Homewood-Flossmoor High School

IB Prep Academy & IB Diploma Programme:

Four-YearOverview

For further information, contact: Dr. Nancy Spaniak, Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Professional Development, 708-335-5330, nspaniak@hf233.org.

HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 233999 Kedzie Avenue, Flossmoor, IL 60422 • www.hfhighschool.org

The H-F IB Prep Academy and IB DiplomaProgramme for academically talented stu-dents align with Homewood-Flossmoor HighSchool’s mission to uphold the highest stan-dards of intellectual growth. In general, mostschools do a good job of supporting strug-gling students, but do not provide enough en-richment for academically talented students.While H-F traditionally has serviced thesestudents well through its honors and Ad-vanced Placement (AP) program, the schoolwanted to do more for its highest academicperformers. As a result, a committee of ad-ministrators and teachers worked for more than a yearto develop the H-F IB Prep Academy and its IBDiploma Programme.

Established in the fall of 2011, the H-F IB Prep Acad-emy is designed for students whose grades, test scoresand overall academic performance rank them at the topof their class. H-F IB Prep Academy students experi-ence honors courses, along with an accelerated Ad-vanced Placement program, during their freshman andsophomore years. AP — a pillar of Homewood-Floss-moor High School’s nationally recognized curricularframework — is regarded around the world for its rig-orous preparation of students for high-level universitywork. Coupled with experiencing the AP program, H-F IB Prep Academy members enter the InternationalBaccalaureate Diploma Programme as juniors. Thus,the four-year H-F IB Prep Academy and IB DiplomaProgramme immerse its members in the two most chal-lenging and internationally recognized high school cur-ricula: AP and IB.

After an extensive, multi-year application process, theInternational Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)granted IB World School status to Homewood-Floss-moor High School in the spring of 2013. As a result,H-F became the first public high school in the Chicagosuburbs to offer the IB Diploma Programme. Home-wood-Flossmoor High School proudly joined the ex-clusive group of approximately 5,000 IB WorldSchools that dot the globe across more than 15 coun-tries. A non-profit organization, IBO was founded in1968 in response to the demands of European diplo-mats who were seeking a rigorous, relevant and con-sistent academic program for their children as theytraveled from country to country. The IB Diploma Pro-gramme provides upper-level high school students withan academically challenging and balanced program ofstudy to develop students’ content knowledge in a sys-tematic fashion as it fosters their maturity. IB DiplomaProgramme graduates are recognized internationally aswell-rounded, top students who possess strong critical-thinking, research, writing and oral communicationskills.

An Introduction

to the

H-F IB Prep Academy

& IB Diploma

Programme

1

As illustrated at below left, the IB Diploma Programmecurriculum framework consists of courses in six groups,which are offered either as one-year Standard Level (SL)courses or two-year Higher Level (HL) courses. Withinthe six groups, Homewood-Flossmoor High School of-fers the following courses: Group 1 Studies in Languageand Literature: HL English; Group 2 Language Acqui-sition: SL French, SL Spanish and SL Mandarin;Group 3 Individuals and Societies: SL Economics andHL Psychology; Group 4 Sciences:HL Physics; Group5 Mathematics: SL Math Applications & Analysis andHL Math Applications & Analysis; and Group 6 TheArts: SL Visual Arts and SL Music.

In addition to earning their H-F diploma, IB DiplomaProgramme students have the opportunity to earn an IBDiploma upon graduation. Highly prestigious, the IBDiploma is — in the words of the International Bac-calaureate website — “a passport to higher education”across the globe. IB students who wish to earn an IBDiploma must take courses and pass rigorous IB assess-

ments in all six groups, or take two courses in Group 3(SL Economics and HL Psychology) to replace Group 6(SL Visual Arts or SL Music). Additionally, IB Diploma-seekers must enroll in the two-year Theory of Knowledge(TOK) course, compose a 4,000-word Extended Essay(EE), and complete the Creativity, Activity and Service(CAS) requirement outside of the school day. (See page13 for further descriptions of TOK , EE and CAS.) Al-though H-F IB Diploma Programme students are not re-quired to seek an IB Diploma, they all must take IBcourses in Groups 1 through 5. (Students who are notprepared to take a 2nd year World Language course asfreshmen are excused from the Group 2 requirement.)Non-IB Diploma-seeking students who earn successfulscores on IB end-of-course exams are awarded a “Certi-fication of Mastery,” which is recognized by universitiesaround the world for college course credit. While encour-aged to complete the TOK, EE, and CAS requirements,IB certificate students – students not working towardsthe IB Diploma – are not obliged to do so.

International

Baccalaureate

Diploma Programme

Curriculum

Framework

2

3

WorldLanguage

IB DIPLOMA & IB CERTIFICATE 11TH & 12 GRADE COURSE PATHWAYSThe following Tables A -F (pages 4-9) overview some of the varied course combinations IB Diploma-seeking students can take as juniors and seniors.

Table G (page 10) shows IB Certificate-seeking students’ possible course pathways.

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1900 course numbers indicate cohort courses in which only IB Diploma Programme students are enrolled.

TABLE A: IB Diploma -Traditional Pathway

WorldLanguage

5

WorldLanguage

6

WorldLanguage

7

WorldLanguage

8

WorldLanguage

9

WorldLanguage

10

TABLE G: IB Certificate Student Course Pathways*

1900 course numbers indicate cohort courses in whitch only IB Diploma Programme students are enrolled.

WorldLanguage

During 9th grade, all H-F IB Prep Academy studentstake English 1 Honors; AP World History; GeometryHonors or Algebra 2/Trig Honors; one semester ofFreshman Physical Education and one semester ofHealth Honors. Students are encouraged — but notrequired — to take Biology Honors in the summer.Those who successfully complete Biology Honors insummer school may take Chemistry Honors during9th grade.

The H-F IB Prep Academy freshman cohort coursesinclude English 1 Honors (#1900), AP World History(#1910) and Algebra 2/Trig Honors (#1930). To ex-plain, only IB Prep Academy students are enrolled incourse sections with 1900 numbers. Additionally, onlyone teacher instructs each of these 1900 courses; there-fore, the freshmen share the same teachers for English1H, AP World History and Algebra 2/Trig Honors.(Those taking Geometry Honors are not in an Acad-emy cohort.) In addition to collaborating with one an-other to establish common student expectations andnorms, the IB Prep Academy freshman teacher teammembers articulate with their sophomore, junior, andsenior year teacher team counterparts in order to ensurea smooth transition from one grade to the next.

Along with the above-mentioned courses, all H-F IBPrep Academy students who have successfully com-pleted the first year of French, Mandarin or Spanish injunior high, enroll in French 2 Honors, Mandarin 2Honors or Spanish 2 Honors as 9th graders. Thesestudents are on the path to taking the IB SL level oftheir World Language as seniors. Students who havenot taken a World Language in junior high enroll in thefirst year of a World Language. These students are nec-

essarily on the IB Certificate path, as opposed to theIB Diploma path, since they will not get to the fifthyear IB SL World Language Level by senior year.

Finally, H-F IB Prep Academy students seeking an IBDiploma through the Group 6 Arts pathway must takefour years of either art or music; therefore, IBDiploma-seeking students take art courses (Photogra-phy, Graphic Design or Art Studio) or music perform-ance courses (Band, Choir or Orchestra) freshmanthrough junior year in order to prepare for senior year’sIB SL Art or IB SL Music. IB certificate students –those not pursuing the IB Diploma – choose othercourses to fill each year’s art/music slot.

Exam taken at the end of freshman year:• AP World History

Homewood-Flossmoor High School pays for all APand IB exams taken by students in the required H-F IBPrep Academy and IB Diploma Programme AP andIB courses.

H-F IB Prep Academy

Freshman Year

Overview

11

As sophomores, all H-F IB Prep Academy studentsenroll in AP English Language & Composition; APU.S. History; Algebra 2/Trig Honors or Pre-Calcu-lus Honors; one semester of Sophomore PhysicalEducation; one semester of Driver Education; andthe second or third year of their World Languagecourse.

Students who have taken Biology Honors in 9th grademay take Chemistry Honors either in summer schoolprior to 10th grade or in 10th grade. Students who takeChemistry Honors prior to 10th grade are encouragedto take an AP or Honors science elective as sopho-mores, but they may also use this slot to take an elec-tive from another discipline.

H-F IB Prep Academy sophomores seeking the IBDiploma via the Group 6 Arts pathway must also en-

roll in either an art studio or music performancecourse. Those seeking the IB Diploma through thedouble Group 3 pathway and IB certificate-seekingstudents may use this art/music slot to enroll in eitherone year-long elective or two semester electives. Thesophomore year H-F IB Prep Academy cohort coursesare AP Language & Composition (#1901), AP U.S.History (#1911), Algebra 2/Trig Honors (#1930) andPre-Calculus Honors (#1931). The summer prior totheir junior year, IB students may elect to take the se-mester-long U.S. Government & Politics Honorscourse or, depending on their pathway, EconomicsHonors.

Exams taken at the end of sophomore year:• AP Language & Composition• AP U.S. History

H-F IB Prep Academy

Sophomore Year

Overview

12

Students who have successfully completed IB PrepAcademy begin IB Diploma Programme coursework inthe 11th grade. As shown in Tables A-G (pages 4-10),there are a variety of pathways to earn either an IBDiploma or IB course certificates. IB Diploma-seekingstudents must take IB courses from Groups 1 through6, or they may take two courses from Group 3 SocialScience to replace a Group 6 Arts course. Students seek-ing IB certificates are required to take IB courses fromGroups 1 through 5. (Students who are not yet preparedto take a 4th year World Language as juniors are ex-cused from the Group 2 requirement.)

The courses all IB juniors take include: IB HL English1 (#1902), a third or fourth year of World Language, andIB HL Physics 1 (#1940). Additionally, they must enrollin a math course that fits their preferred math pathway.Math course options include Pre-Calculus Honors(#1931) for students who took Algebra 2/Trig as soph-omores, IB SL Math (#1935), and IB HL Math 1(#1932). Students planning to take IB SL Math as sen-iors, who have completed Pre-Calculus Honors, maychoose from AP Statistics (#3334), and AP CalculusAB (#3336). As for Group 3 Social Science, dependingon their pathway to a diploma or certificate, IB studentsmay choose IB SL Economics (#1917) and/or IB HLPsychology 1 (#1918). While IB Psychology is an elec-tive, Economics is a graduation requirement; therefore,students who do not take the IB Economics course mustenroll in another Economics course either in the sum-mer or during the regular school year. IB Diploma-seeking students must also enroll in IB Theory ofKnowledge (TOK) 1 (#1914). Finally, students follow-ing the Group 6 Arts pathway to an IB Diploma musttake either Art Concentration H (#6073) or a music en-semble course. Students following the double Group 3Social Science pathway to an IB Diploma must take HLPsychology 1 (#1918).

TOK — IB students who are not seeking an IB Diplomaare encouraged to take TOK because the course, as ex-plained on the IB website, helps students “develop a co-herent approach to learning that unifies academicdisciplines.” TOK students expand their critical thinkingas they “inquire into the nature of knowing and deepentheir understanding of knowledge as human construc-tion.”

EE — During their junior year, IB-Diploma-seekingstudents begin fulfilling their Extended Essay (EE) andCreativity, Action, and Service (CAS) requirements.Through their TOK course, students receive instructionin the independent research required to conduct a thor-ough, in-depth study of an EE question, which each stu-dent develops in regards to their personal interest in oneof 22 Diploma Programme subjects. For approximatelyone year, from November of their junior year throughmid-November of their senior year, the students re-search and write their 4,000-word EE. In addition to re-ceiving instruction from their TOK teacher, the studentswork one-on-one with an EE-trained faculty memberwho supervises the process.

CAS — According to the IB website, the purpose ofCAS is to embark IB-Diploma seeking students on “achallenging and enjoyable personal journey of self-dis-covery.” As its name implies, CAS provides a counter-balance to academic studies by engaging students increative endeavors, physical activity, and communityservice. Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s CAS su-pervisor assists students with developing and imple-menting their personal CAS programs. Students areexpected to be involved in CAS activities throughouttheir two years in the IB Diploma Programme and to re-flect on their experiences, in writing, on a regular basis.

To prepare for the PSAT in the fall of their junior year andfor the SAT the following spring, IB 11th graders are encour-aged to enroll in Viking Test Prep. All IB students’ Viking TestPrep courses are paid for by H-F.

H-F IB Diploma

Programme

Junior Year

Overview

13

Exams taken at the end of junior year:• IB SL Economics Students: AP Microeconomics,AP Macroeconomics, and IB SL Economics

• IB HL Physics 1 Students: AP Physics 1

• IB SL Math Students: IB SL Math

• IB HL Math 1 Students: AP Calculus BC

All IB seniors enroll in IB HL English 2 (#1903);either a fourth year of their World Language, or IBSL French (#1921), IB SL Spanish (IB #1920), orIB SL Mandarin (#1922); and IB HL Physics 2(#1941). Senior year math options include IB SLMath (#1935), IB HL Math 2 (#1933), AP Statis-tics (#3334), or another elective, depending on eachstudent’s pathway to an IB Diploma or IB certifi-cate. Those who have not yet met their Economicsgraduation requirement may take IB SL Economics(#1917), and those taking IB HL Psychology finishthe second year of the course (#1919). IB Diploma-seeking students must also enroll in IB Theory ofKnowledge (TOK) 2 (#1915). Finally, students fol-lowing the Group 6 Arts pathway to an IB Diplomamust take either IB SL Art (#1961) or IB SL Music(#1960). The music students enroll in their preferredmusic ensemble class as well.

With the exception of TOK and SL Visual Art, stu-dents take end-of-course IB exams that are markedby external IB examiners. They also complete as-sessment tasks in their IB courses, which are eitherinitially graded by their teachers, then externallymoderated, or are sent directly to external modera-tors. The grades awarded for each course rangefrom 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). Students can also beawarded up to three additional points for their com-bined results on the Theory of Knowledge assess-ment and the Extended Essay. The diploma isawarded to students who earn at least 24 points (ofwhich 12 must come from HL courses). Overall, theawarding of the IB Diploma is subject to certainminimum levels of performance across the wholeDiploma Programme, as well as to satisfactory par-ticipation in the Creativity, Activity, Service require-

ment. The highest total a Diploma Programme stu-dent can be awarded is 45 points. IB assessmentsare criterion-related, which means student perform-ance is measured against pre-specified assessmentcriteria based on the aims and objectives of eachsubject curriculum, rather than the performance ofother students taking the same examinations. Therange of scores that students have attained remainsstatistically stable, and universities value the rigorand consistency of the Diploma Programme’s as-sessment practice.

Exams taken at the end of senior year:• IB HL English 2 Students: IB HL English

• IB SL World Language Students: IB SL French, IBSL Mandarin or IB SL Spanish

• IB SL Economics Students: AP Microeconomics,AP Macroeconomics, and IB SL Economics

• IB HL Psychology 2 Students: IB HL Psychology

• IB HL Physics 2 Students: IB HL Physics

• IB SL Math Students: IB SL Math

• IB HL Math 2 Students: IB HL Math

H-F IB Diploma

Programme

Senior Year

Overview

14

Because of the rigor of their four-yearcourse plan, H-F IB Prep Academyand IB Diploma Programme studentsare poised to graduate at the top oftheir class. In order to rank students,Homewood-Flossmoor High Schooluses a grade weighting system thatrecognizes differences in the chal-lenge of courses at the various levelsof Academic Core, College Prep,Honors and AP/IB. The followingtable represents the 4-tier gradeweighting system. Ultimately, thegrades a student earns, combined with

the rigor of the curriculum taken by the student, determine a grade point value that results in the student’sclass rank. The student with the highest weighted grade point average (GPA) is ranked number one in hisor her respective class (i.e. freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior classes).

All required H-F IB Prep Academy/IB Diploma Programme courses – with the exception of FreshmanPE, Sophomore PE and Driver Education – are taken at the Honors or AP/IB level. All Homewood-Floss-moor High School students must take their PE courses at the College Prep (CP) level; however, accordingto school board policy, each school year, students may take one year-long CP elective, or two semester CPelectives (including Driver Education), on a pass/no pass basis. Courses taken in this manner do not affecta student’s GPA or class rank.

Grade Weighting

&

Class Rankings

HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR HIGH SCHOOL’S 4-TIER GRADE-WEIGHTING SYSTEM

A B C D F

AP/IB 7 6 5 2 0

Honors 6 5 4 2 0

College Prep 5 4 3 2 0

Academic Core 4 3 2 1 0

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8th graders are invited to join the H-F IB Prep Acad-emy based on their grades, test scores and overall aca-demic achievement. They should also meet thefollowing criteria:

p Have a history of high test scores and grades. Inparticular, students should have earned As and Bs dur-ing the first three quarters of 8th grade in their Eng-lish/Language Arts, Math and Science courses.

p Be on track to complete 8th grade with an A orB in Algebra 1 Honors or Geometry Honors.

p If taking a World Language as an 8th grader, beon track to complete that course with an A or B.

p Be prepared to continue to earn high gradesthroughout high school and maintain a minimum3.0/4.0 grade point average.

p Be prepared to take seven classes all four yearsof high school, enroll in summer school courses andtackle at least two hours of homework per night.

p Be prepared to get involved in at least one sportor activity each semester of high school.

Future H-F IB Prep Academy students can look for-ward to many group and one-on-one sessions withHomewood-Flossmoor High School’s college coun-selors throughout their four years in the program, aswell as participating in a mentoring program with IBupperclassmen. They can also anticipate taking fieldtrips to such prestigious campuses as NorthwesternUniversity and the University of Chicago and look for-ward to other specialized off-campus experiences. Ad-ditionally, IB Prep Academy students receive a book,chosen by the H-F Advanced Academics Committee,to read each summer, and they are invited to participatein all special programs and events hosted by the H-FAdvanced Academics Committee, such as Careers inSTEAM Night.

Ultimately, the H-F IB Prep Academy/IB DiplomaProgramme provides a challenging and extendedcurricular experience that poises its students forhigh levels of post-secondary academic and careersuccess.

H-F IB Prep Academy

Qualifying Criteria

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