IB Program Shelved
The Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Committee has recommended to the Garden City Board of Education that the district not implement the IB program at this time.
The economy was the primary reason provided by Dr. Teresa Prendergast, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, during the committee's presentation at the May 11th school board work session. "Certainly the economic climate is something we couldn't ignore," she said. "The cost factors are prohibitive. We recognize that the economic climate is somewhat grim and perhaps this might not be the right time to allow for the additional expenditures, particularly in the high school."
The projected cost of implementing the IB program is $200,000. The costs include $9,000 for additional Level I training; $39,500 for initial start-up fees and Level II training; $35,000 for annual budget items including an annual fee, postage, staff development, a summer conference and dedicated copy machine; ancillary fees, such as the $88 fee per course, which the student would assume; and the cost for curriculum writing projects, textbooks and library materials. Additional full-time positions would also be needed, including a coordinator and secretary support. More teachers would possibly be hired depending on student course registrations.
The school board allocated funds in the 2008-09 budget to cover the cost for eight teachers and administrators on the AP/IB committee to attend a three-day IB Level I workshop during the fall and winter. These workshops and related expenses totaled $14,000, $4,815 of which was offset by a federal grant.
The AB/IB Committee, comprised of more than 20 administrators, teachers and parents, conducted a comprehensive study of the current AP program and researched the possibility of implementing the IB program. Committee members were fully aware that with 22 courses being offered, the district's AP program is highly regarded and affords students the opportunity to participate in an array of AP courses. However, the need to explore the IB program existed because, "ultimately we're looking for the best programs for our students," Dr. Prendergast explained. "We recognize the fact that we're preparing our students for a completely different world than we lived in."
Besides the economy, Dr. Prendergast cited other reasons why the committee believed it best to shelve the program for the time being. Facility constraints, especially in the art and music department, would make those IB programs difficult to fully implement as designed. On May 26th, the school board will hold a special work session to further discuss the possibility of asking the public to vote in the fall on a bond to fund capital projects, which may include a new music wing at the high school.
She also said that there is no clear indication that IB is more valued than AP in the college admission process. The Garden City High School counseling department surveyed college admissions representatives on the AP vs. the IB programs with the question, "Does [your] school prefer AP or IB?" Two schools, Lafayette University and Villanova University, preferred the IB program; seven preferred the AP program; and 45 schools had no preference.
Another reason Dr. Prendergast cited for not recommending the IB program is that it would mean the curricula in several content areas would need to be changed, primarily in mathematics, biology and Spanish. The IB math curriculum offers a theoretical approach to math and contains minimal statistical content. In biology, the existing Garden City curriculum would need to be realigned to accommodate the placement of IB Biology in junior and senior years. The Spanish curriculum would need to be changed so that students finish all grammar in the tenth grade if they want to enter the Spanish IB program.
Also, the IB Organization has said it will re-evaluate the Spanish and English program in 2013, which is problematic since it will occur just as the program was being firmly established in the district.
School Board President Colleen Foley supported the committee's recommendation and said the board should look at the issue again, perhaps as early as next year. "The economic climate is driving what is happening to us right now," she said. "The economic climate, the facility constraints and that curriculum requirement for 2013-that's a real deal breaker at this point in time. I would rather us develop more our curriculum for the middle school, some of the plans that you've outlined here, and honestly, I would like to revisit this at another time. I'm just not sure that now is the time for us to go forward with this."
The committee further suggested that the district integrate some of the IB program's strengths, such as its emphasis on research and writing. Recommendations include requiring a "meaningful" research assignment to all students in grades six through twelve that would require the development of critical thinking skills. One possibility offered is to add a required writing and research course for all ninth graders. Currently, a research committee and library research committee are exploring these suggestions. The committees will provide an update at a school board work session on June 9th.
When it comes to the AP, the committee would like to see increased opportunities in science with the addition of an AP environmental science course. Dr. Prendergast said the committee would also like to see more opportunities for students to earn college credit through high school offerings. She recently announced that the school district will offer qualified high school juniors and seniors who would like to continue their Italian language studies the opportunity to earn college credit through the St. John's University College Advantage Program.
