Chesterfield County Public Schools offer high school students the opportunity to participate in select special interest programs through their high schools. Midlothian High School is proud to serve as a Specialty Center for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme. Midlothian High School sets the standard for academic excellence and the IB Programme offered here allows college-bound students to shine. In addition to our IB students enjoying all that Midlothian High School has to offer, the IB Programme provides a holistic view of student learning by teaching students how to learn, providing them with student-led experiments & inquiry-driven activities, interdisciplinary thinking & discussion, offering one-on-one schedule counseling, opportunities to connect outside the classroom, and unique field trip opportunities all within one passionate and caring IB community.

The IB Programme at Midlothian High School is a programme for grades 9-12. It encapsulates the IB Diploma Programme, which is for grades 11-12, and adds a Pre-Diploma Programme for grades 9-10.

The IB Programme is designed for highly motivated students. The Programme is a rigorous pre-university course of study, one that is widely recognized by the world’s leading universities. Our Pre-Diploma Programme coursework path helps prepare students going into the IB Diploma Programme for advanced college-level coursework that they will be taking during their 11th & 12th-grade years.

All IB students are participating in a dual diploma programme. In addition to the IB Diploma, students are automatically enrolled in courses that correlate with the Virginia Advanced Studies Diploma throughout their four-year high school experience. This means that upon successful completion of the program, our students can earn both the IB Diploma and a VA Advanced Studies Diploma.

The Pre-Diploma Programme consists of a course path in six subject groups (see our IB Course of Study), plus an introduction to important aspects of IB like academic honesty, the IB Learner Profile, international-mindedness, and CAS which help successfully prepare students for personal development and the upcoming demands of the higher-level rigor in the IB courses. All students will choose and incorporate an IB elective path into their IB Course of Study.

The IB Diploma Programme curriculum provides an international education of college-level IB courses. There are two main components of the IB Diploma Programme Curriculum: the course requirements and the core. 

The IB Diploma Programme course requirements are made up of six academic subjects (all of which will be marked by an IB exam) that center around the programme core and are divided into Groups.

• Group 1: Language and Literature (English Literature)

• Group 2: Language Acquisition (World Language)

• Group 3: Individuals and Societies (History & Social Sciences)

• Group 4: Experimental Sciences

• Group 5: Mathematics

• Group 6: Fine Arts or Other IB Electives

Get a detailed look on the six subject groups and the courses we offer by clicking on IB Course of Study.

To earn an IB diploma, students must take courses from six subjects, one each from groups 1-5, and either one from group 6 or a substitute from one of the other groups. The IB Diploma Programme courses are offered at two levels of intensity: a Higher Level/HL (250-hour course) and a Standard Level/SL (150-hour course).  All HL courses at Midlothian High School are two-year courses. You must take at least three IB courses at a Higher Level. Each class culminates in an exam. IB exams are graded on a scale of 1-7. Students must earn a minimum of 24 points (between all of your IB exams) out of a possible 45 points on the final exams/assessments in order to receive an IB diploma. Note: Three points of the 45 total points can be earned through completion of all of the IB Core components. The IB Programme uses internal and external assessments to evaluate student performance of both academic and basic skills.  Internal assessments are graded by our teachers and then moderated by IBO examiners. External assessments are sent internationally to IB examiners to be graded.

Learn more about HL & SL Courses here: IB Diploma Programme Standard-Level and Higher-Level Course Guide

For an overview of the IB Assessment Practices, read this guide: IB Diploma Programme Assessment Guide.

The IB Core consists of three parts: a capstone course called the Theory of Knowledge, a 4,000-word research essay known as the Extended Essay, and participation in Creativity, Action, and Service to the community—all of which are compulsory and are central to the philosophy of the Diploma Programme.

• Theory of Knowledge (TOK): 

This is a two-year seminar-type interdisciplinary psychology-based capstone course. It is designed to provide coherence by exploring the nature of knowledge across disciplines and encouraging an appreciation of other perspectives. The course delves into the nature, limitations, meaning, and validity of human knowledge. TOK requires 100 hours of instruction, the completion of a reflective essay paper (1,600-word essay from a prescribed title, externally assessed), and an exhibition centered on TOK themes (internally assessed). 

• Extended Essay (EE): 

This is an independent, self-directed research essay that focuses on a singular topic of the students choosing. The essay has a prescribed limit of 4,000 words. Research for the project is conducted independently, and students are given mandatory deadlines for completing essay work. It offers students the opportunity to investigate a topic of individual interest (which needs to be approved by IB) and acquaints students with the independent research and writing skills expected at the university level. Students are supported throughout the process of researching and writing the extended essay, with advice and guidance from a supervisor who is usually a teacher at the school. Students are required to have three mandatory reflection sessions with their supervisors. The final session, a concluding interview, is also known as viva voce. The extended essay and reflection sessions can be a valuable stimulus for discussion in countries where interviews are required before acceptance for employment or a place at university. The EE process begins in February of Junior year and will be finished by December of Senior year. Papers should be in final rough draft form before entering summer break.

• Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS): 

CAS is a core component of the IB Diploma Programme that encourages students to develop their personal and interpersonal growth by learning through experience and by providing them opportunities for self-determination and collaboration with others. The program fosters students’ awareness and appreciation of life beyond the academic arena. CAS is an essential counterbalance to the academic rigor of the IB Diploma Programme, as it motivates students to show initiative and perseverance and to develop collaboration, problem-solving and decision-making skills. All IB students must complete, and document non-academic activity spent in creative, activity, and service endeavors, as well as undertake a long-term CAS project. Learn more by reading our CAS Guide here.