Information regarding the changes in the AP and IB programs at Calhoun High School was shared during February's monthly Board meeting. CHS will continue to offer rigorous coursework despite a change in AP / IB course offerings after 2010. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program which began in 1999 has been beneficial for students who have taken IB courses. "While we see the merits of the IB Diploma Program, we also recognize that both programs IB and AP are nationally recognized and are equally strong," states Principal Wanda Westmoreland. "Given the current statistics, AP and IB test scores, the continued decrease in the number of full IB candidates at the senior level and no students receiving the IB diploma in 2007, we feel that greater emphasis should be placed on strengthening our Advanced Placement options," Kim Lamb, the school counselor said. "Only fifteen students have graduated with a full IB diploma since the program's inception. We had hoped that there would have been more interest and support but feel it is time to refocus our attention on strengthening our AP program. It is very difficult to run both programs effectively in a small high school. We believe that the extra attention we can give AP will be a win-win for all of our students, especially with the new graduation requirements," Westmoreland stated.
      The purpose for any advanced program of study is to offer a rigorous curriculum to prepare students to be successful at any post secondary school. At Calhoun High School, the goal is to continue to attract the most academically affluent students. Stakeholders demand a program which allows students to accrue college credit while still in high school without having to be enrolled in a post secondary option. "We feel our efforts in our higher level courses have been split between two very strong and excellent programs. But it is extremely expensive to operate two distinct programs with additional funds needed for textbooks and teacher certifications," states Chairman of the Board, Ed Moyer. The Calhoun City School Board in open session discussed the future of higher level courses at their February and March Board meetings. "We have been evaluating the program for the past several years and asked the administration to offer some guidance,"  states Dr. Michele Taylor, Superintendent.
      About 14,000 high schools in the United States have AP and about 450 have IB, much larger numbers than specialists expected when the programs began. AP was initiated by the College Board in 1956 as a program for a few elite public and private high schools, at which seniors and juniors were given college credit for some high-level courses so they would not be bored by having to cover the same material in college. IB, the brainchild of teachers at the International School of Geneva, started in 1968 as a high-level standard curriculum for schools that catered to the children of diplomats and international business executives.
       New research by the National Center for Educational Accountability shows that even students who fail AP examinations in high school are twice as likely to graduate from college in five years as students who never try AP. Hispanic and African American students are three times as likely to graduate from college in five years if they try AP. Other research shows similar results for students who took IB courses. Many of the teachers at Calhoun High School have been trained in the IB curriculum. This training will not be lost. Teachers will continue to add more rigor to the classes they teach whether IB or AP and to apply some of the same types of assessments. Those are changes for the better. IB Coordinator Kathy Sproull has worked hard to support the students in the IB Program and will continue to assist during the transition period which will take two years.
       Students and parents at Calhoun High School have complained that it is harder to get college credit for IB courses than for AP courses because the international program is smaller and less familiar to colleges. However, this has improved over the past several years. Usually students can get credits if they earn the full IB diploma, which includes six college-level exams plus a 4,000-word paper. But for individual courses, colleges often will give credit for the AP version but not for the very similar IB version, with no other reason than that is their policy.
       Calhoun High School counselors agree that IB and AP students share a great advantage when seeking admission to selective colleges, who want students that have taken the most demanding courses. They feel that both programs have advantages and disadvantages. Yet, for a small high school, it's extremely difficult to schedule classes and offer additional courses to broaden what CHS can offer to the majority of students.
       AP and IB programs have many similarities. They are both geared toward excelling or highly motivated students. Teachers in both programs are trained to teach the program-specific courses. Students can earn college credit through both AP and IB although AP is more widely accepted in the United States. Tests are given at the end of each AP and IB course. IB requires multiple tests per course. Both AP and IB require fees for the tests. IB tests cost more. Community service requirements exist for both programs, yet AP doesn't mandate the service hours. Independent research is required in IB with a varied curriculum. AP students have more flexibility in the types of courses they pursue. "Again, both programs offer rigorous curriculums. It's not about which one is better. It's about having one strong program that can be enhanced to offer our students the best education possible with the highest of expectations. We will continue our tradition of excellence," states Dr. Michele Taylor, Superintendent.