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The participation and performance of 11th- and 12th-grade Texas public school district students on the College Entrance Examination Board's Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Organisation's programs during the 1999-2000 school year were studied. Results show the largest 1-year gains to date in the number of Texas Advanced Placement (AP) examinees, examinations taken, and examinations earning scores in the 3-5 range. The number of students participating in the International Baccalaureate (IB) examination was also higher in 2000 than in previous years. Participation rates for African Americans and Hispanics in both programs continued to climb, but still lagged behind those for Whites and Asian Americans, and the rate for females continued rising faster than the rate for males. Performance as measured by the number of AP examinations scoring in the 3-5 range and the number of IB examinations scoring in the 4-7 range was higher in 2000 than in previous years, consistent with the trend of steady increases since 1995 for AP and 1996 for IB. Performance as measured by the percentage of AP examinations scoring in the high range, however, continued a moderate but steady decline, likely due in part to the rapid increase in the number of AP examinees. Asian American and White students continued to outscore African American and Hispanics on AP and IB examinations. Comparisons of AP results to those from other states and the nation were also drawn for all Texas public and nonpublic school students. The dramatic increase in state funding for the Texas AP/IB Incentive Program in the 2000-2001 biennium, as well s the funding available through federal and local incentive programs, helped provide many necessary supports for substantially increasing the numbers of Texas high school students taking the AP and IB courses and examinations during the year. Appendixes contain summary tables, results by district, and results by district analysis categories. (Contains 30 tables, 6 figures, and 65 references.) (SLD)

The participation and performance of 11th and 12th grade Texas public school district students in the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Organisation courses and examinations during the 1998-1999 school year were investigated. The number of students taking the AP and IB examinations was higher than in previous years, as was the number of schools with AP examinees. Participation rates for African Americans and especially for Hispanic American students continued to climb, but still lagged behind those for Whites and Asian Americans. The rate for females continued rising faster than that for males. Performance, as measured by the number of AP examinations in the 3-5 score range and number of IB examinations in the 4-7 range was highest in 1999, improving steadily since 1995 for AP and 1996 for IB. Performance as measured by the percentage of AP examinations in the 3-5 score range declined from 60.6% in 1996 to 55.0% in 1997, a result partly due to the rapid increase in the number of AP examinees. White students continued to outscore African Americans and Hispanic Americans on AP and IB examinations. Comparisons of AP results to other states and the nation were also drawn for all Texas public and nonpublic school students. The dramatic increase in state funding for the Texas AP/IB Incentive Program in the 1000-1001 biennium, as well as finding available through federal and local incentive programs, should provide many necessary supports for substantially increasing the number of Texas high school students taking AP and IB courses. Appendixes contains summary tables, results by district, and results by district analysis categories. (Contains 37 tables, 5 figures, and 53 references.) (Author/SLD)

The participation and performance of 11th and 12th grade Texas public school district students in the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Organisation courses and examinations during the 1996-1997 school year were investigated. The number of students taking the AP and IB examinations was higher than in previous years, as was the number of schools with AP examinees. Participation rates for Hispanics and African Americans continued to climb, but still lagged behind those for Whites and Asian Americans. The rate for females continued rising faster than that for males. Performance, as measured by the number of AP examinations in the 3-5 score range and number of IB examinations in the 4-7 range was highest in 1997, improving steadily since 1995. Performance as measured by the percentage of AP examinations in the 3-5 score range declined from 60.6% in 1996 to 58.7% in 1997, a result partly due to the rapid increase in the number of AP examinees. Asian American, Native American, and White students continued to outscore African Americans and Hispanic Americans on AP and IB examinations. Comparisons of AP results to other states and the nation were also drawn for all Texas public and nonpublic school students. The dramatic increase in state funding for the Texas AP/IB Incentive Program in the 1000-1001 biennium, as well as finding available through federal and local incentive programs, should provide many necessary supports for substantially increasing the number of Texas high school students taking AP and IB courses and examinations. Appendixes contains summary tables, results by district, and results by district analysis categories. (Contains 24 tables, 3 figures, and 55 references.) (Author/SLD)

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program has begun to attract attention as an alternative approach to enhancing the academic preparation of college-bound high school students. The rigorous, comprehensive, two-year curriculum offers eleventh- and twelfth-grade students the opportunity to take college-level coursework and exams while also fulfilling requirements of various international educational systems. The liberal arts program emphasizes theory, application, and service. Schools offering the program are part of an international organization that aims to meet the educational needs of geographically mobile students. Over 800 schools in 100 countries are authorized to offer the program; about 37 percent are in the United States. Since 1997 California has had a 17 percent increase in schools offering the program. Students must be highly motivated and have strong academic skills to participate. The curriculum is divided into higher-level and standard-level courses in six core academic areas: the student's primary language and literature; a foreign language; individuals and societies; experimental sciences; mathematics; and arts and electives. Standardized exams are criterion-referenced. Participating schools face significant costs and require commitments of time and resources from families. However, many feel the outcomes justify the costs. The report advocates expansion of the programs in California to target underserved communities. (MSE)

This report examines current policies and practices in regard to Oregon high school student participation in college courses and programs. A total of 112 of Oregon's public and private high schools responded to a January 1998 mailed survey concerning early college options programs and policies. It was found that an estimated 6,660 students were participating in early college options programs of some type, and that the demand for such programs was increasing. Nearly two-thirds of the schools provided students with advanced placement classes, about one-third offered College High programs (cooperative agreements between high schools and colleges that offer college-level courses for credit in the high school), and about half had students attending courses at community colleges. In general, larger high schools provided more early college options for their students than did small- and medium-size schools. The report calls for the development of a statewide early options program with multiple options. The report also provides an overview of early college options policies and practices in other states and descriptions of advanced placement, College High, International Baccalaureate diploma, and 2+2/Tech Prep programs. (MDM)

The International Baccalaureate (IB), a 2-year diploma program for students aged 16-19, gives access to higher education on a world-wide basis; it also allows for various national education systems. The program is available in English, French, and Spanish. It is supervised by the IB organization, a non-profit educational foundation with headquarters in Geneva. Today, IB examinations are offered in almost 100 countries, and there are some 750 IB schools. The IB Diploma can be displayed in the shape of a hexagon. Two of the subject groups that constitute the curriculum are made up of languages, with various options. Language A1 (mother-tongue program) is compulsory for all candidates. The other language courses available are A2, B and Ab initio. Language A2 is chosen by highly competent speakers of the language. Language B is intended for non-native students who have some previous experience of that language, whereas no previous experience is required for an Ab initio language program. This article discusses the IB language program at large, and to some extent the Finnish adaptation to it. (Author/VWL)

The National School-to-Work Office in collaboration with the National Association for Gifted Children, the Council for Exceptional Children, the Association for the Gifted, and the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted have identified 11 gifted education/school-to-work (GT/STW) models that are either best practices or unique approaches. This information packet provides an overview of one of the best practices models: the School within a Workplace program in Florida. This program connects science teachers and gifted elementary and secondary with working scientists. The initiative was developed by the St. Lucie County School-to-Career partnership involving Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution (HBOI) and Lincoln Park Academy, an academic magnet school for students grades 6-12 and site of the county's International Baccalaureate (IB) program adopted as a curriculum for gifted and talented high school students. The program features a pioneering pre-college marine science academy for juniors and seniors. Teachers and students spend 4-5 hours on alternating days at HBOI in a fast paced, rigorous research environment applying technologies that are integrated with the IB curriculum. Students conduct experiments, collect data for scientists, participate in internships, and complete essays. The information packet includes a program description, brochure, materials, and an application. (CR)

In early 1996, the Atlanta school board approved a plan to reconstitute Walden Middle School, opening it to students across the city and substantially changing the composition of the faculty. This report for 1996-97 recounts the first year of the reform effort, during which all positions were declared vacant and a new staff and faculty were assembled. The middle-school curriculum was redesigned and teacher qualifications were raised to obtain authorization for implementation of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program. The program will be implemented as a single, continuous curriculum for grades 6-10, and formal teacher training will begin in 1997-98. The report describes student and teacher characteristics, professional-preparation activities, the development of partnerships, parent and community involvement, and the Computer Curriculum Corporation (CCC) Pilot Project. Controversial issues included the criteria and process for selecting a particular school for reconstitution, and the scope and span of local decision making. Other issues included the need for planning time, the criteria and recruitment procedures for faculty hiring, the expectation to achieve at the 90th percentile, the communication of restructuring goals to the community, and accommodations for students from outside of the school community. Seven tables are included. Appendices contain the Atlanta school board recommendation to reconstitute Walden Middle School, information on the CCC pilot project, responses to the 1997 parent and student satisfaction surveys, and teacher and student opinions about the CCC project. (LMI)

This study sought to discern the extent to which a sample of talented math and science students displayed domain-relevant skills possessed by those expertly trained in history. Subjects' experiences varied in terms of their exposure to primary source materials. The students were presented with five different kinds of documents related to the subject of slavery. Students were asked to study the documents then tell a story tying all of the documents together. Responses were evaluated for interpretive skills as well as for sophistication in evaluating sources for accuracy. These gifted science students varied widely in their abilities to employ skills historians routinely use to reconstruct the past. Those who had previous experience with primary sources fared better than those who had no experience. Skills used in historical research include interpretation of primary sources, assessment of documents for biases, and synthesis of sources into coherent historical narratives. The knowledge that gifted science students may not creatively interpret, synthesize, or critically evaluate historical documents has implications for talent development and for history teaching and learning. Contains 18 references and reproduced documents. (PVD)

In the spring of 1991, officials from Lamar High School in Houston (Texas) requested a study of their tracking system and its relation to student achievement. This paper reports the results of the evaluation. Many of the courses at Lamar High School are associated with four instructional levels: (1) remedial; (2) regular; (3) college bound; and (4) international baccalaureate. The study evaluated the performance by students in the four tracks on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), the state's criterion-referenced basic skills test; and the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MATS), a norm-referenced test. For grade 9, there were 661 students in all four mathematics tracks, 634 students in the four English instructional tracks for reading, and 633 students in the four English tracks for writing. For grade 11, there were 433 students in all four mathematics tracks, 476 students in the four English instructional tracks for reading, and 479 students in the four English tracks for writing. Achievement data from both tests support the assertion that students in the separate levels work at different levels of achievement. Test results also provided evidence that students in each of the instructional tracks are achieving appropriate academic growth. Twenty-eight graphs and four tables present achievement data. An appendix with an additional 18 figures gives comparisons for magnet, zoned, and non-zoned students. (SLD)

This article compiles information from program web sites, articles, and interviews with experts to describe the history and current status of the Advanced Placement program and the International Baccalaureate program. The development of the Pre-AP program, the Primary Years program, and the Middle Years program is discussed. (Contains references.) (CR)

Whatever the school size, the total fees for the International Baccalaureate (IB) are between three and nine times greater than British-style A-level examination fees. There are also indirect administrative, staffing, equipment, and inservice training costs involved. A survey of 18 international schools claims that sound financial management can cut implementation costs. (MLH)

Evaluates the International Baccalaureate (IB), a preuniversity, post-16, 2-year diploma. The IB contains four language features: communication and interaction, responsibility and transparency, language skills and contents related to the aims, and integration of program and assessment. The program compares favorably at higher levels with traditional A levels. (five references) (CK)

Although the IB (international baccalaureate) diploma has almost universal acceptance as a college-preparation standard for students studying in foreign countries, Germany and France are reluctant to accept this diploma for nationals studying in their own countries. The German state governments are particularly concerned about quality control and the "imperialistic" influence of the English language. (MLH)

Reviews some issues involved in clarifying the concept of "international education." Attending an international school may not guarantee the experience of an international education. International education is a dynamic concept involving movement of people across political and cultural frontiers. Any school can choose to develop worldmindedness and become truly "international." (20 references) (MLH)

Asserts that content-based art education, which is dominated by discipline-based art education at the elementary level, is also represented by a secondary model developed within the International Baccalaureate Program. Maintains that the program provides a content-based structure and fosters thinking skills, creativity, and critical appreciation. (CFR)

Examines values inherent in qualitative assessment techniques of studio art programs in high schools. Focusing on advanced placement, Arts PROPEL, and International Baccalaureate programs, data were generated from criteria for assessment as outlined in the literature and curriculum materials. Identifies common themes and differences and includes three appendixes. (CFR)