International Baccalaureate

What is the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)?

  • It is a non‐profit educational foundation established in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland. The IBO offers three programs of international education for students aged 3‐19 years old:
    • The Diploma Program at the high school level (grades 9‐12).
    • The Middle Years Program (MYP) (students 11‐16 years old).
    • The Primary Years Program (PYP) for students 3-12 years old).
  • There are 651,000 IB students and 2,390 authorized schools in 129 countries.
  • The IBO provides curriculum & assessment development, teacher education, information sessions, electronic networking and other educational services to IB schools.

International-mindedness  

Citizens who are responsible, active participants of the world in relation to culture, language and learning to live together. Pulaski International School of Chicago will provide students with rich opportunities to learn about world issues and to get involved in activities that encourage responsible citizenship. Students at IB schools display the characteristics of the learner profile shown below.  The attributes of the learner profile express the values inherent to the IB continuum of international education and is infused in all three IB programmes. The learner profile inspires, motivates and focuses the work of schools and teachers.  It unites them in a common purpose recognizing a universal humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, helping to create a better and more peaceful world. At Pulaski the learning environment fosters students as they learn to be:

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

Best Practices

Differentiated and diversified educational materials and approaches based upon extensive scientific research and recognized in schools worldwide as being most effective in meeting the needs of students from a wide varied range of backgrounds and abilities. Assessment is integral to all teaching and learning. How will we know what we have learned?

The assessed curriculum provides appropriate forms of assessment and international benchmarking to make informed data driven instructional decisions that are engaging, challenging and significant within the framework for international education.

Inquiry

Inquiry comes from exploring and being interested in the world. The IB curriculum is integrated and children are encouraged and given opportunities to question, explore, practice, manipulate, respond, and be engaged and actively involved in learning while moving to a new deeper level of understanding.

Service-Oriented/Second Language

Students apply their learning through service to others in their school, community, and world. All IB students are instructed in an additional language different than their home language (while receiving support in continuing to develop their home language) to deepen their awareness of, and appreciation for, other cultures. All students at Pulaski will continue to develop international-mindedness by learning a second language. Spanish instruction is part of our curriculum beginning in kindergarten through eighth grade. (Adapted from )

For more information about the International Baccalaureate Programme: visit ibo.org