Diploma Programme (DP)
Meridian School was authorized as an IB World School offering the Diploma Program in March of 2014.
Meridian School received authorization from the International Baccalaureate (IB) to offer the Diploma Program curriculum (DP). This enables students to pursue the IB Diploma in addition to a Meridian School Diploma. The IB Diploma Program at Meridian School is offered in grades 11 and 12. In order to receive the IB Diploma, students must complete a two year course in each of six different subject groups. In addition they must take a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course both the junior and senior years, complete the Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) program, and an Extended Essay (EE). Whether or not students are awarded the IB Diploma is based upon satisfactory completion of the above elements, as well as receiving an average passing score of 4 out of a possible 7 points on exams in their six IBDP subject group courses that are completed in May of the senior year.
Students at Meridian School are not required to pursue the IB Diploma. All students will complete CAS and an Extended Essay, but if they are not pursuing the IB Diploma these results will not be sent to IB. Subject group courses will cover IB curriculum elements, but students who choose to take these courses at the IB level will be graded more rigorously and the courses will be listed as “IB” courses on these students’ transcripts. College admissions officers look more favorably upon courses that are taken at the “IB” level, and especially like when it is indicated that a student is pursuing the IB Diploma. For this reason, and especially the educational benefits that accompany the IB Diploma, all Meridian students are encouraged to pursue the IB Diploma.
Fees for IB Diploma Coursework
The International Baccalaureate charges fees for IB exams, and Meridian students taking courses at the “IB” level will need to pay the costs of these exam fees. There is a one-time candidate fee, plus a fee for each of the six subject courses in which an exam is taken. In total, the fees are approximately $750, payable from December-April of the senior year. Students have opportunity to fund raise, from their 10th grade through 12th grade years, to pay for the expenses of the senior trip and IB DP exams.
Financial hardship should not stand in the way of a student being able to pursue the IB Diploma. If a family is unable to pay IB exam fees due to financial hardship, they should contact the Meridian School business office to pursue a scholarship.
Course Selection
Students in the 11th and 12th grades at Meridian School will register for courses in seven different areas, which are required to pursue the IB Diploma. IB DP courses in groups 1 through 6 are all two years in length. They begin the junior year and are completed the senior year. Courses in groups 1 through 6 are taken at either Higher Level (HL) or Standard Level (SL). Students pursuing the IB Diploma take three or four courses at Higher Level, and three or two courses at Standard Level. Both Higher and Standard Level courses are advanced courses, but HL courses cover more topics than SL. In addition to taking courses in groups 1 through 6, students also take a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course for a semester in both the junior and senior years.
Meridian School IB Diploma Program Course Choices
Group 1 - Language and Literature
IB DP English Language & Literature HL
Group 2 - Language Acquisition
IB DP French SL or HL or ab initio
IB DP Spanish SL or HL or ab initio
Group 3 - Individuals and Society
IB DP History HL, Americas and World Topics
Group 4 - Sciences
IB DP Biology SL or HL
IB DP Chemistry SL or HL
IB DP Computer Science SL
IB DP Design Technology SL
IB DP Environmental Systems and Societies SL
Group 5 - Mathematics
IB DP Mathematical Applications and Interpretation SL
IB DP Mathematical Analysis and Approaches SL or HL (HL requires completion of Algebra 2 in 9th grade)
Group 6 - Fine Arts and Electives
IB DP Theater SL or HL
IB DP Visual Arts SL or HL
Instead of taking a Group 6 course, IB Diploma Candidates may take an additional course in Group 2 or 4
Theory of Knowledge
IB DP Theory of Knowledge (spring of junior year and fall of senior year)
In addition to the IB DP Theory of Knowledge course, students will take a state-required US Government course in the fall of the junior year and state-required Economics in the spring of the senior year.
More information on course selection, and course descriptions, can be found in the Academic Guide and Course Catalog.
IB Diploma Program Exams
Students pursuing the IB Diploma will take IB exams for each of the IB DP courses in which they are enrolled. The majority of these exams are composed of tests, known as “Papers” (Paper 1, Paper 2, etc.) taken in May of the senior year. A portion of the exam in each IB course is composed of “Internal Assessments” which take a different form in each course, such as an oral presentation in English, a research paper in History, experiments in the Sciences, a project in Math, and a research workbook in Visual Art. These Internal Assessments are marked by the teacher and marked samples are sent to an IB moderator to verify that the marks are in accordance with the IB standard. Based upon student achievement on the Papers and the Internal Assessments, IB will award students a grade in each course ranging from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). IB awards these grades in July after the students have completed their senior year. Many colleges will award college credit for IB courses based upon the scores achieved on IB exams.
Whether or not students are awarded the IB Diploma depends upon several factors, including:
• Taking six appropriate IB DP courses and earning an average exam score of 4 overall,
• Taking and earning a passing score in Theory of Knowledge (TOK),
• Completing the Extended Essay (EE) and earning a passing score, and
• Fulfilling the requirements of Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS).
Extended Essay (EE)
The Extended Essay is a piece of research writing up to 4,000 words in length that students complete over the second half of the junior year and first half of the senior year. Students may choose any subject area in which they are taking an IB course to write their EE. With the assistance of an EE supervisor in that subject, students will craft a question that they wish to answer, research a variety of sources (and if their EE is in the Sciences, design and carry out an experiment), and write an analytical answer to their question. Completing the EE prepares students extremely well for completing similar tasks in college.
Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS)
Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) is at the heart of the IB Diploma Program, and involves students in a range of activities alongside their academic studies throughout the Diploma Program.
The three strands of CAS, often interwoven in particular activities, are:
• Creativity: arts and other experiences that involve creative thinking,
• Activity: physical exertion that contributes to a healthy lifestyle, such as sports and other exercise, and
• Service: an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student.
CAS activities should be:
• Purposeful, with significant outcomes,
• Personally challenging,
• Undertaken with thoughtful consideration and planning, and
• Reflected upon to assure that personal learning outcomes have been achieved.
CAS activities should be ongoing, occurring on a regular basis throughout the junior and senior years. Each student will have a CAS advisor with whom they will meet several times each year, discussing the progress of their CAS activities and reflecting upon the outcomes. Ultimately, CAS helps to ensure that student academic growth is accompanied by fulfilling personal growth.