Western joins elite group of schools to offer IB diploma

Walled Lake Western High School has joined the ranks of more than 760 high schools in the U.S. offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme — a feat district officials met with fanfare considering that there are over 18,000 high schools in the nation.

Western received its official authorization to be an IB World School on Thursday, March 29.

“We are elated and proud of Mr. Joseph Bell, Western High School principal; Dr. Ami Friedman, IB coordinator; and the entire staff and Western High School community for their commitment and dedication to offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program to our students beginning in the fall of 2012,” said Superintendent Kenneth Gutman.

The IB Diploma Programme is geared toward students between 16- and 19-years-old. It is a two-year educational program that provides internationally-accepted qualification for entry into higher education. It is a diploma that is recognized world-wide by universities.

The program requires students to study six courses at higher or standard level. Five of the subjects that are chosen incorporate languages, social studies, experimental sciences, and mathematics. The sixth subject may be in the area of the arts or an additional subject from those categories previously listed.

Three core requirements of the program — the extended essay; a theory of knowledge course; and creativity, action, and service activities in an environment beyond the classroom — are also included to “broaden the educational experience and challenge students to apply their knowledge and understanding,” according to the IB Diploma Program website.

“I am very appreciative of Dr. Ami Friedman for her hard work and perseverance which has gone into meeting every milestone along the way of this two-year journey, keeping staff motivated and informed and getting families and students involved in this significant curricular improvement at Western High School,” Bell said.

In order to be eligible for the IB Diploma Programme, the student must have the correct prequisites and be a registered student at Western.

Currently, 126 current 10th-graders are signed up for the full IB Diploma Programme, while 103 current juniors are signed up for IB courses.

Openings are limited by building capacity.

For more information click on the IB Diploma Programme under the Academic tab on the district’s website at www.wlcsd.org.