"The International Baccalaureate (IB) aims to develop an inquiring, and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. The IB offers high quality programmes of international education to a worldwide community of schools" - IB Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) aims to develop intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills that students require living, learn and work in a rapidly globalising world (Churchill, 2013). The IBDP was explicitly designed to prepare students for tertiary study. Research confirms that in comparison to Australian students who have completed state-based curricula, IBDP graduates are more likely to be offered university places and complete university studies (IB Schools Australasia 2019). A primary difference between programs such as SACE and IBDP is evident in grading criteria. In IBDP grades are awarded in each subject from 1 (lowest) to 7 ( highest) combing a total of 42 points that an additional 3 points are awarded from results in Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge. Therefore the maximum IB Diploma score is 45. A stark contrast to programs such as SACE and VCE where grading is measured from an A-E framework. The influence of rank and competition is minimised within the IB assessment. Students are marked in relation to set standards and not in comparison with other students. This is because the IB fosters international and intercultural focuses than other mainstream curricula (Churchill et al. 2013).
Unlike other curriculum systems, the IBDP sets rigorous minimum academic and personal standards. To achieve the Diploma, all students must complete a minimum standard across all subjects, as well as Theory of knowledge, an extended essay and completion of CAS. Internal assessment such as oral work in languages or fieldwork in geography conducted in schools contributes to 25% of the final grade. External assessment occurs in all subjects and involves two or more external examinations worth usually 75%. This is weighting is far higher than in other systems such as SACE where only 30% is allocated to external examination. The primary role of External assessment (summative) in the IBDP distinguishes itself from other systems to ensure academic integrity and consistency of academic standard around the world (IB Schools Australasia 2019). Therefore, feedback and formative assessment are prioritised in the IBDP. Teachers issue pre-diagnostic and formative assessments to provide constant feedback to their students. This allows students to be part of the learning environment and to develop self-assessment strategies that will help with the understanding of their own thought process and preparation for external examinations. It is important to note that the subjects offered by IB differ on the weighting between both internal and external assessment. Many within IBDP focus assessment primarily for learning. Assessment as feedback is a planned process in which assessment-elicited evidence of students' status is used by teachers to adjust their ongoing instructional procedures or by students to adjust and build on their current learning strategies.