IB program

When is the district going to do something about the lack of diversity in the IB program? How come my daughter can't get the same extra attention as the IB kids.

sharika wrote:

When is the district going to do something about the lack of diversity in the IB program? How come my daughter can't get the same extra attention as the IB kids.

A: The IB program is open to every child at the high school beginning with the Pre-IB academic offerings. These are available to students as they enter high school. IB students do not receive “extra” attention in the context of their program. All students have the same access to their individual program/scheduled teachers throughout the high school and the same access to extra help after school. All students can take advantage of a wide variety of educational opportunities as they set their individual goals and prioritize their time throughout their high school years. Some students obviously take more rigorous courses and others take less depending on interest, ability, and long term personal and family goals.

how may kids are there that are not white in the IB program and since the numbers are so much lower of kids who aint white, does the district consider that maybe there are problems at earlier ages or is it ok for Schenectady that mainly white kids are in this program and the diverse kids are not as many?

there are differences in race way b4 IB program. Starting young then more kids end up failing/dropping out. why?

A: There are many factors that contribute to students' success or failure: work ethic, parental support, classroom experiences, academic commitment, family expectations, social and economic background, natural ability, etc. Nationally the achievement is narrowing similar to what we are experiencing. I believe it is because we are providing more and more variety in educational opportunities and options. We are committed to continue our efforts to meet the needs of all students.

It would be interesting to see the demographics of the students in the IB program and AP classes and how the demographics compare to the district as a whole. How does the district support students at young ages to ensure they are ready for these programs and is it a goal of the district to pursue a future balance so that there si more diversity in AP and IB classes?

sharika wrote:

how may kids are there that are not white in the IB program and since the numbers are so much lower of kids who aint white, does the district consider that maybe there are problems at earlier ages or is it ok for Schenectady that mainly white kids are in this program and the diverse kids are not as many?

A: I don’t have those statistics for this year. However, in the past it has widely varied. The district has recognized a narrowing achievement gap between students of different races over the past several years and continues to develop programs that meet the needs of every child regardless of their racial or ethnic background. All students are certainly encouraged to participate in advanced academic programs, which are open to every child.

Dear Schenectady School District Administration,

How would I get the statistics for previous years and when will the information be available for this school year?

Thank you,

Sandra

Sandra wrote:

Dear Schenectady School District Administration,

How would I get the statistics for previous years and when will the information be available for this school year? How can there be an IB program in place with no knowledge of the current level of diversity within the program?

Thank you,

Sandra

A: As with any records that are maintained by the district, a person can always file a Freedom of Information request through the district Clerk of the Board. Again, this data is kept at the building level, not at the district level.

As a student of the IB program, I am personally offended by the reasoning behind the instigation of this topic. The IB program is offered to all students based off of the student’s ability and willingness to do the work required. If a student is not able to complete the level and quantity of work then they are not able to complete the program. If what I am assuming to be the problem is that there should be some form of affirmative action for people/ ethic groups not involved in the program, this is what insults me. The IB program is not a club, or a school sport. It is a group of individuals willing to learn at a higher level. We were not "chosen" to be in the IB program. As a student I made the choice to do the work and take the challenge. The only extra activities we as a group are involved in are extra community service activities required by the IB program. There are no IB only lunches, save for the ceremony dedicated to those who completed the program, in which there is food provided. This could be said of any high scoring academic program, and is rightfully rewarded. I personally would like to know what your student is missing out on, does s/he yearn for Internal assessments, extended research papers, oral presentations? '

-Jkaminsky

I did not mean to offend anyone if my reply did, just thought it would be interesting to see the statistics for the diversity within the IB program and if the demographics are not balanced, to plan ahead as a school district to ensure every student is prepared for the rigor required.

My daughter is in the IB program and she worked hard throughout elementary and middle school to earn good grades. She made the choice to take on the hard work of the IB program as any other student could.She has several friends in the IB program and some of them are of a different race. As the IB student said this is not a club or a sport but a excellent program that is acquired through hard work.

I can understand the reasoning behind asking for demographics and the attempt at trying to understand how to get a more diverse population within the program. I do not have a problem with that. I was insulted by the instigation of this topic in the first place. I viewed the first post upon this topic as biased and unsubstantiated. Even so, my personal opinion is that more people should be involved however those that are willing to succeed.

Admin wrote:

A: The IB program is open to every child at the high school beginning with the Pre-IB academic offerings. These are available to students as they enter high school. IB students do not receive “extra” attention in the context of their program. All students have the same access to their individual program/scheduled teachers throughout the high school and the same access to extra help after school. All students can take advantage of a wide variety of educational opportunities as they set their individual goals and prioritize their time throughout their high school years. Some students obviously take more rigorous courses and others take less depending on interest, ability, and long term personal and family goals.

Couldn't have said it better.