interdisciplinary education leading to a diploma that is recognized at universities throughout the world.

An IB diploma candidate pursues studies across multiple subject areas:

• Studies in Language & Literature:  English (with Spanish for fluent speakers as an additional option)
• Language acquisition
• Individuals & Societies (similar to social studies)
• Experimental Sciences
• Mathematics
• The Arts or a sixth subject elective.

This requirement ensures a broad exposure across the liberal arts spectrum. Teachers provide interdisciplinary instruction whereby students study common processes, themes and materials within and across the subject areas.  Evidence of learning the six subject area courses plus TOK include a combination of internal and external assessments.  Internal assessments are designed by IB but administered and scored by the classroom teacher using IB scoring rubrics.  External assessments are scored by IB examiners and include the May examinations as well as additional assessments for courses in groups 1 & 6.

Active citizenship and global perspectives are encouraged in each area of the curriculum.

In addition to the course work and passing grades on examinations in these six subjects, diploma students must complete the IB Core requirements:

1. Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) – Candidates design a proposal including a CAS project and CAS experiences.  These experiences require an equitable balance of participation in creativity, activity and service experiences for 18 months, starting the first day of 11th grade.
2. Extended Essay (EE) – Candidates investigate and write an analytic essay of 4,000 words on a topic of their choosing, growing out of inquiry for further knowledge of a topic studied in their courses. The extended essay is graded externally IB examiners.
3. Theory of Knowledge course (TOK) – Curriculum challenging candidates to consider how they come to know what they know.

Students who participate in the full diploma program fulfill the Virginia Department of Education graduation requirements as well as IB diploma requirements.

Students not wishing to fulfill all of the requirements of the IB Diploma Programme are strongly encouraged to take individual courses in the IB curriculum to help them prepare for future education.  Students who choose to study individual courses are referred to as IB Course Candidates.

Please see the APS Program of Studies for descriptions of IB courses.

Diploma Grading System

The Extended Essay and the Theory of Knowledge course are jointly graded with a maximum of 3 points + CAS completion.  Diploma candidates add their points from the six subjects together with any additional points obtained from the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge.  Students need a minimum of 24 points to obtain a Diploma and must not score a 1 or 2 in any Higher Level subject.  Any grade below a 4 must be balanced by another grade above a 4 at the same level.  A score of 30 or above is considered to be good.  Scores of 35 or higher are excellent.  A perfect diploma score is 45 points.  All IB Diploma subjects are graded according to the scale pictured below. For additional information regarding the awarding of the diploma or assessment procedures, please consult the General Regulations: Diploma Program.