Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

2016 - 2017 Handbook, Cordova High School

The mission of Cordova High School: “Providing College & Career Readiness for all students.” Students will meet and exceed content standards and graduate with the skills needed for personal success, be prepared to adapt to developing cultural trends and new technologies, and have the ability to responsibly contribute to the success of others. The mission of the International Baccalaureate Organization: “IBO aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.” A Note from the Coordinator: Welcome to our new and growing IBDP Programme at Cordova High

School. We want students at CHS to become curious, balanced, lifelong learners, and we will do our best to support you and welcome you into our academic family. I value your input and involvement; please feel free to contact me or visit me anytime.

Ms. Nguyen ( rnguyen@fcusd.org )

Contents Page

IB Diploma Requirements 2­3

Benefits of the IB 4

Academic Honesty Policy 5­6

Cost of Exams 6

Assessment Deadlines 7

Extended Essay 8

Theory of Knowledge 9­10

Creativity, Action, Service 11

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Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

IB DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program is a challenging two­year curriculum, primarily aimed at students aged 16 to 18. It leads to a qualification that is widely recognized by the world’s leading universities. Students learn more than a collection of facts. The Diploma Program prepares students for university and encourages them to:

ask challenging questions learn how to learn develop a strong sense of their own identity and culture develop the ability to communicate with and understand people from other countries and

cultures. Cordova High School offers a variety of IBDP courses in the Higher Level and the Standard Level. Students may receive a maximum of seven points per curriculum area. Students at Cordova High School are encouraged to pursue the full diploma.

Group Higher Level Course Options Standard Level Course Options

1 ­Language & Literature HL

2 ­French B SL ­Spanish B SL ­Chinese B SL

3 ­History of the Americas HL ­Global Politics HL

­Global Politics SL

4 ­Biology HL ­Chemistry SL ­Environmental Systems & Societies SL

5 ­Mathematics SL ­Math Studies SL

6 ­Visual Arts HL ­Visual Arts HL

*More information about each course is available in the Cordova High Course Catalogue.

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Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

Course Requirements for the IB Diploma: ­6 IB classes over two years

3 at the Higher Level 3 at the Standard Level

Core Requirements ­At least 100 hours of instruction in The Theory of Knowledge course, culminating in an essay and a presentation ­Extended Essay (2,500­4,000 words of inquiry­based research) ­Creativity, Action, and Service (including a 20 hour leadership project)

Earning the Diploma

Points Possible in Courses 42

Points Possible in Core 3

Total Points Possible 5

Point Requirement for HL Courses 12

Minimum Requirement for Diploma 24

For diploma and certificate students: failure to complete any of the required component(s) after the November 7, 2016 registration date will result in forfeiture of payment or reimbursement to the school of the applicable fees before graduation. Students who are enrolled in IB classes but do not choose to attempt the certificate or full diploma must complete and pass the assignments, including the internal assessment, required by the teacher in order to pass the class.

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Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

BENEFITS OF THE IB A strong and growing body of research indicates that an International Baccalaureate® (IB) education is highly beneficial to students. The benefits of an IB education are especially strong when it comes to higher education. Top universities from around the world have shown how they value the IB's credentials by building special pathways for IB students; by granting credit or advanced standing for performance on IB exams; or even by providing scholarships for IB students. What the Research Shows Us Across different studies, researchers have found that:

Diploma Programme (DP) curriculum and assessment compares favourably to a variety of other respected qualifications

DP students tend to complete their undergraduate degrees at higher rates than their peers, and often in less time.

IB students can tend to make more contributions to campus life by participating in activities such as community service, tutoring, assisting faculty in research, study abroad, internships, and joining clubs and other student groups.

the IB goes to great lengths to ensure the validity and reliability of our assessments. IB assessments have been demonstrated as strong predictors of university performance.

Across the research, DP students have been cited as demonstrating the following skills: Interest and experience in research Time management and organizational skills Critical thinking, inquiry and problem solving Strong language and writing skills International­mindedness and a sense of responsibility for the community.

College and the IB

UC Credits: CSU Credits:

UC awards students who complete the IB diploma with a score of 30 or above with 30 quarter (20 semester) units toward their UC degree. Students who receive IB certificates with scores of 5, 6 or 7 on Higher Level exams will receive 8 quarter (5.3 semester) units.

Scores of 4, 5, 6, or 7 on Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in high school will be awarded credit. No credit is given for Standard Level IB courses.

For detailed information about how colleges acknowledge the IB, go to http://ibo.org/en/university­admission/recognition­of­the­ib­diploma­by­countries­and­universities/

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Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY As defined by IBO, academic honesty is a set of values and skills that promote personal integrity and good practice in teaching, learning and assessment. An authentic piece of work is one that is based on the candidate’s individual and original ideas with the ideas and work of others fully acknowledged. Therefore all assignments, written or oral, completed by a candidate for assessment must wholly and authentically use that candidate’s own language and expression.

Cheating is defined as giving or receiving information on any material in a manner contrary to the teacher’s instructions. It is also defined as any other behavior that gains an unfair advantage for a candidate or that affects the results of another candidate.

All IBDP students at Cordova High School will use an appropriate citation method for research required by the teacher (commonly, MLA and APA). The following categories are considered cheating: 1. Plagiarism is defined as the representation of the ideas or work of another person as the student’s own, paraphrasing another’s ideas copying another student’s work word for word or by paraphrasing without proper citation. 2. Collusion is defined as supporting malpractice by another candidate, as in allowing one’s work to be copied or submitted for assessment by another 3. Duplication of work is defined as the presentation of the same work for different assessment components and requirements. Consequences of cheating: First Offense

The teacher will discuss the incident with the student and communicate the information with the parent/guardian of the student.

The student will complete (re­submit) the assignment. The incident will be documented in the student’s file.

Second Offense

Teacher will follow all of the steps of the first offense. Refer students to their administrator with documentation of the first and second offense. Student will be assigned 2 full days of In School Suspension. Information will be noted on file until student graduates. Information will be available to

the Scholarship Committee upon request.

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Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

Third Offense Teacher will follow the steps of the first and second offense. Student will be suspended from school (OSS). Most colleges ask whether or not students

have been suspended from school. Information will be noted on file until student graduates. Information will be available to

the Scholarship Committee upon request. Students and parents will be asked to sign the Academic Honesty Acknowledgement

forms for each IB class for which they are enrolled. In addition, students will be required to print and sign the following statement as directed

by their IB teachers: The work you are receiving from me today is mine and mine alone. There were no acts of plagiarism, collusion, or duplication in preparation or completion of this assignment.

COST OF EXAMS

Each IB Test costs approximately $110 and there is a one­time registration fee of $155 per student. Students will be registered for exams starting in October, 2015. The Folsom Cordova Unified School District has agreed to pay exam fees for the 2016­2017 school year. By 16 November 2016, students are registered electronically for IB external assessments. There is no turning back at this point. Once you are registered for these assessments, no changes can be made. If a student is removed from the course for any reason, he or she must pay the $110 test fee. Juniors enrolled in IB Math Studies SL, Global Politics SL, IB Chemistry SL, or Environmental Systems & Societies SL who are seeking certificates or the full diploma may only take a maximum of two tests in May 2017. Some juniors may not take any tests until May 2017 based on their class selection.

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Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

ASSESSMENT DEADLINES An assessment calendar can be found on Managebac

Due Date Assessment

03­14 October Theory of Knowledge Presentations

09 October Math SL Year 2 Internal Assessment

13 October French, Spanish, and Mandarin SL Interactive Oral 1

28 October Extended Essay Outline

14 November Global Politics HL Year 2 Internal Assessment 1

16 November French, Spanish, and Mandarin SL Interactive Oral 2

28 November Extended Essay Draft

05­09 December Language & Literature Individual Oral Commentary

14 December Visual Arts SL & HL Comparative Study

16 December Theory of Knowledge Essay

07 January Bio HL year 2 Internal Assessment

12 January French, Spanish, and Mandarin SL Interactive Oral 3

20 January Extended Essay Final Draft

27 January French, Spanish, and Mandarin SL Written Assignment

10 February History Internal Assessment

13­17 February French, Spanish, and Mandarin SL Individual Oral

01­02 March Language & Literature Written Assignments

03 March Chemistry SL and ESS SL Internal Assessments

08 March Math Studies SL Internal Assessment

13 March Global Politics HL Year 2 Internal Assessment 2

28 March Visual Arts Year 2 Process Portfolio

04 April Visual Arts Year 2 Exhibition

29 April­19 May CAS Hours Submitted; Exams Commence

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Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

THE EXTENDED ESSAY The extended essay is an independent, self­directed piece of research, culminating in a 4,000­word paper. The subject for the extended essay falls in one of the six IBDP curriculum areas and the student should have a real interest in the subject of the extended essay. As a required component, it provides:

practical preparation for the kinds of undergraduate research required at the tertiary level an opportunity for students to engage in an in­depth study of a topic of interest within a

chosen subject. Emphasis is placed on the research process:

formulating an appropriate research question engaging in a personal exploration of the topic communicating ideas developing an argument.

Participation in this process develops the capacity to: analyze synthesize, and evaluate knowledge.

Students are supported throughout the process with advice and guidance from a supervisor, an IB trained teacher at the school. There are specific meetings dates and required meeting hours with the The IB Society and Ms. Nguyen.

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Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

THE THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE Theory of Knowledge (ToK) is a course designed to encourage each student to reflect on the nature of knowledge by critically examining different ways of knowing (perception, emotion, language and reason) and different kinds of knowledge (scientific, artistic, mathematical and historical). IB requires 100 hours of ToK instruction over two years for students pursuing the whole diploma. Students pursuing the IB Diploma are required to complete a paper and presentation on specific prescribed topics that will be available in September of the senior year. Aims The overall aim of TOK is to encourage students to formulate answers to the question “how do you know?” in a variety of contexts, and to see the value of that question. This allows students to develop an enduring fascination with the richness of knowledge. Specifically, the aims of the TOK course are for students to: make connections between a critical approach to the construction of knowledge, the academic disciplines and the wider world develop an awareness of how individuals and communities construct knowledge and how this is critically examined develop an interest in the diversity and richness of cultural perspectives and an awareness of personal and ideological assumptions critically reflect on their own beliefs and assumptions, leading to more thoughtful, responsible and purposeful lives understand that knowledge brings responsibility which leads to commitment and action. Knowing about knowing TOK is a course about critical thinking and inquiring into the process of knowing, rather than about learning a specific body of knowledge. It is a core element which all Diploma Programme students undertake and to which all schools are required to devote at least 100 hours of class time. TOK and the Diploma Programme subjects should support each other in the sense that they reference each other and share some common goals. The TOK course examines how we know what we claim to know. It does this by encouraging students to analyse knowledge claims and explore knowledge questions. A knowledge claim is the assertion that “I/we know X” or “I/we know how to Y”, or a statement about knowledge; a knowledge question is an open question about knowledge. A distinction between shared knowledge and personal knowledge is made in the TOK guide. This distinction is intended as a device to help teachers construct their TOK course and to help students explore the nature of knowledge. The Ways of Knowing While there are arguably many ways of knowing, the TOK course identifies eight specific ways of knowing (WOKs). They are language, sense perception, emotion, reason, imagination, faith, intuition, and memory. Students must explore a range of ways of knowing, and it is suggested that studying four of these eight in depth would be appropriate. The Ways of Knowing have two roles in TOK: ­they underlie the methodology of the areas of knowledge ­they provide a basis for personal knowledge.

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Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

The Areas of Knowledge Areas of knowledge are specific branches of knowledge, each of which can be seen to have a distinct nature and different methods of gaining knowledge. TOK distinguishes between eight areas of knowledge. They are mathematics, the natural sciences, the human sciences, the arts, history, ethics, religious knowledge systems, and indigenous knowledge systems. Students must explore a range of areas of knowledge, and it is suggested that studying six of these eight would be appropriate. The knowledge framework is a device for exploring the areas of knowledge. It identifies the key characteristics of each area of knowledge by depicting each area as a complex system of five interacting components. This enables students to effectively compare and contrast different areas of knowledge and allows the possibility of a deeper exploration of the relationship between areas of knowledge and ways of knowing. Assessment objectives It is expected that by the end of the TOK course, students will be able to:

identify and analyse the various kinds of justifications used to support knowledge claims formulate, evaluate and attempt to answer knowledge questions examine how academic disciplines/areas of knowledge generate and shape knowledge understand the roles played by ways of knowing in the construction of shared and

personal knowledge explore links between knowledge claims, knowledge questions, ways of knowing and

areas of knowledge demonstrate an awareness and understanding of different perspectives and be able to

relate these to one’s own perspective explore a real­life situation from a TOK perspective in the presentation.

There are two assessment tasks in the TOK course: an essay and a presentation. The essay is externally assessed by the IB, and must be on any one of the six prescribed titles issued by the IB for each examination session. The maximum word limit for the essay is 1,600 words. The presentation can be done individually or in a group, with a maximum group size of three. Approximately 10 minutes per presenter should be allowed, up to a maximum of approximately 30 minutes per group. Before the presentation each student must complete and submit a presentation planning document (TK/PPD) available on Managebac. The TK/PPD is internally assessed alongside the presentation itself, and the form is used for external moderation.

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Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

CREATIVITY, ACTION, & SERVICE CAS, Creativity, Action, and Service , is a critical component of the IB Diploma. Just like most courses, CAS runs the entire two years of your IB Diploma candidate status. CAS, however, is different. CAS “takes seriously the importance of life outside the work or scholarship, providing a counterbalance to the academic self­absorption some students may feel within a demanding school curriculum” (IBO). CAS extends students beyond their circle. “CAS is a framework for experiential learning, designed to involve students in new roles. The emphasis is on learning by doing real tasks that have real consequences and then reflecting on these experiences over time” (IBO). CAS hours and the reflection that is required after completing each activity can be started as early as the summer before the junior year and must be completed by 15 March of the senior year. The student seeking the full IB Diploma must complete approximately 150 hours, 20 of which must be devoted to leadership or innovation in the form of a CAS Project. Students should use their time out of school to complete comprehensive projects. All paperwork for CAS hours are due on May 25, 2017 for those seniors who seeking the full diploma. CAS Principles:

CAS is at the center of the IB Diploma circle and is central to the IB experience. CAS takes seriously the importance of life outside the world of scholarship and

encourages students to share their energies and special talents. CAS is filled with opportunities for fun at a time which is, for many young people, full of

stress and uncertainty. CAS fosters caring and socially responsible attitudes in an immediate way when students

reach beyond themselves and their books and helps develop a spirit of open­mindedness, lifelong learning, discovery, and self­reliance.

CAS encourages the development of new skills on many levels: creative, physical, and social skills and inspires a sense of responsibility toward all members of the community.

CAS encourages the development of attitudes and traits that will be respected by others, such as determination and commitment, initiative and empathy.

CAS hours are recorded and approved through Managebac: www.fcusd.managebac.com. Students will find support for CAS through IB Society Meetings on Tuesdays after school in room D9.

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Cordova High School IBDP Student Handbook

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