International Baccalaureate at Arlington High

• The premiere globally-recognized college preparatory curriculum

• Focuses on the whole student: academics and beyond

• A small-group, cohort program for junior and senior year

• Unique and varied assessment: writing, speaking, presenting, and creating instead of multiple choice

• Students own their learning through reflection, choice in assignments and focus, and finding meaning through real-world, global connections

• The best preparation for college, teaching students to write at length, think critically, and become practiced speakers and presenters

• Small cohort allows for extra support from teachers and the coordinator

Though a small group, IB students are varied in many ways. We have future valedictorians and students who have never taken an advanced class, those who are already strong writers or speakers and those who know they need to improve in those areas, some who have always loved school and others who are looking for a place where they can find more meaning. Our IB students represent the full diversity of backgrounds and experiences you find at AHS, each bringing their unique viewpoints and talents to discussions and projects.

IB students tend to enjoy and/or want to improve discussing ideas, sharing their thoughts, and considering other points of view. They often have a desire to somehow make the world a better place, a goal the IB curriculum explicitly supports. They tend to be caring, thoughtful, and dedicated, all skills which are fostered in IB. 

• Full diploma students take a full set of IB courses: English, History, Science, Math, Second Language, and an IB Elective. They also take the Theory of Knowledge class, which connects all of the courses and explores how we know what we know. These students are given extra support by teachers and the coordinator and get all of the benefits of an IB education. Full diploma students may receive the IB diploma in recognition of success in each of these areas of study, and students who earn the diploma may receive even more college credit or scholarship money.

• Some IB courses are open-enrollment, meaning that students who are not in the full diploma program may take those courses. Students who elect to take single courses, especially English and TOK, may want to consider taking the full diploma program. Open enrollment courses include English, Spanish, German, French, Film, Visual Arts, Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS), Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and the second year of History (HOA)