IB Programme

Creativity, activity, service (CAS) is intended to be a collection of enjoyable and challenging experieinces determined by the individual student.

Through the CAS experiences, students achieve the following 7 learning outcomes (each must be addressed at least once during the 18 month period):

1. Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth
2. Demonstrate that you have an undertaken challenges and developed new skills in the process
3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
4. Show commitment to and perserverance in your CAS experience
5. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
6. Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions

CAS Strands

Creativity is exploring and extending ideas, leading to an original or interpretive product or performance.  Music, theatre, film design, technology, visual arts, dance, fashion and other experiences that involve creative thinking fall under creativity.

Activity is physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle.

Service is collaborative and reciprocal community engagement in response to an authentic need. By investigating and identifying a community need, then determining a plan of action that respects the right, dignity and autonomy of all involved.

CAS Project

The CAS Project is an additional requirement of the program, and although it may fall under one or more of the three categories, it is seperate from the experiences used for the three strands.

The Four Requirements of the CAS Project are:

• Students must work with at least one other person, but they do not have to be STEM Academy students.
• All students involved must share equal responsibility for the project.
• The project must span at least one month from start to finish.  This includes time spent planning, building, creating, organizing, and putting the project into action.

The extended essay is an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from a list of available Diploma Programme subjects for the session in question.  Ultimately, the EE is an opportunity for the student to prepare for university-level research and research paper writing while still in high school.

The Extended Essay IS:

• a year-long independent project
• a topic of the student's choice
• an original work, not an extension of classwork or an IA
• no more that 4,000 words
• broken into manageable benchmarks
• a requirement for IB Diploma candidates

The Extended Essay is NOT:

• impossible
• unmanageable
• just another school writing assignment

We have had many alumni come back and tell us that STEM is where they really learned how to write, and that skill has been incredibly helpful in their academic pursuits.

All students will have access to Mrs. Sherlock, the CAS & EE Coordinator, and EE advisor, teachers and administration, along with all of the resources available through school (on Schoology)

The TOK course, a flagship element in the Diploma Programme, encourages critical thinking about knowledge itself, to try to help students make sense of what they encounter.

Its core content is questions like these:

• What counts as knowledge?
• How does it grow?
• What are its limits?
• Who owns knowledge?
• What is the value of knowledge?
• What are the implications of having, or not having, knowledge?  
  
  What makes TOK unique, and distinctively different from standard academic disciplines, is its process.  At the center of the course is the student as a knower. Students entering the Diploma Programme typically have 16 years of life experience and more than 10 years of formal education behind them. They have accumulated a vast amount of knowledge, beliefs and opinions from academic disciplines and their lives outside the classroom. In TOK they have the opportunity to step back from this relentless acquisition of new knowledge, in order to consider knowledge issues. These include the questions already mentioned, viewed from the perspective of the student, but often begin from more basic ones, like: What do I claim to know [about X]? Am I justified in doing so [how?]?  Such questions may initially seem abstract or theoretical, but TOK teachers bring them into closer focus by taking into account their students’ interests, circumstances and outlooks in planning the course and preparing students for the Extended Essay.  Interdisciplinary connections are made between knowledge encountered in different Diploma Programme subjects in preparation for the necessary foundational research skills for the Extended Essay. 

The IB Learner Profile

Developed in 2006, the IB Learner Profile is the mission statement of the IB Organization translated into a set of learning outcomes: IB learners strive to be:

Inquirers They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

Knowledgeable They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Thinkers They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

Open-minded They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-takers They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

Reflective They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

© International Baccalaureate Organization, IB Learner Profile Booklet, March 2006.

   All IB Diploma candidates are required to complete one subject from each group. At least three but not more than four of the six subjects are taken at the Higher Level, the others at the Standard Level. Higher and Standard Levels are IB classifications that describe the level of depth and breadth of the course. The level of rigor is the same but the Higher Level courses require 240 instructional hours (2-year courses) while Standard Level courses require 150 instructional hours (1 or 2-year courses). Students are assessed internally and also externally by approximately 4,000 examiners worldwide. Each student is graded on a scale of 1 to 7 in each subject. A minimum of 24 points in the six academic subjects plus the satisfactory completion of the central elements are required to earn the diploma.  All other students (IB Course candidates) must take a total of six HL/SL courses, but do not have the IB Core requirements.

STEM Academy Program of Study 2023-2024

 

 

All students receive a transcript with course scores from the IB regardless of whether they are a course or diploma candidate.

Core Requirements

• Diploma candidates must study six subjects, plus the three core subjects - EE, TOK and CAS.
• Candidates must meet all additional requirements listed below:
  • CAS requirements have been met
  • There is no "N" awarded for TOK, the EE or any other subject
  • There is no grade E awarded in a subject/level
  • There is no grade 1 awarded in a subject/level
  • There are no more than two grade 2s awarded (SL or HL)
  • There are no more than three grade 3s or below awarded (SL or HL)
  • The candidate has 12 points or more on HL subjects (for candidates who register for four HL subjects, the three highest count)
  • The candidate has 9 points or more on SL subjects (candidates who register for two SL subjects must gain at least 5 points at SL)
  • The candidate has not received a penalty for academic misconduct
  • The minimum threshold for the award of a diploma is 24 points

Point Scale

• Each subject is graded 1-7, with 7 being the highest grade.  These grades are also used as points in determining if the diploma can be awarded.
• TOK and EE are graded A-E, with A being the highest grade.  These two grades are then combined in the diploma matrix (see below) to contribute 0 to 3 points to the total.
• CAS is not assesed, but must be completed to earn the diploma.
• The overall maximum points from subjects, TOK and the EE is 45.

*These requirements are determined by the IB assessment office, not the Downingtown Area School District.

Nearly all higher education institutions in the US will consider performance in the IB Diploma Programme (DP) for the purpose of admissions or other factors including granting course credit, advanced standing, scholarships or financial aid.

Guide for IB Students Applying to US Institutions

For guides for students applying to institutions outside of the US visit the IB website.

As of 2023, the Academy has successfully graduated 10 Diploma Program cohorts.  In that time, we have achieved a success rate of 80% with 1,294 IB diplomas awarded to our students.  In comparison, the average IB Diploma Program worldwide is awarded 300 IB diplomas in a ten year span.  Below you will be able to see the breakdown by year, 2014-2023.  

 

Additional Statistics

• 87% students choose to participate in the full Diploma Program

• 14,385 IB courses have been completed in 10 years

• 4.84 (out of 7) is the average course grade

• 99.5% of our students earned at least one score of 4 in a course

• Out of 2,932 Diploma programs in the world, only 110 programs have cohorts our size (200 or more students)

 

IB Fees Letter - Class of 2024

Coming Soon

Are course candidates required to pay IB fees?

Yes. Every student, regardless of candidacy status, is responsible for paying all listed IB fees.  Fees are set by the IB Organization and were addressed in your STEM Academy acceptance letter.

Are course candidates required to complete IB Assessments?

Yes. Every student, regardless of candidacy status, must complete all the IB assessments required for each course.

What if I do not complete one of my internal or external assessments?

If you are missing any of your assessments for the IB, you will not receive a score for that course on your IB transcript and, if you are a diploma candidate, will not be eligible for the IB diploma.

How do I change my candidacy status from Diploma to Course?

Make an appointment with your counselor.  They will give you a candidacy change form that will need to be signed by your parent or guardian, counselor, and Mrs. Sherlock.  After all of the signatures are collected, return your complete form to the IB Office no later than October 15th of your 12th grade year.  Only after the form is returned will the change be made.

What if I need to change one of my courses or the level of a course?

Your counselor will be able to help you determine whether a course change is possible.  Some changes may not be possible.

Will colleges I am applying to know whether I am a diploma candidate or a course candidate?

Your counselor must indicate if you are an IB diploma candidate on the school report that is attached to your transcript.

When will I know the IB exam schedule?

Generally, the dates of the exams will be available to you in the fall of your senior year.  Exact times will be sent closer to the exam date.  These dates are set by the IB and cannot be adjusted.

 

IB Coordinator - Michael Sheehan

IB Program Administrative Assistant - Meghan Schell

EE/CAS Coordinator - Alyssa Sherlock